By Sarah Beth Durst
Conjured is a magical story. In the beginning, the reader is left guessing and wondering what has happened in young Eve's past that has forced her to lose her memory. She is a lost teen whom does not recognize her face when she looks in the mirror. The only two people that she recognizes are the two witness protection agents that are protecting her. Malcomb and Aunt Nikki are the agents that are trying to access Eve's memory, in order to save lives. They believe that somewhere in Eve is the key to catching a magical serial murderer. Try as she might remember her life before she keeps having lapses in her days and she is troubled by visions of a carnival a magician and a storyteller. Finally, things begin to change when she begins to work in the library.
Aunt Nikki believes that it is a good idea for Eve to have a job, like a normal teen. So she encourages Malcomb to allow Eve to work in the library. On her first day among the books, she meets a very interesting boy named Zach. He is very talkative and inquisitive. Eve is instantly intrigued by this young man. As their relationship deepens, Eve continues to lose large chunks of her days. This is magnified when she meets the others. They are teens that are being protected by the agents as well, but they have magical powers. This revelation and confrontation solidifies the idea that Eve is in fact magical. Yet everytime she uses her talents, she passes into a vision and looses time. She is unstable but powerful.
As her relationship with Zach blossoms and she is feeling torn between her past and her future, danger begins to mount as the killer is hunting again. She is unsure who she should trust, the agents, the others or Zach. She opts for Zach and charges into other worlds looking for the magician. But what she discovers when she finds the carnival of her dreams, puts a whole new twist on her nightmares. She finds her past, but can she live with the consequences? Will Zach still love her? Will she be able to escape the yarn that binds her?
I am going to be honest this book was okay. It felt disjointed, from the onset, since the story was told in first person, from Eve's point of view, so at times it was very confusing. I just feel that it tried to add to much to the story line, which left it unbelievable. I am giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars and did appreciate the craft of the story if not the story itself. It would be enjoyed by girls in 7th grade and up. If you are an individual that likes romantic, sci-fi, gothic horror books this is the book for you.
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