BOOK REVIEW: Conjured by Sarah Durst

Name: Conjured
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Number of Pages: 368
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Date Published: September 3rd, 2013
Source: Review (Bought)
Rate: 2/5


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
[ Summary taken from GoodReads ]



This book has me written all over it: magic, witness protection, and a serial killer. Yet I would not recommend this book to anyone after reading it. Conjured and I did not click at all. I had picked this book up for an in between series read and expected something out of it. I got nothing out of it. I will give Sarah credit for her beautiful writing and the beautiful carnival, but I was expecting all three of major points to be told through the story. The magic was there, but where was the witness protection and serial killer?

This book was a mess! There was no plot to be found -- it was disorganized and very confusing -- and a majority of the time I was completely lost. 

At the beginning of Conjured it was very slow to start out. There wasn't much information to be given out when there should have been. I was expecting a little bit of an explanation behind the witness protection program. I was also expecting a little bit more on the serial killer besides what was given. At first I felt like I skipped a few chapters and by the end of the book was wondering where the other half of it was. Then there was Sarah's discrete characters; Zach the instant love sick puppy -- which I didn't really enjoy, it was like all of sudden Eve and Zach were in love out of no where. Then there is the supposed inhuman trio Aiden, Victoria, and Topher -- who I feel gave no contribution to the book at all. 

So did this book really live up to anything in my eyes? No it didn't. Eve was hidden and secluded from the rest of the world. I was hoping to see how she adjusted to a school life, a social life, and her own life but this book took place in summer. The whole point of witness protection program is to give the other a new life and a new Identity. Well where is it?

Eve in the beginning of the book has to be taught everything over again. She had forgotten how to read, write, eat, sleep, and our every basic needs. So I can see why at the beginning she has no true personality. But why through the book didn't her personality come out and grow as she did through the book? Where was a sense of her own personality? Not only was her personality missing but she also has no sense of herself and she has no idea of selfishness. Through the entire book Eve was constantly apologetic and was always following others rules. Even when the agents were keeping secrets she just sat there and acted like it was normal. She never stood up for herself. Until when she actually did it was completely unbelievable. There was honestly nothing interesting to read in this book. Eve was not my favorite character.

Then there was Zach the ever so smooth talker, who likes to spout out facts that make you want to tell him to shut up. I had also found nothing attractive about him what so ever. And the love story was there but it was so fast. He just met her and he tells her that it would be unfair to leave on a hand shake and a kiss would be more suitable. Zach was just a character that I couldn't believe in.

Besides reading this book for the magic; I was also interested in the serial killer. I wanted insights on the blood, the murders, the killer. But it wasn't there, there was no scare or thriller. Heck, the killer isn't really mentioned until a third of the book is through. All you really get is that he chops people into pieces and even that is not enough detail. 

This book took too long to get to any real excitement. It was truly half way through the book where the thrill started to pick up, but the excitement was in so many places all at the same time, it just started making no sense to me. When I shut the book I was more confused then when I started. Things were left unexplained, characters were left with no closures, and the closing while was beautiful also made no sense. When I picked up this book I was expecting so much more but was left disappointed in the end. 




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(Just remember all my reviews are my honest opinion don't let them stop you from reading a book if you want to)



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