Secret of the Sevens

by Lynn Lindquist

Overview

Everyone at Singer, a boarding school for underprivileged kids, knows the urban legend of the Society of Seven. Nearly two decades ago, the original members of this exclusive guild murdered the school’s founder and then perished in the fire they’d lit to hide the evidence. Or so the story goes. Talan Michaels doesn’t care about Singer’s past, however. He’s too focused on his future and the fact that he’ll be homeless after he graduates in May. To take his mind off things, he accepts a mysterious invitation to join a group calling itself “the Sevens.” He expects pranks, parties, and perks. Instead, he finds himself neck-deep in a conspiracy involving secret passages and cryptic riddles about the school’s history. Even worse, he’s now tangled in a web of lies, and in a plot that someone will kill to keep hidden.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738744049
Publisher:	North Star Editions
Publication date:	06/08/2015
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 5.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lynn Lindquist (Chicago, IL) lives with two overly social sons who provide fodder for her young adult novels and growing anxiety disorder. Thankfully, her favorite things in life are her sons, words, and kids, so she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Editorial Reviews

"A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and romantics alike." —Kirkus Reviews

"Conspiracy, loyalty, secrets, oaths, lies, and riddles flourish, making this the perfect book for readers who love to untangle mysteries by puzzling it out." —Booklist

"This book has enough mystery and intrigue to attract readers." —School Library Connection

From the Publisher

Eighteen-year-old Talan Michaels is a troublemaker. A resident of Singer Boarding School for the Underprivileged since he was seven, Talan suffers from dyslexia and harbors secret fears that make him volatile. Only Laney, his housemate “sister” and adopted daughter of the houseparents, the Shanahans, seems to understand him. They, like all students at Singer, have heard the stories of the Sevens, a secret society created by founder William Singer twenty years previously to safeguard the school but reputed to have killed him. While all else is rumor, it is true that five of the original seven and Singer himself died in a mysterious fire. Imagine Talan’s surprise when he finds in his e-mail an invitation to join the Secret Society of Seven, along with the first of seven clues he must decipher to prove himself worthy. More astonishing, Laney is also invited, as are five others whom the two recruits eventually identify. The remainder of the novel involves their quest to solve puzzles and save the school from the evil chairman of the board of Singer Enterprises, Stephen Kane. Along the way, the two also fall in love. This first novel is hazy on plot but has lots of adventure. Talan, full of teenage angst and raging hormones, explodes about something so frequently that a reader may overlook unlikely situations and loose ends. Action becomes somewhat tedious in the last one hundred pages, and the ending is no surprise but rather a relief. Reviewer: Laura Woodruff; Ages 11 to 18.

VOYA, June 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 2) - Laura Woodruff

2015-03-11
It's been 18 years since the infamous Singer School murders, and once again, mysterious and sinister goings-on threaten to destroy the boarding school for kids from troubled homes. Talan Michaels, a senior unable to afford college and trying to come to grips with the fact that he will be homeless upon graduation, finds himself at the center of it all. While an unexpected invitation to join a newly resurrected secret society provides an appealing distraction from worries about his uncertain future, Talan and the six other members invited into the Society of Seven quickly learn that there is much more riding on their initiation than they could ever have imagined—that is, of course, if they can even survive it. Talan and his perfectionist house sister and crush Laney Shanahan anchor a diverse and compelling cast of characters. Their appeal will help readers overlook the society's somewhat convoluted and prolonged initiation process. This lengthy setup is a shame, because the book is at its best when the Sevens unite and join forces to save the school they love. At the end of the day, it's Talan and his endearing combination of bravado and vulnerability, coupled with the crackling chemistry he shares with Laney, that will keep readers turning the pages. A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and romantics alike. (Mystery. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews