Review: Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter
Published by Orchard 2012

With more than a million Gallagher Girls books sold, a legion of fans have fallen in love with the New York Times best-selling spy-girl series, and the fifth book delivers the most nerve-wracking, high-stakes adventure yet.

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, her memory is a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and dirt under her nails. All she wants is to go home. But even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers as Cammie and her friends face their most difficult challenge yet. With only their training and a few clues to guide them, the girls go in search of answers on the other side of the world. But the Circle is hot on their trail and will stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

♥♥♥♥♥

*May contain spoilers from previous books*

I've been looking forward to reading this for a while now, and I read it as soon as I possibly could after purchasing it. This book was everything I'd hoped it would be and more, and I loved it.

At the end of Only the Good Spy Young, Cammie ran away to find out the truth of why The Circle wants her. Now, summer is long over and Cammie wakes up battered and bruised in a retreat on top of a mountain. She has no memories of what happened during those summer months. From there, Cammie embarks on the greatest adventure of all: trying to remember what she did last summer. This brings many more questions into the mix; with the help of her friends, Cammie retraces her steps on the other side of the world, and devastating secrets are revealed.

This book had a much darker feel to it, especially as Cammie wakes up in such a mysterious place under mysterious circumstances. Once she calls home and returns to school, she finds that everything has changed. Within the first hundred or so pages of reading this book, I seriously wanted to cry for Cammie because so much had changed while she'd been gone and she was pretty much an outsider; everyone was tiptoeing around her. But Cammie is strong, and the one thing that keeps her going throughout the book is her need to find out just exactly what she did last summer. 


The clues that "Summer Cammie" left behind fitted and flowed perfectly, and it was interesting to keep up with. The journey that the whole gang ventured on revealed some shocking secrets, and I honestly didn't see them coming. The way the whole thing was laid out was very clever. Cammie had to take a journey concerning her mind as well as a journey for the clues she left, and this also had a rather dark feel. The romance also returns. I found it rather soft and subtle; this isn't a bad thing because it didn't overshadow the story considering how important what Cammie is going through in this book is, and the subtlety added to the sweet and tender nature of Zach and Cammie's relationship. I also like how their relationship isn't outright defined, and Cammie herself is still unsure what to make of it. I feel as if it still has a "will they/won't they" nature, and I look forward to seeing it progress further. The ending was a massive shocker, and I really, really can't wait to see how this goes. I wanted the next book right after finishing the last page, and now the wait begins again!

5 stars

In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren, where we show the books that we have received during the week through buying, borrowing, etc.

Got some really good stuff this week! I got some books and I finally received the swag I won a few weeks ago.

Front

Back

Won:

Signed TEN bookmarks (Thanks to Gretchen McNeil!)

Signed The Last Echo swag (Thanks to Kimberly Derting!)

Gifted:

Clarity (Clarity #1) by Kim Harrington

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

(Big thanks to my cousin, Cindy)

Bought:

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Very pleased with what I got this week, what's in your mailbox?

Review: Only The Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

Only The Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls #4) by Ally Carter
Published by Orchard 2010

When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when she faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.

Now the danger follows her everywhere and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.

In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series, the Gallagher Girls must hack, spy, steal, and lie their way to the truth as they go searching for answers, recognizing that the key to Cammie’s future may lie deep in the past....

♥♥♥♥♥

This review officially completes my personal Gallagher Girls challenge, and I have to say that this series is great beyond a shadow of a doubt. Ally Carter is quickly becoming one of my authors to watch out for because she's done such a great job with both Gallagher Girls and Heist Society.

At the start of the book, Cammie is spending winter break with Bex and her parents. While there, she learns that one of the people she trusts most in her life is actually a rogue double-agent, working for the organisation that are after her. She doesn't know who to trust anymore, and she isn't safe anywhere.

This got off to a bit of a slow start, but from the middle onwards the action really picks up. Again, this book is more action and espionage than romance, which was good because there weren't many romantic distractions while I was focusing on what was happening in the story. There are also a lot more secrets, lies and suspicions, not to mention secret-revealing now that everyone knows that a double-agent was among them. Zach is also present, although he does come and go but he's more of a fixed figure in this book than in previous ones in that makes sense. We get to know Zach a bit more because there is some secret-revealing regarding him, and they are shockers. Zach and Cammie do have some sweet moments as well. Now on to the action. I was constantly guessing and being suspicious along with Cammie , and you never really know who to trust throughout. The action scenes were beyond amazing because they were amplified by the secret-revealing, and you can really read into Cammie's feelings, particularly her shock and her sense of betrayal. The pages up to the ending were absolutely action=packed and shocking, which made the actual ending have a lot more impact. The ending left me wanting more right away, and I can't wait for the next instalment, which comes out in April. Overall, this book is one of the best in the series; it's action-packed and keeps you on your toes throughout. 

5 stars

Review: Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls #3) by Ally Carter

Published by Orchard 2009

When Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she's there to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world's best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart. Cammie and Macey soon find themselves trapped in a kidnappers' plot, with only their espionage skills to save them. 

As her junior year begins, Cammie can't shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn't feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion's corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe? 

Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth....

♥♥♥♥♥

I feel as if this one was a bit of a letdown after book 2 but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Overall, the series is going well so far and I'm liking it.

Near the end of summer vacation (or the summer holidays), Macey invites Cammie to see her in Boston, where she and her family are hard at work trying to get votes that will affect Macey's dad's career in the next election. Secret Service agents are all around them, protecting them, but Cammie and Macey soon find out that Macey is the centre of a kidnapping plot, and Cammie will do anything to keep Macey safe.

*WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS; IF YOU PLAN TO READ THIS SERIES PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW*

In this book, there is plenty of action, mystery and suspense (which just about killed me because Carter just kept keeping me on my toes). Sometimes I just couldn't turn the pages first enough. A new side of Macey was also seen in this book, which I liked because it's not a side she shows often, if ever. Zach is also back, along with his own bout of mysteriousness as he keeps popping up in various places, and throughout the book, I never really knew what he was doing or what his motives were (still not really clear) and he didn't reveal very much to be honest. Boy, is he elusive. Cammie stuck her nose in as usual (one of the many things I love about her besides her smartness and determination). Yet another new character makes an appearance as well: Cammie's aunt, Abby. Abby is assigned to be Macey's personal bodyguard after a rooftop attack on Cammie and Macey leave them both very injured. Abby was a great character; she was fun, experienced, which meant that she told a lot of spy stories and inside jokes, and she knew what she was talking about; she came off as a very confident character. The laughs were there, but ultimately this book had a more serious and heartfelt tone. We see how far Cammie, Bex and Liz will go to protect their friend, and how far Cammie's family would go to protect her. Also, Zach was a lot more serious (which means no kissing scenes, boo! Although, Cammie and Zach do come into close proximity at one point). The ending was explosive and I was not expecting it, but I'm lucky I had book 4 on hand otherwise I would've just about died if I couldn't read what was going to happen next. The only bad thing I would say about this book is that sometimes I felt as if some things went on longer than was necessary and I was begging for it to just get to the point. Overall, a book that was overflowing in mystery and secrets; a great read.

4 stars

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

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #2) by Ally Carter
Published by Orchard 2007

Cammie Morgan may have a genius IQ and attend the best school in the country, but as she starts the spring semester of her sophomore year there are a lot of things she doesn't know. Like will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble did she really get in last semester? And, most of all, exactly why is her mother acting so strangely?

All Cammie wants is a nice, normal semester, but she's about to learn her greatest lesson yet—that when you go to a school for spies, nothing is ever as it seems.

♥♥♥♥♥

Now is the time to say that I'm impressed. I loved this book, so much so that I read in less than half the time that I read the first in the series.

Cammie Morgan starts a new school year hoping to put what happened with Josh behind her. As if that wasn't difficult enough, Cammie finds out that the school is keeping a secret from the girls, called Blackthorne, and she and her friends have to find out just what is going on. Little does she know that her school life as she knows it is about to undergo a radical change, and soon it's up to her to help put things right.

This is going to be slightly hard to review without spoilers, so I'm tiptoeing around it. Wow, this one was so much better than the first that I just ate. it. up. The tone was more somber this time around because Cammie was trying to move on and stay away from Josh, but the book was a lot more action-packed than the first and there were a few really good oh-my-god moments. There were some very interesting missions this time around and the whole time you didn't really know what everyone's motives were. There were the usual laughs at the girls' antics and I had a grin on my face at several moments. The romance was also a whole lot hotter. Whereas the first book had the sweetness of first love, this book had romance that was filled with mysteriousness and intrigue, and like I said, it was just a whole lot hotter. I loved the host of new characters that made an appearance in this book, and I really do hope to see them again, because things are a lot more interesting with them around. Overall, this was action-packed with great missions, laughs and an intriguing romance.

5 stars  

Review: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter
Published by Orchard 2006

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

♥♥♥♥♥

Ever since reading Heist Society by Ally Carter, I've been dying to read her other books because Heist Society was so amazing. This series has also been going on for a while and it has a huge fan base, so I have no idea how I didn't come across it until now.

Cammie Morgan may seem like a regular girl who goes to an elite boarding school, but she's so much more than that. For one thing, she just doesn't just go to a regular boarding school; it's a school for spies. She can speak to you in 14 different languages, and can kill a man seven different ways. Her year has already started out rough now that she's taking Covert Operations with harsh new teacher, Joe Solomon, but she's about to face her most dangerous mission yet: falling in love.

This was full of laughs and lots of spy knowledge that made for some pretty interesting reading. Cammie was a great character - she was bubbly, smart and very girly. I laughed quite a lot while reading this book because Cammie had had practically no contact with boys until now and seeing trying to make sense of what everything meant when it came to boys was very hilarious. I also loved Cammie's best friends, Bex and Liz. They were funny in their own ways and supported Cammie every step of the way. Also, although Cammie was fascinated with the prospect of actually dating a boy, she still mostly managed to think of her spy training first and that not exposing what the school really taught was the main thing. She was also very real in a sense because even though she was a spy, she made mistakes and had a lot to learn, both in her studies and in life.


Things that I didn't really like: Cammie's over-enthusiastic persona. I understood that she was new to dating and boys in general, but sometimes it came to the point where that's all she thought about most of the time. It was funny and charming at first but then it started to get a bit annoying when she started exclaiming at everything boy-related. There were also some parts of the book that were a bit dull.


This was a fun read with lots of laughs but I kind of felt a little disappointed at the end. I felt like I didn't fully connect with it at times. I feel that Heist Society was the better book, but I enjoyed this one nonetheless :)


3.5 stars

In My Mailbox (10)

Hi, I know it's not Sunday but I did go out despite the snow (originally thought I wasn't going to) after I posted my IMM post yesterday and I managed to get a few more books, so here's another IMM.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren, where we show the books we have received this week either through buying them, borrowing them, etc.

Legend by Marie Lu & Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover & Only The Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

As a personal challenge, I'm going to try to read all the current Gallagher Girls books before the release of the fifth book in the series. I've also heard awesome things about Legend by Marie Lu and I've wanting to read it for a while; I jumped at the chance to be able to buy it. 

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren; in this post we talk about the books we have received this week either through buying them, borrowing them, etc.

Links lead to Goodreads.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I saw the trailer for the film, which is coming out at the end of February and I was immediately interested in the book as the trailer was hilarious. It stars Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum, one of my favourite actresses!

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

I loved Heist Society, and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into her Gallagher Girls series!

Switched by Amanda Hocking

I've been seeing this around a lot lately, so I'm reading it for myself.

Really looking forward to reading all of these. What did you get this week? :)

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Published by Orchard 2010

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

♥♥♥♥♥

Heist Society had been sitting in my TBR pile for quite a while until I read a review recently that made me really want to pick it up. I can safely say that I wasn't disappointed. 

This story was a breath of fresh air. For once, I wasn't reading about vampires or werewolves, witches, sirens or anything supernatural. Nope, just a great book about a family of thieves. The story is very family-oriented, which I really liked because there's nothing better than reading about a group who know each other well and operate together effectively. Kat was an interesting character who was instantly likeable. She was smart, pretty and a great leader. Hale, Kat's best friend, was very charming and had the typical swoon-worthy look and persona. Nonetheless, he was a favourite of mine. The supporting characters were also great and I loved them all; they all added flavour to the story and were hilarious at more than one point during their heist. However, my absolute favourite thing about this book is that it's set in a variety of different places all over the globe. Carter handled the descriptions and feel of each place really well and it really helped make the story greater than it already was. The tricks of their trade were also very intriguing and the names they gave for all the techniques they could use were very funny. Overall, this was an easy and enjoyable read filled with loveable characters and a really good story about one hell of a good heist. Heist Society was great and I'm considering picking up Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series now. Looking forward to the next book in the Heist Society series, called Uncommon Criminals! 

4.5 stars

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at www.thestorysiren.com. Here are all the books I managed to buy this weekend and last weekend (I always buy my books because I love the smell of new books and I start thinking about germs (I'm a bit of a germ freak) when I pick up library books). I usually buy 2 books a week if I go out so this is pretty standard for me. I've had a good couple of weeks book-wise.

Crossed (UK paperback) by Ally Condie
I loved loved loved Matched, can't wait to see what happens next!
Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong (editors)
This book features stories from top YA writers such as Rachel Caine, Claudia Gray, Ally Condie, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl and more, all with the common theme of journeys; sounds interesting.
Heist Society (Signed UK paperback) by Ally Carter
Ally Carter was at the Bluewater branch of UK book retailer Waterstones a couple of weeks ago but I couldn't go because it was during a school day :( Luckily, Waterstones had her sign a few copies of Heist Society for sale and I got my hands on a signed copy; made my week!
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
I've heard nothing but good things about this book, so I'm giving it a go!

Really looking forward to reading all of these!