Mini Book Review: Spy Books


Also Known As.

Heist Society.

Embassy Row.

You Don't Know My Name.


Let us call all of these books "Gallagher Girls Series Hangover"

Because ever since I read it, I have been searching for more books like it. But have I found them?

Nope.


It wouldn't have been such a problem if my favorite period in history wasn't The Cold War and I hadn't read two non-fiction books and an autobiography on the OSS and CIA.

So therefore books like Also Known As are EXTREMELY painful to read.

Not the Robin Benway's book would be amazing if you didn't know random facts about spies. This book is terrible. The plot was horrible. The characters were either mush or unemotional. (The Main Character's new friend was the only person who wasn't a cardboard cutout...And therefore was the only person I remotely liked.)

It made me cry...because it was that bad. If I had a rating that was less then 1 Star....this book would have gotten it. It is also in the running as this years most hated read! Congratulations to Also Known As!

The Heist Society was the first series I read after the Gallagher Girls. After all...it was by the same author! How could it be bad?

But the characters seemed like copies of characters from the Gallagher Girls. And she plagiarized herself a couple times...Yep. Used a couple sentences that were exactly the same at the ones uttered by Cammie Morgan in the Gallagher Girls. And not little things like "I like waffles."

And it didn't have nearly enough...actual lawbreaking? I was expecting something more along the lines of Six of Crows. And it's not what I got.


(Though Hale's name does intrigue me...)

Embassy Row (also by Ally Carter) was the next series I read.

And while I liked it better then I did Heist Society...it never quite felt real. It was never believable.

That's the thing about the Gallagher Girls...A boarding school that is actually training girls to become spies? (Or you know...whatever they want to be) (Technically they're training them to be the best of the best in whatever they do.)

But it was believable.


You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando was actually my favorite of the three. (Also Known As doesn't count)

 It started out so well.
It was realistic. It was well written.

And then the ending. No, I won't spoil it for you...so lets just say that the ending was unrealistic and that never would have happened.





So, have you read any of these books? HAVE YOU READ THE GALLAGHER GIRL SERIES YET? BECAUSE YOU SHOULD! Do you have any spy/secret organization books for me? Tell me more?

-MK-





Comments

  1. I haven't read any of these, besides Gallagher girls. I got turned off of Heist Society from the book descriptions.

    Only other spy stories I know of is James Bond. And that's a little too mature for my tastes.

    Catherine
    catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com

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  2. I haven't read any of these, I find most spy novels cheesy.

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    1. I know. But the Gallagher Girls ins't. You should go read it! (The first book is I'd Tell You That I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You.)

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  3. You Don't Know my name was good! I also adored the cover!!! <3

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    1. Did you find the ending realistic? I could see them letting HER comes, but him?
      Eh? No.

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    2. Yeah, I felt the same way, but besides that I liked it.

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  4. I did not like "Also Known As" either. In fact, I DNF'd it. So there.

    But that's the only one of these books I've read.

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  5. Okay. Time for an [apparently] unpopular opinion. *cracks knuckles* *except doesn't, actually, because ugh no*

    I found Heist Society at the library... and LOVED them. I mean, the first was the best - and sometimes the second/third seemed a bit repetitive - but I now have 1 + 2 on my bookshelf.

    Then I thought I'd branch out, and read Embassy Row - or the first two, anyway; I still haven't got hold of the third. And I loved them. I mean, it's obvious who she is (besides, it's in the synopsis of #3), but I loved how she was an unreliable narrator. And Noah is sweet. <3

    So I thought, why not? And picked up I'd Tell You I Love You [etc] from the library. Well, it just wasn't the same for me. For some reason the whole "spy school with a real rich-girl feel" felt cliche to me? The guy was sweet, which seems to be a feature of Ally Carter's books - but I can't remember his name. (Can't remember the girl's name either, now I think about it.) I'm just not sure I'll continue with the series.

    Yeah. Sorry. *shrugs* *ducks flying fruit*
    - Jem Jones

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    1. No, see its not an unpopular opinion.

      People like different books, etc. (I didn't like Hiest Society, because it mirrored the Gallagher Girls so much...So maybe because you read that one first???)

      I'm just saying, as a huge spy fanatic, most spy books sound...so...*gagging sound*

      OH! I ONLY JUST REALIZED YOU'VE ONLY READ THE FIRST GALLAGHER GIRL BOOK! *GASP* READ THE SECOND ONE, READ THE SECOND ONE! THAT IS MY FAVORITE! AAAAH! *SCREAMS BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ZACK*

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    2. That makes sense... it's like how whether you prefer the movie or the book can depend on which you saw/read first.

      Ooh, is Zack another one of Ally Carter's super-sweet guys? or is he sarcastic and witty? Fine, you've got me... I'll have to read the second one xD

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    3. He is super sweet, but also sarcastic and witty. HE IS ALL GOOD THINGS

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