Review: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Title: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #2)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: October 2nd 2007

Source: Purchased

My Rating: 4.5/5

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.

I'm sold. I am totally completely sold on this series. I'll admit, the first book made me a bit skeptical. But this one? It stole my heart and probably hid it in some military grade cell in the bottom of a bunker. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was every shade of brilliant imaginable and has convinced me that my new life goal is to become a Gallagher Girl.

Every time I read an Ally Carter book I am blown away by her talent. Her writing appears so effortless and realistic. I love how interesting and crafty her stories are and how everything seems to be well-thought out. The spy-lingo was so cool and I simply love the humor in this book. The narrator Cammie is absolutely lovable. So endearing, and one of those protagonists that makes the story amazing by how she tells it. I am so excited to read more from the fantastic Cameron Morgan.

After all the hype I've been hearing about the infamous Zach, I was pretty freakin excited to meet him in this installment. And he sure came in in a memorable, hilarious way! I like my guys with a lot sarcasm and wit and a little bit of mystery so I was a Zach fan from the start. Zach and Cammie were adorable. They bantered back and forth, and kept each other on their toes. The two of them together would make such a sweet (and funny) couple.

One of the best parts of this novel is the girls. The books really are about friendship, about trying to do what's right, and about the ups and downs of growing up. Cammie, Bex, Liz, Macey and all the other Gallagher Girls are a supportive and caring team that help each other out and push each other to be the best they can be. They're true friends and great girls. But that's not all the Gallagher Girls are. They are girls who are not just going to sit on the sidelines and watch the action pass them by. They're the type to calculate, and plot and then dive right into the thick of things. The Gallagher Girls can kick ass both with their fists and with her brains and I love that about them. I wish I was one of them. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a spy!

There was a lot of mystery going on in this novel! Everyone seemed to be hiding something and I, just like Cammie, was dying to get to the bottom of it. I found myself reading this book any time I could because I needed to know how it would end. And the final few scenes had me flipping pages like mad! It was a fitting end to the novel and made me itch for the next book.

Cross My Heart And Hope to Spy was simply a great novel. Awesome characters, intelligent plot, and a brilliant writer, I loved this book. This summer, (or winter, or fall, or spring, or life) check out the Gallagher Girls series.

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Find This Book: Amazon | Chapters/Indigo | Goodreads | Ally Carter's Website