Spy School Goes Wild

Spy School Goes Wild by Stuart Gibbs

The Spy School series has got a second wind. There are variations from the initial formula that provides a breath of fresh air. In this story, the old Spy School principal has recruited Ben to go on a special mission on his own. However, it turns out that his nemesis has come along to planned on selling him out to bad guy. Though the principal had actually set both of them up to be sold out to the bad guy. They end up working together for a bit before Ben's nemesis knocks him out and sends him on a raft. Ben was able to demonstrate many combat and survival skills on his own before running into his girlfriend's sister in Africa. (His spy-school girlfriend put a tracker on him that they were able to trace.) They uncover a plot to steal diamonds from an African diamond mine via a tunnel. Then they plan to dynamite a part of the tunnel that goes under water, flooding the mine and destroying their tracks. The spy school kids work together, and successfully foil the evil plan and save the mine and prevent the bad guy from absconding with diamonds. 

Spy School Project X

Spy School Project X by Stuart Gibbs

This 10th spy school book attempts to drift a bit from the formula and thus gets a little better than some of the previous ones. Ben's nemesis has managed to get out of jail via the witness protection program. He has spread all sorts of misinformation about Ben via conspiracy theories. He has also hired some assassins to pick him off. Ben and his cohorts attempt to thwart the assassination attempts and clear his name. However, things are not quite so easy. The conspiracy theories have spread on their own and gotten out of hands. Attempts to debunk them just make them worse. Eventually Ben and friends win (of course) through a bunch of bizarre circumstances. Though Ben's parents are a little disappointed that the nice boy they new in Florida was actually Ben's nemesis. The book has some good action, but also has a few random messages that appear half baked. There is one line where Erica feels 'off' - but by relying on team she can destress and get back on her game. There were a few others that also felt just thrown in there. 

Spy School Goes North

Spy School Goes North: Spy School, Book 11 by Stuart Gibbs

Due to school safety compromises, Spy School is shut down. However, a few young spies-in-training are allowed to train in Alaska with the adult Hales. However, grandpa Hale gets kidnapped by Russians. The others go to find him. turns out he was talking with a Russian spy who is his nemesis. His grandaughter is also a "super spy girl", that is the Russian equivalent of spy school Erica. The Russian wants to find out details of how the US defrauded Russia of Alaska. If he doesn't get it, he threatens to blow up Alaska. The spy school group ends up in Alaska and Siberia. They go to talk to a former-spy school-turned bad guy imprisoned in Alaska (and inadvertently let him escape). One of the spy school girls (Zoey) falls for the Russian girl and the Russian spy decides to be with the spy school group. . This book also feels like many of the characters intentionally take 180s from their previous behavior. Erica's Grandpa acts stupid. Erica's dad acts intelligently. Zoey becomes attracted to a girl. The series has really been reaching for things to try to keep going.

Spy School Revolution

Spy School Revolution by Stuart Gibbs

Erica Hale attempts blows up a room in CIA headquarters. The Spy School kids are torn in their loyalties, with one thinking she has gone bad, while others thinking there is some reason for the actions. They end up tracing some secret code from George Washington. This leads them to the secret "Croatoan" group that is plotting to overthrow the US and return the land to Spain. The Spy School kids discover a plot to destroy many leaders by hiding in a sculpture on the roof of the art museum. There is some chaotic action before the manage to succeed. The Spy School series seems to be running on fumes. The scenarios are getting more bizarre and less plausible (in a series that never relied much of plausibility.)

Spy School at Sea: Spy School

Spy School at Sea: Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

The Spy School kids end up chasing the bad guys on a super massive cruise ship. The ship is owned by the ex-wife of a Chinese crime lord (that they sent to jail in an earlier book.) She and her daughter are grateful that the kids send him to jail, giving them more freedom. They have a bodyguard that is a nice cousin of the "mean" bad-guy bodyguard that they keep fighting with. There are a number of twists and turns, including a ride with a friendly drug lord and uncovering a lot of smuggling. They discover that the ship is nuclear powered - and has been tricked out by the bad guys to be a bomb. They eventually diffuse it and all is good. (But there were some close calls due in part to teenage relationships.) This sticks well to the spy school formula. There is enough so it can be stand alone, yet plenty of references for those who have followed the series.

Spy School Goes South: Spy School Series, Book 6

Spy School Goes South: Spy School Series, Book 6 by Stuart Gibbs

They think they will find Spyder. However, they end up getting caught in a plot to get themselves killed. The bad guys plan on using nukes to melt the Antarctic Ice Cap and thus earn trillions from now coastal properties. There are falls into Mayan caves, impersonation of big families at their reunions, and various spy tricks to keep the detonator from detonating. And of course, there are middle schoolers having crushes on each other and messing themselves up because of that. It is a middle of the road Spy School book.

Spy School British Invasion

Spy School British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs

The Spy School kids finally have the chance to take down the bad guys for good. They head out to England to hunt them down and get records of them all. They need to enlist the help of a super hacker that has extreme defenses and no people at his compound. They are able to get in via dogs. They eventually make it to the boss of Spyder. Turns out she is a lady instead of a guy. Spy school's best fighters are girls, so they are not surprised. However, Spyder happen to have an EMP bomb that is about to be triggered due to their actions. The Spy School kids manage to find it at the top of the Eiffel tower, hidden in a dummy. They disarm it by throwing it off the building. In the process they have some fights in British and Parisian museums, and have other classmates disarm bad guys attempting to attack family members. This one seems to go full on with "Spy" clichés.

Spy School Secret Service

Spy School Secret Service by Stuart Gibbs

Ben goes undercover as a friend of the President's son to try to uncover a plot to kill the president. However, the son ends up being a jerk and Ben becomes an unlikely pawn in the assassination plot. The spy school kids end up uncovering one of their own engaged in the nefarious activities and multiple levels of complexity. This Spy School book has ratched up the adventure and humor.

Spy Ski School

Spy Ski School (Spy School Book 4) by Stuart Gibbs

In this Spy School book, there is little pretence of actual school work. A group is asked to go out to Vail to go to ski school. A Chinese tycoon has rented out an entire hotel and seems to be up to something nefarious. They are not sure what is goin on. However, he is there with his daughter. The goal is to get close to the girl in ski school and hope to discover what is going on. Things get a bit more complex when the protagonist's best friend shows up. They go through a number of twists and turns before discovering a plot to detonate a nuke and corner the molybdenum market. It all has fairly "Get Smart" style of comedy adventure, with a bit of middle school "romance" thrown in.

Evil Spy School

Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

The protaganist gets kicked out of spy school due to an "issue" with a mock battle. Back in regular middle school, he gets chased by bullies who somehow stop chasing him. The "evil spy" leader has saved him and wants him to join them. He agrees (after realizing that his friends might have intentionally framed him to get him to infiltrate the bad guys.) The bad guys have their spy school (including a girl that barely missed the olympic gymnastics cut.) They have a base disguised as a gated community with missile silos in septic tanks. The good guys barely win.

The pacing works fairly well, though seems a little too long. There are plenty of interesting elements that seem almost plausible, but are clearly played for laughs.

Spy Camp

Spy Camp: Spy School, Book 2 by Stuart Gibbs

There is no summer vacation for Spy School. Instead, students must go to "camp" where they are trained. Alas, our protagonist's friend finds a secret note for the protagonist asking him to be an agent for the bad guys (Spider). There is an explosion while they are on a bus trip. A girl, who is a super-spy friend of the protagonist and her bumbling dad help to protect them. However, with explosions and hostages, they are not able to make much progress. Eventually the girl's grandpa swoops in to help. Eventually, they discover that a bad guy really isn't in jail and the bad guys have seriously infiltrated the intelligence apparatus. They have some battle within a civil war reenactment and manage to prevent a missle attack by pulling out the plug. The boy ends up realizing that there is advantage in taking credit for things. It all feels like the typically bumbling spy book.

Spy School: Spy School Series, Book 1

Spy School: Spy School Series, Book 1 by Stuart Gibbs

A nerdy kid thinks he is going to a science school, but ends up in a CIA spy school. The school ends up to be more challenging than he anticipated. He stumbles his way through some "practical" tests and meets a "legacy" girl. Then a "real" incident starts to occur with people starting to attack him. The book has a light hearted balance of spy and comedy.