Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Likable tweens explore another world in intriguing thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As THE DECEIVERS begins, the Greystone children -- Chess, Emma, and Finn -- are still looking for their mother, who seems to be trapped in a menacing parallel world. With the help of their neighbor Natalie, whose own mother is also missing, the kids work together to find an underground passageway that will allow them to rescue the parents. Along the way, they encounter odd-acting doubles of themselves and other family members. Will the Greystones be able to prevent the meanness of the alternate world from spilling into our own?
Is It Any Good?
Middle volumes are notoriously difficult for readers and writers alike, and the second installment of this middle-grade thriller saga often feels annoyingly static. Much of the action of The Deceivers takes place in a maze-like basement -- with one drab setting after another. As charming as they often are, the Greystone kids sometimes act too predictably in this installment. Author Margaret Peterson Haddix is a master of the cliffhanger chapter ending, often generating nail-biting suspense, but her pacing feels a little off this time. Readers who enjoyed The Strangers will want the final volume to arrive quickly, if only to move the story into a higher gear.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the parallel world in The Deceivers. What would it be like to live in a place where you're constantly watched by the government? Does that happen anywhere in our world?
Why do you think stories of parallel worlds and characters who are the doubles of the main characters are so popular?
Why do spies and other secret-keepers use codes and puzzles to communicate? When have codes and ciphers been used in war?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date : April 7, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 448
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 4, 2025
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