REVIEW: United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Book Purchased By Reviewer

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the bestselling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie-and her country-forever.

Let me start by saying that I'm so sad that this series is finished. It feels like an old fiend that i'm being forced to say goodbye to. For as long as I can remember, I was a Gallagher Girl. Now, I feel like their graduation was also my graduation and now it's time to grow up and say goodbye. I feel unready and unwilling to face this cruel world alone, but I know that the skills i've learned over the years will guide me. Cammie, Bex, Macey, and even Liz will guide me. I've learned so much from them over the years, I just hope that I can make my life as exceptional as they have made theirs.

I feel like their is so much I want to tell you about this final installment of the Gallagher Girls series, but I know that I really can't say much without giving it all away. If only the synopsis gave just a little bit more details. Oh well. Looks like all you get to read from is how it all made me feeeeeeel.

Of course, I can still state the obvious. Like the fact that Zachary Goode is still the swooniest boy ever! And I will pretty much base all of my future boyfriends off of his character. After all, it only takes one word from him to make me swoon every time. Read: Spy (as he points to himself) swoooooooonnnnnnn!!!!

I think that the author, without knowing it at the time, gave us a gift with this series. She gave us a world that is real enough to actually be true! She gave us the hope that their lives could be OUR lives! She gave us a realistic girl with a (possibly) realistic life and a realistic problem that we can all (semi) relate to. Ally Carter probably didn't know it at the time, but she gave us a dream. A dream that could reshape our entire lives just by letting us believe and KNOW that we could be just as good as the Gallagher Girls because deep inside we're ALL Gallagher Girls! Thanks for the great ride, Ally!

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#7)~ Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

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

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan-an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing to stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

From the very first book, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, I was HOOKED!! But for a few reasons, this is my favorite book in the series. For one, Zach! For two, Zach shirtless! He truly is the swooniest boy ever! And I do mean the swoooooniest! Then there's Cammie and her friends, they are so badass! They make spy work look FUN!

Read my review of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd have to Kill You here

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

REVIEW: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)  by Ally Carter
Publication Date: April 1, 2006
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

Let me start by saying that this is my second time reading this book. Since the final Gallagher book, United We Spy, was recently released I thought the series deserved a "proper" goodbye. So re-read I did!

The main characters, Cameron Morgan, Rebecca Baxter, Elizabeth Sutton, and Macey McHenry, are all spies-in-training. Come on guys, they're SPIES-IN-TRAINING!!! That in itself is the coolest thing ever!

So like I said, Cammie is a spy-in-training and things start to get a little sticky when she meets a normal boy that has no idea who she is. The main thing that appealed to Cammie about Josh is that he’s the first boy to ever see her. He’s really the first person to ever truly “see” her. As a “Pavement artist” Cammie prides herself on being a “Chameleon” so when Josh actually sees her it throws her off. Balancing a boyfriend is not easy when you’re in a school for spies, but Cammie manages to balance her boyfriend and school work with the help of her best friends, Bex, Liz, and Macey. Even saving her from a few “close calls” involving her mother, teacher, and barn!

As for Josh, he turns out to actually be a pretty good boyfriend to Cammie. Even after the breakup (come on you had to see that coming!) he still comes to her rescue after witnessing certain events take place. I totally think he has “spy” potential and should have been given the opportunity, but hey what do I know right!?

Ally Carter is a great author and this book puts her on the top of my “favorite series” list. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did! 

FEATURE: Teaser Tuesday (#1)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists of they like your teasers!

Hi Swooners! So here's my "teaser" for this week...

"'Learn your legends early. Learn them well,' he warned as he leaned over, gripping the back of the teachers chair i'd never seen him sit in. 'The split second it takes you to recall something your cover identify would know is the split second in which very bad people can do very bad things.'"

P. 141, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You, Ally Carter 

FEATURE: Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Best Sequels Ever

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish. Every week the girls come up with a subject and we have to answer them.

This week's Top 10 is about the best sequels ever made. It can be any follow up to the original book, the second, third, fourth or even a companion. You get the point :) Here are my all time favorite sequels...

1. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

 OMG! More drama! More sorrow! More EVERYTHING!!! 

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

 I feel like this was such a bittersweet ending to a great series. My heart broke with every word I read!! 

3. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

 Same for Deathly Hallows. This was such a bittersweet ending to an amazing series that I can never forget what an impact it made on my life (along with the movies...I pretty much grew up with this series)

4. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

 Definitely loved welcoming back my favorite Demi-God Percy Jackson AND seeing a new side to the Gods...the Roman side!! Loved this book!!

5. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

 My love for this series started with this book. I completely fell in love with Jacob...that's right folks...Team Jacob over here!!!

6. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

  Ummm, Hello!?!? We meet the spy who stole my heart...Zach from Blackthorne...Can you say swooooon?!?!

7. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

 Wow! Never thought I would get over everything that happened at the end of Delirium. Especially with Alex, but Julian made the transition a little bit easier. I fell for him without even meaning to. At some point I remember disliking him, but that changed pretty fast...

8. Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

 This is when I fell in love with the series. So much ooey gooey goodness in this book!

9. Once by Anna Carey

 Caleb!!!! And the drama is CRAZY!!

10. Something Blue by Emily Giffin

I loved getting to know Darcy in a new light in this book and her story with Ethan was just so beautiful! The definition of TRUE LOVE!!!

Ok so that's my list, what about you guys? Any sequels you love, or hate, or love to hate? Tell me about them!

FEATURE: Top 10 Tuesday- The Top 10 Books on my Fall 2013 TBR List

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish. Every week the girls come up with a subject and we have to answer them.

This week's Top 10 is about the books on your Fall 2013 TBR list. It can be either books you're planning to read or Fall releases you're excited about! As for me, this is my list of books that i'm hoping make it into my shopping cart before the year is over :o)

1. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan-- Because who doesn't want to be a Demi-God?! 

2. United We Spy by Ally Carter-- Because who doesn't want to be a SPY?!?!?! 

3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman-- Can't wait to see what happens

4. Rise by Anna Carey-- Ummm  hello?!?! CALEB!!!!

5. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard-- LOVEEEEE this show!!! I know it's completely different from the series at this point...but I don't even care!! (hehe)

6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald-- I've been dying to read this classic for years, now that the movie is out is just a motivational push for me

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth-- Meeting this author at Yallfest this year AND it's becoming a movie!! CANT WAIT!!!!!!

8. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia-- I absolutely LOVED the movie (though I know many didn't) 

9. Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren-- Recommendation from my friend Jenn over at Books and Swoons- MUST READ!

10. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins-- Anything "magical" is a must read...DUH!!

So that's it for me swooners. Hopefully i'll be able to scratch these off my list and clear some space on my TBR list for the new year. What's on your  Top 10 fall TBR list?

BOOK TRAILER: United We Spy by Ally Carter

Hi Swooners!

So our dear friend, Ally Carter, has generously released a book trailer for her latest (and FINAL) Gallagher Girls book, United We Spy...SQUEEEE!!!




Check it out and tell me how much you LOVE it and CAN'T wait for this book to come out already...

3 days and counting!!!




So here it is...

REVIEW: Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story by Ally Carter

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story by Ally Carter
Publication Date: January 23, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Free download to Reviewer's Kindle
Buy it at: Download for free on Ally Carter's website: www.allycarter.com

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

THIS.WAS.EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Ally Carter for creating this beautiful combination of both of your smexy worlds…

Hale is so swoony and Macey? Definitely one of my favorite spy girls around…what a great combination!!!

Here’s a little something to pique your interest:

“At last, Macey saw something that she was absolutely not expecting. A boy.”

Oooohhhh boy, Macey McHenry is BACK!!!

“And for the first time that evening, Macey was impressed. ‘Oh you're good.’ ”

And I am definitely impressed. Whoever can impress Macey McHenry MUST be impressive themselves. Color me intrigued!!!

“You think you're gorgeous. But I'm the one guy here who knows better.”

Oh snap! Macey better WATCH OUT!! xD

“But in the end she merely shrugged, knowing at the very least it would be interesting. Knowing, in her gut, it might just be the beginning.”

And it really might just be the beginning. The skies the limit for both of these series and they can only continue to grow from here.

This novella will definitely have you on the edge of your seats with all of the sexiness it's oozing!!

~~Happy Reading ~~