Thursday, February 14, 2013

Also Known As by Robin Benway




Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

Book Review:
Ever since I first read The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June, I have been a huge Benway fan! So when I saw Also Known As on netgalley, I was really excited to request it (and even MORE excited to get approved)! Benway has a wholesome approach to her books that is refreshing and whimsical. Maggie is colorful main character who is sincere and humerus. I found myself wishing I knew her in real life. Her espionage background and friendship with Angelo added style and flair to the story arc. Roux was just adorable! She is a wonderfully flawed character, the perfect counterpart to Maggie. I also adored Jesse!!! I wish I had had a Jesse back in high school! What a charming young man! These three characters really make the novel sing, along with Angelo of course! It was also nice to see a genuine relationship between the main character and  her parents. I often feels that this relationship is strained or sometimes forgotten altogether in the YA genre. Overall, just a lovely story. Robin Benway is on my go-to authors list. She is just fantastic and I highly recommend her books! 

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA for this copy
To be Published February 26 2013
This is my honest review.  

Cover Art Commentary:
I haven't always been a fan of  Benway's covers, but this one is cute! I love the private school uniform and the green chalkboard background! Very original!

Rating:

2 comments:

  1. It seems that this is a completely character driven story, and although I'm not the biggest fan of contemporaries out there, I have to admit it sounds wonderful.
    Great review!

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    Replies
    1. This is totally character driven! Great for a quick, fun read! :)

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