It's All Going Downhill From Here: Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs
Another one?
Yes. I know what you're thinking. Becky, you just wrote about this dude last week. You reviewed his The Last Musketeer book. Did you seriously just read another one of his books?
I did. Indeed, I did.
Last week, I told you, I can't help but enjoy Stuart Gibb's light-hearted books. His characters and stories are fun and fast reads. They have a little of something for everyone, and for a few minutes, you totally forget that they're about thirteen-year-olds and geared toward that age range. Why? Because the mysteries are engaging. The characters are silly. The plots are clean, and it's nice to read something for fun without being drowned in anything too serious or upsetting.
His characters are sweet. The plots are enjoyable and easy to get through. It's peaceful reading at its finest, and family fun for all. You always know the mystery will be solved, the characters will make it out alive, and it takes me back to my own childhood and my love of Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, Mandie, and The Boxcar Children. It's nostalgic reading for the most part, and I suspect you can appreciate that.
Here's my look back at Spy School Goes South:
Numeric Breakdown:
1: didn't like it
2: it was okay
3. liked it
4. really liked it
5. it was amazing
1. Writing Style: 5/5
Stuart Gibbs is a fabulous writer. His stories are quick-paced, fun, and action driven. He has a fluid style that keeps you engaged from beginning to end. The characters are adorable and giggle-worthy. His work has great descriptive and narrative qualities which engage the reader from page one. His plots are well-thought out, and although a bit predictable, they are satisfying.
2. Overall Plot: 5/5
Spy School Goes South brings us into the life of thirteen-year-old Ben Ripley and his mentor/partner Erica Hale as they head out for their sixth mission into the movements and undercover work of SPYDER. He is entrusted to take their prisoner and SPYDER operative, Murray Hill, to SPYDER's hideout. Ben doesn't trust Murray, with good reason, but the spy organization is eager to take this bad spy agency down. They've caused enough mischief, and the spy school believes SPYDER can be taken out once and for all. However, nothing ever goes as planned, and when they're betrayed and stuck on an island full of scary agents, they do what has to be done to succeed. Terrified and playing it by ear, they are in for a nerve-wracking undertaking.
3. Characters (how you relate and/or enjoy them): 5/5
I love Ben Ripley's character and his honesty. He's trying to do the right thing after being sucked into the spy school, and after six books, he's starting to get the hang of screaming and running for cover. He's a brave character with a good heart, and he's as realistic as they come. Erica Hale is a good balance with her take-no-hostages attitude and strength of conviction. She's a strong character with a soft-spot for Ben. Their interactions, squabbles, and ability to trust each other when they have no choice is both endearing, adorable, and hilarious. The whole cast of characters are sweet and diverse, and I love seeing what they're up to in each mission.
4. Unexpected thrills: 4/5
Well, there definitely are some unexpected thrills in this story. I was surprised by the turn of events on the plane, even though I suspected something of the sort would occur. The new introduction of Murray was unexpected. That kid keeps popping up when you least expect it. Erica's mom joining the mission wasn't something I saw coming. I liked that an adult was pulled into the mission. It lent the whole story some credibility.
5. Hooks/Attention-kept: 4/5
I really enjoyed the twists and turns the story took. I have to say there were a few hooks and surprises, and the overall story kept me engaged the entire time. Part of the reason I enjoy these books so much is for the action, adventure, and never-ending suprises. They might be expected at times, but the characters help to drive through the obvious because of their behavior and the eventual revelations that come. This particular story held some solid hooks, and my attention is kept by the fact that these narratives always bring mystery, detection, humor, and a sweet honesty to the table.
6. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the genre: 5/5
What can I say? I love YA. I love mysteries. I love anything to do with spies. If you hadn't noticed, I've written numerous blog reviews on just these three things. If you enjoy a good story, Author Stuart Gibbs delivers. If you want action, adventure, humor, and mystery all rolled into one, then you've come to the right place. In fact, the only other YA author who brings all three of these aspects to the table in a glorious tale is Shannon Greenland's The Specialists.
7. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the storyline: 5/5
I love the characters, the plot, and the family-friendly ending. These stories are well-written, and the author's style is fast-paced and entertaining. This sixth installment is an amusing new adventure, and I loved it.
8. Revealing of Facts: 4/5
Spy School Goes South does a nice job of slowly revealing the facts and showing you how one new lead continues to the next. The author is really good at showing how the characters grow and change through their missions. He reveals the facts in a logical and incremental way that keeps the reader's attention. Gibbs doesn't reveal too much too soon, and he allows us to get to know his characters better because of it.
9. The Ending: 5/5
Ben Ripley and Erica Hale help to save the day again, and they do so with the help of their friends and Erica's mother. It's a straightforward, somewhat unsurprising ending, but it has heart.
10. Overall Story Rating: 5/5
I love this author. I love his books, and I love the way he incorporates spies, humor, and lovable characters into every story. Again, his clean and fun writing style always makes for a wonderful, quick, and exciting read. If you haven't given Stuart Gibbs a try, you don't realize what you're missing. This is another of his books that deserves a 5/5 rating.
Yes. I know what you're thinking. Becky, you just wrote about this dude last week. You reviewed his The Last Musketeer book. Did you seriously just read another one of his books?
I did. Indeed, I did.
Last week, I told you, I can't help but enjoy Stuart Gibb's light-hearted books. His characters and stories are fun and fast reads. They have a little of something for everyone, and for a few minutes, you totally forget that they're about thirteen-year-olds and geared toward that age range. Why? Because the mysteries are engaging. The characters are silly. The plots are clean, and it's nice to read something for fun without being drowned in anything too serious or upsetting.
His characters are sweet. The plots are enjoyable and easy to get through. It's peaceful reading at its finest, and family fun for all. You always know the mystery will be solved, the characters will make it out alive, and it takes me back to my own childhood and my love of Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, Mandie, and The Boxcar Children. It's nostalgic reading for the most part, and I suspect you can appreciate that.
Here's my look back at Spy School Goes South:
Numeric Breakdown:
1: didn't like it
2: it was okay
3. liked it
4. really liked it
5. it was amazing
1. Writing Style: 5/5
Stuart Gibbs is a fabulous writer. His stories are quick-paced, fun, and action driven. He has a fluid style that keeps you engaged from beginning to end. The characters are adorable and giggle-worthy. His work has great descriptive and narrative qualities which engage the reader from page one. His plots are well-thought out, and although a bit predictable, they are satisfying.
2. Overall Plot: 5/5
Spy School Goes South brings us into the life of thirteen-year-old Ben Ripley and his mentor/partner Erica Hale as they head out for their sixth mission into the movements and undercover work of SPYDER. He is entrusted to take their prisoner and SPYDER operative, Murray Hill, to SPYDER's hideout. Ben doesn't trust Murray, with good reason, but the spy organization is eager to take this bad spy agency down. They've caused enough mischief, and the spy school believes SPYDER can be taken out once and for all. However, nothing ever goes as planned, and when they're betrayed and stuck on an island full of scary agents, they do what has to be done to succeed. Terrified and playing it by ear, they are in for a nerve-wracking undertaking.
3. Characters (how you relate and/or enjoy them): 5/5
I love Ben Ripley's character and his honesty. He's trying to do the right thing after being sucked into the spy school, and after six books, he's starting to get the hang of screaming and running for cover. He's a brave character with a good heart, and he's as realistic as they come. Erica Hale is a good balance with her take-no-hostages attitude and strength of conviction. She's a strong character with a soft-spot for Ben. Their interactions, squabbles, and ability to trust each other when they have no choice is both endearing, adorable, and hilarious. The whole cast of characters are sweet and diverse, and I love seeing what they're up to in each mission.
4. Unexpected thrills: 4/5
Well, there definitely are some unexpected thrills in this story. I was surprised by the turn of events on the plane, even though I suspected something of the sort would occur. The new introduction of Murray was unexpected. That kid keeps popping up when you least expect it. Erica's mom joining the mission wasn't something I saw coming. I liked that an adult was pulled into the mission. It lent the whole story some credibility.
5. Hooks/Attention-kept: 4/5
I really enjoyed the twists and turns the story took. I have to say there were a few hooks and surprises, and the overall story kept me engaged the entire time. Part of the reason I enjoy these books so much is for the action, adventure, and never-ending suprises. They might be expected at times, but the characters help to drive through the obvious because of their behavior and the eventual revelations that come. This particular story held some solid hooks, and my attention is kept by the fact that these narratives always bring mystery, detection, humor, and a sweet honesty to the table.
6. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the genre: 5/5
What can I say? I love YA. I love mysteries. I love anything to do with spies. If you hadn't noticed, I've written numerous blog reviews on just these three things. If you enjoy a good story, Author Stuart Gibbs delivers. If you want action, adventure, humor, and mystery all rolled into one, then you've come to the right place. In fact, the only other YA author who brings all three of these aspects to the table in a glorious tale is Shannon Greenland's The Specialists.
7. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the storyline: 5/5
I love the characters, the plot, and the family-friendly ending. These stories are well-written, and the author's style is fast-paced and entertaining. This sixth installment is an amusing new adventure, and I loved it.
8. Revealing of Facts: 4/5
Spy School Goes South does a nice job of slowly revealing the facts and showing you how one new lead continues to the next. The author is really good at showing how the characters grow and change through their missions. He reveals the facts in a logical and incremental way that keeps the reader's attention. Gibbs doesn't reveal too much too soon, and he allows us to get to know his characters better because of it.
9. The Ending: 5/5
Ben Ripley and Erica Hale help to save the day again, and they do so with the help of their friends and Erica's mother. It's a straightforward, somewhat unsurprising ending, but it has heart.
10. Overall Story Rating: 5/5
I love this author. I love his books, and I love the way he incorporates spies, humor, and lovable characters into every story. Again, his clean and fun writing style always makes for a wonderful, quick, and exciting read. If you haven't given Stuart Gibbs a try, you don't realize what you're missing. This is another of his books that deserves a 5/5 rating.
I can't wait to read his newest Spy School book, Spy School Bristish Invasion, as well as his newest FunJungle story, Lion Down.
Find all of his kid-friendly series on Amazon:
Until next time, thanks for joining me, and Happy Reading!!
~Rebecca Reddell
Comments
Post a Comment