Spy School

Very fun read, action packed and unique. It does have some profanity but is still entertaining and engaging would absolutely recommend.

Ben Ripley is your average 12 year old until one January day when he comes home to find a strange man in his house. The man is Alexander Hale, and he has great news for Ben. He's been selected to join the CIA's spy school for promising youth. He'll get to stay on the campus in nearby DC and learn all kinds of cool stuff. Naturally, Ben agrees.Unfortunately, Ben's life is in danger from the moment he walks in the door - literally. Just like the school he left, this one has bullies, only they are more knowledgeable in ways to harm him. And he seems to be part of a plot he has no idea about. Will he make friends and be able to survive?As I was reading the book, I felt like the supporting characters were underdeveloped. But then again, they'd need more page time, and the target audience won't care.That's because the book is lots of fun. The action really does start quickly and never really lags. The plot is well done with twists that make perfect sense. Ben is a very real kid, and I wanted to see him succeed in this crazy new world he has found himself in. And I found the book to be a very easy read.All told, this was another winner from Stuart Gibbs. I'm hearing a sequel is in the works, and I can't wait to visit Ben again.

It was like eney others book that Stuart Gibbs has made: brilliant. He makes a normal setting normal characters and then boom, he turns it into a great book. He thinks of smart, unexpected endings.

We have been reading this series as a family, and have loved it so far. From a parent's perspective, here are a few things to keep in mind:You've probably read the synopsis, so no need to rehash the plot. I'll just touch on the kinds of things I want to know as a parent before I buy a book for my kid.It's a spy novel, so there is fighting, shooting, bombs, and other violence, but it's not graphic or gratuitous. Kids learn marksmanship and martial arts; kids are targets of assassination attempts, and get knocked out. Kids are in real danger in several places throughout the book. Kids also sneak around, break rules and go places they are not supposed to go, to uncover the nefarious plot.There are references to a student who was killed before the book takes place. The death/aftermath is described, but it's not gory or detailed.Parents don't factor in to the story much at all. Spy school is a boarding school, so Ben doesn't see his parents during school. He loves and respects his parents and misses them, but he is not allowed to tell them the truth about where he is. He has to lie to his family and his friends at home, because after all, he is training to be a spy. Ben feels bad about lying to his friends and family, but recognizes that it is part of the deal of becoming a spy.While Ben's parents are described in a fairly positive light, several other adults are portrayed as incompetent, and the kids show a decent amount of disrespect toward those adults. That's one part of the books that bothers me, but it's not frequent enough to be a deal-breaker, at least for me. The kids feel justified in their disrespect, and no one ever calls them on it.There are also a handful negative references to the government: suggestions that anything run by the government is obviously going to be poorly run, etc. Regardless of whether I agree with that on any level, I was not a fan of it in a kid's novel. But again, there wasn't enough of it to be a deal-breaker.There is a bit of teen romance. Characters occasionally reference pretty/hot girls. There are a few mentions of who is dating whom. When Ben is pinned down by a girl, he talks about feeling awkward being so physically close to such a pretty girl.In general the students work together. One person at the school is a mole (working for the enemy), there is a school bully, a lazy kid who encourages goofing off, a girl who excels but is very aloof, and a kid who is portrayed as a bit of a nerdy tagalong. But they all have some good qualities that come out (except the evil one of course), and they all ultimately improve each other.Nearly every chapter ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger. If you're reading it a chapter at a time, you'll spend several minutes afterward discussing what just happened or what may be coming next. It's relatively dramatic in places, so maybe not the best for bedtime reading, but it definitely keeps your attention and you'll look forward to the next chapter. It kept the whole family's attention.In the end the good guys always win, the kids are the heroes (whether or not they get the credit for it), and the bad guys have to lick their wounds and go home... until the next book.Overall, my family has really enjoyed this book series, and I recommend it, with the above caveats.

My son liked this book, it is in perfect condition, a fun read, according to him (10).

My 8 year old daughter loves this book and the series. It took her a couple of chapters to get used to the specific vocabulary regarding the spy genre so she needed some help to understand everything in the beginning. But once she got used to it she couldn’t put the book down and is now reading the third book of the series. She thinks it’s exciting and hilarious.

The action never stops, The characters are fun. And silliness solves lots of mysteries. Boys , especially love this sries.

***DISCLAIMER*** I read this book when I was 9. It honestly is not anything someone 9 or 10+ cant read. However, if you are easily scared of things like assassins, this series might not be for you.This book series is incredible. Stuart Gibbs somehow mixed the magic of both Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter perfectly. This book series deserves to be among both series as the greatest books of all time. One of the reasons this book shines is because it isnt from the perspevtive of some famous or powerful person. It's perspective is from your average middle school kid in an average school. It is great because it shows how you don't have to be anyone special to do great things. Another reason is because it will quite literally make you fall out of your chair in a fit of laughter.In short, should you read this? YES.P.S. you better hit the this was helpful button cuz i just typed that whole thing on a KINDLE