Spy High Mission One (Spy High)

ANNOTATION

As students at a special high school that trains them to be secret agents, six teenagers struggle to complete the training exercises as a team before being sent out into the field to sink or swim.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This year's Bond Team at Deveraux Academy is an unorthodox group￯﾿ﾽfrom Cally, a skilled computer hacker living on the streets, to Jake, the only student ever to have come from the agri-domes of the Midwest. At first, in-fighting and incompetence push Bond Team to within a hair's breadth of expulsion. But when the team is sent on a wilderness survival trip, they uncover a secret lab run by a maniac with the power and resources to threaten world security. Suddenly, expulsion is the least of Bond Team's worries.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Take a lightweight YA tale featuring a hint of romance and angst. Add a good dose of TV's Alias, fold in some Buffy the Vampire Slayer and season lightly with elements of Artemis Fowl-the result is this overstuffed novel, first in a new action-adventure series. Some decades in the future, six teenagers from various walks of life are recruited to attend the prestigious Deveraux Academy. They soon find out why the institution is known by its students as "Spy High," as they are assigned to be teammates on Bond Team (yes, an homage to that Bond). A typical day of the teens' rigorous academic schedule involves learning about laser weapons, disarming bombs and maneuvering a mode of transportation known as a SkyBike. When Bond Team is sent on a special expedition into the Wildscape, they encounter the Moreau-like Dr. Averill Frankenstein, who claims to be a descendant of Mary Shelley's creation (he calls her work "an authentic account of the greatest scientific experiment ever attempted"). Clearly influenced by the big and small screen, Butcher keeps the action at warp speed with lots of quick scene changes, and bits of fast-flying, but not very believable dialogue. Unfortunately, confusing chapter openings and a barrage of characters and creatures hamper the book's rhythm. Characters remain unformed, coming across mostly as devices to deliver smart-alecky repartee. Die-hard action fans will likely welcome something new, but casual readers may prefer a video of Spy Kids. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Judy Silverman

The Devereaux Academy looks like any other prep school. Huge trees surround the building; groups of students walk through the beautifully landscaped grounds or play various sports on the meticulously maintained fields. But if you walked up to the students, they would not notice you. In fact you could walk right through them. They are holograms. The actual school is underground. The students are carefully chosen by the director. Divided into groups of six, they are undergoing rigorous training to become spies. The teams are named after fictional spies, which is a little distracting. Their teachers are retired professionals who could probably break their students in half without breaking a sweat. But these students are not what they seem, either. Some are from troubled family situations; some come from backgrounds that sound like present-day projects, and none is ready to become part of a team. Can they live up to the Director's hopes? Can the "Bond" team get the best scores on competitions as well as on academic tests? This volume's story does not really end; it just sets up the reader for Spy High Mission Two. 2004, Little Brown, Ages 12 up.

VOYA - Lori Matthews

Set in the future, the first book in a new series is about a group of high school students who are being trained in the art of spying. The students at Deveraux Academy, a.k.a. Spy High, are the next generation of super spies out to save the world. Ben, Jake, Eddie, Cally, Lori, and Jennifer are the six members of a new team that must work together to pass computer-simulated tests to advance at Spy High. After failing two attempts at the computer simulation, the team of young would-be spies gets sent on a camping trip that soon turns into the real mission they have been seeking. What could be more enticing to teen readers than a book about a high school that trains teens to become super spies who go on missions to save the world? Unfortunately the book does not live up to its fabulous premise. The characters are not well developed and often seem wooden. There is much stereotyping as well, making it exceedingly difficult to empathize with any of them. The romantic relationships that predictably develop are trite and lackluster. The dialogue is horribly unoriginal, and the author has used every clich￯﾿ﾽ possible including giving the team of six heroes the name "Bond Team." The plot, once it moves beyond the introduction of the characters, does have some good action scenes and at times even flows along nicely. Regrettably so much of this book is taken up with setting the stage that the real action does not even begin until half way through. One hopes that the future titles in the series will contain more action, empathetic characters, and less banal dialogue and tired clich￯﾿ﾽs. VOYA Codes 2Q 3P M J (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; Will appeal with pushing; MiddleSchool, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2004, Little Brown, 224p., Ages 11 to 15.

KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick

Six teenagers are selected to attend prestigious Deveraux Academy, known by the students as Spy High, for it's really a training school for secret agents. Arrogant rich boy Ben is the team's ambitious leader, and rebellious farm boy Jake is his rival. Also included are beautiful Lori, with a genius IQ; tech wizard Cally; wisecracking, flirtatious Eddie; and reckless martial artist Jennifer. Set 60 years or so in the future (despite jarring references to The Simpsons, The Brady Brunch, and Elvis), the team is equipped with all kinds of nifty bad-guy-fighting gadgets. However, they have trouble working together until they're faced with a real-life threat: sent to camp in a forest, they encounter murderous mutants and are captured by a mad doctor who has plans for making mutants out of them, too. Lots of action will make this popular, though stereotypes abound, from the evil doctor to the designation of the Chinese American girl as the martial arts specialist and the introduction of Cally, the African American student, as an ex-street kid. There's some pairing off among the teammates, and some leering dialogue, particularly from Eddie, but there's no sex and just a bit of profanity. Overall, it's a quick read that will find fans among those who like James Bond movies and adventure tales. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2004, Little, Brown, 224p., and Ages 12 to 15.

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