Review by Booklist Review
Bridget Wilder often feels invisible, stuck between a prankster older brother who seems on his way to becoming a felon, and a perfect younger sister who is popular, talented, and enjoys organizing events for charities. She wonders why her parents bothered adopting her, especially when her family forgets her thirteenth birthday even her only friend has to be reminded. When she arrives home from school that day, she finds a shopping bag on the porch with her name on it. Inside are presents that do not work and an invitation. Figuring it is a gag from her classroom nemesis, she goes to the location on the invitation, where she is given a black-and-gold tracksuit and a new pair of sneakers. She is told (via the toy phone that didn't seem to work) they will change her life, and, boy, do they ever. Bridget is told that she is the daughter of a spy and that she is now a spy-in-training. But just like the presents, all is not what it seems. Readers will surely enjoy this fast-paced escapist story and eagerly await her next adventure.--Roush, Suanne Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Bridget feels invisible most of the time. Her family forgets her 13th birthday, her one friend always dominates their conversations, and her classmates only acknowledge her when she is the butt of their jokes. This depressingly unremarkable life takes an unexpected turn, however, when Bridget discovers a bag of strange objects waiting on her doorstep. Can it possibly be true that Bridget's biological father, whom she's never met, is a spy, and that he wants his daughter to follow in his footsteps? This fast-paced novel packs a lot into its pages, including realistic school drama, family tensions, cool spy gadgets, and a serious plot twist. Some characterization and plot development are lacking, but the story is entertaining overall. The dearth of strong female protagonists in middle grade spy stories gives this book an added leg up. VERDICT A solid choice for libraries where action and adventure novels fly off the shelves.-Amy Koester, Learning Experiences Department, Skokie Public Library, IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Just days after her adoptive family forgets her thirteenth birthday, Bridget Wilder gets life-changing news: her biological father heads a top-secret CIA branch, and she will be its newest recruit. As the story picks up steam, Bridget juggles--with mixed results--spy missions, family dynamics, and middle-school life. Character development gets less attention than the action sequences and nifty spy gear. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Accustomed to being ignored, a middle child finds herself in the center of an espionage operation. Bridget's family and friends may have forgotten her 13th birthday, but someone leaves her a bag of spy gadgets at her front door. The gifts lead her to the truth about her birth father, and she's recruited as a spy-in-training for a supersecret National Security Agency section. Used to feeling invisible around her troublemaker older brother and her perfectly behaved younger sister, Bridget jumps at the opportunity to save the world in her new role. She manages to fumble through her missions with the help of her performance-enhancing tracksuit and her sarcasm. She hopes her successes will allow her to meet her birth father. Bridget's single-minded focus causes her to alienate everyone who cares about herjust as she realizes that her handler has lied to her. She attempts to pull off her most dangerous mission yet and make amends before it's too late. The slow start and dated or sometimes puzzlingly adult-skewing pop-culture references may resonate better with adults than young readers. The latter pages are action-packed but also bogged down by twists included mostly for their combat potential. The book's casual approach to virtual bullying and an apparent lack of consequences are also disappointments. An action-packed series opener with plenty of room for improvement. (Adventure. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
