Conspiracy Girl by Sarah Alderson

Nic Preston was only sixteen-years-old when her life changed forever. The sole survivor of a brutal home invasion in which her mother and stepsister were murdered, Nic was then forced to relive every horrifying moment during the trial of the killers, and had her personal life put under the microscope by an overly-attentive media scrum. Feeling understandably lost, traumatised and helpless, Nic struggled to overcome her fears, and had to face the knowledge that, besides her stepfather, she was now alone in the world.

Fast forward two years and Nic has managed to rebuild her life (to a degree). She has her own high-security apartment building, and a fiercely loyal guard dog named Goz. But one night, when the security system is compromised and her apartment is broken into, Nic fears that the killers (who were never imprisoned) have come back to finish the job. With her life potentially in danger, and the FBI now involved due to the similarities of both break-ins, Nic is forced to leave behind the new life she has made for herself. Unfortunately, circumstances land her in the company of the last person she ever wants to see again- Finn Carter, the guy who testified for the defence and helped her mother’s killers walk free. But it turns out that Finn’s genius status and unequalled skills as a hacker and rule-breaker, are what may keep her safe from harm. Add to that his intensely good looks, his own troubled past, and a genuine understanding for what she’s going through, and Finn may be best ally Nic has as they race to uncover the truth about who is targeting her, and why…

This novel was fast-paced, and, despite the real-life improbability, actually quite believable- you can’t help but feel for Nic as she tries to deal with each problem that is thrown her way. With the first-person narrative split between the characters of Nic and Finn, the reader is able to see the story from different perspectives. This gives a better understanding of the emotions that are shared between the two, as they struggle with the initial agitation (and later acceptance) of being in one another’s company. It also ups the momentum of the story- the shifting between the perspectives allows the action to move at a faster pace, making the narrative more exciting as the characters try to work out what’s going on, and the reason why Nic is such a hot target.

Fans of thrillers will love the plot, and Sarah Alderson followers will be equally enchanted.


Rating: 3/5
Published: March 2015

#Fiction
#Young_Adult
#Teenage
#Crime
#Thriller







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