Review: Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst

Opppps so I skipped ahead in this one and kind of ruined the WOW, WHAT!?! climax moment. My bad. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my ARC of Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst, which is now out for all.

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined (GoodReads).

• Originality: 6 Take a creepy Are You Afraid of the Dark carnival episode, mix with bits of The Night Circus and the Theatre Illuminate series, add in some wormholes, and sprinkle with some secret government agencies for good measure. (Aka, a recipe for originality!)
• Absurdity: 10. I mean, wormholes AND carnivals AND secret agents!? Don't forget the courtroom showdown a la Law and Order. Of course this comes off has absurd. But it is enjoyably absurd.
• Level of Paranormal Romance: 4. Eve has some SERIOUS boy issues, but its not her fault. What do you do when your memory keeps resetting and you don't know if you are 'supposed' to kiss a boy or not? Well.....kiss them all, of course! All kidding aside, I was happy with how this romance turned out. Its sweet and sincere and lie-free. That seems like a good deal to me.
• Level of Harry Potterness: 5. I don't usually like flashbacks, but in this book they are more like artistic pastiches than boring plot exposition. I thought they added to the feeling of the book. If you are looking for a read with a bit of a creepy, dark vibe, give this one a chance.

(If you want to know more about the carnival/ circus books mentioned above (and who DOESN'T want to read more books involving carnies!?!) see our review of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern)

FTC Full Disclosure: I received a review copy from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books via NetGalley. Happy reading followed. (We do not accept or receive compensation for reviews at YAF and WS.)