Sweet Valley Spy

Walker Books haven't quite stopped sending me review copies of YA and children's books yet. They are so good at publicising their books that they just can't let go. Great for me, though, because they have sent me two books that gallop along at such a pace that they even gave the illusion of speed to my loathesome bus journey.

The first one may be the silliest book I've ever read, and I can tell you there's plenty of competition. Cross my heart and hope to spy by Ally Carter tells the story of Cammie Morgan, a teenage genius who attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. But oh! she's not a normal teenage girl, indeed no. She's a spy in training, and so are all the other Gallagher Girls. The book lacks the kick-arse action of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, or the completely crazed Cherub series by Robert Muchamore. I suppose the prom scene and the flirting have to make up for it. While I can't imagine how I missed the first one in the series (sarcasm is Not Nice, but there you go), here is the US cover to give you a very accurate sense of where the books are coming from. Sweet Valley High meets James Bond, and calls him a hottie.
The other one Walker sent me was Bloodline by Katy Moran.

Bookbag has a review:

Katy Moran's story, though, comes to us fully-formed, credible, and utterly absorbing. It's without the tiniest trace of anachronism and has great attention to detail, right down to the diction.

They also thank the good people at Walker for sending it. Thanks indeed. This one is a corker. I wish Moran had written it when I was twelve or so, so I could have re-read it a few dozen times while I was especially impressionable. (And I secretly put in on the list of 'books I wish I'd written' as well').