Ben Ripley is your average 12 year old until one January day when he comes home to find a strange man in his house. The man is Alexander Hale, and he has great news for Ben. He's been selected to join the CIA's spy school for promising youth. He'll get to stay on the campus in nearby DC and learn all kinds of cool stuff. Naturally, Ben agrees. Unfortunately, Ben's life is in danger from the moment he walks in the door - literally. Just like the school he left, this one has bullies, only they are more knowledgeable in ways to harm him. And he seems to be part of a plot he has no idea about. Will he make friends and be able to survive? As I was reading the book, I felt like the supporting characters were underdeveloped. But then again, they'd need more page time, and the target audience won't care. That's because the book is lots of fun. The action really does start quickly and never really lags. The plot is well done with twists that make perfect sense. Ben is a very real kid, and I wanted to see him succeed in this crazy new world he has found himself in. And I found the book to be a very easy read. All told, this was another winner from Stuart Gibbs. I'm hearing a sequel is in the works, and I can't wait to visit Ben again. Read more

This book is cool. On conditions, this is a nice book about when Ben went to defuse the bomb on chapter 24, and then making Murray unconscious in chapter 25, that was a good job. Read more

Mio figlio l'ha letto in due giorni e gli è piaciuto moltissimo. Spero arrivino in Italia anche gli altri titoli della serie. Read more

My 12 year old son is dyslexic abs loved this book. He was laughing out loud and as a consequence I have bought him the rest of the set which he is whipping through. My son has previously enjoyed Diary of a wimpy kid, the last kids on earth, Timmy Failure, Kid Normal, Tom Gates, The Storey Tree House Series along with the Shapeshifter series - Ali Sparkes . Read more

My niece loves these books. Great for kids who enjoy mystery stories. Read more

Unser Sohn (12) ist begeistert und ich musste die ganze Serie kaufen. Die er selbst liest, nachdem er fast 2 Jahre nur sehr wenige Bücher gelesen hat. Read more

Our middle schooler LOVES this series. Funny, cool, and exciting. Read more

Very fun read, action packed and unique. It does have some profanity but is still entertaining and engaging would absolutely recommend. Read more

My 10yo daughter just loved the book! Read more