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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Actual rating: 3,5-4 stars
A spy novel that centers on an autistic teenage girl being recruited by the government? Yes yes, gimme!
This was a really fun and quick read! I flew through it. It was a gripping and interesting story with lots of action.
I really liked our main character Kitty, but also the side characters very much, especially cheerful Verity.
Most of all my favourite thing about this book was, that here was NO romance! None!
Just badass girls being badass, fighting rich racist men. The cast is super diverse and it discusses racism as a main topic without getting too much into detail.
The only thing that bothered me, is that everything came together a bit too easily. Kitty, a 16 year old girl, just battled everything without any incidents. She never slipped, she fought adult soldiers, rescued her friends and the whole country. It wasn’t very believable.
But still it was fun to read about her and I bet I would have enjoyed this even more if I was still in my teenage years.
I highly encourage to read reviews by autistic readers as well and to also read the authors note at the end of the book, because I’m definitely not in the position to say anything about the autism rep in this.
A spy novel that centers on an autistic teenage girl being recruited by the government? Yes yes, gimme!
This was a really fun and quick read! I flew through it. It was a gripping and interesting story with lots of action.
I really liked our main character Kitty, but also the side characters very much, especially cheerful Verity.
Most of all my favourite thing about this book was, that here was NO romance! None!
Just badass girls being badass, fighting rich racist men. The cast is super diverse and it discusses racism as a main topic without getting too much into detail.
The only thing that bothered me, is that everything came together a bit too easily. Kitty, a 16 year old girl, just battled everything without any incidents. She never slipped, she fought adult soldiers, rescued her friends and the whole country. It wasn’t very believable.
But still it was fun to read about her and I bet I would have enjoyed this even more if I was still in my teenage years.
I highly encourage to read reviews by autistic readers as well and to also read the authors note at the end of the book, because I’m definitely not in the position to say anything about the autism rep in this.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting autistic character, has some parts that strain reality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
Trigger warning: racism, xenophobia, microaggressions toward an autistic person
While not ground-breaking, this teen spy book takes the trope a step further by centring an autistic MC in a realistic sixties setting.
Does this read a bit like Alex Rider and Charlie Thorne? Yes. It's your typical spy novel, with a twist:
First, the main character is neurodivergent. While never mentioned on-page, Falksen makes it clear from the beginning that Kitty is different. It's also explained in the author note that the terms "autistic" and "autism" are never mentioned because of the historical setting and the fact that girls are less frequently diagnosed than boys when it comes to this specific condition. Nevertheless, Kitty is not a character who acts despite her autism. Even without a support system, she adapted and can repress some of her reactions (not without great effort at times) enough to do her job. Because the book is written from her perspective, we get all the work it takes for her to concentrate and stay present when she's overwhelmed, a much-needed view for neurotypical people. Now, this isn't #OwnVoice, so I suggest you also seek reviews by autistic people to see how good the rep is. But I think Falksen did a pretty good job.
Second, it's historical. Teen spy novels tend to be set in the present; if only to demonstrate more incredible gadgets that the readers would still be in awe of (no teen would marvel at a book released in 2021 where 1960s spies use some cell phone-like prototypes to communicate). I appreciated the historical perspective, though it was a little shaky on the sides. It's not well established in the novel itself that the action takes place in the 60s. There are plenty of references from adults who lived and fought in the Second World War, but that's not saying much when a good chunk of those people are still alive. The fact that Kitty never takes the Tube also threw me off, since many stations served as underground shelters in the war. You need to look at the blurb to know when it takes place, perhaps an oversight from editors. But once you know when it's happening, everything makes sense.
Another thing I really liked was the love and protectiveness of Mrs. Singh. Usually, in those novels, the handlers can be rough and seem cold to the teens. Mrs. Singh (and Mr. Pryce, to an extent) are never harsh on Kitty and refuse to make her do things she's not ready for. In fact, there are many instances where Kitty resents that protectiveness, thinking they doubt her abilities. It's refreshing to see spies truly caring for their assets and recognizing that they're still kids.
You can tell from the author's note and acknowledgement that a lot of research went into making this book, and it shows. That alone is a reason to read it. And for the diversity. A strong autistic MC who can do great things? Bring it on, we need more of those.
4.5 ⭐️
Trigger warning: racism, xenophobia, microaggressions toward an autistic person
While not ground-breaking, this teen spy book takes the trope a step further by centring an autistic MC in a realistic sixties setting.
Does this read a bit like Alex Rider and Charlie Thorne? Yes. It's your typical spy novel, with a twist:
First, the main character is neurodivergent. While never mentioned on-page, Falksen makes it clear from the beginning that Kitty is different. It's also explained in the author note that the terms "autistic" and "autism" are never mentioned because of the historical setting and the fact that girls are less frequently diagnosed than boys when it comes to this specific condition. Nevertheless, Kitty is not a character who acts despite her autism. Even without a support system, she adapted and can repress some of her reactions (not without great effort at times) enough to do her job. Because the book is written from her perspective, we get all the work it takes for her to concentrate and stay present when she's overwhelmed, a much-needed view for neurotypical people. Now, this isn't #OwnVoice, so I suggest you also seek reviews by autistic people to see how good the rep is. But I think Falksen did a pretty good job.
Second, it's historical. Teen spy novels tend to be set in the present; if only to demonstrate more incredible gadgets that the readers would still be in awe of (no teen would marvel at a book released in 2021 where 1960s spies use some cell phone-like prototypes to communicate). I appreciated the historical perspective, though it was a little shaky on the sides. It's not well established in the novel itself that the action takes place in the 60s. There are plenty of references from adults who lived and fought in the Second World War, but that's not saying much when a good chunk of those people are still alive. The fact that Kitty never takes the Tube also threw me off, since many stations served as underground shelters in the war. You need to look at the blurb to know when it takes place, perhaps an oversight from editors. But once you know when it's happening, everything makes sense.
Another thing I really liked was the love and protectiveness of Mrs. Singh. Usually, in those novels, the handlers can be rough and seem cold to the teens. Mrs. Singh (and Mr. Pryce, to an extent) are never harsh on Kitty and refuse to make her do things she's not ready for. In fact, there are many instances where Kitty resents that protectiveness, thinking they doubt her abilities. It's refreshing to see spies truly caring for their assets and recognizing that they're still kids.
You can tell from the author's note and acknowledgement that a lot of research went into making this book, and it shows. That alone is a reason to read it. And for the diversity. A strong autistic MC who can do great things? Bring it on, we need more of those.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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:
Yes
I loved this book. It's so, so nice to read a book where an autistic girl's traits are seen as strengths. While she struggles, we never get an idea that she needs to conform to the neurotypical expectations - quite the opposite, she's treasured because of her neurodivergence.
I'm usually hesitant about Cold War settings but this was very, very far from our typical "good Westerners saving the world from the bad Soviets" narrative. First of all, the characters are so diverse, coming from all sorts of backgrounds, and are selected to be spies not because they are handsone white cishet men but because they are people who the society (especially 1960s British society) tends to dismiss. Second of all, the enemy is actually BRITISH fascists.
The book reads more like a middle grade despite Kitty being 16, but I love middle grade and it didn't bother me at all.
One thing to keep in mind is that, as far as I can tell, the author isn't autistic themselves. However, the rep is done very respectfully.
I wholeheartedly recommend!
*I received the eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I'm usually hesitant about Cold War settings but this was very, very far from our typical "good Westerners saving the world from the bad Soviets" narrative. First of all, the characters are so diverse, coming from all sorts of backgrounds, and are selected to be spies not because they are handsone white cishet men but because they are people who the society (especially 1960s British society) tends to dismiss. Second of all, the enemy is actually BRITISH fascists.
The book reads more like a middle grade despite Kitty being 16, but I love middle grade and it didn't bother me at all.
One thing to keep in mind is that, as far as I can tell, the author isn't autistic themselves. However, the rep is done very respectfully.
I wholeheartedly recommend!
*I received the eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
arc provided by netgalley for an honest review
“The Secret Life of Kitty Granger” is centered around Kitty Granger who works in her father’s shop and ends up crossing paths with secret agents for Her Majesty’s government. She eventually ends up joining their ranks and has a role in taking down the conspiracy against the Crown.
There are several geographical and historical mentions and while you do not need to know them beforehand, it would be helpful to have the map of the UK nearby and wikipedia for the historical part. It was a little confusing at times since these mentions were pretty vague so it was not clear what time period this was set into until a Beatles song was mentioned.
This is one of the few books in which I can say that the neurodivergent rep is fairly good and the individual is not demonised. I would have been nice for it to have been stated that she is autistic instead of just describing that she is autistic but I was overall happy to see better neurodivergent rep.
tw: death, violence
“The Secret Life of Kitty Granger” is centered around Kitty Granger who works in her father’s shop and ends up crossing paths with secret agents for Her Majesty’s government. She eventually ends up joining their ranks and has a role in taking down the conspiracy against the Crown.
There are several geographical and historical mentions and while you do not need to know them beforehand, it would be helpful to have the map of the UK nearby and wikipedia for the historical part. It was a little confusing at times since these mentions were pretty vague so it was not clear what time period this was set into until a Beatles song was mentioned.
This is one of the few books in which I can say that the neurodivergent rep is fairly good and the individual is not demonised. I would have been nice for it to have been stated that she is autistic instead of just describing that she is autistic but I was overall happy to see better neurodivergent rep.
tw: death, violence