Two lies and a spy

Gr 7 Up-Kari Andrews's motto is, "when all else fails, resort to violence." This is sort of odd coming from a 16-year-old prep-school student living in the DC area, but then her parents are both spies working for the Agency, which readers can presume to mean the CIA. She is also proficient at judo and takes care of her seven-year-old genius brother, Charlie, as one of her missions in life. The plot is totally preposterous. Kari gets a message from her parents to grab Charlie and hide until they can reach her. With her high school friends at her side, she does some spying of her own when her parents fail to show up at the three designated safe spots. The teens break into Langley when they find out that Kari's mother is in custody there. It seems that the Agency believes her parents are double agents working for the Russians. Kari doesn't stop until she busts her mother out of captivity and can begin looking for her father. There is a twist at the end that keeps readers engaged. Though the premise is far-fetched, the book is an easy, fun read that would be an additional purchase for libraries looking for espionage fluff.-Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When sixteen-year-old Kari gets a "Code Black" from her parents--who may or may not be Russian spies--she and her brilliant brother Charlie go on the run and attempt to save them. Predictable dialogue rings false, but the easy read and breakneck pace will attract adventure-seeking readers. Contrasting the retro KGB backdrop with tech-savvy hackers is interesting but feels odd. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A spy caper spiced up with teen romance. Unlike most high school juniors, when Kari Andrews gets a text from her dad to pick up milk after school, she kicks into high gear, recognizing it as a Code Black situation: a family emergency. For Kari, the Code Black text sets in motion a series of choreographed events including making a skillful escape out of a school window, ditching her prep school uniform for a goth-girl disguise, picking up her whip-smart 7-year-old brother, Charlie, and hiding out in a local hotel while they wait for their parents, who are U.S. spies, to arrive. Kari's parents don't show, though, so she must attempt to locate them, relying on the help of her friends, who have talents ranging from makeup artist to judo master and parents with high-level government positions. Although the plot is highly reminiscent of the movie Spy Kids, Kari's narration of events and her feelings, especially those related to her crush, Luke, give the text a fresh and believable tone, facilitating a suspension of disbelief as this band of teens takes on the CIA. Although a setup for future volumes, the novel can stand alone, with a complete story arc and fully fleshed-out characters. Goes down as easy as popcorn. (Thriller. 13-16)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 7 Up—Kari Andrews's motto is, "when all else fails, resort to violence." This is sort of odd coming from a 16-year-old prep-school student living in the DC area, but then her parents are both spies working for the Agency, which readers can presume to mean the CIA. She is also proficient at judo and takes care of her seven-year-old genius brother, Charlie, as one of her missions in life. The plot is totally preposterous. Kari gets a message from her parents to grab Charlie and hide until they can reach her. With her high school friends at her side, she does some spying of her own when her parents fail to show up at the three designated safe spots. The teens break into Langley when they find out that Kari's mother is in custody there. It seems that the Agency believes her parents are double agents working for the Russians. Kari doesn't stop until she busts her mother out of captivity and can begin looking for her father. There is a twist at the end that keeps readers engaged. Though the premise is far-fetched, the book is an easy, fun read that would be an additional purchase for libraries looking for espionage fluff.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA