January (Conspiracy 365) [Hardcover]

Gabrielle Lord (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2012 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: Conspiracy 365 (Book 1) | Lexile Measure: 680L (What's this?)

On New Year's Even Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning...

"They killed you father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days!"

Hurled into a life on the run, with a price on his head, the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret.

Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead?

The clock is tinking. Any second could be his last.

Callum Ormond is still mourning the mysterious death of his father, and now he is on the run. From what, he still doesn't know.

Ever since he was warned by a sickly stranger, danger follows him everywhere. Armed with only a few clues about a family secret, Callum must dodge the criminal masterminds who are after him.

The clock is ticking and Callum can't trust anyone...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

As gimmicks go, it’s a good one: each month of 2010, one title in the 12-book Conspiracy 365 series will be released. The ticking clock (or calendar, in this case) is introduced immediately when a strange man accosts 15-year-old Callum Ormond on the street, shouting, “Get away! Hide and lay low until midnight December 31st of next year.” It’s good advice, because the following day, January 1st, includes a boat wreck, shark attack, and helicopter rescue—and that’s just for starters. Soon Callum is fleeing unknown assailants who are framing him for the attack of his little sister and uncle Rafe (a shady character himself). It all has to do with something called the Ormond Singularity and a group of sketches Callum’s father gave him before dying of a mysterious illness. This is the kind of stuff that stretches credibility with every page, but continual time updates (“12:00 a.m.,” “12:13 a.m.,” etc.) at least create a sense of continual motion. The conclusion offers no answers, just the requisite cliff-hanger. Grades 4-6. --Daniel Kraus

Review

Well written and carefully plotted. -- Bookbag 20100101 A fast paced exciting opener to the franchise. -- hackwriters 20100101 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (January 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935279491
• ISBN-13: 978-1935279495
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Serial novel for teens January 15, 2010

By M. Talalay

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Although Kane/Miller Publishers are very familiar to me for some of the wonderful and unique picture books they have imported from around the globe, I was completely surprised by the content and concept of this new series. So many books leave you begging for more, but the publishers haven't so cleverly set up a monthly release date for a 12-book series as Kane/Miller has. A teen's "24' (television show), I love the idea of a serial book or novel, which is actually not a `novel' idea. According to Wikipedia, many of Charles Dickens' novels were published as serial installments in a magazine.

Although some of the drama was a bit too far-fetched to be believed, this book was hard to put down. You also have to be a diligent reader because, being a serial in nature, there will not be any tidy ending until the last installment in December 2010. But, I look forward to seeing if this series can sustain the momentum.

And, as with all of the latest chapter books, it has its own website. Unfortunately, all contests are for Australia and New Zealand residents only, but the site content is available for everyone.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Get in On The Conspiracy January 26, 2010

By Galleysmith VINE™ VOICE

A very quick and short read, the concept of the Conspiracy series has great appeal to me and excellent potential. It's very 24-esque -- meaning there will be twelve books over the course of the year each covering one month in the life of Callum as he attempts to solve the mystery of the Ormond Singularity.

As is the case with most mystery stories there is a bit of violence. There are mobsters and any number of nefarious individuals all chasing after Callum and inevitably friends and family get in the way. The level of violence and criminal activity in the story are befitting the plot it is not overwhelmingly excessive or needless.

One of the downfalls of this story is that it was extremely predictable. What I can't decide is if that predictability is included in the plot as a way to deflect the reader from what is really going on. Will we find out in hours two or three that what we were told or thought in hour one is completely false? There are still eleven books worth of story to tell so it can't be that everything is going to be laid out before us in book one. At least not if the author doesn't want us to get bored and abandon the series, that is.

At this point, it's certainly, intriguing enough to want to stick with it to find out.

Where did the book excel? The author did a great job of creating a cliffhanger ending that has readers on the edge and wanting answers that may be provided in book two. Having said that, I think it's safe to make some assumptions on at least one of those answers. The story would be considerably altered if the immediate resolution didn't go a certain way and the reader will know that as they put book one away and wait for book two....

One of the other elements I enjoy (and the one I liked most frankly) about this story are the relationships Lord built between Callum and his best friend Boges as well as his relationship with his mother and sister. Callum has such love for them that he's willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of seeking out answers. And Boges has personality galore. He could turn out to be my favorite character in the series. I'm just hoping he is who he says he is!

While this isn't the most suspenseful book I've read I believe that it's compelling enough to continue the series. I do want to know how it progresses and where all the loose ends get tied up. I also believe that it's target audience (older pre-teens and teens) will likely enjoy the fast paced atmosphere and action based plot. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Flamingnet.com Top Choice Book-a best seller series in the making February 25, 2010

By Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews

On December 31st, fifteen year old Callum Ormond heard his
name being called by a stranger he didn't even know.
Before he could run away he shouts out to him "They
killed your father. They're killing me! You must go into
hiding until December 31st next year." After hearing
those devastating words, he must uncover the mysterious
history of his family and do so by using the few clues his
father left behind. Now being framed for a crime he didn't
commit, Callum is the most wanted fugitive and not just by
the authorities. While Callum races against time to
uncover the secret, he must also be aware of the people
who are willing to get to him by any means necessary. Will
Callum uncover the dark secret which his father died over?
Will he even survive the next 365 days?

Wow.. that's all I pretty much have to say about this book!
It got directly to the point at the beginning, and it started picking up
pace immediately. It sort of reminded me of a Bourne
Identity, but the story is totally different. It was
definitely a quick read because it only took me a couple
of hours to read, but it sure keeps you on the edge of
your seat. I definitely think this book is a best seller
series in the making, and anyone who likes books with tons
of action and a mysterious twist to it will really enjoy
Conspiracy 365. I would recommend this for ages 12 and
up.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Needed more depth January 8, 2013

By Melanie

I was intrigued to read Conspiracy 365. The series was recommended to me by my friend who is a huge fan. Being me, I took up the recommendation and tried it out.

This didn't necessarily disappoint me. It more like made me feel empty, this book's most horrid flaw was its depth. Yeah okay it was full of mystery, suspense and thriller but it didn't make me feel moved or intrigued at all. I felt like I was reading a diary entry, something that just debriefs the day's happenings and situations. It had scarce descriptions of the settings and it may have just moved to fast in pacing. I think Gabrielle Lord should try to slow the writing down to a reasonable pace that gives more depth and shows more personality to each of the characters. I was seriously confused at points and felt like this book was just a little prequel to some proper, lengthy book. Torment By Lauren Kate is a good example of how long a book can be for just a short period of time. In Torment, it probably only lasts for 18 days but it is almost 400 pages long. Surely my expectation is reasonable enough.

Cal has been told by a crazy man that he has to go in hiding for 365 days. I'd be giving this man weird looks and walk off by now. But curious Cal decides to put up with this potentially crazy man to find answers. Maybe that's just me but Cal seemed to eager at the start. It's just not realistic enough for me to digest, and those fake piercings and tattoos? Get real here, I don't think an average teenage boy is going to do something ludicrous, no matter what situation it is. Another thing that didn't seem realistic enough for me was the getaways from each time Cal was captured. He isn't a paranormal creature so it should be making more sense when he is planning how to escape....

Overall, I found this book an entertaining short read that while kept on making me want to turn the pages but really lacked depth and realism. Hopefully February has some of these things more defined. Middle grade/ YA lovers that love fast and mysterious themed books can try it out. Read more ›