Set in Danvers, Massachusetts, Conversion follows the story of a mystery illness that breaks out at a highly ranked private high school. Told from the viewpoint of the main character, Colleen Rowley, the story weaves a tale tainted by high school pressure, teen angst and witchcraft.
I really enjoyed this book. It is inspired by real life events, which gives it an authentic feel. The author cuts from modern day Massachusetts to the Salem witch trials in the 17th century in a way that keeps the reader engaged.
While I found the mystery of what was happening to the girls at St. Joan’s Academy (loved the fact that the school’s patron saint was Joan of Arc), I have to admit that at times I found the book a bit slow. The mystery was intriguing enough that I kept coming back for more but at times the pacing of the book was just not fast enough for me.
Character development was good in this read. I really liked Colleen and was eager to see what happened to her. She is a smart and strong character who is also, for the most part, likeable. Having said that some of the secondary characters were a bit underdeveloped and there were a lot of them. From the the girls who fell sick (most of whom were really interchangeable) to the other side characters, it was hard to keep track of everyone and to also stay engaged with them. Colleen seemed to have a wide circle of “friends” but so many that it was at times difficult to follow. But that is also part of what made her character so believable. She is a popular girl but with very few close friends.
The flashbacks to the 17th century were convincing but here, again, there were far too many characters to keep track of and at times I found the flashbacks pulled me out of Colleen’s story and slowed the book down.
Overall, I would recommend reading this piece. It’s not The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth George Speare) but it is definitely an interesting tale about the pressures teenage girls face today and the mystery of witchcraft.
