Spy Pick: Also Known As

Also Known As
by Robin Benway
Walker Books
2013
308 pages
ISBN: 9780802733900

From the first sentence, "I cracked my first lock when I was three," readers will be captivated  and taken for an entertaining ride. Maggie Silver has always been a spy; it's in her blood. Maggie and her parents work for the Collective, a secret international spy ring that  rights corporate wrongs and takes down evil, corrupt  government bullies.

Maggie's latest assignment takes her family to New York City and to a prestigious private school. Maggie is to infiltrate high school and befriend Jesse Oliver, the son of a magazine editor. Armand Oliver is planning to run a story on the Collective and "name names"--putting every spy in the Collective in danger. Maggie must get in close with Jesse, hack into his father's computer, and destroy the files about the Collective--all this, and still pass Chemistry and French classes!

Readers will love Maggie: she  is funny, ironic, sardonic and sarcastic; she is also amazingly adept at the hyperbolic statement. Getting ready for her first day, Maggie pumps herself up by telling herself, "You could eat these kids for breakfast. You won't, though, because that would be cannibalistic and wrong."

When Maggie befriends former mean girl Roux, they become fast, albeit awkward, friends. Roux fills Maggie in on Jesse's personality and history. Sparks fly when Maggie finally meets Jesse. He is so different than what she expected. She actually likes him! Readers will like Jesse, too. He is that guy that girls will swoon over. Charming, awkward, unsure of himself in social situations, but oh, so handsome, Jesse is the perfect crush-worthy male lead.

Beautiful, eye-catching cover art is appealing and smart. The pink letters A,K,A stand out on the green background and barely visible words become distinguishable when the light catches the cover.  The words on the book: Mole, Espionage, Emissary, Detective, Sleuth, Undercover, Informant, Spy, and Double Agent are "hidden" on the cover. I love the play of the title Also Known As and then those hidden words because a spy happens to be all of those things. The publisher reveals  an adept hand in packaging for the teen market.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. Readers who love a great spy book will love Also Known As.

 Some not so "bad" words: sh#& and as#. Roux jokes about drinking and does in fact get hammered at a party, but Maggie and Jessie make sure she gets home safely, and they don't imbibe. No sex, a few kisses.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Giveaway: Money Run

I have 3 copies of this great new heist novel up for grabs!

Click here for the book trailer

see my full review here
Money Run by Jack Heath

There's $200 million sitting in a corporate building, and Ash Archer has to get her hands on it. She's a teen thief and not just any teen thief! Ash is a pro and takes on risky jobs and comes out unscathed. With her uber-smart computer geek sidekick Benjamin, they plan on getting in unnoticed, stealing the dough and walking out.
You won't want to miss this book! It's a must read! I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting....

For your chance to win, simply post a comment to the blog. Include your first name, city, state, and email contact. Deadline for posts is February 27 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by Randomizer and contacted by me on February 27. Please check your email on that date. Winners have 24 hours to contact me with their mailing addresses. Books will ship from Texas courtesy of Scholastic and Lauren.

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Action Pick: Money Run

Money Run
by Jack Heath
Scholastic Press
2013
256 pages

Available March 2013 (the arc has the publication date March 2013, but Amazon has April 1, 2013 as the release date). I will update available date as I get more details.

Watch the book trailer here

Fasten your seat belts for a high-octane adrenaline boost of explosive non-stop action, riveting adventure, daring stunts, and "Mission Impossible" style intrique and superspy antics.

Ash and her bff Benjamin originally began stealing to help Ash out. Her father's meager salary just didn't pay for everything and Ash was just hoping to eke out enough money to get by, but then each job got more thrilling and Ash becomes addicted to the rush of almost getting caught each time.

A mysterious person or persons named The Source contacts them through Benjamin's gmail account and sends them lists of locations, dates and links and each link has something valuable that Ash and Benjamin could steal. The pair continue pulling off jobs happily along until they are offered $200 million that is located at the Hammond Buckland building. They have never done a job this big and the plan is actually no plan at all.

Ash and Benjamin enter an essay contest sponsored by the company and Benjamin's essay wins. It was written under Ash's name and she has to appear at the company's headquarters to collect the $10,000 prize. She and Benjamin plan to steal the hidden $200 million after Ash's interview.

When Ash begins her search of the offices, she realizes that she's not the only one who wants that money. There's an evil hit man prowling the building and now he's after her. She'll not only have to outsmart security guards, cameras, and heat sensors, but she'll have to do it while outrunning an armed assassin!

The police arrive when a body is discovered in the alley and someone has called in the Terrorism Risk Assessment team. They cordon off the block and won't allow anyone enter or leave the perimeter. This is a problem for Ash--even if she escapes the psycho-hit man assassin and finds the money, she can't leave the building undetected.

Ash is a super cool action heroine with moxie and Benjamin is the voice on the other end of her earbuds. Ben is at home and runs the operation from his computer. The two are a dynamic duo and are unstoppable as teen uber-thieves.

I LOVED this book! I raced through each chapter wondering what would happen next and as each obstacle appeared in front of Ash, I wondered how she would ever overcome it. Benjamin is her hilarious tongue-in-cheek computer geek sidekick. The ending sets up flawlessly for a sequel. Jack Heath is at the top of his game and the best YA action writer out there. Money Run has it all: adept storytelling, hold your breath action, dead on dialog, non-stop tension and unrelenting pace. This slam bang yarn will captivate teen readers looking for adventure.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. No language. No mature subject matter. Younger readers who are fans of James Bond-like action books may be able to tackle this one.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)