Born of Illusion

Born of Illusion #1

by Teri Brown

Anna Van Housen has a secret.

A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums, and mentalists in 1920s New York. As the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini—or so Marguerite claims—sleight of hand illusions have never been a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her opportunistic mother. Because while Marguerite's own powers may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people’s feelings and foretell the future.

But as Anna’s powers intensify, she begins to experience frightening visions of her mother in peril, which leads her to explore the powers she’s tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, she is forced to confront her past and rethink everything she’s ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna’s visions merely illusion? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite’s tricks?

From Teri Brown comes a world bursting with magic, with romance, and the temptations of Jazz Age New York—and the story of a girl about to become the mistress of her own destiny.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical, Magic, Romance

373 pages, Hardcover

First published June 11, 2013

About the author

Well behaved women rarely make history. Teri Brown lived that quote way before she ever even heard it. The two things she is most proud of, (besides her children), is that she jumped out of an airplane once and she beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. She is a novel writer, head banger, pet keeper, math hater, cocktail drinker, booty shaker, book reader, city slicker, food fixer, French kisser, rule breaker, wine sipper and word scribbler. She loves her husband, kitties and chocolate.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very pleasant surprise. My copy of this has been waiting a while, constantly put aside in favour of other historical fiction novels that appealed to me more - for example, Out of The Easy and In the Shadow of Blackbirds. However, when I finally decided to give in and dive into this world of magicians, seances, Houdini and 1920s New York City, I found myself caught up in a dazzling whirlwind of history, magic and romance. I now must sit here, twiddling my thumbs impatiently as I wait for Brown's sequel to this tale.

Anna Van Housen has not lived an easy life. From the age of thirteen, she's been breaking her mother out of jail, participating in her mother's fraudulent money-making schemes and covering up the secret gifts of her own that she cannot explain. Anna has long been able to sense emotions through touching other people, but now it seems her psychic abilities are flaring up more than ever. Perhaps they are linked to Cole - the strange young man who has just moved into the flat downstairs? And perhaps her gifts run deeper than she could ever have imagined, enabling her to communicate with worlds beyond our own.

I would put this novel somewhere between two of my favourite young adult books - The Diviners and Out of The Easy. It carries all that atmospheric magic of the former, that feeling as if you are almost breathing the 1920s New York City air as you turn the pages. But the fascinating exploration of Anna's relationship with her mother reminds me of the latter, but with a more positive conclusion. Brown captures all sides of their relationship and takes you through feeling angry at Anna's mother for putting her young daughter in such a position, but eventually shows you the other side - a portrait of two women who love each other, even if they don't always understand one another. The gradual understanding the reader comes to of this is beautiful and touching.

As much as I dislike the term, this is also very much a "coming of age" novel about a girl starting to break free from the binds of the life she has known and being able to think for herself. She begins to explore romantic possibilities but the romance is also kept where it should be - as a subplot - and doesn't overtake the main story being told. I think Anna is the kind of heroine that you want on your team - likeable, daring, spunky but also realistic enough that you deeply care about her story and its conclusion. Well, I certainly did.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the only slight letdown is the way the plot becomes predictable towards the end. However, for me, it didn't matter because what I believe to be the central focus of this novel - a girl finding her feet in an adult world, figuring out her relationship with her mother and coming to terms with her own abilities - was told extremely well and delivered successfully. Highly recommended.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magicians, mediums, old school theatre entertainment, and a historical New York setting; I absolutely loved the atmosphere in every aspect of this novel!

Anna Van Housen, the opening act of her mother's magic show, is the real deal: she's a medium, she has visions of the future, and she can feel others' emotions. Plus, she's rumored to be Houdini's illegitimate daughter. With a premise like that, how can I not be intrigued? Plus, just look at this amazing cover! I was excited to finally sink my teeth into this one and it was definitely worth it. Not only is our protagonist a wonderfully compelling character with a great personality, the book is set in 1920's New York City which is utterly fantastic in and of itself. I've always loved a New York City setting, but historical NYC is just so chic and luxurious, I felt transported to a time where everything seems exotic. It was perfect for a story like this!


Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

For more on the characters, like I said, Teri created a great character in Anna; one who is ambitious with flaws and weaknesses that make her real and relatable. We see her transform from a girl unsure of her identity, into a confident young woman who believes in her potential. What I loved even more are the relationships she's fostered with the supporting characters. She and her mom have a peculiar bond that becomes the backbone of the novel. It's an intricate mother/daughter relationship with hidden meanings and emotions; you think her mother just wants the spotlight all to herself but it's much more than that. Another relationship to note is between Anna and her cranky neighbor, Mr. Darby. How Anna stubbornly befriends him despite his grumpiness made me like her even more. She's just the kind of girl who everyone adores. Mr. Darby also surprises by how fun of a character he is.

As for the boys in this book, there are two of them and I enjoyed them both for different reasons. One is sweet and obviously the love interest of choice, the other is mysterious with obvious secrets. I don't know if it's the 1920s setting, or the fact that a lot of it is her mother's doing, but I actually liked the triangle-esque romance. It's more about Anna deciding who is a better match for her. She doesn't fall in love with both; it eventually becomes clear which boy she's meant to be with, and which one will never be more than a friend. While triangles normally irritate me, this one was done with finesse and realism.

What surrounds almost every aspect of this book is mystery. Is Houdini really her father? What is Owen hiding? And there's the fact of Anna's terrifying recurring vision. Some of it is pretty predictable, some I didn't see coming - although I was made to suspect everyone eventually, - one part even surprised me by having no concrete conclusion but leaving me satisfied nonetheless. It's safe to say that there is no time to become bored in this novel. From the busy plot to the vibrant atmosphere to the charismatic cast, Born of Illusion is wonderfully and endlessly entertaining!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Dear Faye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this and my other reviews at The Social Potato!

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my thoughts in any way.

Final Verdict: 2.5 / 5

Yeah...

Not really sure how to put my utter disappointment and headache into words. It is not often that I get a migraine from reading a book; those are usually for the really bad ones like Wasteland and even The 5th Wave, although that's a story for another day. I really wanted to love Born of Illusion, especially after reading In the Shadow of Blackbirds, a book that made me interested in early 20th century settings and the mentality and attitude towards the paranormal back then. I was expecting a lot from this one, and although the novelty of magic, spiritualism, and psychic powers in the beginning was very delightful to read at first, it wore off after a while.... and went downhill right after that.

This is not to say this book was bad. I enjoyed it, but unfortunately, the negatives far outweighed the positives. I could only salvage very little from the disaster that happened. Sigh. Let me start off with the good stuff first, shall we?

THE POSITIVE

* Despite the lack of description of the surroundings, the writing somehow gave me that 1920s vibe. I'm guessing it's from the abundance of formality in the dialogue and words exchanged between and among the characters. I really liked how I could picture the place, the faces, the clothes, the grumpiness and the smiles of each and every individual, which is quite surprising given the narration style, which I'll get to later. I probably just have a big imagination, but yeah, the feels were there.

* I also really liked how it showcased the strained relationship between the mother and daughter. I really appreciate it when YA novels at least try to include a parent and their connection to their kids in the storyline, especially since it's so lacking in this demographic nowadays. Anna and her mom's bond isn't perfect - they always misunderstand one another, with the former oftentimes feeling her mother loves her career more than her. I really felt for the heroine whenever she thought she was left out, and valued the development of their relationship as they learned more about each other. Hopefully, there will be more of this in YA books, as I strongly believe moms and dads are still vital factors in a teenager's life.

THE NEGATIVE

* Anna, the main character, infuriated the hell out of me, which makes it like adding insult to injury as she was already bland, boring, and as interesting as watching wet paint dry. Seriously. The story was narrated in her 1st-person POV, and the narration was just so dull that when I was reading it, it felt like listening to someone speak in a monotonous, robotic voice. It also didn't help that the sentences were oftentimes a "subject-verb" thing, which, I thought, was tedious to take in. From page 267 of my copy:

I agree. I don't want my mother to hear about it either.

I pace my bedroom after dressing for the day. Mrs. Lindsay is insane. Why do I keep running into her? Could she have been invovled in my abduction?

I have to find out more about that vision. I know it's the key to everything.

I shiver. Owen is taking me to the Metropolitan Museum ofArt tomorrow, but last night's fiasco has cast a pall over everything... I viciously jab a pin into my plack cloche to hold it in place. Cole isn't exactly a barrel of laughs; he's more... I sigh. Wonderful. Cole is more wonderful.

It's probably just me, but the left side of my brain hurt from that.

And oh, did I mention she was very wishy-washy? As in super indecisive? There was a love triangle here, which I felt wasn't really necessary, and it really annoyed me how she was leaning to both of them at different times. Her cheeks would warm every time she sees them, she would swallow every time both of them touch her, and she would always expect a kiss from both... ugh. When she's with love interest A, she would think of love interest B and vice versa, and it drove me insane. The love interests weren't even that interesting, either. One's overly mysterious, which I couldn't really fully understand why, as it led to more harm than good. I mean, yeah, I understand that confidentiality was an issue, but it really irritated me why he didn't want to tell everything to Anna and had to wait nearly at the end for it when we all bloody know well that her knowing was vital and important. I couldn't appreciate the stalling and withholding of important information. The other love interest was such an eager beaver that it was so obvious something wasn't right with him, but the main character didn't even notice until the end... and she was supposed to be really good at reading the emotions of other people! :| Geezus, what a fail.

I also found Anna very stupid and gullible, which was quite ironic because she prided herself as very street-smart. Yeah, right. So she followed this dude in her thirst for knowledge, and she found out he was a freaking fraud. A con man. And he even admitted this. But despite already knowing he was suspicious and dishonest as hell, she still agreed to meet with him, considered his offers to join him, even took his word more than the other honest dude's... which truly baffled me. Girl! You know he's an asshole and a con! Why the fuck would you even want to continue meeting with him?! She made some questionable decisions, too, which I, for the life of me, couldn't understand why. There was this scene in the middle of the book where she got kidnapped. Thankfully, she escaped and found help from some shopkeepers. When they asked her what happened, she thought to herself she couldn't tell them she was taken against her will and even tied up. WTF? Her justification: "what can I tell them? That I was taken by unknown people for reasons equally unknown?" T___T UM, YES? HELLO? KNOCK KNOCK? DOES YOUR SKULL HOUSE A BRAIN?? When people get kidnapped in real life, they also don't know why, but that doesn't stop them from reporting and telling others about it, especially when it could help them!! RAWR!!!

* I also found the storyline a bit lacking. It was quite simple, and for a plot that involved psychic powers like seeing the future, reading other people's emotions, and so on and so forth, it didn't quite develop from there. It definitely had potential to go bigger than the usual "Why do I have powers? What do I do with it?" and the greedy villain who aimed to take advantage of it, so I was very disappointed when it ended at that, because I was fairly certain there were so much more possibilities with this kind of premise, especially with the social setting of the 1920s! Oh, well.

* I thought the climax and the ending were too abrupt.The escalation of events starting from the climax up to the ending felt very convenient. I can't really go into details, but it was very anti-climactic. In the end, I didn't care much for the characters.

OVERALL...

* Be wary of the main character. It may just be me as a lot of other reviews liked her, but she really got to my nerves. A lot. To the point I had wished I would be manifested inside the book so that I can give her a piece of my mind of how stupid and idiotic she was.
* Get this if you want to read a story of a mother and daughter coming into terms together, with psychic powers as a backdrop.

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 start
Stories about the sudden popularity of spiritualism during and right after World War I seem to be all the rage these days. First there were The Diviners by Libba Bray, then came In the Shadow of Blackbirds by CatWinters, and now there’s Born of Illusion, their equal in both quality and entertainment value. Even though this is only her second young adult novel, it is already quite clear that Teri Brown deserves her place among the best.

Have I told you lately how much I love a good ghost story? No? Well, Born of Illusion is not a ghost storyper se but it’s close enough to make your heart race on several occasions. Brown’s writing is my very favorite kind: elegant and unobtrusive, the author’s voice completely transparent. With a voice like Anna’s, another strong presence was wholly unnecessary, and Brown did an excellent job of making herself disappear behind her words.

Anna was raised by a mother who routinely cheats people out of their livelihood by holding fake séances and pretending to communicate with the departed. But unlike her mother, Anna is the real deal, a Sensate, a psychic, and very determined to hide it. Nothing good could come out of revealing the truth, especially to her self-centered, opportunistic mother. But at the same time, Anna must find a way to uncover truths about herself and control her talents, before they end up controlling her.

Complicated mother-daughter relationships are among my very favorite things to read about, and Anna’s mother turns passive-aggressive behavior into an art form. She is a performer on and off the stage and a master manipulator to boot. She’s never much cared for Anna, aside from the benefits of having a talented magician for a daughter, and she’s ready to do just about anything to control her – so when she says Harry Houdini is Anna’s father, Anna isn’t sure she can trust her.

Attack and counterattack. Strategy and schemes. Why is my relationship with my mother more like a chess game than a family bond?

Anna is so passionate about her work as a magician, a competent young lady with firm opinions and a strong attitude. But Brown didn’t make her seem too old, her naiveté shone through at just the right moments, and it served to remind the reader that she is indeed 16, and not 36, as it sometimes seemed.

At this moment, I’m not a girl with an overbearing mother. I’m not a girl who likes a boy who’s only interested in her strange abilities. At this moment, I am a magician.

Most of Anna’s naiveté and inexperience shone through in dealings with her romantic interests. She had no idea how to behave around Cole or Owen (and yes, there are two boys fighting for her attention), and she often handled things poorly. But in this context, her innocence and immaturity weren’t frustrating, they were somehow endearing. As far as love triangles go (oh, the dreaded words!) this is a mild one, but there nevertheless. I know many readers have issues with them and I do too, but be patient with our Anna, she’s only now learning to navigate the complicated world of romantic relationships.

Despite there being a sequel in the works, Born of Illusion wraps up quite nicely, which is yet another point in favor of this gorgeous book. A nice, clean ending doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to the next book – as far as I’m concerned, it can’t come soon enough. Teri Brown truly is a force to be reckoned with.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the recent trends seems to be historical fiction set in the 1920s. Born of Illusion is the third one I've read in the last year with a focus on the occult during the prohibition era. The fact that Born of Illusion follows on the heels of The Diviners and In the Shadow of Blackbirds does not really diminish it for me, and, likely, it was already in the editing process before the first of those was released. It's a funny coincidence, though. Well, three books in and I am definitely a fan of this possible new trend, though I wouldn't mind seeing something set in the 1920s a bit more about prohibition or gangsters or crossdressing musicians, rather than seances and spiritualism.

Anna Van Housen joins the ranks of YA heroines with mother issues and missing fathers, also known as roughly a third of YA heroines. Her mother is a well-known medium, though Anna knows that's all just illusion. Anna's the one who creates much of the illusion in fact, and is a talented musician herself. Her mother claims that Anna's father is the illustrious Harry Houdini, but Anna's not sure, and really does not like having her talent explained away by inheritance, because she has worked hard. I love the way Anna refuses to fall into gender norms or allow anyone to diminish her based on her gender.

On top of her magician skills, Anna has a host of other abilities about which her mother knows nothing, because Anna doesn't trust her mother enough to tell her. When she touches people, Anna can sense their emotions. She also experiences visions of the future, usually of catastrophic events like the sinking of the Titanic, but now of her mom afraid and herself drowning. Her powers have been getting stronger and she doesn't know why. Both the spiritualism and magic tricks were well-handled and described.

Anna's relationship with her mother plays a crucial role, as do her relationships with others. Since Anna and her mom have moved a lot, she's rarely had any friends, and Anna generally avoids contact so as not to read people's feelings. Now that they've moved to New York City, they're trying to build a home for themselves for once. At first, Anna's mother seems irredeemable, but I love that her character rounds out as the book progresses.

So, too, do the rest of the supporting cast members. Everyone initially is quite one note, but they become more robust as Anna opens herself up to the idea of being close to people. Her sketchy manager turns out to be surprisingly dependable. The crotchety old man downstairs becomes someone who always cares and helps out. The vapid blonde with an interest in seances and the much older, bored husband ends up a dear friend. Watching Anna overcome her first impressions of people is delightful, and such a great message; in my own life, I've often found that people are not what they seem at first glance.

Then, of course, there is romance. Anna has two options on her romantic horizons: party boy and wannabe Magician Owen or controlled, polite British Cole. What's great about this love triangle of sorts is that it's very low key. Anna basically has two very different sorts of crushes on two very different boys, and is trying to figure out which one she actually likes. She doesn't make lifelong plans or commitments, and thinks in terms of the present moment, which is great.

The weak point of the novel was definitely the mystery element. Anna's trying to figure out who means her harm, and the culprit is obvious. Or, at least, was to me. The evil dude is also rather generically evil, too, lacking in motivation, though perhaps this will be developed in later books. On top of that, the ending felt quite rushed, with the climactic scene cut off in the middle, the rest of the happenings explained to Anna after the fact. While this did make sense in context, it was still confusing and anticlimactic for the reader.

Though I initially thought Born of Illusion was a standalone, I'm okay with there being more books about Anna and will be eagerly awaiting Born of Deception. With a vibrant heroine, a cute romance, daring escapes and ghostly visitations, Born of Illusion is a fun and exciting read.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Thank you HarperTeen for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

'I was thirteen the first time I broke my mother out of jail. After that it got easier, though I have to admit, even I had trouble getting the door unlocked whole hanging off the back of a paddy wagon. Is not an experience I wish to repeat.'

What a pleasant surprise historical fiction can be when executed beautifully. After the disappointments I've had lately in this genre, I was delighted to be once welcomed into an olden day New York world which reminded me greatly of Libba Bray's The Diviners. Born of Illusion was a strategically drawn novel with elements of suspense, magic and romance.

Anna Van Housen has been breaking her mother out of jail ever since the age of thirteen. Three years later, she travels along with her mother- reclaimed medium of the 1920's- performing séances and stage shows in front of all types of audiences alike. However, there are a few issues up Anna's sleeve. Especially now that something strange has stirred up in her ever since she met a young man. As Anna tries to hide her gift from her defiant mother, who holds a coldness between them, Anna comes to question everything she has ever been told. Was that young man- Cole- to have something to do with it? Someone is trying to catch Anna and her mother, but who?

Brown effortlessly creates loveable characters and unforgettable relationships throughout the entire story. I admired Anna's voice the most. Without a proper mother to aid her in more coming of age issues and basic skills, Anna comes out as understandable, confused and shaky. While this whole mystery- suspense beats through the novel, this is also about a girl adjusting in the adult world, growing and slowly covering up those blemishes. Additionally, her personality stands out in the 1920's as it had touches of humour, fieriness and adventurousness. It's outlandish and subtle at the same time.

Our mother and daughter relationship is like no other. It's deep meaning and messed up past is a contributing factor to this tension that spreads between the two of them. But there's also the jealousy from Anna's mother. This jealously is because of Anna's great magician abilities which are much more extensive. Nonetheless, as the story unravels by, we delve further in and soon become to comprehend this distance that begins to cure itself slowly near the end. Entrancingly written, this is one you'll never want to miss out on.

Our romance here is a bit like a contrast of MG and YA, or also could be marked as a subplot- where I used to believe it belonged, NOT the main drive of the novel. I loved the realism, cuteness and pace of this aspect which flourished and hoped along, brightening the dark suspense that trembles here.

What I was disappointed about where two minor things. Firstly, if the romance was the best paced aspect, the pace of the beginning was the worst- as in relatively slow. Soon enough, it got redeemed as our mystery was thrown in. Secondly, the ending was rather predictable. It's another one of those 'who was the culprit?' issues. Knowing its a difficult topic to accomplish with shining stars, Brown did a decent job.

All in all, Born of Illusion was ideally a novel entwined with atmospheric magic, romance and a girl living in a new world trying to understand fresh topics. But ultimately, this also contains a lovely connection between a mother and daughter that may not be so perfect as it seems on stage. Highly recommended to lovers of The Diviners or other historical fictions.

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born of Illusion falls into that inevitably irritating category of novels which have received a mixed bag of reviews. A handful of my trusted reviewers loved this, another handful really enjoyed this, and still another group of them just couldn't connect with this one. Thus, I did what any reader would do: sit tight, wait, and make a decision concerning this novel after reviews of its sequel trickled in. Well, guess who was well and truly hypnotized upon seeing the breathtaking cover of this at the library? So thoroughly hypnotized that I check it out and proceeded to start reading it that very night (with deliberate sneaks at the cover from time-to-time, of course)?

Needless to say, I haven't regretted my love affair with the cover of this book. (An affair that quickly disintegrated as my heart turned its attentions to Cole. Yes, yes, I know - my heart is fickle.) Set in the 1920s, Born of Illusion follows the tale of Anna, the reputed illegitimate daughter of Houdini. A talented magician, Anna and her mother have traveled all their life, performing shows to earn their wages. When they move to New York, however, a string of strange occurrences begin, from Anna's visions about her mother in danger to a mysterious follower. If Anna isn't careful, someone could be about to trick her...

From the beginning itself, I absolutely loved Anna's narration. Anna isn't afraid to have a fair bit of fun in her life and on stage she's spectacular, capturing the audience and stealing the show with her genuine magical abilities. Yet, behind that exterior, she is also deeply vulnerable, unsettled by her past and her tumultuous relationship with her mother. Although Anna can read people's emotions with a single touch, she still struggles to connect with others, having only her mother to rely on in life. And that, my dear readers, is where Born of Illusion not only excels, but stuns. Anna's relationship with her mother is complicated and sticky, a mix of natural jealousy between two talented performers and affection. One of my favorite aspects of this tale is that Anna not only comes to understand her mother better, but along the way she also understands herself better. Furthermore, she comes to accept that her mother's dreams and her own dreams don't necessarily align and that is okay. For me, this is such an integral and important message: that's it's okay to break away from the life you've always known and want something different, no matter what age you are. We see this both with Anna and her mother, which I really loved. It's so rare to see such realistic and well-portrayed mother-daughter relationships, so this is a definite keeper.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the plot of Born of Illusion is a bit of after-thought. It isn't a central aspect of the novel, though it is interesting. If anything, Anna herself drives this novel forward, which I loved. Although the story line is intriguing - filled with strange happenings, kidnappings, and ransom notes - it did become slightly predictable at the end. And yet, despite that, it is thoroughly enjoyable. It is impossible to really tear away from this book or become detached from the plot because Anna's tale is simply so engrossing. At every turn I was always eager to read how Anna would react, feel her rush of feelings, and learn more about her world. Brown writes captivating seances and magic shows, truly building up the suspense and allowing us to glimpse another facet of Anna's personality. Furthermore, I adored the world Brown has created. As a historical fiction tale, Born of Illusion works well, though, I must admit, not as thoroughly as Libba Bray's The Diviners. I wish this novel was a touch more atmospheric, but the depth of the research done really showed.

Another thing to love about Born of Illusion? It takes the love triangle trope and makes it work. For one thing, the two "love interests" at hand - Cole and Owen - are never truly vying for Anna's attentions. I even hesitate to call them love interests because it's obvious where Anna's heart lies. Nevertheless, what I liked about the romance was that it was a bit of a slow-burn and very sweet. I don't know about you, but I'm a little - okay, VERY - tired of bad boys. I mean, please, find some new cliched phrases! I love a shy guy more than anything else, so that was a pleasant change. Furthermore, the love triangle was revealed to be an important plot necessity and even when Anna was with the other boy, those scenes were integral to the story line and world. Considering I was never frustrated by this love story - only because I knew who Anna liked - I was able to sit back and really enjoy the way the romance played out in this.

Ultimately, Born of Illusion isn't one to pass up. If you're like me, you probably can't pass it up because you've been hypnotized by the cover, but if - somehow - you've resisted the allure of that gorgeous hardback, then you should definitely check this out if you're a fan of historical fiction, the 1920s, or just Houdini. Although the novel doesn't focus on the man himself, there are plenty of mentions, not to mention thrilling tricks, within these pages. Born of Illusion isn't a thought-provoking or ground-breaking read, but it's engaging and just so much fun. And sometimes, that's all you need on a rainy summer night: a smile on your face and pretty book to curl up with.

[Melanchallina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Эпоха джаза. Нью-Йорк. Город мечтателей, авантюристов и миллиона огней. Время стрижек боб у девушек, сухого закона и веселой, беззаботной молодежи.

В центре всего этого юная Анна Ван Хаусен – талантливая иллюзионистка, помощница своей самовлюбленной матери – «медиума» и внебрачная дочь самого Гудини. Но это не все. Анна храните тайну. Она не такая как все. Ее способности и силы выходят за рамки простых иллюзий и обмана. Но откуда в ней эта сила?



Анна всегда была необычной девушкой. С эгоистичной, жадной до славы матерью, ей пришлось рано повзрослеть. С тринадцати лет она спасает мать от тюрьмы, участвует в ее спектаклях и мошенничестве, а также следит за деньгами семьи. Она также с детства из-за всех сил старается скрыть от матери и окружающих свои странные, пугающие возможности, такие как чтение мыслей и эмпатия. Но последнее время ее силы выходят из под контроля, и кажется это связано с их новым соседом Коулом. И возможно ее силы выходят далеко за рамки обычной эмпатии.



Должна признать, книга стала приятным сюрпризом. Я не ожидала много от «Порожденной Иллюзией», но книга стала приятным открытием. Атмосферная история не лишенная романтики и волшебства. Если вам понравились «Пророки», то обязательно прочитайте эту книгу. Их нельзя назвать идентичными, но, несомненно, присутствуют общие черты. И как можно забыть про Нью-Йорк 20-х? Он незримый герой книги, фон, придающий окрас и яркость всем событиям романа. В моей голове ярко всплывали картинки того времени: веселые вечеринки с молодежью, живущей одним днем, огни большого города, изысканные женщины и джентльмены в костюмах. Невероятная красота.

Тери Браун также мастерски прописала взаимоотношения Анны и ее матери. Начиная с их противостояния, борьбы за внимание публики и друг друга, до любви, настоящей любви матери и дочери. Это непросто очередная история о необычной девушке и ее поиске своего места в мире, это история взросления. О том, как Анна становится взрослой девушкой, начинает жить своей жизнью и пытается жить своей жизнью, а не только быть в тени матери.

Романтическая линия изящная, тонкая. Я бы даже сказала изысканная. Она не пошлая, а утонченная. Коул обаятельный юноша, сразу покоряет сердца читателей. Их взаимоотношения с Анной притягивают, в них нет никакой перенасыщенности или недосказанности. Всего в меру. При этом любовь не перекрывает другие сюжетные арки, а умело с ними взаимодействует.

Анна – замечательная героиня. Она умная, смелая, но при этом не теряет своего женского очарования. Тот тип героини, который вызывает симпатию и сочувствие. Ее мама – очень яркий персонаж, запоминающийся. Мне понравилась история их отношений. Приятным сюрпризом явилось наличие в книге Гудини, люблю отсылки к реальным людям в книгах. Это приносит ощущение магии и волшебства в повседневность.

Пожалуй, единственный минус – не самая сильная детективная линия. Злодей (злодеи) вполне очевидны, но все равно читать было увлекательно и приятно.

Моя оценка: 8/10

[zahraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

IF U LIKE STALKING JACK THE RIPPER YOU WILL LIKE THIS !!

wow okay, so i actually really enjoyed this ??

>the rumoured illegitimate daughter of the infamous Houdini, begins having visions of her mother in danger. many strange things begin to happen as soon as a mysterious dark haired (😫🙄) boy enters town.

i’m always a sucker for a good historical fiction novel, and this was great.

although it included a love triangle (which i like to avoid), this one was written rather well. the writing was fast paced, the plot was interesting !! my only issue was how predictable it was :(

COLE I LOVE YOU AWH — get u a man who’s still respectful, polite and a gentleman, even after you hurt him <3

anyways i know this is a duology but this definitely can be read as a stand alone.

ta ta for now 🩰🩰🩰

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past.

The synopsis is perfectly written and there's nothing I need to add to it (amazing that). I liked the way that the story was written, and told, even though it was very predictable. I think that Teri Brown did something I usually have trouble with, and that's keeping my interest with a period piece. It's not that I dislike them exactly, but I don't go out of my way to read them, and if they're anything like what I just read I've been missing out.

I liked Anna right away, and ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would. I didn't expect it to be bad mind you, but I wasn't expecting to stay up past 2 in the morning to read the end either. I've been spoiled with my recent book choices because every one of them have actual strong heroines, and none of them annoyed me at all.

"My mother says I'm a show-off, but I prefer to think of myself as a performer."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
""You're quite good--for a girl." "Thank you," I tell him, ignoring the girl remark. If I argued with every male magician who made a snide comment about my gender, I'd never have the time to do magic. I prefer to outperform them on stage, where it really matters."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That's three times in the past week I've felt someone watching me, and I'm pretty sure it's not because I'm irresistible."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The day when I show her once and for all that I'm not hers--that I don't belong to her. I love her and would do anything to protect her, but I won't allow her to play me like she does her clients. If she wants a relationship with me, it's going to have to be one of equality."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Throughout the book Anna impressed me, and coupled with Cole (*drools*), and everyone else actually, made this a really enjoyable book. Anna's mom was horrible, and told with perfect precision to make me hate her, but also want Anna to save her, and it was refreshing to read about a parent who deserved scorn (even though Anna wasn't horrible to her). I would have liked to have an epilogue though since the rest of the series seems to be planned with other characters in mind (unless I read that wrong, and feel free to correct me).

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, and plan on reading the rest in the series as it comes available.

[Kassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5*

LOVED this book!! The 1920s setting is fantastic, the magic captivating, and the plot intriguing. This is such a fun book! I loved the characters, especially the main character, Anna, and her relationship with her mother. There's also a lovely romance.
The historical element really made the story and I really felt like I was transported back in time! There're some familiar names and I loved reading about the speakeasies and all of the clothing!
The magic aspect gave this book a real kick. It's fun reading about the trickery of the magicians of the time, but I love how Anna actually does have some powers, so there's a dash of supernatural.
Overall, if you are interested in 1920s historical fiction, this one is great!
I found the plot slightly predictable and it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat, but it did keep me reading :)

[Nafiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born of Illusion is, I can tell because I have superior powers (just kidding), the first in a series. It will either be a trilogy, no, it most probably be a trilogy. The novel is set in the 20s, as, for some reason or another, YA novels are wont to be. The setting does not play as large a part in the novel as it does in Bray’s The Diviners but the narrative is nicely sprinkled with meaty tidbits that situate the reader firmly in that decade.

My favourite part of this novel is Anna van Housen. Oft times, in my experience at least, I may like a main character, I may even empathize with her but once the book is done she will be, ultimately, lost among all the other main characters so plentifully present in YA novels. Anna feels real. Her mommy issues are genuine and understandable and her small actions to separate herself and grow as a person in her own right rather than as an extension of her mother makes for intriguing reading. I think the dynamics of the relationship between mother and daughter with the layered conflicts and rich emotional payoff is what makes this novel so successful. Oh, the mythology, the paranormal aspect is gripping enough but Brown’s skill is in the way she creates believable and seemingly genuine relationships between people.

Anna’s mother is beautiful and uses this beauty and the accompanying charisma to further her business as a mentalist. She pretends to hear the voices of the dead and fleeces grieving parents/sons/daughters off their money. Oh and she also tells the world that Anna’s dad is Harry Houdini. The Houdini question is never answered explicitly but enough is implied that it is easy enough to read between the lines. Anna is the one who has the true powers, powers that she does not necessarily need or even want. There is a secretive society made up of magic practitioners and a supreme villain looking to harness the powers of the uninitiated for his own nefarious plans. Oh, there’s also this loveable inventor whose inventions come in very handy. All that’s missing is a talking cat but one can hope that the next few installments will provide that as well.

The romance I liked. There is a bit too much mush but I’m forgiving because the love interest is so interesting in his own right and evinces qualities that are not usually common to a love interest. He has a personality! Haha.

I had two main issues with this novel. First, the pacing seems intentionally slow. The novel is 352 pages and I think some tighter editing could have culled it down without losing anything but heightening the tension. The mystery, such as it was, was a bit too predictable and since I connected the dots so very easily, I wondered why Anna didn’t. Also, I wonder why there wasn’t more information given about Anna’s otherworldly powers but I have a feeling that Brown is saving that for the second book which, from the hint given to us at the end of this one, is going to be pretty darned awesome.

Get your hands on this book, guys. It has a wonderful protagonist, a kissable love interest and some fantastic action.

[Danielle. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Van Housen is an illusionist who has the ability to feel people's emotions, communicate with the dead, and foretell the future. But these are secrets she keeps hidden, especially from her mother, Marguerite Van Housen. It's hard for Anna to converse with her mother because Marguerite is a very jealous woman who hates when the spotlight isn't on her. Give a small praise to Anna and Marguerite with shoot her a daggering stare. Give Anna your undivided attention -- or maybe a standing ovation -- and Marguerite will do her best to humiliate her very own daughter in front of everyone. A lot of readers will have a problem with this and even hate Marguerite, but I can't help loving her. Teri Brown's characters are so convincing and well created that it's hard for me to feel just one emotion. Even the unimportant characters holds a special place in my heart: Mr Darby, Anna's grouchy neighbour. He may put up an I-hate-everyone front, but when you actually get to know him he's an enigmatic, humorous old man who loves to invent things. Cynthia Gaylord, Anna's young; hopeless 20-year-old friend. She has an eye for the supernatural and is very energetic when it comes to it. You won't miss her at a séance (which you'll be able to read as well as experience in Born of Illusion).



The world-building Brown has crafted will leave you breathless and desperate to get your hands on the sequel. Born of Illusion takes place in 1920's New York. But this isn't a book based on flappers (though they do make their appearances here and there, of course); rather, this is about Anna Van Housen coming to terms with her abilities and her past. Since the age of thirteen, Anna has been breaking her mother out of jail. Now at sixteen, she has to assist her mother in holding fake séances and magic acts. Even though her mother is a sham, it doesn't stop her from trying to be the greatest medium that ever lived. All of this is very difficult for Anna due to the fact that these séances isn't just staged stunts her mother pulls or fake chants she does to "call upon the spirits of the dead". The dead actually communicates with Anna and she's tired of getting sick to her stomach feeling the emotions of the grieving people attending the séances with false hope and desperation.

These aren't the only problems Anna has to face



Is Harry Houdini really Anna's illegitimated daughter or is Marguerite lying about this for publicity? It's very confusing for Anna and she can't help but feel as though she is because of her abilities. Are they really from Houdini -- the greatest magician that ever lived? To add on to her problems, Cole Emerson Archer arrives and, mysteriously, Anna's abilities enhances. Usually whenever Anna sees the future, it's usually visions of The Great War, the Spanish Influenza, or the sinking of the Titanic. Now these visions are of her and her mother in peril. Could these snippets of horror be easily brushed off and passed as nightmares, or is it something that should be taken seriously?

Born of Illusion was exactly what I've been craving to read. I've grown tired of reading Dystopian novels, so this book was a breath of fresh air. I've fallen in even more in love with Historical Fiction after reading many great; new works (Out of the Easy, The Diviners, and Born of Illusion). This book focuses on the occult during the prohibition era. This leaves you thinking 'do spirits exist?' 'are there people who can actually communicate with the dead?' 'is all this just a hoax only used for entertainment?' For me, I grew up interested in the supernatural. So reading this was very entertaining. You can tell Teri Brown has done a great job with her research and I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel. There's one thing I'm really anxious about: Harry Houdini and how this is all going to turn out in the end because Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926 and this is set in the 1920's. Is it in the early 1920's or mid 1920's? Is Houdini going die in the next book? Questions, questions, questions.... If you read The Diviners and wondered what book to read next that's similar and would give that feeling of being in the 1920's surrounded by magic then this book is definitely for you. I'm floating on hearts!

Also, I felt that the mystery element 'who did what?' was poorly played out. I found it extremely obvious and face palmed when Anna had no idea on who the culprit was. Oh well, I'm not going to hold this little problem against the wonderful story in general. It is obvious I simply adore this era, and I love even more that authors like Libba Bray and Teri Brown adds a paranormal twist with magic, spirits and horror in their highly praised work.

You can also find this review on Midnight Reads

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was super excited when I read the synopsis for Teri Brown's Born of Illusion. I think spiritualism is a fascinating subject from an historical perspective. Who doesn't think that seances, Ouija boards, and communing with ghost is really cool stuff? I also liked the fact that this book was set in 1920's New York, as opposed to Victorian England, which seems to be the normal setting for spiritualism in YA.

And in addition to spiritualism there is also illusionism (MAGIC!) involved! Right from the start Harry Houdini is mentioned, and mentioned as possibly being Anna's father, which is all sorts of cool.

So, the premise of Born of Illusion is AMAZING, right? Unfortunately for this reader however, the story within just didn't live up to it's potential. It's not that writing wasn't good. Ms. Brown is a skilled writer. But I had a hard time identifying with some of the characters, and found other parts of the plot to be rather predictable.

Our MC Anna is the daughter of a famous illusionist and medium, Marguerite. Anna had a very unconventional upbringing, traveling the world with her mom and performing in various circus' and sideshows until her mother hit the big time. Now the two have settled in New York, and her mother is performing nightly theater shows and conducting midnight seances for the rich from their apartment. Anna wishes they could just do their stage act, she doesn't like the seances. One reason is because it's completely rigged and she not only feels sorry for the people her mother is bilking, but is also constantly afraid they will be found out and unveiled as frauds.

But there is another reason Anna doesn't like seances. Turns out that along with being a budding young magician (escaping handcuffs and knots are some of her favorite moves) she actually CAN see dead people. And she doesn't much care for it. In fact, she won't even let her mother know the truth, afraid that she will exploit her and the seance gig will go on forever. Anna just wants normalcy in her life for once. She loves being onstage performing magic, but dreads the evening seances that her mother insists on.

In addition, Anna has visions of the future. She forsaw the Titanic sinking, etc. And lately she has been having a dream about her mother being in serious trouble. But she can't tell her mom (or anyone) this because she can't let her know anything about her special abilities. Either she'll be so jealous she'll try to sabotage Anna somehow or she'll totally try to use it to her own advantage and a way to make more money.

And here lies a couple of my problems with the characters. First there is the extremely dysfunctional relationship between Anna and her mom. Both are performers and there is so much jealousy and competitiveness between them it's sickening. Now, I'm no performer, and I guess that in certain acts, even family acts, that kind of thing happens a lot. But all it did in this case is keep me from connecting with either Anna or her mom's character. I found their behavior to be petty, selfish and just plain awful.

Normally this would make me feel really sorry for Anna and her situation. But I had a hard time feeling that for her because she is constantly rising up to beat her mother at her own game instead of trying to work out their problems. And when her mother dupes or bests her in some way, Anna comes off as very whiny and childish.

Look, I know that I don't have to like every character I read to appreciate them or the story being told, but I can't help it, not really liking Anna, and definitely not liking her mom, kept me from enjoying this story more.

There were other parts of the tale that I liked more. The interactions between Anna and Houdini were great. There is always this lingering question of whether he is or isn't her father. Her mom likes to spread the rumor that he is (helps her social standing in the magic community and get's people talking about her) but Anna has no idea if it's the truth or not. It's futile to even ask her mother because she can't believe a word she says anyway.

There is a romance, with a pseudo love triangle of sorts. I say pseudo because it's apparent right from the start that one of these guys isn't on the level and therefore not a viable option. There is a cool friendship between Anna and her downstairs neighbor, Mr. Darby who is the crotchety old man who likes to tinker in his workshop and invent things. But this part of the book is minimal and not explored much.

Setting wise there are a few interesting descriptions of 1920's New York, the street scene and a speak easy scene, but after reading a book like Libba Bray's The Diviners, Born of Illusion doesn't come close to portraying the feel of that period of time in America.

So in the end, I struggled to get through this book more than I hoped. I had a hard time keeping my attention focused and after finishing felt pretty "Meh" about the whole thing. I do like that more YA authors are writing historical fiction, and the setting of 1920's New York is definitely one I would love to read more of in the future. But in this instance, Born of Illusion just didn't live up to the hype or my expectations.

[Rachel Kramer Bussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot going on in this YA novel set in 1920's New York, from Anna trying to figure out if her father really is Harry Houdini, to trying to use her powers to figure out who's trying to harm her and her mother. She's had visions of disasters like the Titanic, but now the visions are hitting closer to home. Meanwhile, she has two suitors, increasing tension with her mother, and is worried about getting busted for the seances she runs with her mother, in addition to their magic shows. The plot is very busy, but the characters are interesting. Anna does have special knowledge--she can usually tell what someone else is feeling, unless they've put up a block--but her powers don't tell her everything. It's on occasion a bit madcap, but I liked it a lot, and would welcome reading more about Anna and her adventures. The romance is woven into the rest of the plot, and Anna has to figure out who she can trust. She's fallible, just like every other character, but I was rooting for her. I especially like the real-life characters, like gangster Arnold Rothstein, who I looked up while reading the book, which add to the atmosphere. While the plot does on occasion get a bit convoluted, it's worth it. Anna is a feisty, independent by necessity character, and I gained more sympathy for her as the book went on, realizing just how alone she truly was. An interesting look at New York of this time period from the point of view of a teenager living far from a sheltered life, with touches of magic and plenty of drama, including a kidnapping.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young lady partnering with her mother in an illusionist act in the Roaring Twenties of New York City is on a dangerous quest of discovery. Is her father the great Harry Houdini? And, while her mother's mentalist routine is an act, Anna's gift for visions, contacting the dead, and sensing emotion is not. I couldn't help myself once I started looking for books dealing with magic and darker stories. Born of Illusion fit the bill nicely.

Born of Illusion is the first book in a Young Adult Historical series involving the stage world of magicians, mentalists, and mediums at seances against the glittery jiving and alive post-war world of the twenties. Anna and her mom have been a road act for as long as she can remember. The years have been tough working circuses and alone, dodging shifty managers, small town law, and always living a lie. Anna has a love-hate relationship going with her mother who coldly sees everything in relationship to HER act and her needs while also happy to exploit Anna's supposedly being the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini. Now, they have a chance to settle in one place and go at least semi-legit with a popular act in New York City. If only her mother would stop doing the seances which were illegal if someone complained and always the part where her mother's acting could be exposed. With the arrival of the mysterious and serious Cole, Anna's connection to real magic seems to flair and scare her into needing to know more especially since she keeps getting a dark vision of her and her mother's death. Suddenly, there is greater interest in her as a young woman and a talented magician. Life just got exciting and more complicated than ever.

My sister in law loved this book and loaned it to me a while back. I waited for the mood to kick in and it finally did with the advent of spooky reading month. I've never read a story set against the world of the magical stage and with it paired to the 1920's era, I was already more than impressed. Anna is a very self-possessed girl of sixteen. She's had to grow up fast between a less than maternal mother and their showmanship world. She has a complicated relationship with her driven mother. Anna is starting to feel the desire to step out of her mother's shadow. She's good at magic and wants to do more than be the assistant when her mother pretends to read minds or contact the dead. Anna hates the seances that trick people who are vulnerable and want to contact a dead loved one.

I enjoyed the 'is she or isn't she' part of her being Houdini's daughter. Her mom could be exploiting, but she also might be telling the truth. There are also several shades of gray characters around Anna that she has to figure out their motives and who is reliable. She might have psychic gifts, but it doesn't mean she can't be wrong in how she interprets what she gets from people since she has preconceived notions at times and, though its easy to forget at times, she's a teenager and grew up isolated from some things. She gets caught up in her own head and this can slow the pace down, but not excessively so.

The part I could have done without was the mild love triangle. It was mild for two reasons. One, and blessedly so, the story didn't focus entirely on romance and the bulk of the story was Anna's search for the truth about herself and balanced all her interpersonal relationships. But, secondly, she liked both young men for different reasons, but it was obvious which one held a deeper connection for her. It's YA so this part of the story is not concluded and will carry into the next book along with another important plot thread.

YA warnings: I don't really have any. I found the elements hit the mild to moderate range and any YA age could pick this up with little concern.

In summary, I had a blast with the writing, the setting and background, the characters, and the twisting plot. I would definitely like to continue with the story. For those who enjoy historical YA with lots of magic and a dose of romance, give this one a try.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
Book One of the Born of Illusion series
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

What I Liked:

It's a known fact that I don't read too much fiction set in the 1900s. I like historical fiction that is set in the 19th century and before, and modern fiction. But fiction in the 20th century... for some reason, it's never really appealed to me. So I was really hesitant to read this book, though I was curious about the magic described in the synopsis.

I wasn't overly impressed with this book, but I still found the idea of the book very interesting. The main character, Anna, has exceptional skills with magic and illusions. But she's more than a girl with magic tricks - she seems to be a medium, who can communicate with spirits and see things in the future. So, as an illusionist working with her mother, she has to be careful with her gift as a medium.

I liked Anna, and I don't think I ever got frustrated with her as a character. It was easy to follow her decisions and thoughts throughout the novel. I don't know much about the 1920's and how young ladies are supposed to act, but I assume the author did a good job with the authenticity of Anna's character.

The romance was kind of silly, in my opinion. There is a "love triangle", but it's pretty obvious from the beginning which guy Anna really likes. I saw right through the secondary love interest, as soon as we meet him.

The plot was not that interesting, in my opinion, but it wasn't hard to finish this book. I was interested and invested enough to make it through the book, especially once I hit the climax. I wanted to know what would happen, but at the the same time, I had an excellent idea of what would happen. And it did happen. Predictable end.

What I Did Not Like:

I think my biggest problem with this book was that the plot wasn't all that engaging, and I was sort of bored the entire time. I knew that I wasn't going to NOT finish this book, but at the same time, I sort of skimmed parts of this book. I wasn't really sucked into the plot, though I did think it was kind of interesting. It seems like the first part of the book was sort of interesting, but I lost interest as the book went on. Until the climax occurred. But then the end was so predictable.

I hate Anna's mother. Anna spends the entire book saying how much her mother doesn't care about her, or trust her, or doesn't like her, but then in the end... what!? Maybe this is a 1920's thing that I just don't understand. But if you think someone doesn't like you THAT MUCH, I would distance myself from that person. Or at least, NOT put up with their crap all of the time.

And the romance. What?! I feel like the author did a great job of putting together Anna and the secondary interest, but then the author sort of shoved Anna and the primary love interest together. It seemed forced. If I hadn't seen through the secondary love interest's facade from the time he is introduced, I might have been on his side. But the romance just kind of flopped, for me.

And I'm still confused about the whole Houdini-is-your-father angle. Who cares?! What does that have to do with anything?! That didn't seem to be a major plot point, and yet, it's in the summary, and it's mentioned throughout the book. And people freak out when they hear that Anna is (supposedly) Houdini's daughter.

Again. Who cares?! Why does that matter?! Does that make a difference in Anna's life? Is that where she got her medium ability? And do we ever get a proper explanation? No. Anna meets Houdini, Anna's mother is mad, Houdini remembers Anna's mother, but no one actually says anything about the truth of the matter, and why it is such a big deal. UGH.

Basically, I got bored after a while, but the plot was still interesting. The romance was blah, and the end was predictable.

Would I Recommend It:

No. I know that this is a big Harper title, and many people were excited to read this one. But I still don't really recommend it. There are so many books that I need to get through (this being one of them), and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read this one, but I wish I could have liked this one more.

Rating:

3 stars. Not the most impressive debut, in my opinion.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars!

Guys, I loved this book. So much that I'm willing to forgive the almost-love triangle in this story. I definitely can't wait until the next book in the series, due out next year. This book brings back the roaring '20s (with its gin joints, speakeasies, dance parties and flappers) back with beautfiul, vibrant ease, so much so that when we came to the last page, I didn't want to let go. If you're looking for a new paranormal YA book that's also historical fiction, you may want to take a chance on "Born of Illusion".

The New York that was created by Brown in this book reminded me a whole lot of the version of "Great Gatsby" that Baz Luhrman put together for his film a few months ago - so much that all of the parties from that film, the dealings with Wolfsheim (whose true identity comes out in this book - I had no idea!) from the original "Gatsby" collided wonderfully in terms of timing of when I read this book and when the new version of "Gatsby" came out. Actually, the weekend I'd gone to see it, I'd just seen the film, so this related in creating a whole new kind of headcanon for me. Brown definitely knows how to build her world with a wonderful, whimsical vibrancy that actually leaped off the page, with all of its parties, spiritualism shows and seances, and general life in New York during the roaring '20s. Brown built this world with a lot of research and incorporated that into Anna's story really well, along with sensory imagery and language that made me sigh and want to wave over a TARDIS so I could go back and time and experience it all.

The character building was great, too - she brought Houdini to life with ridiculous ease, letting us get a feel for who he might have been with very little labor. Kids, this is how you can do both character building and worldbuilding at once (two birds, one stone) in historical fiction - do your research, even if your actual plot diverges from history a little bit. The characters helped build the world, and the world, the characters - which is really hard to do, but if you do it right, you come out with something like Brown's world - beautiful, tangible, and mostly true to history. Anna's character, not in history but based on medium fakes and the like, had a good historical base upon which to build things, and you could really feel her grow throughout the book during her personal journey arc. I loved that by the end, she found herself, who she wanted to be, and no longer an extension of her mother. It was quite satisfying to see that growth, and it wasn't just Anna - by the end of the book, the main cast had shown significant growth, and it's hard to grow a main character, much less an entire main cast within one book with so many pages. So giving a brofist to Brown there for being able to make that happen.

I also love the big reveals - the antagonists who really aren't antagonists, and the helpful friends that really aren't helpful friends all messes with your head, and definitely keeps you on your toes throughout the book. The two biggest reveals I can honestly say I didn't see coming (maybe because I was so absorbed by the sensory aspects, I'm not quite sure), and it was refreshing to see the sort-of-love-triangle get cleanly broken off AND have an explosive climax/resolution to this installment in what looks to be a duology all at the same time. And as to whether or not Anna is Houdini's daughter, well, Brown leaves us hanging there quite well. Not quite a cliffhanger as there is some resolution, but at the same time, not really answering that essential question that comes to be at the heart of Anna's character.

Final verdict? If you're looking for a good YA paranormal that's also historical fiction (or vice versa), definitely go for "Born of Illusion". I'm absolutely chomping at the bit for book two and in the YA historical category, has made my best of 2013 list. "Born of Illusion" is out now from HarperTeen, so be sure to check it out when you get the chance!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Sanaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4 Stars] I devoured this and absolutely adored it! It has been perhaps my favorite YA books that I have read in a while now, and I cannot wait to do a video review of it because trust me I most certainly will!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Magic is the sole science not accepted by scientists because they can't understand it.- Harry Houdini"

Setting:New York City; 1923

Coverly Love?:Yes, surprisingly; I don't usually like covers with a close-up of a face, but this works. Her eyes are so blue!!

Plot:Anna van Housen has been her mother's assistant in her magic and séance shows since she was a little girl. The supposed illegitimate daughter of the famous magician Harry Houdini, Anna and her mother are finally able to settle down and perform regular shows in New York. But while her mother is a fraud, Anna's gift of feeling other people's emotions and looking into the future are all too real. She must hide this gift from her mother, whom she has a tempestuous love/hate relationship. When a mysterious man named Cole moves downstairs, her powers begin to spiral out of control. And soon, she starts to have terrifying visions of her mother getting hurt. While she and her mom don't have the best relationship, Anna would do anything to protect her. Soon she and Cole will begin the adventure of lifetime into the world of magic, mystery and spiritualism.

New York has never been so glamorous than in this book. The 20s is one of my favorite eras, and the concept of Harry Houdini's supposed illegitimate daughter performing magic who also happens to have supernatural abilities proves to be a winning combination. I loved the intricate historical detail and the realistic relationship portrayed between mother and daughter. The whole concept of "Secretives" and their different abilities was entirely original and unique. Of course, there are the fakes (like Sylvia Brown I used to watch her all the time when I was a little girl, even though my parents continually told me that she was a fraud.) I always thought it would be interesting to have some kind of power to see or speak to the dead or something. In hindsight, it would be kind of creepy, but I still think it would be interesting. And the author made it seem so glamorous as well.

Characters:Anna van Housen is spunky, strong-willed, street smart, and desperate for a normal mother who loves her, cares for her, and can provide a shred of stability for her. She also hates the séances her mother puts on, simply because her powers of communicating with the dead manifest during this time. Anna was sensible an levelheaded most of the time, but she did have some moments of irrational thinking, like when she pickpockets Cole's pockets because she is having feelings towards him. Makes no sense whatsoever. Anna also has a sometimes uncontrollable need to one-up her competitive mother in magic, an to find out the real truth about her father and her powers.

Marguerite van Housen is Anna's mother. Unlike Anna, Marguerite does not have her daughter's powers and is a complete fraud. She is also demanding, controlling, conniving, and unaffectionate towards her daughter. Her will to become a star and become an important somebody trumps her desire to be a good mother to Anna. As much as I disliked her in the beginning, I did feel some sort of sympathy for he towards the end. I felt like that while she did love Anna, that love came out in unconventional and wrong ways. Some readers may find her annoying to the point of DNF the book, but stick it out until the end; she does get better.

Cole is the mysterious, enigmatic young man that moves downstairs with the crotchety old inventor, Mr. Darby. Cole is one of those strong silent types. Not prone to talking or showing his emotions, this causes him to come off as standoffish and a little pompous. This is quite the contrary, dear readers. He's actually a sweetheart, though you don't really see this until the very end of the novel. And he, like Anna, is a secretive. He really helps Anna find out who she is, and soon his guard of walls begins to come down. I loved Cole! He was sweet, considerate, a little distant but all around a wonderful guy.

Other characters include Owen (another man vying for Anna's affections), Mr., Darby (the inventor neighbor), Cynthia (Anna's eventual best friend), and Jacques (the van Housen's manager). Harry Houdini also makes appearances throughout this novel, with his attempts to debunk the spiritualist theories.

Pros:I loved the realistic relationship portrayed between Anna and her mother. I can honestly say that my mother is my best friend, but we can get on each other's nerves sometimes. Thankfully, she's not at all like Marguerite!! The author also did are really good job portraying the excitement of the era, with all it's magic.

Cons:For those of you wanting some definitive answers to some key questions, I'm afraid you'll be highly disappointed. We never find out if Houdini is really Anna's father, which drove me nuts. I like definitive answers, y'all!! I also didn't like the fact that we had to wait THE ENTIRE NOVEL for Anna and Cole to get together. I mean, we all know it's going to happen, we know it's coming, but... it never comes. Until the end of the book, that is. Grrr...

And like Anna predicted, something bad happens to Anna's mother. But the reasons are quite ridiculous, The good guys wanted to get to Anna, so they can use her for good purposes. OK... if you're the good guys, why go to all that trouble?

Love Triangle?:Yes; Cole vs. Anna vs. Owen.

Instalove?:No; while Anna is infatuated with Cole from the beginning, I wouldn't call it instalove.

A Little Romance?:Anna likes Cole, and Cole likes Anna (though he would never admit it). We get that definitive feeling right from the beginning. Owen plays a part too, but she likes him just as a friend. We also get that feeling from the beginning, so for those of you who hate it when a protagonist flips back and forth, you're in luck!! That doesn't happen.

Conclusion:I loved this tale of magic and mystery, even though it got a little bit frustrating at times. For those who are fans of the 20s, magic, and thrills, this is the book for you!!

Read This!:Born of Corruption and Born of Deception, if you wish to continue this series. For a book in the same vein, try reading The Diviners by Libba Bray.

[Josey · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I adored the cover. It is so gorgeous I wanted to read it as soon as I saw it. I actually think that the cover is my favorite part of the whole book. It looks so... 1920's-y.

In case you didn't know, I love the 20's. They are my favorite time period and books written in them, like The Diviner's by Libba Bray always have an edge for me. This book was not quite as seamless as The Diviners, but It was not awful either.

Plot Summary:

Anna Van Housen is a magician, the daughter of Marguerite Van Housen, a medium, and Harry Houdini (at least that's what her mother told her). Anna has been in her mother's shadow her whole life, rescuing their scamming shows and helping her mother with seances to pay the bills, but little does her mother know that while her powers are fake, Anna's are quite real. Anna has hidden her ability to sense emotions and see the future her whole life, but when a young man named Cole moves in on the floor below her's and visits one of their seances, everything changes. Anna is inhabited by a ghost named Walter for the first time, meets another young man named Owen, and is invited to join a certain Dr. Bennett in his scientific experiments on sensitives (people who have powers like Anna). She is on the fence about joining Dr. Bennett's experiments and several attempts are made to kidnap or hurt her. Cole gets closer to Anna and reveals that he is actually a conduit, or a person who can sense sensitives (pardon the pun) and amplify their powers. Cole helps Anna learn to controller powers. Anna and her mother are both eventually kidnaped by Owen, who is working for Dr. Bennett, who is actually a former member of a society that Cole now works for to help sensitives control their powers and discover why they have them. At the end of the book, Anna and her mother escape with Cole and Jaques' (Marguerite's manager and future husband) help. Anna receives an offer while she is on the mend from Harry Houdini. He wanted her to go on tour in Europe with his manager. She agrees also so she can be close to Cole once he goes to college.

Characters:

Anna: Anna was an interesting character to me mainly because of her relationship with her mother (see below). Other than that, she was well, bland. She seemed weak, falling into Cole and Owen's arms after anything bad happened to her, crying a lot, etc. I wish she had been a little bit stronger of a person. Anna also seemed too trusting of everyone. She didn't have doubts about many people's motives even when they ended up betraying her in the end. All in all, she just needed to grow up a little.

Marguerite: Wow. That's all I have to say. Marguerite was wonderful as a secondary character. She probably was my favorite one out of the whole book. She was vain, proud, annoying, and just made you want to constantly slap her. She cared more about her stage presence than her daughter and more about looking authentic than what their budget allowed. She was an all out diva and I loved her. Of course at the end, she finally got a heart and wanted what was best for her daughter, but I liked the dramatic charlatan better. She was such a stark contrast to Anna and that she was the main reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 3.

Cole: Cole was also a bit bland for me. It didn't take much to get him head over heels in love with Anna. I wish their romance could have been a bit more stretched out over a longer book rather than condensed into the measly 373 pages of Born of Illusion. If it had happened a bit slower, rather than me being able to tell that he was the main love interest in his first scene, I think that would have drastically improved the book. He was a bit overprotective and at some points, I couldn't tell if he was following her around. He didn't really seem very different from the other characters, considering he was British. In some books, you can definitely tell when a character is from England. If Teri Brown, hadn't have told me he was European, I never would have guessed.

Owen: Why is it that Brown is so much better at writing the evil/bad characters. I thought that Owen was brilliant. He was clumsy and gawky. To be honest, the way he spoke seemed much more European that Cole. I never really wanted him to end up with Anna, but I kind of wish I had. It would have made the book so much more interesting for me if he had captured Anna's heart, and then turned out to be evil, but you could always tell that she liked Cole better. The one thing that surprised me was that he was married, and to Mr. Darby's maid no less.

Mr. Darby: Oh I LOVED him so much! Can I take him home with me please? He was like Belle's (from Beauty and the Beast) father, the clumsy inventor that everyone loves. He was not a main character in the book, but I wish he ha been. He could have replaced Cole... nah, that would be weird, if he was twenty years younger maybe...

Cynthia: Why do you have to be so stupid Cynthia? Why? Were you dropped on the head as a baby? She annoyed me to the extreme. First off, she saw the seances and new church that she went to as fun and games. Second Anna was actually stupid enough to become friends with her. Third, when Anna asked for 5 thousand dollars, she didn't even ask why before she agreed. I know that she is rich, but really Teri, not even a, "Why do you need the money anyways?" The only thing she actually asked was, "Do you want to talk about it?" and when Anna said no, she was absolutely fine. For all she knew, Anna could have been some elaborate con-woman bent on stealing her money. I mean really how stupid can one person be? So I hated Cynthia, but she needed to be there.

Jaques: I liked Jaques, but I kind of spent the whole book wondering if he was French or not. His name is French, but it never really specified. I wish I had asked Teri when I met her at BEA.

Mr. Bennett/ Mr. Boyle: He was the typical evil character. I could tell he was villain at the beginning.

So all in all, it was a decent book, not amazing, but not awful either. It was a bit predictable, but if you want a good book about magic an the 1920's this one is pretty decent. It's great for a relatively new author, but The Diviner's by Libba Bray is very similar, and much better. If there was a 3 and 1/2 star option, that's what I would choose, but I rounded it up to 4 for Marguerite.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars: An interesting foray into magic and spiritualism during the roaring twenties!

Anna steps onto the stage, reveling in the audience's applause. It is when she is on stage performing that she is at home. Anna is a gifted illusionist who has a big secret. She can truly sense people's emotions and see the future. She and her mother have settled in New York, after years of running and being on the road. Things seem to finally be looking up for Anna, until the dark visions begin assaulting her. These visions start the same day she meets the mysterious boy Cole. Anna's frightening visions indicate someone is going to try to harm her mother. Is it because someone is onto her mother's fraudulent seances? Can Anna stop her terrifying vision from coming true?
What I Liked:
*I enjoyed the focus of this book being on spiritualism, mediums, magicians and seances that were all the rage during this era. There is a great deal of information in this book on how so called mediums tricked and swindled people into believing they were in contact with spirits. I liked learning all about the tricks behind seances and illusions.
*This book presents an intriguing mystery. Anna is bombarded with chilling visions of the future. She finds herself suddenly surrounded by people who want to supposedly help her control her gifts, but who can she trust? It was fun watching Anna try to find out who was out to hurt her and who wanted to help. She trusts no one, not even her mother, and I liked the thick tension and mystery.
*Harry Houdini makes an appearance, and I was surprised to learn that he spent a great deal of time debunking fraudulent mediums. I had no idea that he wrote books to help ferret out swindlers, I thought he was only famous for his escape illusions.
*At the center of this book is the difficult relationship that Anna maintains with her mother. Anna and her mother perform in a magic show together, but over time her mother becomes aware that Anna's talents are exceeding her own, and she cannot accept this fact gracefully. Anna's mother is jealous and cold and quite the villain. She is a character that you love to hate as you wonder if she really and truly does love her daughter. This mother daughter relationship is fraught with tension and mistrust, and I found it to be entertaining and interesting.
*This is a coming of age story as Anna is trying to come to terms with her gifts, her identity and what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Her mother has long told her that she is the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini, but whether that is true or not is a mystery. She longs to know the truth of her parentage all while trying to control her sensory gifts. The one thing Anna wants to do is perform, but her mother is always holding her back. This book tells how Anna learns to break free and find her footing on her path to her future.
*I loved the setting of the roaring twenties. This book has flappers, bootleggers, mob men, illusionists, spiritualists and more. I loved the slang and dialogue that was pertinent to the time and I thought the author did a great job of bringing this era to life.
And The Not So Much:
*The romance left much to be desired. At first, it appears that this book is headed into love triangle territory as Anna meets two boys Owen and Cole. Both boys show interest in her, and she seems to enjoy spending time with both. However as time goes on, it quickly becomes apparent as to whom Anna is really attracted. Even though Anna seems to have chosen her suitor by the middle of the book, the romance never really takes off. It dances around as the two parties continue to mistrust each other. It is lukewarm at best.
*Parts of the book were a bit predictable such as who the bad guy was. It is obvious right away who the villain is, even though the author does manage to plant plenty of seeds of doubt, I wasn't deterred. There are also hints as to who the accomplice is so I wasn't surprised at the end. This isn't a big issue, I was able to piece it together but it isn't glaringly obvious.
*I was a bit disappointed as far in the whole Harry Houdini story line. Anna's mother claims that Anna is Harry Houdini's illegitimate daughter. There is a great deal of focus spent on Anna trying to unravel whether or not she really is Houdini's daughter. At times, it seems she is not and then there are other clues indicating she might be. By the end, it is still unresolved.
*I found myself wishing that there had been a bit more discussion on the seances. It seems that people were being arrested for putting on fraudulent seances, and I wanted to know more. At what point did the law get involved in putting a stop to these seances? What was the punishment for someone caught swindling through spiritualism? This is an aspect of history that I am not familiar with and I would certainly like to know more about how the law got intervened and if this was the beginning of the end for the spiritual movement.

Born of Illusion is an interesting and exciting historical tale that brings to life the spiritual movement during the roaring twenties. I enjoyed taking a trip back in time and learning more about the behind the scenes activities of seances and magic shows. This is a fun and engaging story that I can recommend to those who want something a bit different in the YA paranormal genre.

Favorite Quotations:
"My chest tightens as my heart grows tender and bruised for him."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Vittoria Liant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Io ero partita con i coltelli affilati pensando di trovare una storia in stile Stella nera di New York ed ero pronta fare confronti. Invece la storia ha, fortunatamente, una sua dimensione particolare, e affronta il paranormale e il misticismo che tanto impazzava in quegli anni, in modo delicato. Delicato è anche l'aggettivo che userei per descrivere tutto il libro, perché alla fine non ci sono grossi scossoni, tutto scorre leggero e forse, qui sta la pecca: nel non aver saputo meglio dosare gli eventi, accentuando alcune cose per avvincere maggiormente il lettore.
Alla fine però mi è piaciuto, quindi quattro stelline e via .

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This was a beautifully weaved story of life in the 1920’s. It is filled with magic, mystery, romance, and leaves you completely spellbound!

Opening Sentence: The hair on the back of my neck prickles even before I spot him rounding the corner ahead.

The Review:

Anna Van Housen is a 16 year old girl living in the New York City in the roaring twenties. She is an assistant to her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen. Magic runs in Anna’s blood and she has always felt a joy whenever she gets to perform magic in front of an audience. Her life has been a great mixture of living and performing in the circus, traveling, breaking her mother out of jail, swindling people, but now they have finally settled in one place and Anna hopes that it will be permanent. Anna has other talents besides creating amazing illusions, she also can read other people’s emotions and she has visions of the future. She is supposedly the illegitimate daughter of the infamous Harry Houdini, and she can’t help but wonder if her special abilities come from her father.

While trying to adjust to their new surroundings, a new mysterious young man moves into the flat downstairs. Cole is a strange, serious person and Anna finds that she can’t read him like she can most people. There is something about Cole that perks Anna’s interest and he seems to know more about her secrets than she wants. Cole introduces her to a life she never knew existed, are there really others like her out there? Can she really learn to control her powers and finally be able to live the life she has always wanted?

I completely adored Anna. She is a young magician with real magical powers. She has had a tough life moving all over and never really having a stable home. Her relationship with her mother has always been a competition. Anna truly loves her mother and wants to protect her, but she can’t help but feel that her mother would do anything to always be the center of attention. She knows that her mother cares about her, but she wonders if there is always an underlying reason for everything her mother does. The world of dating is also knew to Anna and we get to see her make mistakes and try to figure out what her heart truly wants. Anna was a very strong protagonist and I honestly can’t wait to see what is in store for her next.

Coal is the studious, broody, good looking guy that you just can’t help but swoon over. From the first moment I met Coal I was totally captivated by him. He is such a mystery and in the end he is actually really shy and unsure of himself. I loved the slowly developed relationship between Coal and Anna. They have some awkward moments as they get to know each other and it is so cute. Coal is a character that I couldn’t help but fall in love with and I am eager to read more of him in book 2.

I loved this book. The story was so unique and different from anything else I have ever read. I loved the magical aspect of story as well as the wonderful mystery. The plot was full of surprises and kept me very intrigued the whole way through. I loved that it takes place in New York City during the prohibition; it added an air of mystery to the story. I loved the characters, and the romance. They were written perfectly. I definitely can’t wait to read the next installment in this series. Also, I just have to say that I think the cover of this book is just gorgeous and it fits the book perfectly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves magical illusions, or historical romance novels.

Notable Scene:

Usually, the first emotion I sense while doing this particular trick is excitement at being chosen, quickly followed by doubt that I can really do it. This man—for it is a man’s arm I feel under my fingers—is different. He’s intensely curious about me. I sense a barely concealed anticipation. There’s also a low buzz of suppressed energy coming from him, as if he’s thrown up a dam that is barely holding. I’ve never felt anything like it. Puzzled, I let him lead me through the theater, trying to pick up on his other emotions. Normally, the guide becomes a bit agitated as we near the needle, but that doesn’t happen tonight. He seems calm, patient. But there’s also something else. An emotion I can’t quite identify. Panic assaults me and my heart accelerates. Surely it’s been too long! Will I just wander around the plush aisles of the theater until the audience realizes I’ve failed?

I probe again, my hand tightening on his arm, and beads of sweat break out on my upper lip. Then it flashes over me as clearly as if he’s whispered it. I stop short, a sly smile coming to my lips. “Tricky!” I say, projecting so everyone can hear me. “The gentleman hid two pins! One over there,” I point vaguely toward the center of the theater, “and one in his pocket. The one in his pocket is the one I was looking for. The other is a decoy!”

Laughing, I whip off my blindfold.

And stare straight into Colin Archer’s handsome face.

FTC Advisory: Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Born of Illusion. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Stuti Rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cross-posted on Books behind Dam{n}s

Magic

Séances

Illusions

What's to not like in Born of Illusion?

There is nothing to overtly like either, IMO, except for a few characters.

Overall, though, I think the pros balance out the cons and it comes down to your personal preferences.

Anna Van Housen has lived a life of escaping, fraud, visions and performances all her life. She is the real daughter of a renowned(and fake) mother and the supposedly illegitimate one of Harry Houdini's. She does a thousand questionable and stupid things, never gets her priorities straight but in the end, she is a character worth rooting for. Anna learned early on to keep her counsel and moreover, since a kid, she's been playing this sorta dance of a game of a relationship with her mother.

This is a girl who likes being the spectacle but is shoved out of the way every time by her mother. I love a good performer and boy, is Anna one ever. But there is her mother always shoving her out of the way, pushing her around. The voyaging into this tremulous relationship was fascinating and one of the best elements of the book. The ergo's and causes of this tough love is explored beatifically through all the different aspects and facets- both the demons and the strawberries, the jealousy and the misunderstanding and hidden love.

My only complaint is that I wish their 'truce ' had been a bit more fleshed out. There seems to be a lot of unresolved stuff here.


This is a girl who still looks for her father in billboards, in posters and in the eyes of a stranger; she bumbles around for respectability, wanting and regretting wanting to perform and do what she does best. This story basically is about this girl trying to find foothold in the sea of the moving society, of finding or rather discovering herself, who she really is.

And then unbecoming powers grow and hot men rain. Okay, just these two guys.

Cole, the first of the two, was of a banal and predictable disposition. His adherence to the norm of generalized characters didn't endear him to me any further. He was sweet and nerdy and caring but dude, where is the dark side? Until I see it, you are Noddy to me.

On the other hand, Owen was a wholesome and realized character that I appreciated. He, along with Cynthia(a client of Anna's), were my favorite characters.

However, there is this woman who turns out to be Owen's wife and her appearance and existence was redundant and jus unnecessary.

The plot is too trite and simple for a book with such fantastic elements. The identity of the villain is quite easy to figure out.

Yet, it isn't so for Anna and I actually liked that. It showed how she depended more on her psychic powers than common sense, and that turns out to be her undoing. But still it raises the question, why couldn't Cole?

The climax of the novel, the final illusion and the showdown the book speeds towards is short, unattained and disappointing, without any definite consequences.

The general vibe of early twentieth century in the book is subtle. Teri Brown depends on nuances instead of overt descriptions or flat-out signs to construct her setting, which was just muchos grandos.

While I wasn't particularly enamored with the Born of Illusion, 'd probably check out the next installment as it deals with RASPUTIN!

I'd recommend this book to those looking for a light, historical paranormal book, more about a girl's personal discovery rather than magic.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a confession to make about Born of Illusion. I got almost 90% into this story and did not care what happened to any of the characters, so I just skimmed the rest of the book. That almost never happens to me. I probably would not have even made it that far if I hadn't been reading it for a a book tour.

The 1920s are a fascinating time period to read about, and thankfully many authors are exploring it these days. With the spiritualist movement, magic, prohibition, speakeasies, silent films, revolutions in women’s fashion, and general prosperity, it was an exciting time in America. Although Born of Illusion features many of these elements, the book fell flat for me, largely because I did not find any of the characters or their story to be compelling. My favorite character was Mr. Darby the grumpy neighbor downstairs, who wasn't even in the book very much.

Anna is our narrator, and she is the daughter of the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen. Anna assists her mother in her stage shows and séances, although Anna herself prefers magic to spiritualism. While Mrs. Van Housen is more of an actress than a real medium, Anna has her own mental gifts that she keeps hidden from her mother, whom is more interested in her career than her daughter. Anna's mother has been performing as long as Anna can remember, and together they have traveled widely. But despite all of her life experiences and psychic talents, Anna came across as dense and overly naïve at times. The book description made Anna sound way more badass than she ever seemed to me. It is also clear that the reader is supposed to sympathize with Anna's struggle to live with her ambitious and neglectful mother. However, Anna and her mom both treated each other terribly. They had an awful passive aggressive relationship, each constantly undermining the other. It was childish, annoying and didn't ring true to me. I hoped for better from Anna at least.

Then there was the uncomfortable pseudo love triangle in this story. One guy I liked from the beginning, though I thought he was overly mysterious for no real reason that I could understand. Even when he told Anna why he'd kept information from her, I didn’t buy it. As for the other guy, I cringed whenever he came onscreen. It was clear that he had ulterior motives, or at least wasn’t a real option on any deep level. I was mystified why Anna kept saying she was into him. For all of Anna's abilities to sense other people’s emotions she was terrible at reading people. Or at least she was overly naïve around guys, despite all of the traveling, living and breaking her mom out of jail that she’s done.

As for the general plot, I thought that Anna’s work as a magician and illusionist was really cool, as well as the history of the spiritualist movement. It was really fascinating to get the behind the scenes of the séance and medium tricks, and see the culture of the 1920s. But without compelling characters or a story line to grab me, the social setting wasn’t enough to keep this book afloat. Also, I’m not sure what I thought about the supernatural aspect of this book. For me what’s most interesting about the spiritualists is that it was all fake, but this book throws in real supernatural aspect that never really grabbed me. I wish that the author had gone bigger with it or left it out completely (though I realize that this book would not be a book without those elements, so take that as you will).

I think the book cover is beautiful at least!

Love Triangle Factor: Medium
Cliffhanger Scale: I believe this is a standalone. Possible companion series.

[Anna Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna is a wonderful character and so easy to identify with as a reader. She's growing up and after an unsteady childhood, with no real home and her volatile Mother as the only person constantly in her life she wants a sense of permanence. But at the same time, Anna longs to be a true magician and be recognized for her town great talents instead of as her Mother's opening act and possibly being the daughter of Houdini. Most of the book revolves around the mystery of who is trying to hurt Anna and her Mother after Anna has a vision where they are both in mortal jeopardy. Her relationship with her Mother is rocky at best, but Anna loves her and is loathe to actually do anything to hurt her in any way. The way she treats Anna became a source of serious frustration throughout the book, as she uses her for whatever is convenient and then tries to get her removed from the show when she upstages her, tries to fix her up with an obviously slimy/untrustworthy young man, etc. It got on my nerves and only served to make me feel even sorrier for the heroine - which I suppose was the author's intention!

The romance was cute but I felt like Anna and her cute new neighbor Cole should have just stayed friends. Also, the manager's nephew was an obviously not-so-good guy. And it made things all the more obvious when the author kept getting Anna into situations where he keeps proving this fact over and over again. It got very anvil on the head, un-subtle and it began to annoy me slightly near the end. To make a comparison, verging on those old movies where the girl goes with the handlebar mustache guy who ties her to the train tracks and the hero has to save her. Yeah, that sums up that aspect for me personally. I did like the historical details that snuck into the story, like the silent Houdini movies with the piano/organ in theater, the cute 1920s clothing (everyone say 'cloche hats') and the ever present shadow of Prohibition. But I also felt like by isolating Anna from the rest of the regular world so completely in her upbringing and current living situation, that the author missed out on some fun opportunities. There were no speakeasies in this book and as someone who loves that sort of thing, I found that disappointing. Extra points for the mafia presence near the end of the book. Definitely added to the historical resonance for me and made things fun during the blackmail portion of the mystery.

Favorite character award definitely goes to Mr. Darby, who Cole lives with, and is a grumpy, old-man inventor. He has a funny banter thing going with Anna and they occasionally have breakfast together. Mr. Darby is absolutely hilarious and the fact that he can never invent anything that hasn't already been thought of definitely endears him to me even more. With a somewhat predictable mystery and a plot that drifts for some of the book, overall this was still an enjoyable and decent read. I just wanted more from it than I got. But maybe there will be some more answers in the sequel than there were in this initial installment (a.k.a. is she Houdini's DAUGHTER???!!!) But I'm not sure if it will be something that I'll read. I know a good many people who would love this book to pieces and I highly recommend it for fans of Libba Bray's latest book, The Diviners.

VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 11th, 2013.*

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review and others on my blog My Friends Are Fiction


Actual rating 3.5
The Story:
Born of Illusion starts out with a very leisurely pace which allows the reader to soak in the time period and setting of the 1920's New York. It was a comfortable book to delve into, though I didn't feel like I couldn't put it down because I had to know what was going to happen next.

Many pages focused on developing Anna's character and delving into her relationship with her mother. The reader gets to experience how it might have been to live such an unusual lifestyle focusing on séances and magic shows. There was an ever present aura of mystery that I enjoyed and the question of never knowing exactly who to trust.

After the midway point there was the feeling that something big was just around the corner. When I got to the reveal I honestly was a tad disappointed, I wanted a bit more. It wasn't bad; I just expected so much.

The Characters:
As stated above, Born of Illusion focuses on showing the reader aspects of Anna's personality and experiencing her search to find out if the rumors are true about who her father is. Along with that mystery she also realized that her magical abilities are stronger than they ever have been, and they just might have to do with the new people in her life.

On her journey we meet some really interesting characters, Mr. Darby being my favorite side character. He is her downstairs neighbor and is hosting one of her love interests. Did you catch that? One of her love interests...yes, there is a love triangle but Brown does it well and it didn't detract from the story for me.

I found Anna's mother, Marguerite Van Housen, to be a very intriguing character though I didn't exactly like her. I was happy to see Brown progressing the character's relationships and giving them a realistic edge though the story consisted so heavily of illusion.

Final Thoughts:
Overall I enjoyed Born of Illusion, especially the time period and descriptions of magical stage shows. My biggest issue was with the ending, I felt it lacked creativity.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

I love historical fiction and was incredibly excited to read this book. I mean, 1920s New York? A girl who is supposed to be Houdini's illegitimate daughter? In the end, there were things I enjoyed about Born of Illusion, and other things that struck me as somewhat less than magical.

My favorite part of the book was Anna's relationship with her mother, which was … complicated. Anna's mother is a spiritualist and Anna resents the way that her mother uses trickery and manipulation to make people think she can talk to the dead. Anna, on the other hand, has the ability to "read" people by touching them but wants to be a magician. So Anna has psychic ability but wants to do magic tricks, while her mother uses magic tricks to make people think she has psychic abilities. Their relationship was pretty dysfunctional -- they almost seemed more like competitive sisters than a mother and daughter.

I also liked the mystery surrounding the identity of Anna's father. Anna's mother tells her that she's Houdini's daughter, but the book definitely raises some doubts about that. This ambiguity was interesting -- Anna's mother is clearly a person who has no qualms about telling people what they want to hear. I also wish the romance had either been ramped up or left out altogether. I didn't find either of the guy in the book's quasi love triangle particularly compelling and there was little suspense over who one she'd choose.

While I don't always go into a historical novel expecting a fast-paced, action-packed read, the plot dragged until the very end. The book was always hinting that something interesting was going to happen, but it wasn't until the last few chapters that anything dramatic transpired. Even then it was a black moment I've seen in many romantic supense novels. Given the magic themes and the paranormal elements and the amount of time I had to wait, I was expecting an ending with more … oomph.

Recommended for fans of magic and historical fiction; readers who liked this book should also try In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters.

[Danielle Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another disappointment.
Another book with oodles of potential. .

This isnt a terrible book, but for my lack of interest and care I cant bear to rate it above two stars.

The whole magician and dash of paranormal flavoring of this book could have really worked. Really. But it just didnt.

Part of the problem lies in me. I used to adore historical fiction. Now it bores me to tears.
The writing here isnt bad; nor are the characters. Anna is pretty decent, and her mother is a piece of work. The love interest is a bit bland though.

Aside from just my general dislike of historical works now, the main flaws here were the lack of true magic, the annoying/ cloying mother, and another non starter of a romance.
I have looked far and wide for another The Night Circus. ..and I cant find one. The atmosphere here could have been so entrancing and magical, but it never really went all the way there. I wanted to feel like I was truly behind the scenes at a magic show, and the author only went halfway there.
Anna's mother...o my word. What an annoying, egotistical character who never really fully got redeemed. It felt like the whole book was just Anna trying to get out from under her thumb, which was stupid since Anna was so superior. Fail for making this the main plot.
Finally, authors everywhere: dont mske me wait the whole series to have a romance. If there isnt even a kiss in book one, you've lost me. The payoff cant be worth it.

Because of the flaws listed and my general lack of desire to read any more historical fiction, I wont be continuing on with this series.

If you do like historical fiction ala the 1920s, half baked magician stories, and can stand a none romance romance, you may be able to stand this better than I. Perhaps test the waters before you buy though!