I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
So I knew not to expect a book of epic proportions when I picked up this series the other day – but what I ended up getting, was something that turned out to be both light-hearted and humorous – and an overall, good read. Ally Carter has created a YA spy series for girls, that mixes a James Bond meets Cody Banks kinda feel, but blended it all with the humor and pitfalls that a normal fifteen-year-old girl would endure.
Cameron Morgan is now a sophomore at the elite Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women - which from the outside, looks every bit what a private institution for the socialite daughters of wealthy families should. But Gallagher Academy has had years of creating this false façade to those not in the know – because unless snobby all girl academies normally teach their students the art of hand to hand combat, how to kill a man with nothing but a limp spaghetti noodle, or how to defuse a nuclear war-head, then the Gallagher Academy is anything but normal. In fact, it’s actually a school for spies.
Over the past 3 years Cammie has attended the school, she’s mastered fourteen languages and now knows how to kill a human with her bare hands, seven different ways. She’s good – in fact, some would say she was born with the art of espionage in her blood. Because after all, she is the daughter of two of the most elite spies the CIA has ever seen – and oh, her Mom just so happens to also be the headmistress of the Academy.
As Cammie weaves her way through first semester, armed with the intelligence of a genius and a handful of great friends at her side, she meets a normal teenage boy from outside the school - a boy that simply cannot learn her secrets, cause then she’d have to kill him. What happens next, is a web spun entirely (well mostly) of lies as she struggles to hold onto the normalcy that Josh brings to her life – and Cammie’s left asking, will she be able to hang on to both worlds?
While Carter’s overall storyline was fun, I did find myself disappointed in the few moments that Cammie needed to be brilliant and say something that would really knock the socks off those around her. Just once I wanted her to be say something amazing, to match all the really cool things that she could do – but then she’d open her mouth and stutter out fragments of nothingness. For a girl that can speak 14 different languages, she has a very difficult time during the moments that I wanted her to be a strong heroine – although Carter does write that into the storyline and explains that this is one of Cammie’s downfalls.
Overall, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, was a very easy and fun read. Carter does a fantastic job with all the clandestine nuances of the story, which would make anyone, want to run out and join the CIA. It’s the perfect story for YA’s – and I’m sure I would’ve been head over heels on this series, when I was in middle school…and definitely would’ve found myself pondering my chances of becoming the next 007.
Ally can be found on Twitter: @OfficiallyAlly
Or check out her web page: http://www.allycarter.com/
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