Book:  Deception
Author:  Lee Nichols
Published:  June 8, 2010 from Bloomsbury USA
My edition/number of pages:  ARC/336

Age group:  Young adult
Source:  Publisher
Series?:  Yes. First book.

When Emma Vaile’s parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year. Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age “knight in J.Crew armor,” Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England.

After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd. But she can’t shake the strange visions that are haunting her. She has memories of Thatcher she can’t explain, as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Emma doesn’t trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett. But he’s about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life.

Wow!  I honestly don’t know how to start this review.  Deception was absolutely brilliant and I know that whatever I say about it won’t be enough.  I can’t even put into words how much I loved it!

Emma Vaile’s life is perfectly fine.  She is living alone at home while her parents are out of the country and she is finally making progress with her crush.  All that changes when a friends tells social services about her being left alone.  She gets shipped off to New England with her older brother’s friend, Bennett, and things start to get crazy.  Emma starts seeing people that aren’t there and reliving memories that aren’t hers.  Is she going crazy or is it something entirely different?

I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this book.   I was plunged into the story from the very first page and I read straight through the book because I couldn’t stand not knowing how it would end.  The plot was beyond amazing and while it was a little creepy, it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t read it.  I even read it at night!  That’s a big accomplishment for me.

Also, while the story was creepy at parts, it was funny and cute at others.  The characters helped offset the creepiness because they were so good.  I don’t know who I liked the most because they all had different qualities that made them unique.  I can’t wait for more of them in the next book in the series.

Overall, Deception is the start of a series that might just be one of my new favorites.  There are so many things about it to like.  You have to read this one!

First line:  I couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe.

Writing:  5

Characters:  5

Plot:  5

Ending:  5

Originality:  5

Overall:  25=A++

Cover:  5=A++ (I didn’t like it at first but once I read the book I saw that it fit perfectly with the story.)

Now for the giveaway!

Details:
-One lucky readers will win an ARC of Deception.

Requirements:
-You must fill out the form.
-You must have a US mailing address.
-The giveaway will end on June 30.