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looneytunes_ana's review
5.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is one of my favourite series. And I will always keep coming back to it.
This installment lived up to how it was setup in the last book and also my expectations. I love James Ponti's writing. It's fast paced and doesn't meander. It always gets to the point
This is one of my favourite series. And I will always keep coming back to it.
This installment lived up to how it was setup in the last book and also my expectations. I love James Ponti's writing. It's fast paced and doesn't meander. It always gets to the point
the_fabric_of_words's review
5.0
This time, the team is tracking Mother's kids -- his actual, biological family, two teens his ex-wife Clementine disappeared with when she was exposed as a double agent for Umbra years ago.
But first, it opens with an attempted hijacking of a ship, the Sylvia Earle, and attempted kidnapping of two teen girls -- members of the British royal family. Although 20+ times removed from inheriting the throne, they're still worth a lot in ransom.
Sydney picks that night to go on a solo dive to clear her mind, and Brooklyn manages to hide the two whiny royal girls somewhere in the bowels of the ship, where the kidnappers / hijackers don't think to look for them.
Together, the two teen spies thwart the attempt, and make two powerful, determined enemies -- the hijacker, Emil Blix, and unbeknownst to them, a deadly Umbra double-agent, Magpie.
The rescue of the ship generates a lot of media coverage, more like a feeding frenzy, and the FARM teen spies are caught on tape. Not terrible in and of itself, as they're undercover at school at Kinloch Abbey, but pay attention : this will come back to haunt them.
The rescue mission over, Mother enlists Brooklyn to help find clues in the photograph Clementine gave to Brooklyn at the end of the last book. But all it does is stir dissention among the ranks when Sydney and other team members quickly figure out Brooklyn's been picked for a "special mission." Rio feels like his special bond to Mother has been broken.
Mother has to explain Brooklyn hasn't, but he didn't want to involve them all on a "rogue," unauthorized mission. But all it takes is one glance at the photo for Kat to figure out where it's taken, and what the message from Clementine really means.
The kids are off to -- you guessed it, the title's sake -- San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
I won't reveal anything else, just know, again, this was a FANTASTIC, fast-paced, thriller of a ride and we enjoyed every word of it! And I was tickled pink to see Ponti kept writing in 3rd omniscient! (Squee!)
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
But first, it opens with an attempted hijacking of a ship, the Sylvia Earle, and attempted kidnapping of two teen girls -- members of the British royal family. Although 20+ times removed from inheriting the throne, they're still worth a lot in ransom.
Sydney picks that night to go on a solo dive to clear her mind, and Brooklyn manages to hide the two whiny royal girls somewhere in the bowels of the ship, where the kidnappers / hijackers don't think to look for them.
Together, the two teen spies thwart the attempt, and make two powerful, determined enemies -- the hijacker, Emil Blix, and unbeknownst to them, a deadly Umbra double-agent, Magpie.
The rescue of the ship generates a lot of media coverage, more like a feeding frenzy, and the FARM teen spies are caught on tape. Not terrible in and of itself, as they're undercover at school at Kinloch Abbey, but pay attention : this will come back to haunt them.
The rescue mission over, Mother enlists Brooklyn to help find clues in the photograph Clementine gave to Brooklyn at the end of the last book. But all it does is stir dissention among the ranks when Sydney and other team members quickly figure out Brooklyn's been picked for a "special mission." Rio feels like his special bond to Mother has been broken.
Mother has to explain Brooklyn hasn't, but he didn't want to involve them all on a "rogue," unauthorized mission. But all it takes is one glance at the photo for Kat to figure out where it's taken, and what the message from Clementine really means.
The kids are off to -- you guessed it, the title's sake -- San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
I won't reveal anything else, just know, again, this was a FANTASTIC, fast-paced, thriller of a ride and we enjoyed every word of it! And I was tickled pink to see Ponti kept writing in 3rd omniscient! (Squee!)
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The young agents for MI6 are ready to take on new missions! Two of them, Brooklyn and Sydney, are onboard the research ship Sylvia Earle when it gets hijacked. Their mission is to protect two young girls from a kidnapping threat, but it almost blows up in their face. At the same time MI6 gets new information about a mole, who they've been trying to catch for several years. It leads the City Spies to San Francisco.
Action from beginning to end! These kids are smart in different ways, and they complement each other in a great way. In this book Sydney is having some problem with Brooklyn. She's so "perfect" and good at everything, although she's the newest member and therefore has the least training. It creates tension in the whole group, but it's nice to see them work it through. When you're this young (12 to 15 years old) it's not easy to see the whole picture; it's easier to just see to yourself, and what you can and cannot bring to the table. Ponti shows this in a great way, as well as how they talk it out and solve the problem. They really come together as a group at the end of the book.
This is both a thrilling and smart series, where we also learn a thing or two, without it being like a lesson. I'm looking forward to keep following these young spies for more adventures!
susylamb's review
5.0
Kid's loved it. I liked this one as well.
Still reminds me of a modern Mysterious Benedict Society.
It was very relatable to the kids. This one had more history facts and literature facts added in here and there.
We were listening to it on audio and then checked it out from the library and my oldest finished it by reading and then still listened.
Still reminds me of a modern Mysterious Benedict Society.
It was very relatable to the kids. This one had more history facts and literature facts added in here and there.
We were listening to it on audio and then checked it out from the library and my oldest finished it by reading and then still listened.
mysterioussociety17's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
taylee's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
klsriley's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
claraz's review
5.0
It just gets better! At the end I cried, and I have JUST finished reading this masterpiece of a book so I am STILL crying till this very moment. The enddinggggggggg. It was so sweetttttttttt.
jojol's review against another edition
4.0
The plural references to Sydney's "anti-establishment tendencies" really sold it for me, but wow, they really did not make children's books like this when I was the target audience. And yet, somehow, I was the exact target audience. The love for SF, from Muir Woods to Chinatown to the greatest airport in the world (when I say I squealed upon hearing "Chapter 33: SFO" I'm not joking), and the entirety of the Oxford scenes but especially the Bodleian heist (which did not sting because I hadn't yet been rejected from Oxford when I listened to that part) were things I wouldn't have appreciated in the same way I do now had these books existed when I was in elementary/middle school, but I can undoubtedly see how I would've had a different relationship with those places had I had the background Golden Gate would've given me earlier. I was a bit miffed at them referring to Squaw Valley as "a little town none of us have ever heard of"—like, they literally held the Olympics there, but okay.
tess443's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A great sequel to the first book! I appreciated the focus on Sydney, especially as Ponti made it easy to see where her character development would be from the very beginning. Still as fun, adventurous, and heartwarming as the first book.