My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When it comes to kids spy thrillers, my only past exposure to it had been either campy kids movies like Spy Kids or cartoon shows like Codename: Kids Next Door. So when I picked up this middle grade spy thriller, my expectations were pretty low. Now having finished this book, I have to say not only is it not campy at all, but it is incredibly fast-paced, deep, and intense. In fact, this may be one of the best books I have read this year so far.
The plot of the book starts with the famous scientist Albert Einstein creating a secret formula known as Pandora that could unlock unlimited energy for the world, or bring about massive destruction. This equation has been lost for decades, but a new clue sets off a race to discover it amongst rival intelligence agencies and a group of international white supremacist terrorists. Unable to make head or tails of the clue, CIA agent Dante Garcia taps child genius Charlie Thorne, a 12-year old girl who may be the only person smart enough to figure out the clues and find Pandora before anyone else. Thus, Charlie gets pulled into this world of spies and intrigue in order to find Einstein’s lost equation and save the world.
While the premise of the CIA tapping a 12-year old girl, even a child genius, may sound like a stretch, Mr. Gibbs does a tremendous job of selling it. Charlie is scary smart and surprisingly competent, if a bit reckless. But beyond making Charlie herself an entirely believable character, Mr. Gibbs does an outstanding job of making this book an intense spy thriller with some deeper subplots going on. The connection between Dante Garcia and Charlie Thorne was surprising, but also makes up the heart of Charlie’s character development throughout. Mr. Gibbs also avoids tropes that could’ve made this book a campy mess. For example, at one point Charlie Thorne uses a skateboard to pursue one of her antagonists. On the surface, this may sound rather hokey, but it really isn't. In the moment, it is surprisingly practical and leads to a great fight scene. Speaking of fight scenes, there is no campiness whatsoever in the threats posed in this book. The danger is sky high for everyone, including Charlie, and people do die. One person in particular dies a pretty horrible death. Parents need not fear though as there are no gory descriptions of violence. Blood is not mentioned a single time in this book, though people do get shot.
Another great thing about this book is the main antagonists. Known as the Furies, this group of white supremacist terrorists are given great characterization for a middle grade novel. Their motivation is chilling because it is so relevant to what is going on in the world today and is especially poignant as Charlie herself is mixed race. It does turn out that the Furies are being controlled by someone else and they did get despatched towards the end in a wee bit of an anticlimactic moment, but they are still a formidable threat in their own right. Speaking of that someone else, the reveal of who is behind the Furies is the only weak point of this book. Unlike the Furies themselves, the person pulling the strings just doesn’t have a very compelling motivation. Sure, their reveal is a bit of twist, but not a very interesting one.
One more thing I would like to mention in more detail is just how deep this book is. The premise of this book is Einstein’s powerful Pandora equation, which a middle grade author might be forgiven for having their characters work to turn it over to the US government because, “Hey! We’re the good guys.” But throughout the book, Charlie raises the point that maybe no one should be trusted with Pandora. It’s even hinted that maybe Charlie herself, due to her recklessness and past criminal behavior, may not be the best person to have Pandora either. This is a rather surprising thing to be discussed in a middle grade novel and Mr. Gibbs shows a great deal of trust in his middle grade audience understanding why even their own government may not be completely trustworthy.
Overall, this was an outstanding book. Not only is this a great book for middle grade readers to transition from middle grade books into young adult or even adult novels, but is surprisingly deep and thrilling for older readers as well. Whether you are young or young at heart, I highly recommend this book to anyone look for a great thrill ride of spy novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment