The Deceivers (Vale Hall, #1) by Kristen Simmons

PrettyLittleLiarsmeetsOcean's11inthisintrigue-filledcontemporarydramafromacclaimedauthorKristenSimmons.

WelcometoValeHall,theschoolforaspiringconartists.

WhenBrynnHilderisrecruitedtoVale,itseemsliketheeliteacademyisherchancetostartover,awayfromhermom'sloserboyfriendandherrundownneighborhood.ButshesoonlearnsthatValechoosesstudentsnotsomuchfortheirscholastictalentasfortheirextracurricularactivities,suchashertimespentconningrichNorthShorekidsoutoftheirextravagantallowances.

Atfirst,Brynnjumpsatthechancetohelptheschoolinitsmissiontoridthecityofcorruptofficials--becausewhatcouldbebetterthangivingentitledjerkswhattheydeserve?Butthat'sbeforeshemeetshermark--asenator'sson--andbeforeshediscoverstheschool'sheadmasterhassecretshe'llstopatnothingtoprotect.Asthelinesbetweenrightandwrongblur,Brynnbeginstorealizeshe'sinwayoverhead.Synopsis (via Goodreads): Pretty Little Liars meets Ocean's 11 in this intrigue-filled contemporary drama from acclaimed author Kristen Simmons.

Welcome to Vale Hall, the school for aspiring con artists.

When Brynn Hilder is recruited to Vale, it seems like the elite academy is her chance to start over, away from her mom's loser boyfriend and her rundown neighborhood. But she soon learns that Vale chooses students not so much for their scholastic talent as for their extracurricular activities, such as her time spent conning rich North Shore kids out of their extravagant allowances.

At first, Brynn jumps at the chance to help the school in its mission to rid the city of corrupt officials--because what could be better than giving entitled jerks what they deserve? But that's before she meets her mark--a senator's son--and before she discovers the school's headmaster has secrets he'll stop at nothing to protect. As the lines between right and wrong blur, Brynn begins to realize she's in way over head.

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I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
 
The Deceivers makes you question what's right and what's wrong. "The starving child who steals bread to survive, is he wrong? The man who kills his wife's murderer, does he not have that right?" I know that I would do anything to keep my family safe, and if our circumstances were different, that might mean having questionable morals. There are bad people in the world, and Vale Hall promises to exploit them and discreetly make the world a better place.

I really liked the idea of a private school for teenaged con artists, although it made it hard to trust the secondary characters. I never knew if someone was playing a role or being genuine, and things are good and twisted by the end of the book. Everyone has a personal agenda, but they're also playing a larger role that could come crashing down on their heads at any moment. It was insane. One of the characters, Charlotte, says she and Sam handle their situation by remembering what's real and what's pretend, but I feel like those lines become blurred after awhile.

I'm not sure how I feel about the director and his decisions, because he's essentially using children to gather secrets from powerful and dangerous people. He claims they are never in any real danger, but the fear is real and he cannot account for everything.

The Deceivers was a fun, quick read that held my attention. I wanted to know how Brynn's assignment worked out, and whether or not her past would weigh down her future. I was also curious about the other students, especially Caleb, and what they were doing on the director's orders.

The romance was awkward, and I was happy when it didn't feel forced. They were just two people getting to know each other, which is difficult when they share more secrets than truths. It was hard for them to develop trust and feelings, because they were both guarded and working through their own problems. Their connection was subtle at first, but really grows when they begin working together.

I really enjoyed this book, although it did drag in a few places. The beginning of the story starts off with a bang, but Brynn's adjustment period is slow going. They kept saying it was about the long con, but it was hard having the patience for it. I wish we'd learned more about the secondary characters and their assignments, because I thought they were all very fascinating people. They come from various backgrounds, and they're all willing to do whatever it takes to survive and move up in the world.

There are a lot of surprises at the end of The Deceivers, but only a few that I anticipated. If you think about it, it's a place for con artists, so a few twists are to be expected! Everyone has secrets and personal agendas, and it was interesting to see how they all overlapped. I would definitely recommend this one!