TWO LIES AND A SPY is a fast-paced and fun young adult spy novel. Karina is smart and sassy with plenty of realness behind her to form a good connection to readers. She doesn't live a normal life having spies as parents and a highly intelligent brother, but when her parents go missing, she hurts just as much as most teenagers, or anyone probably, would. That makes her character both moving and relatable in a situation that many would not usually find normal.

However, one of my favorite parts of this book is not any one character specifically, but the humor in the dialogue between them. Love triangles are not something I get excited about, but the triangle between Karina, Luke, and Evan is a quieter part of the story that uses great humor to build up the tension between them instead of a heavy amount of angst. It makes it a nice part of the story, though I would like to see more of Luke instead of so much concentration on Evan.

The pacing Kat Carlton sets for the story is intense and action packed, well-suited for a book about spies and secret government goings on. Combine that with roughly under 250 pages, and you have a quick and enjoyable read in what I hope is the first of a series to come. I would highly recommend it for fans of James Patterson and other thrilling spy novel reads.

Book Summary