The Deceivers (Spoiler: No Mistletoe Stabbings)

When The Deceivers opens, young Brynn is skipping classes at her failing high school, and spending her days scamming rich kids for college money. The beginning is very teen movie-ish, with a bunch of accidental run-ins, but stick with it and (almost) all the coincidences are revealed as Dr. Odin’s clever manipulation. There are a couple moments of heavily manufactured tension — like when Brynn’s Very Evil Stepfather won’t allow her out of the house to go to school, where she needs to take her exams, which are 100% of her grade, because, I don’t know, the guy cooking meth in the basement and selling it to minors didn’t seem evil enough?

Once Brynn gets to Vale Hall, it’s like Hogwarts for crime. All the other students in this elite academy are con artists and social manipulators, which makes the typical teen crushes and mean girls much more complex. It was so fun to see the baby criminal masterminds interact, almost like I was playing a social roguery RPG. Dr Odin is constantly testing the young criminals, and reminding them that if they successfully finish at Vale Hall, then any college or career is in their grasp. Since Brynn was just hoping to attend a college someday, she’s happy to complete her illegal missions, both assigned and, uh, personal.

This novel wasn’t really suspenseful, and it’s hard to say why all of the double-crossings and triple-crossings didn’t lead to more tension. I never worried about Brynn, and I’m not really sure whether she seemed capable of avoiding trouble, or because the book has such a teen movie feel that I knew it would unfold just fine for our heroine.  I was reading mostly to see who’s secret assignment(s) would be revealed next, than with actual suspense. There’s a Norse mythology theme going on in the names in this novel– Dr. Odin of Vale Hall, Brynn Hilder, the Wednesday Co. — so I was also waiting for someone to get stabbed with mistletoe. Maybe that’s just me…

This is a fun teen adventure that feels like a dark Professor Xavier’s school for the criminally gifted.

The Deceivers will be released on February 5, 2019, but there’s a free sample here.