Book Thoughts: United We Spy

Title: United We Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Gallagher Girls #6

Hi guys! I'm sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. Apparently midterms this semester meant "three solid weeks of no free time." But I'm back, and I have a super awesome book to tell you about.

**Warning! Spoilers for Books 1-5! (Not for this one)***

Cammie has a mission. Well, sort of. Well, okay, she's not actually supposed to have a mission at all. But as Catherine closes in on the last few members of the Circle of Cavan, time is running out, and it may be entirely up to Cammie and her friends to save everyone they love -- and, quite possibly, the world.

I've loved this series from the get-go, but by this stunning conclusion, it is not the lighthearted spy-teens romp it was in book one. Issues are way, way more serious now -- and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love love LOVE this final adventure we get to take with Cammie, Liz, Bex, Macey, and Zach, and I thought it was a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic series.

It had honestly been a while since I read the previous book so I was a little hazy on the details, but I didn't need to worry. UNITED WE SPY reminded me of everything important and contained a pretty solid story in and of itself. I for one really loved the chance to see Cammie & Co. entering the real world and dealing with these serious issues, and also still being high school seniors. Yes, they face some seriously grown-up situations, but they're still just eighteen-year-old girls (and boy, in Zach's case), and they hold on to that.

Also, a certain speech near the end of the novel (I will not say more lest I give spoilers, but you'll know it if/when you read it) had me in tears. I am so sad to leave this beautiful sisterhood behind, and I am sure it's a world I will revisit. Can't wait for Ally Carter's next!

Book Thoughts: Heist Society

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society #1

I read (and fell in love with) Ally Carter's newest book, HEIST SOCIETY, this afternoon. The writing style is quite different from her (equally awesome) Gallagher Girls series; it's in third person, not first, and while the Gallagher Girls audience would certainly appreciate it just as much, I feel like it's aimed at and appeals to a wider and maybe a little bit older audience.

HEIST SOCIETY follows the story of Katarina "Kat" Bishop, a fifteen-year-old girl who comes from a family of thieves. She's been helping her dad with heists for as long as she can remember, but now, Kat is walking away from a life of crime. She's conned her way into one of the country's best boarding schools, and she's done with thievery. At least, that's what she thought.

When five valuable paintings go missing, Kat's dad is the entire suspect list. Interpol is watching him closely...and so is the man who the paintings belonged to, Arturo Taccone. Taccone is even more dangerous than Interpol, and if Kat is going to save her dad's life, she's going to have to do the craziest thing she's ever done. With a little help from her friends, she's going to have to steal the paintings back.

Kat is a wonderful character - as are Hale, Gabrielle, and the rest. (Hale may have a place in the lineup of Amazing Fictional Guys now. More on that later.) All of them are so real, the story is just so engaging, bits and pieces are laugh-out-loud funny and other bits have you sitting on the edge of your seat thinking "AHH!" I would definitely recommend this book.