"When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.
Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.
Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for more in this exciting new series."
"Saying Toby Klein is an unlikely cheerleader is like saying Paris Hilton might be into guys--understatement of the year. But the varsity squad at Bayport High gives new meaning to the phrase All-American,
and Toby's double life as a varsity cheerleader and a government
operative means balancing protocol, pep rallies, computer hacking, and
handsprings.
Now something's about to go down in Bayport, and the Big
Guys Upstairs need to know what. The Squad is on the case, but it looks
like this mission could put the "l" in lethal. And if the spy business
doesn't kill Toby, it's starting to look like Brooke, the team's
captain, might. The nominations are in for homecoming court, and rumor
has it that Toby is the unlikely front-runner for queen.
Terrorist threat? Bloody mission gone wrong? Demented squad captain?
Bring it on."
Oh, this girl again. And Charlie's Angels wannabes. There is no Lucy Liu, or those two other women. I don't remember their names. Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz? Right? I can't remember.
Terrorism. And some nano-bot weapon or something like that. I don't care. All I'm interested in is if "Charlie" is really Jack's uncle or not. Unfortunately, such answers are not found in Killer Spirit. But it does go into Jack's dating past with the two cheerleaders (members of The Squad, of course). There is a little redemption, I guess.
Toby Klein is a bit more likable in this book. Her brother, however, is not. But I'm not discussing him. I'm talking about Toby "not related to Calvin" Klein. Some of her flaws are more popped out in this book, but she is still snobbish. And apparently, she doesn't care if someone nearly killed her. She took it better than I thought she would. No PTSD. Good for her.
The bad guy in Killer Spirit is ridiculous. There is a reason why Killer Spirit is titled Killer Spirit. Because of the "killer spirit." Gosh, that sounds like an awful riddle.
Killer Spirit isn't that bad. It is actually pretty good, but I'm quite disappointed by the strong lack of answers found within these covers. Like who exactly is "Charlie." Or perhaps about Jack's private life. Is he anything like The Squad? Is he like Blackthorn boys (Ally Carter reference). Or are the football players anything like the spies and agents?
The writing of Barnes sucks me right in. It is great and addictive, especially for those girls interested in adventure and espionage. (Sadly, how Toby Klein hacked CIA or Pentagon isn't revealed, though that would totally be interesting). (And two, there is this weird part in Killer Spirit. I'm not going to tell you about it, but I'm going to say that it is weird. Weird). I would recommend this book to young adults, teenagers, girls interested in espionage or chick lit.
The plot is paced okay. I didn't have a big problem with it. (It is mostly my frustration with lack of answers that get to my head). The biggest plot is about terrorism (or the "killer spirit") while the subplot stars the romance (flirty banter) between Jack and Toby. And then there is that weird part with Noah and the cheerleaders. Plus, makeup.
One last thing: Makeup and espionage does not go well together. Creeps me out like crazy. I try to ignore as much of it, but you can't escape from it forever.
Rating: Three out of Five
"Bayport High operates
like any other high school--jocks at the top, outsiders at the bottom,
and everyone else in between. Enter Toby Klein, a sophomore computer
hacker who doesn't play well with others. She has zero school spirit, a
black belt in karate, and what her guidance counselor calls an attitude
problem. She's the last person you'd expect to be invited to join the
varsity cheerleading squad.
But things are different at Bayport.
Bayport's
varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this
A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover
for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the
United States has ever assembled. Athletically, they're unmatchable,
though they make it all look easy on the field. Mentally, they're
exceptional--but with one flash of their gorgeous smiles, you'll
completely forget that. Socially, they're gifted, so they can command
and manipulate any situation. And above all, they have the perfect
cover, because, beyond herkies and highlights, no one expects anything
from a cheerleader.
Toby Klein might not seem like the most likely
recruit, but she's never been one to turn down a challenge. If she can
handle the makeover, Bayport Hight may just have found its newest
cheerleader.
Pretty, popular, armed, and extremely dangerous--meet THE SQUAD."
"Hello, angels." "Hello, Charlie." That is pretty much what the Squad does whenever it gets a new assignment. Instead of three girls, there are ten. Each of them are special. All of them can fight and keep a secret. Toby Klein's skills lie in computers. Hacking, specifically. Other girls have skills in putting makeup on perfectly and fighting with knives. Other girls meaning cheerleaders.
Despite what people believe about cheerleaders, I don't think they are really that stupid as the snobbish girl (Toby Klein) claims to be. Maybe they are indeed the popular girls, determined to date half of the football team or maybe shun the "lesser females." But some of them are really intelligent. They get good grades, they are smart and looking forward to their futures, and they are very social. Stop stereotyping! Not all cheerleaders are blond!
And Toby Klein is indeed snobbish. She claims to be above and beyond everyone. Well, not in those exact words, but I can tell. (Great, now I'm sounding snobbish and uptight). She always thinks cheerleaders to be crazy, and she is snobbish. There is no other words for it. Snobbish, snobbish, snobbish. However, she does have a good sense of curiosity and high amount of intelligence. And she is apparently good at karate, too. Like I said before. Overachiever and snobbish. Her caring thoughts to her brother, though, doesn't make me hate her more. I don't like her brother that much.
The guy. Of course, there is a guy! Jake Peyton, some guy who is a football player who happened to date two cheerleaders from The Squad. Of course, he is cute. However, he is the mark, and Toby Klein's mission is to bring him down. Well, his father down.
Doesn't that sound like Also Known As? Yep.
(And he is no spy).
Overall, Perfect Cover is a short read that will delight the younger readers and some fans of Alex Rider books. I, however, am disappointed. Many questions weren't answered, and I remain deeply troubled by the true identity of "Charlie." ("Charlie" is the middleman between The Squad and the government agency, the big CIA). "Charlie" says "Hello, girls." not "Good morning, angels." (The last bit was a BTW).
I should add that there is a lot of humor. And I wonder (and remain deeply concern by) how The Squad manages to rank the importance of mascara over some mission.
Rating: Three out of Five
