School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-Cammie Morgan attends prestigious Gallagher Academy, a girl's private high school for geniuses that actually teaches the latest techniques in espionage. Everything about her life is top secret, so when she meets Josh on an outing in town she lies about her background so that he will think she has a normal life. In order to continue their ever-deepening friendship, Cammie sneaks out through the school's tunnel, exchanges messages under a rock, and has her friends cover for her. By the end of Ally Carter's novel (Hyperion, 2006) the truth is revealed and Cammie has learned more about herself than she has about spying. The unique plot, snappy dialogue, and Cammie's wry asides maintain the interest of listeners. Written in the first person, listeners feel the excitement, frustrations, and insecurities of teenage life. Ren?e Raudman's overly dramatic narration is appropriate for the story and will keep listeners interested. She gives each character a unique voice, and changes pace to heighten the mood. An excellent choice for young teens.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The spy game isn't just a guy game, as witnessed by Carter's diverting entry into the flurry of teen espionage novels flashing loads of girl power. Unfortunately, Raudman sounds like she's straining (and sometimes squeakily so) to sound younger than she is and her intonation is a bit off, giving her reading a falseness that's hard to overcome. Cammie is a sophomore at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women a place that lives up to its name, as Cammie knows 14 languages and is a skilled killing machine. Of course, Gallagher girls become the most elite spies, and Cammie fires ahead on that career track (as was her mother, now the school's headmistress) until romance with an ordinary guy, no less threatens to derail her progress. Despite any shortcomings, aficionados of this burgeoning fiction genre will be tempted to give this title a go. Ages 12-up. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
