2.5/5 boy with slightly better than average math skills gets into Spy School. Or does he? This book is a lot of fun action and the occasional moments of witty banter. The plot is better than I expected and the surprise twist at the end works well enough. What I don't love is this persistent phenomenon we have with male protagonists who are less skilled and less equipped to handle the situation compared to their female counterparts. Somehow, the less skilled male hero is able to work out and take down the bad guy with minimal help from the actually talented female spy. I know that he's the protagonist so he has to "win the day" but I think it would have been nice to see the hero being a girl. Still overall I enjoyed it.

I.... why is this a thing? I don't know it wasn't terrible but the narration and the story telling feel.... elementary? For a series that's so crazy popular I guess I expected more??? Or like.... better??? I still intend to read Fablehaven. Maybe I'll like that more

Y'all it's so cute! Some of the humor is a bit older than I suspect the intended audience is. But also I feel like someone wrote this thinking specifically of me. I adore it!

I cannot be bothered. Just.... not meh. SO much meh. Characters with "secret no one must know" a childish attempt to write political fantasy that reads as juvenile as it was written, and utterly irritating male character I'm pretty sure I was supposed to swoon over but mostly just aggressively rolled my eyes at the whole time. It had so much potential and maybe that's why I'm rating it higher than it deserves....

Written review to come

Monty, Percy, and Felicity are my small children and I will fight and die for them!

I adore this story. Great addition to the world the Avatar and thank the gods for the conversations about LGBT+ relationships in the different kingdoms.