(Website, Twitter, Goodreads)Published by Penguin on March 8th 2016
Genres: Love & Romance, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
“A Da Vinci Code–style thriller for teens? Yes please.”—TeenVogue.comTwo weeks. That’s how long it took for Avery West’s ordinary life to change forever. In two weeks, she discovered she was heiress to a powerful secret society known as the Circle, learned her mother was taken hostage by the Circle’s enemies, and fell for a boy she's not allowed to love, just as she found out another was her unwelcome destiny. Now Avery crosses oceans in private jets to hunt for clues that will uncover the truth about the Circle, setting her mom and herself free before it's too late. By her side are both the boys: Jack—steady, loyal, and determined to help her even at the expense of his own duty—and Stellan, whose connection to Avery grows stronger by the day, making her question what she believes at every turn. But at the end of a desperate hunt from the islands of Greece to the red carpet at Cannes comes a discovery that not only changes everything, but could bring the whole world to its knees. And now Avery is forced to face the truth: In the world of the Circle, no one is what they seem.From the Hardcover edition.
When I received Map of Fates by Maggie Hall I immediately realized I still needed to read The Conspiracy of Us and it was for no other reason than the fact that I just hadn’t gotten to it. I honestly have no idea why I waited so long to start this series as it has non-stop action and intrigue…all stuff I love.
Map of Fates picks up where The Conspiracy of Us left off. Avery has figured out what she is supposed to be destined for and how she fits into the Circle but she isn’t prepared to just do whatever her family wants her to. I loved that at this point she is still growing into her new role and we get to see her change over the course of this book (even more so than she did in book one). As she learns who she can trust and who she can’t she isn’t someone who will just take things at face value by the end of this book and unfortunately it is because she has been burned over and over by these people.
As Avery jumps around the world with Jack, Stellan, and the rest of the crew, she is looking to solve the bigger mystery not only to save her mother but to also protect herself. What I loved about what Hall did with this book was that she took us around the world right with Avery. We got to run through museums and hang out on a boat in Cannes right alongside her. I thought Hall did a fantastic job of creating the environment around her so that it felt like I was there too.
I admit, I am officially in the Jack camp and I was absolutely waiting for the shoe to drop throughout this entire book. There is no question here that Avery has feelings for both guys (at least no question to me) and it was pretty obvious that things were not going to be as easy for Avery in the relationship department as I was hoping.
Regarding secondary characters – I thought bringing Avery’s family into the mix the way she did was great. I know that is vague…sorry, not sorry. I don’t want to give anything away around the “family” dynamics here. Just know that while Avery is traveling around to meet all these Circle heirs, she is not out of danger.
This was a great book two and the story definitely moved forward. It was great to dive into this series and read books one and two back to back because I rarely get the opportunity to read series books back to back. It was a nice change of pace to not have to wait for the next book but now…I have to wait for book three. Oh well – I can have a bit of patience.
If you are looking for a book that will take you on a wild ride and have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is going to happen next, definitely consider checking this one out. I enjoyed it (both books actually) and am definitely looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
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