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Carter, Ally
12 Reviews
(3)
YA
YA author Carter (Embassy Row and Heist Society series, among others) provides advice for teen writers on craft and other aspects of the writing life in a question-and-answer format, also posing questions to other YA authors for a range of perspectives. The book takes teens and their aspirations seriously and includes plenty of practical insights. The conversational tone makes for an accessible read.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
(3)
YA
Embassy Row series.
In All Fall Down, Grace solved the mystery of her mother's death, but that was only the tip of the conspiracy lurking within the fictional country of Adria. Now Grace has been inducted into a secret society with a role she doesn't even understand. Psychological thriller meets high-society scheming in a fast-paced plot; Grace's fear and guilt keep her character development central to the story.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(3)
YA
Embassy Row series.
In this third book, Grace and her brother are on the run because of a dangerous secret: they are the real heirs to the Adrian throne. They can't run forever, though, so Grace returns to Adria to find the answer to a two-hundred-year-old puzzle. Grace weighs her own desires against duty to family and country in this compelling, haut monde political thriller.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(3)
YA
Embassy Row series.
It's been three years since Grace's mother died, and now she's been sent to live with her grandfather at the American Embassy in Adria. Everyone says her mother's death was an accident, but Grace knows better: she saw the scarred man murder her mother, and now she's seen him again. Grace's unreliable narration makes her frantic quest for the truth even more compelling.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(3)
YA
Cammie and her fellow spies are ready for a final showdown with the nefarious Circle of Cavan. When they uncover the Circle's plan to start World War III, they take matters into their own hands, trying to stop the wheels already set in motion. Assassinations, manhunts, and prison breaks keep the pace moving quickly in this exciting Gallagher Girls finale.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(3)
YA
Heist Society series.
Kat's boyfriend is named heir of his family's company, with the Hale family lawyer his trustee, but Kat has information that could prove the lawyer manipulated the will. In the biggest and most personal con of her life, teen thief Kat risks everything to protect the Hale family legacy. The combination of clever storytelling and an unreliable narrator makes for an intense and unpredictable plot.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
In her fifth adventure, Cammie wakes up in a convent with no memory of the past few months. After returning to her spy school, the Gallagher Academy, she and her friends travel to Rome to try to jog Cammie's memory--and they get closer to tracking down the nefarious Circle of Cavan. Lots of suspense and plot twists make this installment the best one yet.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(3)
YA
Heist Society series.
Katarina, fifteen, and her con artist crew are tasked with stealing the Cleopatra Emerald--a well-secured and supposedly cursed gem--and returning it to its rightful owner...or so they think. When the team members discover they've been conned, they race to steal the emerald back before it's lost forever. Carter's chatty, humorous voice and cinematic prose bolster this jewel-thief thriller.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(4)
YA
Heist Society series.
Fifteen-year-old Katarina swore that scamming her way into the prestigious Colgan School would be her last con. But when her father is framed for stealing a powerful criminal's paintings, Kat heads up a crew to find the art and get it back. Despite some unclear storytelling and flat characters, the book will be embraced by Carter's fans for its fast-paced world of high-stakes heists.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
In her fourth adventure, teenage spy-in-training Cammie is still being pursued by the mysterious Circle of Cavan. Now she's also forced to consider that her favorite teacher, another new teacher, and her crush might all be out to get her. In this suspenseful spy adventure, the line between good and evil blurs as Cammie and her friends try to discover the truth.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(3)
YA
Spies-in-training Cammie and Macey narrowly escape a kidnapping attempt, one Cammie assumes happens because Macey's father is a vice presidential nominee. Cammie is determined to protect Macey and get to the bottom of the kidnapping, but is unprepared for what she discovers. Cammie's sleuthing raises further questions, intensifying the mystery and leaving readers in suspense.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(4)
YA
When boys show up at Gallagher Academy, a spy school for girls, Cammie's hopes for an uneventful semester disappear. Cammie (I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You) and her friends perform covert operations to discover the truth about their school. The series's premise is appealing, but there's too little action and too much focus on boys.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
12 reviews
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