The Deceivers

December 1, 2018
YA veteran Simmons (Pacifica, 2018, etc.) puts a new twist on mythic roots in her newest addition.Brynn Hilder is a struggling high school student on the south side of Sikawa City, a place so clearly based on Chicago one wonders why the name has been changed when others were not. When not in school or working as a cleaner at the library, she runs a side hustle as a con artist, saving money for college and a chance to escape the crime, drugs, and violence of her neighborhood. Recruited to attend Vale Hall, an elite, secretive prep school, with an opportunity for a college scholarship, Brynn must be willing to deal in subterfuge. Astute readers will quickly recognize the allusions to Norse mythology and Brunhild the Valkyrie, though Vale students do not collect souls for Odin but rather secrets for their mysterious benefactor to wield as leverage against corruption in high places. True to the Norse source material, there is no clear battle between good and evil but rather layered shades of gray and moral ambiguity. Bemusingly, Brynn is described as Colombian on her father's side, evidenced only by a reference to her skin tone (her mother is assumed white); the portrayal is lacking in recognizable cultural texture and depth.Confusing choices in setting and characterization tarnish an otherwise entertaining heist thriller. (Thriller. 13-18)

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Gr 8 Up-Brynn Hilder is from the wrong side of town but is determined to make a better life for herself by keeping up her grades, running a few cons to make money, and steering clear of her stepdad's drug dealing. Then she's given the opportunity of a lifetime-a spot at an exclusive private school where she can learn to become a better con artist. Suddenly she has new friends, a new wardrobe, and a director who promises to make all of her college scholarship dreams come true. If it seems too good to be true, that's because Brynn will soon learn just how dangerous her new life can be and how many risks she must take in order to keep her place. Billed as "Pretty Little Liars" meets Oceans 8, this novel falls short of truly delivering either, held back by allusions to action rather than the real deal. The characters are all older teens, operating in a world full of sex, drugs, and violence, yet the language and tone of the book is rather tame. A male Asian character is cast as the main love interest, and Simmons pulls off a nuanced and positive representation. VERDICT Recommended for younger teens looking to dip their toes in more mature content but not quite ready for the hard stuff.-Emily Grace Le May, Williams School, Information Services Associate

May 13, 2019
Simmons (the Article 5 series) pens an action-packed thriller based in Norse mythology, starring Brynn Hilder, a high-school senior who can’t wait to break out of her current life. Brynn lives in poverty with her mother and the memory of her recently murdered father in Sikawa City, a fictionalized Chicago. To save for college and her future, Brynn has a job mopping the library, but she also cons people out of their money. When she’s recruited by Dr. Odin at the exclusive Vale Hall prep school, she assumes that the admissions department got hold of her scholarship application for college. The school promises “learning, growing, camaraderie, success,” but there’s a cost: Dr. Odin wants to capitalize on her conning skills to pursue his own secret agenda. Brynn is faced with weighing the future she’s always wanted and helping her schoolmates defeat the true villains, and she endures an emotional journey, from a cinematic romance to a full-blown identity crisis. While Simmons creates a convincingly conflicted heroine and lush, memorable images, the characterization of most characters is thin, the plot cluttered, and the fast pace hectic. Ages 13–up.

November 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 When she's invited to the exclusive Vale Hall, Brynn Hilder thinks she finally escaped her shabby neighborhood and her mom's manipulative boyfriend. But Vale Hall isn't just a prestigious private school?it's a grooming ground for con artists, and Brynn's been recruited for her history of scamming rich locals to save money for college. To earn her place at Vale Hall, she must use her skills for high-profile cons that have high stakes and even higher consequences. A single slip can cost not just money but lives: Brynn and her new friends are exposing crime rings and political corruption. When she finds that her old demons still haunt her, Brynn must pull off a con that's tied up in everything she has come to hold dear. Humor, romance, intrigue, and a cunning protagonist make this perfect for fans of Ally Carter or Jennifer Lynn Barnes, or anyone who loves a good bit of deception.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)