Take the Key and Lock Her Up—Ally Carter

Title: Take the Key and Lock Her Up
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic, 2016
Pages: 336 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: March 2017

Ally Carter's Take the Key and Lock Her Up

Ally Carter’s Embassy Row series began with All Fall Down, continued with See How they Run, and now ends with this final installment. I read the first one two and a half years ago and I still vividly remember how it made me feel. I remember the tension and the stomach clenching and the suspense. Am I an Ally Carter fangirl? Maybe. Do I start out each of her books already knowing I’m going to like it? Maybe.

If you haven’t read the first two books, get that done before you attempt this one.

This is a solid conclusion to the series. Some of the tension is missing because the cards are on the table now—we know who the bad guys are and what they want. I know that at the time I read this (nearly a year ago) I gave it 4 stars, but I’m having trouble remembering specific details. Yet, I can clearly recall things that happened in the first book. I’m not saying this to mean that I didn’t enjoy Take the Key and Lock Her Up, because clearly I did, but it may not be as strong as the first two books. Things are wrapped up neatly and I would still recommend this entire trilogy.

******

See How They Run--Ally Carter

Title: See How They Run
Author: Ally Carter 
Publisher: Scholastic, 2015
Pages: 336 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: February 2016

Ally Carter's See How They Run

There are a few authors that I consider must-reads. I will read absolutely any and all of their books--Sarah Dessen, Melina Marchetta, Garth Nix, Rainbow Rowell. Ally Carter is quickly climbing to the top of that list. I hope she doesn't start publishing her grocery lists because I have enough to read.

I've read all of the Gallagher Girls, the Heist Society books, the short stories tying them together, and now her latest Embassy Row series. I loved loved all of her books, but I think that maybe Embassy Row might be favorite. It's difficult to say, but I think it's true.

See How They Run picks up the story right where All Fall Down left off. If you haven't read All Fall Down yet, get on it. Now. Go the library, go to Amazon, go where ever you need to go and get it read. This is not a pick it up in the middle type of series. I'm not responsible for spoiling you on All Fall Down if you continue reading this review.

In All Fall Down, Grace learns that almost everything she has believed has been wrong. She was right in that her beloved mother did not perish in a fire and was indeed shot to death. She was wrong in blaming the "Scarred man" for pulling the trigger. The Scarred Man *was* sent to kill her but was actually trying to save her. The truth is so much worse than what she feared--Grace is the one who fired the fateful shot. See How They Run deals with the aftermath of Grace's discovery and reveals the mystery surrounding Grace's mother is even deeper than Grace believed. The more that Grace learns, the more secrets she must keep from her new friends and her protective older brother Jamie. But as Grace digs deeper, she quickly realizes her own life is in danger and that some people are willing to murder to keep secrets from becoming known.

Grace is such a complex character. She is stronger than she admits, but also vulnerable. There are so many secrets and lies that she doesn't even know if she can believe herself anymore. Is she completely crazy? Or is she the only one who can see the truth?

There is so much in this book--Grace's complicated relationship with her older brother Jamie who comes to check on his fragile sister; Grace's relationship with her brother's best friend & her romantic interest Alexei; the political ramifications when Jamie's West Point roommate is murdered and Alexei is blamed. It is nearly impossible to put down See How They Run--the pages practically drip with intrigue. The story is gripping, the characters are gripping, the only downside is having to wait for Carter to release the next one. The ending of See How They Run will have you gasping for more.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

All Fall Down--Ally Carter

Title: All Fall Down
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2015
Pages: 320 pages
Source: Library ebook
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Ally Carter's All Fall Down

Ally Carter is back at it with another suspenseful series. I love Carter's books. She writes strong female characters who know how to kick ass but be a little vulnerable too. Her stories are dangerous and thrilling, but fun too. This new series, Embassy Row, is no exception.

Grace lives just a stone's throw away from Russia. And Greece. And Italy. She lives on Embassy Row with all of the other diplomat's kids. Her ambassador grandfather just wants her to stay out of trouble and be happy, but it's hard for Grace to do when she knows her mother was murdered but cannot remember any of the details. It's up to her to find the killer and exact revenge. No one will believe her but she knows the truth. She embarks on a dangerous game of espionage and teenage hijinks to try to uncover the mysteries surrounding her mother's death and life. But the dangerous path she follows leads her to unexpected discoveries.

Grace is a little more "messed up" than Carter's other lead characters have been but that only makes the story more interesting. Fans of the Gallagher Girl Series and the will be sure to eat up this new series as well. I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

United We Spy--Ally Carter

Title: United We Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books, 2013
Pages: 293 p
Source: Library
Compensation: None

What started as a fun fluffy series about girls in spy school and boy troubles has morphed into a serious suspenseful survival story. It's still fun because Ally Carter knows how to write fun characters and make us love them, but the "fluff" is gone. I have to wonder if it was ever there to begin with or if Carter was just lulling us (and Cammie) into a false sense of security.

Previous reviews (some more complete than others):

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover
Only the Good Spy Young
Out of Sight, Out of Time

In this conclusion to the Gallagher Girls series, Cammie has to hunt down the leaders of the Circle of Cavan before they can carry out their most dangerous plot ever. She's aided by her spy boyfriend Zach and her trusty companions Bex, Liz and Macey. Questions are answered and mysteries put to rest in this final satisfying installment. Carter ends the series perfectly. This is a must read for anyone who has read the previous books. It's a great series to give to readers who like reading about strong girls. The box set (I don't know if there is a box set yet, but there should be) would be a perfect holiday gift.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Out of Sight, Out of Time--Ally Carter

Title: Out of Sight, Out of Time
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney
Pages: 294 p
Source: Library
Compensation: None

In this latest book in the Gallagher Girls series, Ally Carter takes Cammie out of the classroom and throws her into the very real dangerous world of spying. Cammie spends her summer vacation tracking down the traitorous Circle of Cavan. Unfortunately she cannot remember any of it when she wakes up in a convent in the Alps. With the help of her friends and her unofficial boyfriend Zach she slowly pieces together her missing summer and learns that some things are better left forgotten.

I love the kick-ass Gallagher spy girls. Carter has done a great job of creating a character we truly care about, one who juggles the normal teenage girl problems of boys and bad hair days with the high stakes world of international espionage. We worry about Cammie but also want to see her succeed. She gets close in this fifth book but still doesn't have all the answers, which is good for us because we'll get another book!

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links & buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Only the Good Spy Young--Ally Carter

"Only the Good Spy Young" is the 4th book in the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. I reviewed the 3rd book, "Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover" yesterday. This latest entry in the series answers many questions, while still enticing the reader to want more. I don't like to do summaries here--I look at these as reviews not book reports--so I like to focus on the critical analysis and whether or not you should read this book rather than what happened. But I will tell you this, by the end of this book you will know:
Who Joe Solomon is
Who Zach is and what he's hiding
and some other stuff I'm not going to tell you.

The Gallagher Girls books are fun to read. The girls are smart and strong and funny. Carter does a great job of telling a suspenseful, thoughtful story, while keeping it fun and funny. Cammie is a great protagonist--she's still grieving for her father, still longing for more of a relationship with her mother, still scared of people who want to hurt her, but she doesn't lose herself. She still quips and wonders whether Zach is going to kiss her. Carter's writing is easy to read because it's interesting and entertaining. But there's a substance there too. I would feel completely comfortable handing these books to a middle school girl, as well as older readers. Boys will be turned off by the pink cover, but they might be persuaded to change their minds when the movies start coming out. According to Carter's website she plans 6 books in the series. I for one can't wait for the next installment!
******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links & make a purchase I might make a tiny bit of money.

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover--Ally Carter

When I was a kid I loved Wonder Woman. I still do. That's why even though I blinked, I didn't really hesitate to drop $30 on a Wonder Woman action figure my daughter can actually play with. When I was a young adult (in the true sense of the word--in my 20s) I transferred that adoration to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And then when Buffy was gone I found Veronica Mars. Do you see a pattern?

I like strong girls.

Naturally then, I LOVE the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter (she *is* a YA Author You Need to Read, you know.) The first one was "I'd Tell You I Love You, But then I'd Have to Kill You", the second was "Cross My Heart & Hope to Spy". I don't why it took me so long to get to the 3rd one in the series, but I'll blame my children.

I thought that finishing up the Gallagher Girls series would be the perfect followup to the Hunger Games series... something fun and light and fluffy. I was wrong. It's still fun, but in "Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover" Carter has taken the series to the next step. It's not a light, fluffy, beach read. It's more real. In the first two books the biggest problem was boys. Sure, the girls were in spy school and had to learn how to, you know, be spies, but it was trying to figure out boys that really gave them headaches. In the latest books, the girls are dealing with real life espionage, kidnapping and danger on top of mixed signals from boys.

In the 3rd book in the series, Cammie and her roommate Macey are in Boston watching Macey's father accept the nomination for Vice President of the United States. They wind up the target of kidnappers and must use their special spy skills to save themselves. They spend the rest of their junior year trying to figure out who the kidnappers were and why they were targeted. What they discover surprises them.

Carter has added depth to the characters as well as beginning a story arc giving the girls an enemy and making their work more meaningful. There's lots of adventure, humor, suspense, and a little bit of romance making this a must read.
******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links & make a purchase I might make a tiny bit of money.

Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy--Ally Carter

Sequel to I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, this one is not *quite* as fun, but it's still entertaining and definitely leaves you wanting to read more stories. There's romance, spy-stuff, and loads of references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There was one sentence with both Buffy AND Veronica Mars and my head almost exploded! Lots of girl power. Good book.

************
Reading:
On My Nightstand:

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You--Ally Carter

Loved this book! This was just the right amount of fluff with substance that I needed. It's "romance" but there's enough adventure and other stuff in there to keep me interested. It takes place at an all-girls spy school. How cool is that? You can find a summary on Amazon. I don't have the time to write it out for you. I would definitely recommend it! Great read.

************
Reading:
On My Nightstand:

Zoo--Graham Marks

Title: Zoo
Author: Graham Marks
Pages: 266 p.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 1582349916

I don't usually go for the spy/action/boy books and I probably would not have read this if it hadn't been for one of my middle school boys choosing it for our book group. But once I started reading I couldn't stop. This is an intelligent, quick-paced, action-packed book that boys are sure to love. Although it's probably geared more for high school (the main character is 17), there's nothing preventing middle schoolers from reading it. There is a little lovey-dovey stuff, but nothing more than kissing, and it definitely takes a back seat to the action.

17 year old Cameron Stewart has always lived a privileged life. His mother has never been very affectionate and treats him more like an investment than her flesh and blood, but he's had a happy childhood. His father is not a millionaire, but pretty well-off and able to provide whatever Cam needs. Life is great until he gets kidnapped, manages to escape, but discovers that he can't trust anyone and must survive on his own until he can figure out what's going on.

I enjoyed this book and was able to finish it in just a couple of days (hey, I have a toddler). I'm looking forward to the middle school book group next month. I think the boys are going to really respond to it.

************
Reading:
On My Nightstand: New Moon--Stephenie Meyer