Deception, by Lee Nichols, follows the far-from-ordinary life of Emma Vaile, the daughter of two artifact-collectors prone to leaving her by herself while away on important business trips. On one such visit, Emma plans to have a massive amount of fun, especially after her newfound friends volunteer her to have a party. Unfortunately, someone calls the police. It’s found out that Emma’s been living alone for a while and she ends up in the care of Bennett Stern. Emma is enrolled in an elite boarding school, Thatcher Academy, and begins to experience odd visions. She learns that she can see ghosts and that she’s the second Emma Vaile... the first died decades ago. There are of course secrets that she uncovers and it turns out that she’s incredibly powerful, at least in terms of controlling ghosts.
Deception was an unusually decent book. It was written well enough to keep me reading and I was overjoyed by the fact that there were absolutely no vampires. While fairly predictable, the plot was still pretty original, a welcome change from other paranormal books. Though not a masterpiece, Deception was a nice light read and had enough suspense to keep the reader occupied. Emma and her feelings of confusion concerning her ghostly capabilities were well-described and plausible. I’d recommend this book to readers looking for a quick read with substance.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA
