Review: Also Known As by Robin Benway

Title: Also Known As 

Author: Robin Benway
Publisher:  Bloomsbury Juvenile US
Publishing Date: February 26th 2013

Pages: 320
Genre:  YA Contemporary Spy Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: Audio

  

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.

I was so excited to see another book out by Robin Benway , I really enjoy reading her books. This book sounded really good.. (who doesn’t like spy stories). I couldn’t wait to dig in. I did get the book on audio and I loved every moment of this book. The narrator rocked, the story was fun, the characters were amazing. I laughed out loud so many times.

Maggie is a spy. Her parents are spies, her favorite person is a spy, everyone she knows is a spy. She learned to pick locks before she started school. She loves her life, her assignments, and all the traveling. The one things he doesn’t love. Not being a normal teenager with normal friends. In this story, she gets her chance. Her next assignment is befriend a teenage boy in a private school, full of other students. She couldn’t be more excited, well that’s not true, public school would have been a bit more exciting, but she takes what she can get. First day she meets a crazy girl and she has a friend. Soon she meets the boy… uh-oh she falls for him. Couldn’t see that coming right. At that point, everything gets confusing and now she has to work hard to keep it all from falling apart.

LOVED IT! I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun with a book. The writing was amazing, very light when needed but also dove into the normal teenage contemporary girl issues. There was romance, action, humor, trouble, and some great family moments. A very fast paced read, just the way I like my books, but it also slowed down for the important parts… the romance. The story really had the perfect amount of spy action and romance.

The characters rocked my world. I absolutely adored Maggie. So snarky! She really had me cracking up at times. She was smart, loyal, sneaky (well sometimes) doesn’t quite know how to fit in but willing to give her best at being a normal teenager. Screwing up while figuring all out gave her the life she always wanted. Jessie Oliver was just so cute. He was sweet, real, honest. I loved every moment Jessie and Maggie spent together. Roux really stole the show for me. She was quirky and adventurous. She hid her loneliness well from peers but really just wanted a normal family life. Its not a surprise Roux and Maggie became fast friends, the both needed somewhat of what the other had. I would of loved to have her as a friend in high school, or now really. Very funny and unforgettable character. This story really had a wonderful cast of characters.I really liked the storyline and the premise. The plot was able to show loyalty within family, friends, romantic relationships, and country. It gave me warm fuzzies many times throughout. The romance is very very sweet, no love triangle and the friendship is strong from the very beginning. All good stuff really. The story isn’t realistic, if that is what you are looking for, but for me… teenage spies..or even adult spy stories, never realistic.

I don’t think anything was missing in this story for me. I really did just love it. I recommend this book to everyone. Its just so much fun.