Spy School-Stuart Gibbs

I am currently reading the mystery book Spy School by Stuart Gibbs, which is the first book in the Spy School series. It's a mystery book because the main character, Ben Ripley, and his friend Erica Hale have to discover multiple clues to figure out the question of who infiltrated the Academy of Espionage? The book starts off with Ben Ripley, a young middle school student and talented mathematician, being recruited by Alexander Hale, a decorated Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, to the CIA Academy of Espionage. As Ben enters the academy, he finds out that he is not spy material when he meets Erica Hale, the most talented spy at the academy. So, why would the CIA want him? When an enemy agent attacks him at night, he starts to investigate. Ben soon finds out that he is bait for the enemy in the new CIA operation to find out who has infiltrated the CIA. They put in Ben's file that he is a genius coder, even though he isn't. The plan is that the enemy will come to capture Ben (again), only for the agent to be captured by the CIA. What will happen now? Will Ben and the CIA discover who has infiltrated the CIA academy? Is this part of a larger plot against the CIA? Find out by reading the mystery novel Spy School.

I thought Spy School was very engaging and mysterious. One reason Spy School is my favorite is because it has a bunch of mystery elements that make the reader say "I want to read more!" For example, when the enemy agent came to kidnap Ben, the text left so many questions. Who is this agent, who do they work for, what will happen now? It left that atmosphere, and then it flowed smoothly into the next part of the story. An additional reason Spy School is my favorite book is that the book immerses you into the world of a spy. An example would be when Erica Hale tells Ben all he knows about him, and Ben is shocked. Erica's response is "I'm training to be a spy, what do you think?" This gives the feeling that Ben is in with actual spies, not Hollywood actors. Another example would be when Chip, another talented spy, reveals that cheating and conniving are allowed as long as you don't get caught, showing that Ben is truly in an academy of spies.   Finally,  the book Spy School is my favorite book because it is full of action. An instance of action in this book is when Ben enters the Academy expecting to stroll in and settle down, only to be tested with live fire and "enemy agents" in his Survival  and Combat Skills Assessment (SACSA's). This is a mandatory exam (like a pretest) that tests skills a spy will need.I would recommend Spy School to anyone who likes action-packed and mysterious books who want a little bit of spying and conniving in the middle!
Harris R.                 Spicer Pds. 1 & 3