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Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce
The world around
eight-year-old Ivy is changing; her older brother Brice is growing up and is
reluctant to play anymore, her best friend is no longer into make-believe and
her father has lost his job. It feels like everyone is changing while Ivy
remains the same, feeling helpless as they move away from her. Set during the
recession in the 80s, The Deception Artist follows Ivy as her relationships
with her parents and brother change and her friendships evolve.
The Deception Artist is told from Ivy’s perceptive and I loved being inside her eight-year-old mind. Ivy is artistic and has a fantastic imagination but she is also easily confused, which leads some great laugh-out-loud moments. At one point, Ivy hears her father flirting on the phone with another woman and decides to play detective and uncover the identity of the mystery woman so she can put a stop to the affair before her mother finds out. She doesn’t always fully understand what is going on around her but she wants the best for her family and does her best to protect them, even if it means getting herself deeper into trouble.
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I thought Ivy was a fantastic character. She is sweet and naïve but she is also fiercely loyal and I loved her vivid imagination. I particularly liked her relationship with her older brother, Brice and felt a bit sorry for Ivy as he began to pull away from her. Approaching his teens, Brice is growing out of their childhood games but it’s clear they still have a fantastic bond.
Another favourite character of mine was Ivy’s father, Neil. He doesn’t always make the right choices and I think he sometimes speaks before thinking, but he made me laugh.
8/10
Fayette Fox’s Website