Title: Conjured
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Mystery
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: ARC received by publisher for honest review

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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.


I am a sucker for magic. This has been true since I was little, so when I saw that Bloomsbury was putting a book about a girl who could do magical things and have no recollection of why she could, made me very intrigued.

I honestly did not know what I was getting into when I opened up this book. I did not expect to get what was written. The prose in this novel was above anything I have read. It was beautiful and poetic at times, but simplistic in others. I loved every second of reading this book because it got me lost in a way I never expected. Sarah Beth Durst is no stranger to writing, but this is the first book I have read from her, and i will tell you right now that I am a fan for life. Her ability to capture your attention with a line is brilliant. She is one talented woman.

What I loved about this book was its originality in combining two very different genre, mystery and magic. Following Eve on her journey to remember her past and how is trying to kill her was amazing. I never knew what was going to happen, and when you finally figured it out, it was probably the creepiest thing I have read, and it was great. I never saw the end coming and i honestly don't think anyone can because it is so out of convention that it made me question everything in the book.

I only had one issue and that was the romance. I understood its purpose and I loved the two of them together, but his acceptance of the magic was a bit hard to believe at times and i questioned is a teenage boy would actually feel that way a lot throughout the novel.

Overall this book blew all of my expectations out the window and I loved that. It turned convention on its head and made me read things I never expected. Sarah Beth Durst created a world unlike I have ever read, and probably will ever read. Fans of The Night Circus will devour this book in one sitting because it will take you on one wild ride that you won't soon forget.