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soph_wolf's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tarafague's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
protoman21's review
4.0
Though I did enjoy this book and rated it 4 stars, I did find myself not as excited about the series as I was during the first book. I'm going to give the series a break after this one and come back with fresh eyes. I did like the introduction of a competing boy, and that Carter was bold enough to leave Josh as a minor character this time and give Zach a chance to make an impression.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not a risk taker. I like calculated risks though. The kind of risks that will give you an adrenaline rush, but that are still very much safe. Buying this entire series in one go, without ever having read a book of this author and without having read more than the summary of the first book, was such a calculated risk. I was very sure that nothing could go wrong, but I couldn't of course be very certain. However, I really enjoyed the first book and I was excited to start the second!
What I loved in this second book is that it's not repeating the plot of the first book in the slightest. The first book was about romance, about the complications of a spy girl falling in love with a mundane boy. I was a little afraid that the next five books would be about the things keeping them apart, while they are trying to get together, but I was positively wrong. This book focussed on something else entirely and I loved it.
Just like I'm really in love with this school and the entire concept behind it. Everything about it is so well thought out, from the subjects they are taught, from the talents the girls must have to succeed to the lack of knowledge and experience they have as a result of it. I'm not entirely sure if I would have made it into this school, but as a twelve year old this was one of my biggest dreams and if I had read the series then, it would have become my favorite.
I also like that the girls have learned from the previous book. Things in the previous book have not always been easy and a lot had gone wrong, but they didn't just forget that experience. They learned from it and now they're using that new knowledge to deal with the issue at their hands in this book. And that doesn't mean everything goes perfect. We see the girls messing up and making mistakes, that's the beauty of it, but they're clearly doing better than last time!
What I loved in this second book is that it's not repeating the plot of the first book in the slightest. The first book was about romance, about the complications of a spy girl falling in love with a mundane boy. I was a little afraid that the next five books would be about the things keeping them apart, while they are trying to get together, but I was positively wrong. This book focussed on something else entirely and I loved it.
Just like I'm really in love with this school and the entire concept behind it. Everything about it is so well thought out, from the subjects they are taught, from the talents the girls must have to succeed to the lack of knowledge and experience they have as a result of it. I'm not entirely sure if I would have made it into this school, but as a twelve year old this was one of my biggest dreams and if I had read the series then, it would have become my favorite.
I also like that the girls have learned from the previous book. Things in the previous book have not always been easy and a lot had gone wrong, but they didn't just forget that experience. They learned from it and now they're using that new knowledge to deal with the issue at their hands in this book. And that doesn't mean everything goes perfect. We see the girls messing up and making mistakes, that's the beauty of it, but they're clearly doing better than last time!
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warnings: violence, espionage, lying, death, grief
March 2024: I started trying to re-read this series two years ago; I got a sudden urge to go back to books my tween heart loved and the first book is totally and completely imprinted in my brain. That was a super fun experience, but I kind of let the re-read fall to wayside until right now. This second book is also one that I remember well; the introduction of that one male character is impossible to forget considering what happens the rest of the series. This second installment still has a lot of the fun and joy of the first book; the rest of the series kind of takes a turn after this. I love Cammie and her friends; the way they are ride or die for each other at all times inspired all of little me's hope and dreams for a friend group. I also think that the introduction of the boy spies is so well down; the shock, the flirting, the drama, all work so well together to keep a reader interested. I cannot lie though, my ratings are all nostalgia so take them with a grain of salt if you've never read these books before. However, I still highly recommend these as a good, classic YA series.
March 2024: I started trying to re-read this series two years ago; I got a sudden urge to go back to books my tween heart loved and the first book is totally and completely imprinted in my brain. That was a super fun experience, but I kind of let the re-read fall to wayside until right now. This second book is also one that I remember well; the introduction of that one male character is impossible to forget considering what happens the rest of the series. This second installment still has a lot of the fun and joy of the first book; the rest of the series kind of takes a turn after this. I love Cammie and her friends; the way they are ride or die for each other at all times inspired all of little me's hope and dreams for a friend group. I also think that the introduction of the boy spies is so well down; the shock, the flirting, the drama, all work so well together to keep a reader interested. I cannot lie though, my ratings are all nostalgia so take them with a grain of salt if you've never read these books before. However, I still highly recommend these as a good, classic YA series.
joanaacevedor's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
theemolibrocubicularist's review
5.0
What could be more hotter than boys like Josh? Hot SPY boys like Zach! lol. This book was one of the funniest I've read in a long time as Zach and Cammie connect as "spy opponents" at first but then develop a whole new... Chemistry. Blackthorne does sound like a creepy school, but if that's where guys are being created to look like Zachary Goode or Joseph Solomon, I don't mind taking a field trip to see the inside. lol.
iceangel32's review
3.0
Great second book in the series...Cammie can't seem to stay away from by trouble. I was defiantly pulled in to the story and loved ending, however I felt there was more questions then answers when you finish this book. I guess a way to keep the series going...soon on to book 3.
auburn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25