Review: Going Rogue

Title: Going Rogue
Author: Robin Benway
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Pub Date: January 14, 2014
Format: eGalley

Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver. Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux. Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo. Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. But when Maggie’s parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names. Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her “new team” flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies.—via Goodreads

Y’all! I really liked this one!

I had a bit of a lukewarm reaction to Also Known As, the first book in this series. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, but I got a little hung up on the emotional arc of the story and grumbled about it on this here bloggy blog. And I’m so glad to tell you that I have no grumblings about the second book!

It’s fun and so fast-paced that at times I was breathless while reading it. And there is international intrigue! And some new internationally intriguing characters!

But the root of the story is still Maggie, Jesse, and Roux, whom I adore and want to be besties with. Where I felt the emotions were a bit forced and then rushed in Also Known As, the emotional depth to the relationships between these three characters really works in this book.You get the feeling that these three characters have bonded completely and are able to trust each other without question, which I imagine is incredibly important when you’re all of a sudden on a team of international spies. Sadly, I don’t know this for real and for true since I’ve never been invited to be on a team of international spies, but I can imagine that it would be stressful and that emotions would be running high, and that trust and faith in your team is one of those things that is pretty necessary.

Overall, Going Rogue is an extremely readable spy adventure that will have you practicing your French (and every other language on the planet. You know, for when the time comes.) and trying to figure out which skills you can develop that will make you indispensable as a spy.