*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I saw someone recommend this book to fans of Veronica Mars and when I saw it dealt with teens learning how to con people I had to try it out. I've been trying to stay away from books with high schoolers in board school, since I seem to not be liking those lately, but this wasn't bad. There is none of the usual high school drama, because this is so much more than high school.

This book is about conning people and understanding at what point is it too much and how to remain on top when the cards are all against you. It is a journey to be sure. I will admit to not seeing the ending coming at all. Throughout the book I wasn't sure who to trust nor how things would end up. In fact, I'm not even sure if this won't have a love triangle eventually or that Brynn won't leave and decide to take down Vale Hall -- I honestly have no idea how this series will turn out and it is somewhat refreshing.

Now this isn't to say I was always a fan of this book. I think if I was perhaps even 5 years younger I might totally love this book. I'm not the target audience and that makes sense. That being said, I think the target audience won't have a problem with it. There were times I was just too concerned with the practicalities that youths might not think about, such as labor laws and legal issues.

I will totally recommend this one to people who like Ocean's 11, people looking for clever teens fighting with wit and words rather than swords, and not swamped in the romance. Yes there is a romance and kissing, but it isn't overdone.
Will I read the next book? Probably not, but if this ever becomes a TV show, I might watch it.

I absolutely adore Kristen Simmons! I always enjoy everything she writes and this book was no different. Well, it was very different for Kristen, but I enjoyed it all the same! This is her first contemporary – everything else has been sci-fi. And she rocked it! I loved the idea of the book – a school for con artists! It was oh so fun and unlike any other contemp I’ve ever read.

Brynn was such a relatable character. She comes from nothing, basically, and has to scrape and steal to get by. I felt that on a cellular level (the scraping, not the stealing lol). The opportunity to be handed a full scholarship and everything you’ve ever wanted is probably a dream that all of us lower class people can relate to. How amazing would it be to have room and board paid for?! I got a bit dreamy over Brynn’s acceptance into Vale Hall. (I totally want to go to Vale Hall mwahahaha.)

Speaking of Vale Hall – I love Kristen’s inspiration from Norse mythology! She was inspired by Valhalla and the valkyries that collect souls – instead of collecting souls, the students collect secrets! Awesome, right?! The director’s name is Dr. Odin (like the Allfather!) and the main character, Brynn Hilder, is named after the famous valkyrie Brynhildr. There’s also a lot of other references in the character’s names and their roles. I thought it was awesome how Kristen hid those little easter eggs throughout the book!

"I know how to play the game and get out. But I’ve never been in this deep before."

Like I said, this book is so fun! It’s full of secrets, lies, and betrayal (oh my!) and has a few nice little twists in there to keep you on your toes. You never know what will happen next, I love how unexpected this book was!

I also want to add in a little side note: I went to the launch for the book (Kristen is local so I get to go to all of her events!) and she talked a lot about her inspiration for the book and some famous con artists that inspired her and it was so fun to hear her talk about it! She gets so excited when she talks about con artists, it’s adorable!

Full review at Novel Heartbeat.

I received a copy of The Deceivers from the publisher via Jean Book Nerd for an honest review. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation made in the making of this review.The idea of a good con-artist/heist fiction is what originally drew me to this book. I haven't had much experience in this type of fiction but I love suspense, intrigue, and a good heist movie. So, fiction was the inevitable leap I would make in this genre of entertainment.That said, I was a bit hesitant about a school of con-artistry. I mean, come on, there are a ton of school settings in YA fiction. You have your modern contemporary high schools, your magical high schools, the high schools for royalty, and the schools for the more criminal in mind. Most follow the similar formula of the new kid being brought into school (can we say: "You're a wizard, Harry.") and being thrust into a world of the school's special parameters and... well... school education.It can be a bit boring depending on how the story begins, the characters, and the world it is set in.For The Deceivers, this interaction of the formula is a bit different. We aren't even brought into the school until about 25% in and the whole set up of the main story is closer to the 50% mark. It is like how one character states,"The long con is about rapport"- Mr. Moore, The Deceivers Kristen Simmons. About 40% into the Kindle book.This book is written like a long con. It pulls you in with the lead role and sucks you in piece by piece with each of the following characters. Your hunger for more information is only satisfied in increments. All the while, you are presented with the main plot that is slowly unweaving but yet tightening as the story progresses.I think you can guess that I like this book. I do. I like the characters and how there is only a subtle reveal of a little bit of information, making you suspect some characters but still unsure if you can dislike them. And really, I can't. I actually like all the characters and how the story unfolded.All in all, this is a good beginning to a series and I look forward to reading more. I love the snark between the teens and they each have their own personality that makes the story more interesting.Final rating: 3/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian-Tor/Forge for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I rarely (if ever)would state this in a book review, but the whole concept of a group of teenagers at an elite con artist school would be electric on television,but failed to initiate any type of feeling during my reading experience. I am putting this at a 2 star because I felt as if I was wading through mud to reach the end of the book. However as I am way below the average rating of the book, it's possible it's "me not them" type of feeling.

This was really interesting. I liked the concept (special kids and special schools, am I right?) and the story was intriguing, so I jumped in. I had some trouble getting into it from the beginning—it often feels like the main character is monologuing a lot, so the first fifth, when there’s a lot of information dumping, was kind of hard to get through. It was just a ton of information and emotional explanation that was hard to be interested in. BUT, oh boy does it pick up. There were multiple twists that I did NOT see coming, and I got invested in the characters and plot after we meet the other main characters.

I guess I don’t really know what else to say. The characters and story are interesting, but I can’t really talk about them without giving a ton away. It’s the sort of story that you just have to read. I don’t love the writing (it’s a bit dramatic in the beginning, when it doesn’t necessarily feel warranted), but I got used to it and certainly don’t think it’s the worst writing I’ve ever encountered.

In all, a more than decent story about weird and special kids who do weird and crazy things.

4 stars

I really enjoyed The Deceivers, just as I enjoyed reading Pacifica last year! Kristen Simmons is wonderful at creating enjoyable, unputdownable YA that’s entertaining and well-plotted enough that it keeps you on your toes!

This book was just a really great book at keeping you entertained and engaged and invested, while also keeping things real. I mean, Kristen Simmons is a wonderful author for getting really great mixed race rep (and it’s not for diversity points) and she also touches on some of the socioeconomic barriers that exist, especially as the main character, Brynn, has to catch up with her school work at Vale Hall.

I was just sucked into the story–not only do I enjoy reading a good boarding-school sort of story, but the con artist part of the plot was so much fun and something I think Simmons did so well with! Some of Brynn’s cons had me holding my breath, and Brynn gets into a lot of spicy situations.

And besides what was happening in the moment, I also really enjoyed how it still had a big, overarching plot for the series. So even though this book had its plot resolved pretty well, there are still a lot of things going on with Brynn and Vale Hall that have me itching for book 2.

Plus, I loved the romance, which is really unlike me? Simmons did a great job of building the chemistry (also, the slipped in “Is this okay?” was top notch and super smooth) and I love love loved the relationship between Brynn and Caleb!

I think one of the best parts of this book was just how Simmons balanced out all of Brynn’s life–what she had going on with her mother and her past, what her assignment at Vale Hall is, dealing with new friends–and also how Simmons somehow made it all connect in a sorta mind-blowing way? The ending had me gaping, that’s for sure.

I guess the reason that this is a 4 and not higher (I’d honestly rate it 4.25 if I believed in quarter stars) is just because I was looking for just a little bit more mischief? Just a couple scenes felt wrapped up a little too neatly and when they had me holding my breath at the start of the scene, had me not holding it by the end and the excitement dropped a little bit where I think Simmons could have built up the heart-poundingness.

But overall, I definitely enjoyed reading and would not let this dissuade you from picking The Deceivers up! Seriously, it’s a lot of fun and really entertaining, yet with enough substance that it’s a book you enjoy and feel good reading, if that makes sense?

If you like boarding school novels, books about cons, and lots of fun and action, I would suggest you check The Deceivers out! It was really enjoyable to read and something I think a lot of people won’t realize is a wonderful book, but actually is.

This book surprised me. I had hoped that I would enjoy it, as I adore this author, but I was not expecting to love it. Which I ended up doing. And I am beyond happy about it. As this book was so very good and I loved every moment of it. Contemporary books are most often not my thing, which is why I was nervous about starting this one. Yet it sounded interesting. And I'm so glad I gave it a try. I could not stop reading. And there was not a single part of this book that I did not like. So happy about it. Everything was so good.

There is so much I loved about this book that I do not know where to begin. And writing reviews for books I love is always the hardest. It is almost impossible to find words, other than I loved it, haha. But I will try. Because I do have a whole lot to say about this precious thing and I wish to share all my feelings about it. A big thing that made me love this book so much was the writing. It was perfection. I felt connected right away and it was just written so well. Reading this book was easy and fun and I adored all the characters.

This book tells the story of Brynn. She lives in a poorer part of the city with her mom and her boyfriend. I loved her mother a whole bunch. She was adorable. I wish she had made better choices with her life, yet I understood her too, somewhat, and I liked her. She and Brynn was close, and I loved that. But gosh, the stepdad, Pete, was not a good person. He sells drugs. And is violent. Brynn is trying her hardest to save up enough money so that she can get away, so she can go to college and finally be free of this bad man.

And oh, the way she goes about making money was all kinds of interesting. She scams rich teenagers out of their money. I liked the way she did it. Okay, it was a little cruel, but interesting and I loved that it worked. Getting to know Brynn was amazing. Because I loved this girl. From beginning to end. She was always precious to me and that means the most. I loved how she grew in this book, that she grew more confident. Though she was always brave and awesome And fierce and loving. And a good friend, mostly.

This book is about her life. About someone finding her, and offering her the chance of going to a special school. A school where she will live at the place and get everything she needs. Where she will have the chance to get a scholarship to college. And it will not cost her a single dollar. Yet it is not free. Because this is a school for con artists. Where the principal, the man giving all these twenty teenagers a home, is making them do things for him. Learn secrets. Steal personal things. It was pretty intriguing to read about.

This man is also keeping secrets. Not everything is as safe as it seems. Yet this new place where Brynn now lives is an amazing place as well. She gets to meet some new people and makes real friends. It was so great to read about. And I adored the friends she made. Charlotte was so cute and just awesome. And Henry was the very best. I loved how good of a friend he was. Sam was cute as well. And then there was Caleb. Sigh. Loved him so. He and Brynn starts talking right away. And they are very cute together. Eee.

Okay, they do talk right away, then spend some time ignoring each other, before they finally starts getting close again. I loved their friendship beyond words. And their growing romance. It was the cutest thing and I adored them to pieces. There was no drama. There was no mid-book-break-up. This romance was real and honest and they fit together so well. I loved how they talked to each other. And how they grew to trust each other. It was not such a huge part of the book, and I always wanted more, but it was also so perfect.

There is much going on in this book. And I feel like I have already written so much yet not nearly enough. I will not be sharing much more. Only that I adored these characters to pieces. And the story was so very interesting too and I always wanted to know what would happen next. Brynn is tasked with getting closer to this boy, learning all his secrets. It could have been romantic. But it was not. Not even a little bit. And I loved that the very most. Sigh. No triangle. No drama. Her target was a little creepy and little interesting.

So much happens with the plot. There is more about Brynn's past. We get to know Caleb a lot, and get to know his family, and that just ruined my heart a little. I loved every moment of it. There was just so much I loved about this book. And I'm unable to find more words for it. The ending was so good. Okay, I so wish there was an epilogue, as I need to know everything that happened after, but I loved it too. But yes. I very much wish to read more about Brynn and Caleb and all their friends too. Loved them so. And want more.

The Deceivers was everything I wanted in a book. Okay, it wasn't fantasy, but it had everything else. This book was fun and exciting and a bit creepy as well. It had the cutest romance and such great friendships. The writing was incredible. The ending was amazing. This book was so good and I need you all to read it too. Right away. Huge thank you to Tor Teen for accepting my request to read this one early via Netgalley. And to Jean for letting me take part in the blog tour for this. And to Kristen for writing this truly lovely story.

when brynn hilder is invited to study at vale hall, she sees a chance to escape her not-great home life. little does she know that she's being recruited to the school for her talents at long cons. the school claims to be righting wrongs, and brynn is only to happy to help eliminate corrupt public figures.

but as her con progresses and she gets closer to her mark, and also finds herself growing closer to her peers, the lines between wrong and right start getting confusing. and knowing what the correct thing to do isn't a straightforward choice.

part caper, part teen high school drama, the deceivers is a fun story and well-worth the read.

**the deceivers will publish on february 5, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/macmillan-tor (tor teen) in exchange for my honest review.

The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons is the kind of book I knew I would enjoy the second I read the summary. For starters, the story is about a school for con artists and is filled with secrecy. I especially the unique and twisty plot and the strong main character. Fans of Ally Carter will definitely enjoy this suspenseful drama.

❀ SUSPENSEFUL AND COMPLEX

This book tells the story of a mysterious school of elites which is actually grounds for creating young con artists. For Brynn, acceptance into Vale Hall is a dream come true and the chance to escape her mom’s drug dealer boyfriend. I enjoyed reading about the assignments given to Brynn and the students and the plot twists throughout the book. There is so much action as secrets are uncovered and obstacles from Brynn’s old life arise. Ultimately, this is a suspenseful and complex book that raises the question of morality.

❀ WELL-DEVELOPED CHARACTERS

I enjoyed Brynn’s character and her strength. She is intelligent and has the sense to weigh the pros and cons of her assignments at Vale Hall. She also doesn’t back down from a challenge and commits to her tasks 100%. I enjoyed how she has some street smarts as well thanks to her mom’s boyfriend, but also how she doesn’t complain about her life before the school. The side characters and Brynn’s acquaintances at the school are also well-developed and have their own skills.

❀ FAST-PACED

The Deceivers is a fast-paced novel filled with secrecy. I loved the original school for con artists and the clever main character. I am excited to see what other deceptions will be occur in the sequel.

I needed a series to fill the gap of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books, and The Deceivers came pretty darn close! Interested in seeing where the story leads.

The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons is the 1st book in The Vale Hall series. Brynn Hilder is a very smart teenage girl who is an expert at conning people. Brynn lives in a high crime area with her mom and her mom's drug selling boyfriend. When Brynn is recruited to attend the elite Vale Hall, a school for con artists, she jumps at the chance. At Vale everything is provided for, education, food, clothing, etc, as long as you do your assigned job. I loved this book! It had me hooked from page one, it was so exciting. At one point I told myself that things can't possibly turn out ok, but they do. I can not wait for the next book in the series. I strongly recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!! One of my favorite reads of last month. What a fun story!! A kickass heroine that was strong, both mentally and physically. I absolutely loved this crew and I'm so excited that it's a series so I can see more of these guys!

This was my first book by Kristen Simmons and I could not put it down. I've just slightly gotten into the mystery/suspense genre and this is exactly what I currently like in those types of books. As I read the story, I honestly had no clue who did anything or why things were happening so the reveal at the end definitely shocked me.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters. I feel like they worked well together and all felt very different. I'm very intrigued to see how the series progresses and what happens next.

If half stars were available, I would be giving this 4.5, but it leans more towards a 5 star than a 4 star for me. Really enjoyed The Deceivers and look forward to reading more from Kristen Simmons.

I loved everything about this book. The kids at Vale Hall were interesting and unexpected, and the plot was fresh and intriguing. I already put books two and three on my To Read list. Brynn's family made me crazy, her stubbornness and grit made me like her, and her smarts were admirable.

The Deceivers was a fun, fast-paced adventure with a cast of enjoyable characters.  With just the right amount of tension and suspense, I flew through the story quickly as Brynn's life evolved from being trapped by circumstance to being wonderfully uplifted to a better, but more high-risk situation. Simmon's storytelling somehow managed to capture and humanize the good in those whose job it is deceive, and it was thrilling in its own unique way to see the good size of evil.  

Simmon's depiction of the influence that a harmful and stifling situation can have on a person was wonderfully done with Brynn, as I felt the cloying sense of destruction she battled at every moment. As a skilled con artist, she was oddly redeemable and empowering with the conscience that her life could never beat out of her. I adored the sweetly subtle connection she grew with a fellow student and how they found a safe place in each other that eventually led to more. The school was fascinating as were the other students that enveloped her into their con-living ways, and I wish we had gotten more of that school side of the story. And even though I guessed the twists early on, I still found the journey to have worth and excitement.

The Deceivers was a great first start to a new series, and I look forward to exploring the stories of the other characters we've seen. As a character-driven story the first half ran a bit slower in its build-up, but once it gained momentum I couldn't put it down, and I cannot wait for what's to come.

I've been on a contemporary romance kick for awhile now but with this one coming up for release I decided to jump in and I'm so glad I did! If it wasn't for having all sorts of obligations I would have finished this book in two days max. It's a compelling, fast paced read, with a few twists and turns thrown in. It's very hard to know who to trust, so basically, don't trust anyone.

Brynn comes from a crappy family situation, her mom is attached to a drug dealer and while Brynn tries to stay away it's a challenge. She then gets a try out for Vale Hall, and that's her ticket out of where she lives. It's a long con, on multiple sides. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and can't wait for the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this in advance!

This was a really fun read and I didn't even realize it was based on Norse myth until I was well into it. And when I did come to that realization, it just made the story even better!

Brynn is a poor kid from a pretty terrible home. Her mother's boyfriend is a petty gangster and is suspicious of her every move. Brynn keeps her head down, works hard and dreams of the day she'll get the hell out and never go back.

When she notices a boy following her, she's both terrified and intrigued enough to turn the tables on him and follow him. She finds herself drawn into a game which, with her particular skills, developed out of the necessity of surviving her home-life, she wins easily.

It becomes clear the game was actually a test, and she passes with flying colors. She's quickly whisked away from her horrible neighborhood and offered a place at the very exclusive Vale Hall. On the surface it's an elite boarding school open to only the best of the best. But it quickly becomes apparent that the students are not selected for their academic prowess, but for other skills they might possess.

Vale Hall is a school for con artists.

Brynn is initially thrilled to be there. Conning is something she's good at, and the little scams she's doing won't really hurt anyone. Her marks have enough money that the little bits she's conning out of them won't mean a thing. Plus, getting rid of the city's bad guys has to be a good thing for society, right?

But when she's assigned to bring down a senator's son and realizes the school's head master has his own reasons for wanting this to happen, things start to get dangerous. No longer sure who the good guys and bad guys are, Brynn knows she's in over her head.

This was a real page turner and I think I read the whole thing in a single day. Brynn is a feisty heroine with an unusual skill-set. I liked her a lot and that allowed me to forgive a lot of the rather shady things she does during the course of the book. I believe this is the first of a series to be set in this particular school (Vale Hall - Valhalla) and I look forward to reading the next to see where it might take us.

The Deceivers is the first installment in author Kirsten Simmons Vale Hall trilogy. 16-year old Brynn Hilder has always had to be quick on her feet, to keep her safe for her mother’s drug dealing loser boyfriend Pete. However, he isn’t completely useless, he did teach her all about conning, both the long and short one. Brynn has been performing short cons in the ritzy neighborhoods to earn enough money to move away from home and go to college.

Her dreams may be closer than she thinks, until she loses all of her money that she saved up. Even curiouser is the boy who seems to be following her everywhere. In a round about way, Brynn ends up following the boy to a secluded place where a competition is about to begin. The teens all go to a private school for con artists called Vale Hall. They organized a game to recruit a new student. Brynn is told that if she wins the game, she will be set for life and will get a full scholarship to any college.

Obviously I don't have to say more since this story is about Brynn and Vale Hall. Oh by the way, the author has done her own version of Odin, Brynhildr , and Valhalla. W hen the students are not studying to graduate, they work on different cons as per the wishes of their vigilante benefactor, Dr Odin. So long as she follows the rules and keeps the school’s true intentions secret, Brynn could be set for life. She will be able to live at this school and earn more than enough money to pay for college, all she has to do is con a senator’s son, easy right?

Can Brynn turn off her empathy to work the long con and save herself? At several points in the book, Brynn doubts the path she is on, measuring the harm she might be causing against the good that comes out of it, as well as her personal debt to Dr O. It is an uneasy relationship, knowing whether you can trust other con artists to have your best interests at heart, and Brynn's relationships with other characters reflect that struggle. It also intrudes on her budding romance with another such student, Caleb, whom she finds drawn to.

Fans of Ally Carter and Jennifer Lynn Barnes will definitely enjoy reading this story. This is a story that starts out slowly, and rushes to the finish with plenty of twists and surprises waiting in store for the reader. It seems that no one is trustworthy, which makes everything more intense. I will definitely read the sequel which is coming out in 2020.

This is the first book by Kristen Simmons that I’ve ever read and it won’t be the last. I own books by her but I’m not sure why I haven’t read them. This book is going to make me bump those up my tbr list.

Ocean's Eleven meets Pretty Little Liars in this fun and mysterious school for Con Artists.

Brynn hasn't ever had it easy. Her Dad passed away suddenly when he was shot at work and her Mom decided to strike up a love interest in someone who disrespects them both and does some underhanded things to make money. To say that Brynn's life sucks would be quite the understatement. One day as she's pulling her con on some unsuspecting people, a boy with a raven crest on his shirt starts to follow Brynn. She thinks it's a coincidence at first but then becomes freaked as he starts showing up where she works.

She does the next best thing and starts to follow him. He lures her into a secluded spot where other teenagers are hanging out and then the games start to begin. The newbies are put through a test. They have to go to the Senator's mansion and get the son to agree to a date with them and then they'll get an invite to one of the most prestigious private schools. Brynn needed an out and this is her chance and she's not going to blow this.

Brynn blows the competition out of the water and she now has her foot in the door, but at what costs? Secrets start to pile up and Brynn starts to feel the pressure of overwhelming proportions. Pulling Cons on people she's starting to care about is harder than she thought. Can she figure out her home life and her life at school before they both come crashing down around her?

This book had a lot of shocking twists and none of them were suspected. It was a very clever read with characters that you wanted to pull cons with. I will say that there was more romance than I was expecting but I think it was a great addition to the story. Kristen knows what she's doing and she's a pro at it.

Even though I was sick while reading this, I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen. This book took more priority than me taking care of my illness. It was that damn good.

Vincit Omnia Veritas

DNF at 53%. I didn’t like any of the characters and found the storyline hard to follow (could have been because of the format of my eARC). By the half way point I didn’t like where the story was going and decided to stop reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.