Book Review: Also Known As

TITLE: Also Known As
Book 1 in a series?
AUTHOR: Robin Benway
PUBLISHED: February 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Drama
PREMISE: Maggie is a safe-cracker. Best in the business. Finally the agency her parents work for, give her a mission. Only this mission is to go undercover in a high school...
MY REVIEW: I'll be honest, I have never heard of Robin Benway before. I thought this was a debut, till I looked her up after reading this. My bad. I will say, the idea was somewhat silly. But like Gallagher Girls/Heist Society the ludicrous idea of a teen spy is lifted by being just plain enjoyable. I would have liked more focus on the mission part but honestly, even the drama part was fun because the author made her characters likable.
The best part was by far Roux. Seriously, she was fabulous. One of the best YA sidekicks to come along in contemporary fiction in awhile. I also loved the commentary on how ridiculous high school can be. Particularly drama in high school. Even as I wanted the story to move along, I was laughing and there's a lot that can be said about a book that can just put a grin on your face.
So, is it the most creative/challenging? No. But this book was definitely fun. I don't know if it'll be a series. Benway seems to do mostly standalone books. But I think it certainly left the door open for a series and I wouldn't be opposed to one. If you're looking for a fun read to tide you over till the next Gallagher Girls book comes out (seriously, do not get me started on how long a wait we have), this might do the trick for you.
WHO SHOULD READ: Gallagher Girls fans, Meg Cabot fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five awesome YA best friends