Scan barcode
fafabookcorner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
spellingbat's review against another edition
4.0
The follow-up to Also Known As, this features the same characters, with a few new ones added in during the last half that will likely show up in any additional books that might be published in the series.
Good for fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls/Heist Society books or Gilmore Girls watchers - they'll appreciate the humor and the wish fulfillment fantasy aspect of being a teenage spy.
Good for fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls/Heist Society books or Gilmore Girls watchers - they'll appreciate the humor and the wish fulfillment fantasy aspect of being a teenage spy.
liz1004's review against another edition
4.0
I wish there were a million more of these! I adored the characters and the story. Best YA spy books ever!
jayce's review
5.0
AR level: 4.2
Grade appropriate: Middle school and up
I really did love this book. It was a lot of fun. But it is not really appropriate for my elementary kiddos. I think most middle school kids could handle the minimal objectionable content in this book and high school kids should have no problems.
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- Loved this book. It's fast paced and action packed.
Creativity: 4/5-- Teen spies seem to be a theme recently, but this one is one of the better ones.
Characters: 5/5-- I loved each of the characters in this book. I'd be friends with them if they were real.
Engrossing: 5/5-- It was one that I wanted to read all the time, but life does get in the way. I guess the fact that it took me a couple of weeks to finish is an indicator that it wasn't as engrossing as I thought it was.
Writing: 5/5-- Just good. The writing didn't get in the way of telling the story.
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Kids are going to love it! I don't feel like it's quite appropriate for elementary (see comments below) but middle school and high school kids will be absolutely into it.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: mild, there is some serious kissing and Maggie and her boyfriend sleep in the same bed while they are on the run.
Violence: mild
She is chased & her enemies shoot at her family & set her house on fire.
Drugs/Alcohol: mild, some of Maggie's friends drink Champagne
Grade appropriate: Middle school and up
I really did love this book. It was a lot of fun. But it is not really appropriate for my elementary kiddos. I think most middle school kids could handle the minimal objectionable content in this book and high school kids should have no problems.
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- Loved this book. It's fast paced and action packed.
Creativity: 4/5-- Teen spies seem to be a theme recently, but this one is one of the better ones.
Characters: 5/5-- I loved each of the characters in this book. I'd be friends with them if they were real.
Engrossing: 5/5-- It was one that I wanted to read all the time, but life does get in the way. I guess the fact that it took me a couple of weeks to finish is an indicator that it wasn't as engrossing as I thought it was.
Writing: 5/5-- Just good. The writing didn't get in the way of telling the story.
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Kids are going to love it! I don't feel like it's quite appropriate for elementary (see comments below) but middle school and high school kids will be absolutely into it.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: mild, there is some serious kissing and Maggie and her boyfriend sleep in the same bed while they are on the run.
Violence: mild
She is chased & her enemies shoot at her family & set her house on fire.
Drugs/Alcohol: mild, some of Maggie's friends drink Champagne
achillespatroclus's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
queendarcy's review
4.0
Duologies are rare and this one was pretty damn amazing. It was funny, adorable and full of kick ass moments. I loved our MC and her amazing friends and everything was sooo cute ouo I absolutely loved the adults in these books and the ending was pretty satisfying too, but I still want more :(
iamivan91tx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
A new mission begins in Going Rogue. This is the sequel to Also Known As, and takes place a short time afterward. The main character is Maggie Silver, 16-year-old self-proclaimed international spy. She lives with her parents, who are also spies. In the previous book, Maggie handled her first-ever solo mission. It involved blending in at a private high school to get close to a certain student, Jesse Oliver. He and Maggie ended up falling for each other. Maggie also found a best friend in Roux, Jesse’s bubbly childhood friend. Maggie revealed her secret to both of them, and they proved instrumental in solving her case.
Maggie had thought completing the mission meant her family would be relocated to handle a new one. To her delight, the Collective (their secret spy organization) allowed the Silvers to stay in Manhattan. They recognized that the recent mission took a toll on them. The Silvers are now on a sort of break. Maggie is still attending the private school with Roux and Jesse. The latter’s relationship with Maggie is going really well. Maggie’s eager to meet Jesse’s mother for the first time. She isn’t around much because she left Jesse’s father a while ago. Ms. Oliver isn’t the kind of mom who abandons their kid, though; she wants to be in Jesse’s life more often.
I liked Roux from the first scene she appeared in. She’s a rich outcast who lives by herself in an expensive penthouse next to Central Park. Roux claims her parents are always on a trip abroad, so she rarely ever sees them. And after falling from grace at the private school, Roux became even more lonely. She wasn’t truly happy until she met Maggie. Roux got even more thrilled when she found out Maggie was a spy. She thinks it’s super cool. Roux is sometimes overly exuberant, which I think is her way to counter the monotony she has to face when she’s alone. One of my favorite Roux scenes in this book is when she totally reenacts the Jurassic Park “See? Nobody cares!” meme with Maggie. It was hilarious.
This book’s mission is different from the one in Also Known As. The Silvers discover that the Collective think they’ve stolen an extremely valuable set of coins. Angelo, the Silvers’ best friend and Maggie’s sort-of uncle, goes around investigating what’s going on. He’s also a veteran member of the Collective. Angelo’s help could prove crucial this time. It appears that the mission will be significantly more dangerous. This really worries Maggie, and it impacts her relationship with Jesse and Roux. She fears nothing more than putting them in danger. This causes Maggie to unintentionally make both of them mad. Roux takes it a little worse; she is sensitive to being abandoned.
Just when it seems Maggie may have saved the day, something bad happens. Everyone’s caught up in the situation, including Roux and Jesse. Angelo has no choice but to put his pre-arranged plan into motion. Yes, the Silvers go rogue, as the book’s title says. Maggie goes away with Jesse and Roux. They eventually get to a safe house only Angelo knows about. There, some important new characters are introduced. They’re all members of the Collective, and about Maggie’s age. One of them becomes Roux’s romantic interest from the get-go. It was a real coup de foudre. I like Roux, and it was great to see her get her own Jesse Oliver. Speaking of him, Jesse reveals a cool talent even he didn’t know he had. It was a bit out of left field, but I took it in stride.
I seriously enjoyed reading the first book, but I think Going Rogue topped it. This sequel increases the stakes, introduces really likable new characters, and brings a new setting. France is one of my favorite countries, so I like when stories take place there. Maggie Silver was an entertaining protagonist too, and a good role model. While she doesn’t change much over these two books, that’s okay. Characters don’t have to go through drastic changes to be great. Roux and the others were also memorable characters. The ending is also satisfactory, but kind of ambiguous. While every major plot thread is resolved, there seems to be room for more. I would really welcome another Maggie Silver adventure.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
2.0
Robin Benway’s new YA novel, Going Rogue, is the sequel to 2013’s Also Known As, in which Maggie, a safecracker, spy and member of a secret organization called The Collective, was called upon to attend high school undercover and extract information from a journalist who planned to blow her family’s cover. In this second book, The Collective turns out to be corrupt, and now Maggie must help to save her parents, who have been falsely accused of stealing valuable coins. Back for this adventure are Angelo, who protects Maggie and her family, Maggie’s boyfriend, Jesse, and her troubled best friend, Roux.
It’s pretty typical that a sequel does not measure up to the book it follows, but I feel like this one misses the mark by a larger margin than usual. While the action/adventure sequences of the story are exciting, I found myself feeling really bored by Maggie herself. Aside from her ability to crack safes and her constant concern for her best friend and her boyfriend, I feel like she doesn’t have much of a personality, or even any true, believable flaws. I tend to compare her to Cammie in the Gallagher Girls books, as both series are light-hearted and spy-focused, and I notice that while I can remember details about Cammie months and months after reading about her, I’m already finding Maggie forgettable after just a few days.
What kept me interested in this book, honestly, is Roux, who really experiences a lot of positive character development in this story. I like that she is now directly involved in the danger, and that despite her contentious family situation and frequent use of sarcasm, the reader is given a glimpse into her softer side. I almost wish that Roux could be the main character of the series, as her personal baggage provides quite a bit more meat for character development. I also love her rapport with Angelo and wished I could see more of that.
All in all, this is a typical contemporary YA novel that just happens to be set in the world of a spy. Both the Ruby Redfort and Gallagher Girls series are quite a bit stronger, and I’d probably recommend purchasing the Also Known As books for a library collection only if demand is really high for spy stories. While I enjoyed the first book, I struggled to connect with this one, and I doubt I will be picking up any future volumes.
It’s pretty typical that a sequel does not measure up to the book it follows, but I feel like this one misses the mark by a larger margin than usual. While the action/adventure sequences of the story are exciting, I found myself feeling really bored by Maggie herself. Aside from her ability to crack safes and her constant concern for her best friend and her boyfriend, I feel like she doesn’t have much of a personality, or even any true, believable flaws. I tend to compare her to Cammie in the Gallagher Girls books, as both series are light-hearted and spy-focused, and I notice that while I can remember details about Cammie months and months after reading about her, I’m already finding Maggie forgettable after just a few days.
What kept me interested in this book, honestly, is Roux, who really experiences a lot of positive character development in this story. I like that she is now directly involved in the danger, and that despite her contentious family situation and frequent use of sarcasm, the reader is given a glimpse into her softer side. I almost wish that Roux could be the main character of the series, as her personal baggage provides quite a bit more meat for character development. I also love her rapport with Angelo and wished I could see more of that.
All in all, this is a typical contemporary YA novel that just happens to be set in the world of a spy. Both the Ruby Redfort and Gallagher Girls series are quite a bit stronger, and I’d probably recommend purchasing the Also Known As books for a library collection only if demand is really high for spy stories. While I enjoyed the first book, I struggled to connect with this one, and I doubt I will be picking up any future volumes.
alexalovesbooks's review
5.0
Going Rogue is, without a doubt, one of the most fun novels I've had the pleasure of reading. It made me laugh, kept me on the edge of my seat, gave me new characters to be friends with to like, and made me fall harder for the characters I already knew. It really surprises me how much I fell in love with this sequel!
Honestly, I found Going Rogue a lot more thrilling and entertaining to read than Also Known As. While I liked Also Known As, it didn't quite inspire the affection and adoration I possess for its sequel. From start to finish, I was taken with this story!
I loved the fact that readers are tossed right into the action this time, and that the stakes are definitely higher for Maggie, her family and her friends. The angle taken when it comes to spies and a case is a bit different in this one, but still connected to the plot of the first book in a minuscule way. I liked the fact that we see more spy skills come out to play, as well as resources that I could never have imagined being utilised too.
The best part of this novel, honestly, are all the characters in it. Maggie, for instance, is a great main character! Her thoughts were still fun to read, and I like how I felt a certain level of maturity had settled on her. It was also interesting to watch her deal with the reality of her double life, as Benway managed to make that feel so true to Maggie's character. Nevertheless, in spite of her worries and doubts, she's still a pretty kick-ass spy too, and I'm still jealous of her lock-picking, safe-cracking skills.
As for the others, well, it's hard not to just keep gushing about everyone else. I'm going to list down my thoughts on the others, just to keep it all organized:
* Maggie's parents are still pretty bad-ass, both as authority figures and as spies. It was cool to get to learn a little bit about their history before they had Maggie. The parental concern they showed was touching! My only complaint? I wish there had been more of them!
* Angelo, on the other hand, was still the coolest adult ever. He's as clever and subtle as ever, though it comes into play a lot more in this novel. It was also neat to see how intuitive he was about people, and how deeply he cared for Maggie and the others. I still want him to be my mentor in life.
* Jesse is such a sweet boyfriend! Even though he does get frustrated by the whole spy business, it's only because he cares so much about Maggie and doesn't want her in danger. I loved seeing the two of them together, because he just gets Maggie and usually knows just what she needs at any given time. They share a lot more swoony moments in this one, which is definitely great.
* Roux is sincerely awesome. I love that she gets more of a back story in this book! Benway manages to bring out her vulnerabilities, and find a way to make her situation better too. It was nice to see Roux was still rambunctious, eager and ready to do what was asked, but also nice to see her have more emotional moments too.
* Ryo, Elodie and Ames are three new characters we get introduced to, and man, I just want to be part of their tight-knit group! I'm not going to say what role they play, but I will say that I think they're awesome.
Bonus points must be given to Going Rogue for using two of my favourite places in the world as settings -- New York City and Paris. Anytime a book is set in New York, and mentions landmarks or places I'd know, it makes me all giddy inside. And Paris, City of Lights, City of Love? It's always been one of my dream destinations, so there's no question of how excited I got when I realized part of the case in this book was set there.
Based on all the gushing, it's clear that I loved Going Rogue. It's got many elements that I can appreciate, such as the settings and the story. But, in the end, it was truly these amazing characters that got to me. If my staying up till 4AM to finish it is any indication, Going Rogue is a book that readers will definitely enjoy!
{If you liked this review, check out Alexa Loves Books for more!}
Honestly, I found Going Rogue a lot more thrilling and entertaining to read than Also Known As. While I liked Also Known As, it didn't quite inspire the affection and adoration I possess for its sequel. From start to finish, I was taken with this story!
I loved the fact that readers are tossed right into the action this time, and that the stakes are definitely higher for Maggie, her family and her friends. The angle taken when it comes to spies and a case is a bit different in this one, but still connected to the plot of the first book in a minuscule way. I liked the fact that we see more spy skills come out to play, as well as resources that I could never have imagined being utilised too.
The best part of this novel, honestly, are all the characters in it. Maggie, for instance, is a great main character! Her thoughts were still fun to read, and I like how I felt a certain level of maturity had settled on her. It was also interesting to watch her deal with the reality of her double life, as Benway managed to make that feel so true to Maggie's character. Nevertheless, in spite of her worries and doubts, she's still a pretty kick-ass spy too, and I'm still jealous of her lock-picking, safe-cracking skills.
As for the others, well, it's hard not to just keep gushing about everyone else. I'm going to list down my thoughts on the others, just to keep it all organized:
* Maggie's parents are still pretty bad-ass, both as authority figures and as spies. It was cool to get to learn a little bit about their history before they had Maggie. The parental concern they showed was touching! My only complaint? I wish there had been more of them!
* Angelo, on the other hand, was still the coolest adult ever. He's as clever and subtle as ever, though it comes into play a lot more in this novel. It was also neat to see how intuitive he was about people, and how deeply he cared for Maggie and the others. I still want him to be my mentor in life.
* Jesse is such a sweet boyfriend! Even though he does get frustrated by the whole spy business, it's only because he cares so much about Maggie and doesn't want her in danger. I loved seeing the two of them together, because he just gets Maggie and usually knows just what she needs at any given time. They share a lot more swoony moments in this one, which is definitely great.
* Roux is sincerely awesome. I love that she gets more of a back story in this book! Benway manages to bring out her vulnerabilities, and find a way to make her situation better too. It was nice to see Roux was still rambunctious, eager and ready to do what was asked, but also nice to see her have more emotional moments too.
* Ryo, Elodie and Ames are three new characters we get introduced to, and man, I just want to be part of their tight-knit group! I'm not going to say what role they play, but I will say that I think they're awesome.
Bonus points must be given to Going Rogue for using two of my favourite places in the world as settings -- New York City and Paris. Anytime a book is set in New York, and mentions landmarks or places I'd know, it makes me all giddy inside. And Paris, City of Lights, City of Love? It's always been one of my dream destinations, so there's no question of how excited I got when I realized part of the case in this book was set there.
Based on all the gushing, it's clear that I loved Going Rogue. It's got many elements that I can appreciate, such as the settings and the story. But, in the end, it was truly these amazing characters that got to me. If my staying up till 4AM to finish it is any indication, Going Rogue is a book that readers will definitely enjoy!
{If you liked this review, check out Alexa Loves Books for more!}