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#Prettyboy Must Die
A CIA prodigy's cover is blown when he accidentally becomes an internet sensation in #Prettyboy Must Die, inspired by the #Alexfromtarget story.
When Peter Smith's classmate snaps a picture of him during a late night run at the track, Peter thinks he might be in trouble. When she posts that photo--along with the caption, "See the Pretty Boy Run,"--Peter knows he's in trouble. But when hostiles drop through the ceiling of his 6th period Chem Class, Peter's pretty sure his trouble just became a national emergency.
Because he's not really Peter Smith. He's Jake Morrow, former foster-kid turned CIA operative. After a massive screw-up on his first mission, he's on a pity assignment, a dozen hit lists and now, social media, apparently. As #Prettyboy, of all freaking things.
His cover's blown, his school's under siege, and if he screws up now, #Prettyboy will become #Deadboy faster than you can say, 'fifteen minutes of fame.' Trapped in a high school with rabid killers and rabid fans, he'll need all his training and then some to save his job, his school and, oh yeah, his life.
When Peter Smith's classmate snaps a picture of him during a late night run at the track, Peter thinks he might be in trouble. When she posts that photo--along with the caption, "See the Pretty Boy Run,"--Peter knows he's in trouble. But when hostiles drop through the ceiling of his 6th period Chem Class, Peter's pretty sure his trouble just became a national emergency.
Because he's not really Peter Smith. He's Jake Morrow, former foster-kid turned CIA operative. After a massive screw-up on his first mission, he's on a pity assignment, a dozen hit lists and now, social media, apparently. As #Prettyboy, of all freaking things.
His cover's blown, his school's under siege, and if he screws up now, #Prettyboy will become #Deadboy faster than you can say, 'fifteen minutes of fame.' Trapped in a high school with rabid killers and rabid fans, he'll need all his training and then some to save his job, his school and, oh yeah, his life.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2018
29 people are currently reading
2218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
January 31, 2018
This book was a cute spy kids type of boarding school book. I found a lot of it to be a suspend your disbelief situation. The plot was flimsy, but not horrible. I can see it appealing to middle age readers. I think it is to young for high school or adult readers. The Clark Kent/ Superman thing was a tad ridiculous.
February 11, 2018
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jake Morrow, aka Peter Smith, is a foster kid turned CIA operative and since he epically failed his first assignment he's been given a pity mission at a school. He's trying to keep a low profile (there are terrorists out there looking to get bloody revenge), but when a classmate snaps his #Prettyboy photo during a jog around the track and uploads it to social media he becomes a viral sensation. Before he knows it, the school is under attack and he's stuck in the building with psychotic killers (and fans). This #Prettyboy's going to have to put all of his skills and training to the test if he doesn't want to be a #Deadboy.
#Prettyboy Must Die by Kimberly Reid sounded like it would be so much fun, like a combination of #AlexFromTarget (remember that guy) meets the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter and Spy Kids with a great sense of humor. The concept behind this is very promising and the story starts off well enough. The author drops us right into the action from Jake/ Peter's point of view. Reid keeps the pacing fast and light, and she does a decent job of writing action scenes. Unfortunately, as the the story moves on the plot just begins to get silly and ridiculous - forget about suspending your disbelief. Good characters could have saved the story, but I couldn't relate to anyone here, from Jake/ Peter himself, his best friend Bunker, Katie the hot girl with a secret of her own, or anyone for that matter. Jake/ Peter is the most irritating of them all - he is very arrogant, treats his one friend like nothing more than his flunky (are they only friends because Bunker doesn't know any better after living in a bunker with only his dad for company for fifteen years of his life?), and constantly underestimates girls and women (if they're good looking they can't be much more than an airhead space cadet, right?) even when they clearly have talent. I'll admit, there are some fun moments, but for the most part what I just mentioned overshadows all of that. If it's supposed to be funny, I must have missed it.
Overall, I really wanted to like Kimberly Reid's #Prettyboy Must Die, but it just wasn't for me. I was actually close to DNFing it, but I kept pushing through it. It's one of those novels where the concept behind it sounds incredibly promising, but the execution does not live up to your expectations.
Final verdict:
Jake Morrow, aka Peter Smith, is a foster kid turned CIA operative and since he epically failed his first assignment he's been given a pity mission at a school. He's trying to keep a low profile (there are terrorists out there looking to get bloody revenge), but when a classmate snaps his #Prettyboy photo during a jog around the track and uploads it to social media he becomes a viral sensation. Before he knows it, the school is under attack and he's stuck in the building with psychotic killers (and fans). This #Prettyboy's going to have to put all of his skills and training to the test if he doesn't want to be a #Deadboy.
#Prettyboy Must Die by Kimberly Reid sounded like it would be so much fun, like a combination of #AlexFromTarget (remember that guy) meets the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter and Spy Kids with a great sense of humor. The concept behind this is very promising and the story starts off well enough. The author drops us right into the action from Jake/ Peter's point of view. Reid keeps the pacing fast and light, and she does a decent job of writing action scenes. Unfortunately, as the the story moves on the plot just begins to get silly and ridiculous - forget about suspending your disbelief. Good characters could have saved the story, but I couldn't relate to anyone here, from Jake/ Peter himself, his best friend Bunker, Katie the hot girl with a secret of her own, or anyone for that matter. Jake/ Peter is the most irritating of them all - he is very arrogant, treats his one friend like nothing more than his flunky (are they only friends because Bunker doesn't know any better after living in a bunker with only his dad for company for fifteen years of his life?), and constantly underestimates girls and women (if they're good looking they can't be much more than an airhead space cadet, right?) even when they clearly have talent. I'll admit, there are some fun moments, but for the most part what I just mentioned overshadows all of that. If it's supposed to be funny, I must have missed it.
Overall, I really wanted to like Kimberly Reid's #Prettyboy Must Die, but it just wasn't for me. I was actually close to DNFing it, but I kept pushing through it. It's one of those novels where the concept behind it sounds incredibly promising, but the execution does not live up to your expectations.
Final verdict:
January 25, 2020
After some thinking about this book.. I have changed my rating from three stars to two.
#Prettyboy Must Die wasn't a terrible book.. it was just terribly boring. In the beginning, it was interesting. Heck, even the main character sounded interesting. Yet, for a "spy" book was plain boring. Nothing really grabbed my attention which disappoints me to no end. This book always caught my eye, whether it was the title or the synopsis. I wanted to read it no matter what but once I got my hands on this audiobook.. I just felt nothing.
Besides being bored, I just felt like the characters didn't do much but talk. Always talking.. not enough of anything else. So, yeah.. it fed my boredom some more. Other than that, nothing really gave me sparks of enjoyment. I am glad, however, that it done and over with.
#Prettyboy Must Die wasn't a terrible book.. it was just terribly boring. In the beginning, it was interesting. Heck, even the main character sounded interesting. Yet, for a "spy" book was plain boring. Nothing really grabbed my attention which disappoints me to no end. This book always caught my eye, whether it was the title or the synopsis. I wanted to read it no matter what but once I got my hands on this audiobook.. I just felt nothing.
Besides being bored, I just felt like the characters didn't do much but talk. Always talking.. not enough of anything else. So, yeah.. it fed my boredom some more. Other than that, nothing really gave me sparks of enjoyment. I am glad, however, that it done and over with.
Want to read
July 15, 2017#Hashtags Must Die
September 9, 2020
I had so much hopes for this book. Teenage Spy, Russian gangs, Hackers. Yes! I was supposed to have so much fun. Unfortunately, as much as I tried, I couldn't get into the story.
February 13, 2018
#Prettyboy Must Die was a fun and high stakes novel. There were some ups and downs to this book, but overall, it was a very entertaining story.
The main character, Jake/Peter, was the best part of this book. He was such a funny and charming character! His voice always felt so realistic and relatable. I loved hearing from his perspective and watching him deal with all the obstacles that were thrown his way. However, there were some characters that I didn't connect with as well. Some of the characters felt a little flat and predictable. There were also some characters that felt TOO perfect. However, Jake/Peter made up for most of it!
I loved the overall idea of the plot of this story. There were so many exciting and quirky elements to this story. I really appreciated how much effort the author put into making the plot unique and so much fun. There were some plot lines that felt a bit ridiculous and cliche, but they still added some exciting elements to the story.
Overall, this was a creative and unique novel! If books about a spy is up your alley, then this is the book for you!
3 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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The main character, Jake/Peter, was the best part of this book. He was such a funny and charming character! His voice always felt so realistic and relatable. I loved hearing from his perspective and watching him deal with all the obstacles that were thrown his way. However, there were some characters that I didn't connect with as well. Some of the characters felt a little flat and predictable. There were also some characters that felt TOO perfect. However, Jake/Peter made up for most of it!
I loved the overall idea of the plot of this story. There were so many exciting and quirky elements to this story. I really appreciated how much effort the author put into making the plot unique and so much fun. There were some plot lines that felt a bit ridiculous and cliche, but they still added some exciting elements to the story.
Overall, this was a creative and unique novel! If books about a spy is up your alley, then this is the book for you!
3 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
November 22, 2017
***I received an ARC of this book to provide an honest review***
Normally when I read YA I go for the intense stuff. I wasn't sure what kinda vibe PBMD would have, but I figured I'd give it a try. It turned out to be a lot more light-hearted and silly than I'd anticipated, but that isn't a bad thing.
"All that gym time required of my CIA training hasn't hurt it either, but damn, these girls are jockin' me."
Teenage CIA operative "Peter Smith" ends up in a Colorado boarding school chasing down a hacker. After a photo of him taken by a classmate goes viral Peter's cover is blown. Suddenly there's a LOT going on at his school - in the form of repelling mercenaries, kidnapping, spies, counter-spies and a handful of near-death experiences..for everyone. And a little romance.
"I hold her like it will be the last time. She kisses me again like it's only a preview of more to come."
Normally when I read YA I go for the intense stuff. I wasn't sure what kinda vibe PBMD would have, but I figured I'd give it a try. It turned out to be a lot more light-hearted and silly than I'd anticipated, but that isn't a bad thing.
"All that gym time required of my CIA training hasn't hurt it either, but damn, these girls are jockin' me."
Teenage CIA operative "Peter Smith" ends up in a Colorado boarding school chasing down a hacker. After a photo of him taken by a classmate goes viral Peter's cover is blown. Suddenly there's a LOT going on at his school - in the form of repelling mercenaries, kidnapping, spies, counter-spies and a handful of near-death experiences..for everyone. And a little romance.
"I hold her like it will be the last time. She kisses me again like it's only a preview of more to come."
March 29, 2018
• i grew up reading spy book so i found this storyline super generic
• what the heck was with that romance?? zero chemistry.
• jake, the mc, was grossly sexist but tried to downplay it.
• ^he legitimately dismissed the idea that rachel could be a hacker because she was too conventionally pretty to 'waste' behind the keyboard (among other things)
• the female characterisation was just kind of shitty, full stop.
• this was meant to be an #AlexFromTarget retelling? try #famous instead.
• so. many. plotholes.
• so many
• it was just boring and monotonous
• didn't gel with the writing style
• what the heck was with that romance?? zero chemistry.
• jake, the mc, was grossly sexist but tried to downplay it.
• ^he legitimately dismissed the idea that rachel could be a hacker because she was too conventionally pretty to 'waste' behind the keyboard (among other things)
• the female characterisation was just kind of shitty, full stop.
• this was meant to be an #AlexFromTarget retelling? try #famous instead.
• so. many. plotholes.
• so many
• it was just boring and monotonous
• didn't gel with the writing style
February 19, 2018
First and foremost I loved that the main character was black. Even better that he was just a regular black kid with none of the stereotypical problems black characters are given in books these days.
It was an easy read though not at all thrilling for a book about Spies. The characters seemed to spend a lot of time stopping and talking instead of actually doing which I found very infuriating.
The story itself was pretty decent but there was no level of danger for the characters or a sense of anticipation for them achieving their goals - which is essential for a novel of this genre.
It was an easy read though not at all thrilling for a book about Spies. The characters seemed to spend a lot of time stopping and talking instead of actually doing which I found very infuriating.
The story itself was pretty decent but there was no level of danger for the characters or a sense of anticipation for them achieving their goals - which is essential for a novel of this genre.
February 5, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. The quotation I have put in is not from a final version of the book.
1.5 stars
When I was reading this passage, I got the feeling that it strongly represented the book--and not in a good way. This book was oozing with condescension. Sixteen-year-old teen spies are constantly making grandiose band self-important statements like "this is serious business" (non-ironically), and everyone besides the main characters (and even the main characters, sometimes) are treated like they have no brains at all. This isn't helped by the gender dynamic between the teen girls who fangirl over him, who are treated as singlemindedly vacuous and totally devoid of any motivations besides getting a photo of him. I mean, what??
I found the portrayal very patronizing, and mildly sexist. I absolutely hated being inside Peter (the MC)'s head, because he was constantly underestimating women and girls (and everyone else, for the matter). Toward the beginning of the book, he literally says that he thinks someone isn't a spy because she's too nice and too pretty, an analysis which fascinated me with its blockheadedness. Sure, sure, it could be a satire, but I feel like Peter was so overconfident throughout the book that regardless, I don't have much trust in the author's portrayal. Several times, MC treats his best friend Bunker as nothing more than a lackey who doesn't have anything to do except follow Peter around and worship him. Jeez. Peter claims that he doesn't make friends because of the riskiness of his job, but I'm having a hard time believing that he would make friends even if his job allowed it.
More than that, there's no character growth. Even towards the end, there are scenes when Peter orders his best friend around rudely and, and the best friend, Bunker, immediately complies. When he encounters professional difficulties, a deus ex machina swoops in and (kind of) saves his job. Peter seems to never face the brunt of his arrogance, rashness, and all-around jerk factor, which was extremely dissatisfying. For a while I thought that his unlikable personality was there for a reason, but it turns out that it's just a lesson in the fact that sometimes, the mean guys come in first and never realize they're horrible all the while. THIS "MESSAGE" IS NOT WHAT I READ FLUFFY YA FOR! Even worse, it seems wholly unintentional, which just makes me sad.
Besides that, I think suspension of belief will definitely make the story better, though. Another major flaw is the unfeasible plot but it can be kind of funny if you get used to it. If you don't think too much, it's a clunky read but mildly entertaining.
1.5 stars
"This is our job; they're coming for us. They won't hurt you if you stay out of their way. So you need to do as Peter asks and go back to your classroom."
Rachel nods, and it seems her friends finally get that this is serious business. A few of them wish us good luck before they all turn and run.
When I was reading this passage, I got the feeling that it strongly represented the book--and not in a good way. This book was oozing with condescension. Sixteen-year-old teen spies are constantly making grandiose band self-important statements like "this is serious business" (non-ironically), and everyone besides the main characters (and even the main characters, sometimes) are treated like they have no brains at all. This isn't helped by the gender dynamic between the teen girls who fangirl over him, who are treated as singlemindedly vacuous and totally devoid of any motivations besides getting a photo of him. I mean, what??
I found the portrayal very patronizing, and mildly sexist. I absolutely hated being inside Peter (the MC)'s head, because he was constantly underestimating women and girls (and everyone else, for the matter). Toward the beginning of the book, he literally says that he thinks someone isn't a spy because she's too nice and too pretty, an analysis which fascinated me with its blockheadedness. Sure, sure, it could be a satire, but I feel like Peter was so overconfident throughout the book that regardless, I don't have much trust in the author's portrayal. Several times, MC treats his best friend Bunker as nothing more than a lackey who doesn't have anything to do except follow Peter around and worship him. Jeez. Peter claims that he doesn't make friends because of the riskiness of his job, but I'm having a hard time believing that he would make friends even if his job allowed it.
More than that, there's no character growth. Even towards the end, there are scenes when Peter orders his best friend around rudely and, and the best friend, Bunker, immediately complies. When he encounters professional difficulties, a deus ex machina swoops in and (kind of) saves his job. Peter seems to never face the brunt of his arrogance, rashness, and all-around jerk factor, which was extremely dissatisfying. For a while I thought that his unlikable personality was there for a reason, but it turns out that it's just a lesson in the fact that sometimes, the mean guys come in first and never realize they're horrible all the while. THIS "MESSAGE" IS NOT WHAT I READ FLUFFY YA FOR! Even worse, it seems wholly unintentional, which just makes me sad.
Besides that, I think suspension of belief will definitely make the story better, though. Another major flaw is the unfeasible plot but it can be kind of funny if you get used to it. If you don't think too much, it's a clunky read but mildly entertaining.
April 5, 2019
Trigger warnings: violence, school lockdown, gun violence, death.
This is such a fun concept - ordinary person has their photo taken by someone and is thrust into the spotlight because of a trending hashtag. Although in this case, it's less an ordinary person and more a teenage boy who works for the CIA.
Unfortunately, there is so much action in this (the bulk of the story takes place in a couple of hours) that I felt like I didn't really know who the characters were and as a result I didn't especially care when they were in danger.
Ultimately, this was fun but I feel like the story would work better as a movie than it did as a book. So I guess my feelings about this can be summed up as somewhere in the vicinity of *shrug*.
This is such a fun concept - ordinary person has their photo taken by someone and is thrust into the spotlight because of a trending hashtag. Although in this case, it's less an ordinary person and more a teenage boy who works for the CIA.
Unfortunately, there is so much action in this (the bulk of the story takes place in a couple of hours) that I felt like I didn't really know who the characters were and as a result I didn't especially care when they were in danger.
Ultimately, this was fun but I feel like the story would work better as a movie than it did as a book. So I guess my feelings about this can be summed up as somewhere in the vicinity of *shrug*.
February 5, 2018
Mini review:
I received this e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lot of fun! It was action packed and a fast read. I liked all the characters. And the plot was pretty good.
Recommend.
I received this e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lot of fun! It was action packed and a fast read. I liked all the characters. And the plot was pretty good.
Recommend.
December 30, 2017
I picked up the ARC I received from Macmillan a few hours after I received it because I felt like I was going to enjoy this book a lot, but... I didn't. Full review to come.
March 1, 2018
Many thanks from Netgalley for this ARC, this review represents my honest opinion.
I was originally intrigued by this book based on the concept - I love spy books, more so about those based around young adults. I was a massive fan of these sorts of books back when I was much younger (hence I read the Gallagher Girls series, the Cherub series, Young Bond, etc.) so I definitely wanted to read this.
On the whole, it's not bad, if you can overlook some annoying things, then this is probably the lightest cast away book you'll ever read. You're introduced to the resident teen spy messing up badly in action, then he's at school and shit goes down, there's a girl (of course) and there's a best friend (of course) and there's plenty of taken down that bad guy!
But on the not so great side, there's Mary Sues all over, culminating mainly on our resident prettyboy, and the love interest. I mean they did have their weaknesses but their Mary Sueness kind of just took over more often (there was even a scene where the kickass female suddenly messes up in a totally ridiculous situation which ends with knocking herself and Main Spy Guy out, right when they almost had the bad guy - talk about plot device much, totally unnecessary and totally made girl who was kicking butt and doing all these ridiculous tough things look totally useless at the wrong moment, could I please have a better mess up, thanks?) and some really unbelievable moments.
Furthermore, to focus on our main guy btw - the first person pov did not really work for him. I didn't quite get the feel of his character. One glaring contradiction about him I'm not quite sure why it stood out to me so much, was the fact that he was a super hacker - best of, best ever, whatever - andddddd we didn't see him do much hacking, plus there was one who was better than him. I think rather than best, it was more he was internally boasting/whining that he had hacked some super secret thing, hence his eventual recruitment into the CIA, but I don't remember seeing him doing all that much hacking.....there's a lot more other super spy stuff going on.....
Bunker was interesting, but I don't feel his character blended into the story too well, or he was just so weird that he was just right?
OVERALL: After this short review focussing mostly on things that annoyed me the most (and since I could list more, I figured I'd stop here), I do want to say, this book isn't all that bad. It had it's fun moments, but moreso it had it's laughable moments that put it to shame, but are to laughable you just want to see how it ends. Even though it's not a book that will change your life, it might be something nice for a break from all the dark and heavy stuff. Btw, I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was thirteen years old!
I was originally intrigued by this book based on the concept - I love spy books, more so about those based around young adults. I was a massive fan of these sorts of books back when I was much younger (hence I read the Gallagher Girls series, the Cherub series, Young Bond, etc.) so I definitely wanted to read this.
On the whole, it's not bad, if you can overlook some annoying things, then this is probably the lightest cast away book you'll ever read. You're introduced to the resident teen spy messing up badly in action, then he's at school and shit goes down, there's a girl (of course) and there's a best friend (of course) and there's plenty of taken down that bad guy!
But on the not so great side, there's Mary Sues all over, culminating mainly on our resident prettyboy, and the love interest. I mean they did have their weaknesses but their Mary Sueness kind of just took over more often (there was even a scene where the kickass female suddenly messes up in a totally ridiculous situation which ends with knocking herself and Main Spy Guy out, right when they almost had the bad guy - talk about plot device much, totally unnecessary and totally made girl who was kicking butt and doing all these ridiculous tough things look totally useless at the wrong moment, could I please have a better mess up, thanks?) and some really unbelievable moments.
Furthermore, to focus on our main guy btw - the first person pov did not really work for him. I didn't quite get the feel of his character. One glaring contradiction about him I'm not quite sure why it stood out to me so much, was the fact that he was a super hacker - best of, best ever, whatever - andddddd we didn't see him do much hacking, plus there was one who was better than him. I think rather than best, it was more he was internally boasting/whining that he had hacked some super secret thing, hence his eventual recruitment into the CIA, but I don't remember seeing him doing all that much hacking.....there's a lot more other super spy stuff going on.....
Bunker was interesting, but I don't feel his character blended into the story too well, or he was just so weird that he was just right?
OVERALL: After this short review focussing mostly on things that annoyed me the most (and since I could list more, I figured I'd stop here), I do want to say, this book isn't all that bad. It had it's fun moments, but moreso it had it's laughable moments that put it to shame, but are to laughable you just want to see how it ends. Even though it's not a book that will change your life, it might be something nice for a break from all the dark and heavy stuff. Btw, I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was thirteen years old!
February 7, 2018
For more of my reviews, visit my blog As the Book Ends or follow me on Bookstagram!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 1.5 Stars DNF (65%)
I HATE not finishing a book. It takes a lot for me to DNF something. Generally, even if I strongly dislike a novel, I will skim read to the end. But I just couldn't convince myself to finish #Prettyboy Must Die.
Normally, when I don't finish a book, its because the writing was poor, or there were grammatical errors that just drove me insane. That wasn't the case with this book. I actually liked the easy flow of the author's writing style. I even enjoyed the pacing of it, there really was never a dull moment.
Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended for me. The first thing that really bothered me was the cover. The main character, Peter, is described as a black teenager. So...why is there a white guy on the cover? Additionally, Peter came off as a HUGE misogynist to me. When trying to figure out who the hacker was, he eliminated a suspect because she was female, and the majority of hackers are men. Then, when another suspect presented themselves, he was once again focused on the fact that they were female. Why does that matter at all? I mean, he even mentioned her nails as a reason he was surprised. REALLY?
The other major issue that I had with the plot was that it was just ridiculous. The blurb for the book was interesting - I thought it was going to be a funny story about a young CIA operative, but the entire thing was taken too seriously. It was strange and unrealistic in every sense of the word.
My Takeaway: I really really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed Kimberly Reid's overall writing style, but was not impressed with the main character and plot of the novel. The main character came across as extremely misogynistic to me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 1.5 Stars DNF (65%)
I HATE not finishing a book. It takes a lot for me to DNF something. Generally, even if I strongly dislike a novel, I will skim read to the end. But I just couldn't convince myself to finish #Prettyboy Must Die.
Normally, when I don't finish a book, its because the writing was poor, or there were grammatical errors that just drove me insane. That wasn't the case with this book. I actually liked the easy flow of the author's writing style. I even enjoyed the pacing of it, there really was never a dull moment.
Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended for me. The first thing that really bothered me was the cover. The main character, Peter, is described as a black teenager. So...why is there a white guy on the cover? Additionally, Peter came off as a HUGE misogynist to me. When trying to figure out who the hacker was, he eliminated a suspect because she was female, and the majority of hackers are men. Then, when another suspect presented themselves, he was once again focused on the fact that they were female. Why does that matter at all? I mean, he even mentioned her nails as a reason he was surprised. REALLY?
The other major issue that I had with the plot was that it was just ridiculous. The blurb for the book was interesting - I thought it was going to be a funny story about a young CIA operative, but the entire thing was taken too seriously. It was strange and unrealistic in every sense of the word.
My Takeaway: I really really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed Kimberly Reid's overall writing style, but was not impressed with the main character and plot of the novel. The main character came across as extremely misogynistic to me.
April 4, 2018
I wanted to love #PrettyBoy Must Die and I did NOT. It's not even entirely easy to pin point where it went wrong and why I am not here salivating over its goodness? It's got a teen CIA agent who is undercover, a mystery and some twists. My issue was that even though so many exciting things were happening in the story. I was not invested in the happenings. I did not care about the main character or the secondary characters and I didn't really care about what was going on.
I didn't passionately dislike or like the book so I basically have no idea how to rate it. Objectively, its not a terrible book but I do think that the writing might be part of the reason why I had 0 investment in the happenings of the novel.
The writing made me feel like I was reading a never-ending essay and to be entirely honest, I am not sure why I didn't DNF the book? Its short and yet it took me an abnormally long time to read because I kept having to read paragraphs again and again when I lost focus. I think there was never any real showing within the novel and I kept feeling like I was being told things?
Basically, I don't have as much to say about this book which sucks because I have no real strong feelings about it. Which means I CANNOT BLATHER ON ABOUT ANYTHING. Wow, reviews are hard. Anyway, I do think that in terms of whether or not you should read the book, it is a choice you should make on your own because the premise is amazing and maybe the book might just work for you where it didn't work for me. I do hope we'll get more CIA agents in YA though because I think we DESERVE THEM. I WANT THEM. SOMEONE GIVE ME THEM. Anywayyyyyy... I am off to hunt more books with teen agents/teen detectives.
***Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review
I didn't passionately dislike or like the book so I basically have no idea how to rate it. Objectively, its not a terrible book but I do think that the writing might be part of the reason why I had 0 investment in the happenings of the novel.
The writing made me feel like I was reading a never-ending essay and to be entirely honest, I am not sure why I didn't DNF the book? Its short and yet it took me an abnormally long time to read because I kept having to read paragraphs again and again when I lost focus. I think there was never any real showing within the novel and I kept feeling like I was being told things?
Basically, I don't have as much to say about this book which sucks because I have no real strong feelings about it. Which means I CANNOT BLATHER ON ABOUT ANYTHING. Wow, reviews are hard. Anyway, I do think that in terms of whether or not you should read the book, it is a choice you should make on your own because the premise is amazing and maybe the book might just work for you where it didn't work for me. I do hope we'll get more CIA agents in YA though because I think we DESERVE THEM. I WANT THEM. SOMEONE GIVE ME THEM. Anywayyyyyy... I am off to hunt more books with teen agents/teen detectives.
***Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review
February 6, 2018
That was a cutie patootie kind of read. Not the most intense spy novel you'll ever read, but great fluffy trash.
February 19, 2018
This is going to be a short and sweet review as I find I don't have much to say about this book.
The cover? Meh.
The overall story? Predictable and flat.
Props for diversity. We need more of that.
In the end, I was just left hoping for so much MORE, that I was quite disappointed. I think this could have been a great book. I think this could have been a suspenseful book with lots of intrigue and "spy"-ness, but it just really .... wasn't anything.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me an eARC of this book!
The cover? Meh.
The overall story? Predictable and flat.
Props for diversity. We need more of that.
In the end, I was just left hoping for so much MORE, that I was quite disappointed. I think this could have been a great book. I think this could have been a suspenseful book with lots of intrigue and "spy"-ness, but it just really .... wasn't anything.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me an eARC of this book!
February 12, 2018
This was a lot more fun than I expected and that's a good thing. Fast paced and packed with lots of action, I was fully engaged and couldn't wait to see how it all turned out.
This is not my normal kind of read, however, I really enjoyed it. When I was reading it, I kept thinking it had this "Die Hard" vibe, and sure enough, I saw my sentiment echoed by other reviewers.
•Pro: The action started from page 1, and only let up for a very short time in the early chapters. This was exactly what I had expected from a book about spies trying to escape a hostage situation.
•Pro: All this action was balanced out with punches of humor, that kept the overall tone of the book on the lighter side, which is honestly the side I prefer.
•Pro: Peter/Jake was fabulous! He was witty and intelligent, and his inner monologues were fantastic. I absolutely adored his narration.
•Con: I would have liked to understand how Peter/Jake came by his hacking skills. He was orphaned, floated through the foster system for years, and was even homeless at some point. When did he hone his mad hacking skills?
•Pro: Bunker was an incredible sidekick. His backstory was hilarious! I loved him so much, and it warmed my heart that Peter/Jake finally had a best friend.
•Pro: Katie made an exquisite love interest for Peter/Jake. She was fierce and no nonsense, and I enjoyed every second they were on page together. There was a lot more to her than met the eye, and I was elated that she provided yet another point of connection for Peter/Jake.
•Pro: Spy gadgets! It was so fun waiting to see what they would pull out next or what they would be able to MacGyver from found objects.
•Pro: This story had lots of twists and turns, which kept me wanting more. I was quite pleased with the way it unfolded, and had a lot of fun piecing it together.
•Pro: I sort of liked the ending, in that it could be a doorway for another #Prettyboy story.
Overall: A fun thriller jam packed with action, spies, villain, and nefarious plots.
*You can read the first chapter HERE.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
This is not my normal kind of read, however, I really enjoyed it. When I was reading it, I kept thinking it had this "Die Hard" vibe, and sure enough, I saw my sentiment echoed by other reviewers.
•Pro: The action started from page 1, and only let up for a very short time in the early chapters. This was exactly what I had expected from a book about spies trying to escape a hostage situation.
•Pro: All this action was balanced out with punches of humor, that kept the overall tone of the book on the lighter side, which is honestly the side I prefer.
•Pro: Peter/Jake was fabulous! He was witty and intelligent, and his inner monologues were fantastic. I absolutely adored his narration.
•Con: I would have liked to understand how Peter/Jake came by his hacking skills. He was orphaned, floated through the foster system for years, and was even homeless at some point. When did he hone his mad hacking skills?
•Pro: Bunker was an incredible sidekick. His backstory was hilarious! I loved him so much, and it warmed my heart that Peter/Jake finally had a best friend.
•Pro: Katie made an exquisite love interest for Peter/Jake. She was fierce and no nonsense, and I enjoyed every second they were on page together. There was a lot more to her than met the eye, and I was elated that she provided yet another point of connection for Peter/Jake.
•Pro: Spy gadgets! It was so fun waiting to see what they would pull out next or what they would be able to MacGyver from found objects.
•Pro: This story had lots of twists and turns, which kept me wanting more. I was quite pleased with the way it unfolded, and had a lot of fun piecing it together.
•Pro: I sort of liked the ending, in that it could be a doorway for another #Prettyboy story.
Overall: A fun thriller jam packed with action, spies, villain, and nefarious plots.
*You can read the first chapter HERE.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
February 4, 2018
3.5 stars
Exhilarating, fun, and adorkable!
I’d recommend readers to come into this book looking for a cheesy YA spy thriller. The technology, logic, and tactics are rather interesting, even if they can be implausible at times. And yet, the light-hearted tone of the book creates a fun (even fluffy) atmosphere that readers can get engrossed in. Action lovers will really like this one, and in general it was just a tad silly and mostly exhilarating - I definitely had smiles on my face while reading.
Review to come!
Exhilarating, fun, and adorkable!
I’d recommend readers to come into this book looking for a cheesy YA spy thriller. The technology, logic, and tactics are rather interesting, even if they can be implausible at times. And yet, the light-hearted tone of the book creates a fun (even fluffy) atmosphere that readers can get engrossed in. Action lovers will really like this one, and in general it was just a tad silly and mostly exhilarating - I definitely had smiles on my face while reading.
Review to come!
March 15, 2018
Do not waste your time.
January 28, 2018
2.5 stars (2.75 probably but I don't even know anymore), but we're rounding up for the fun that was had.
This book was a bit of a hard one to rate. There were times that I really really enjoyed it, but there were other times that had me raising my eyebrows and skimming past it as fast as I could. However, I will say that Reid managed to take something that seemed pretty unbelievable and make it fun, quirky, and pretty enjoyable.
First, I have to say that I loved Jake/Peter. He was so much fun as a narrator. His voice was so clear and entertaining. Reid did just a fantastic job with him, and I definitely would jump into his story again if I had a chance. He was definitely a main factor that kept me going with this story, and I enjoyed him a lot.
The other characters were a bit of hit or miss for me. I really wasn't a fun of Katie too much. There were moments that I did enjoy her character and I loved what a great strong female role model she was, but at times she just felt...well, she was a little too perfect. I really don't know if she has any flaws? And she just seemed way too cliche perfect mysterious spy girl. I wasn't quite into that. I did enjoy Bunker as a side character as well. I loved how quirky he was, and his backstory really made him stand out from the rest of the regular YA sidekicks. He was fun and I super enjoyed him and Jake's dynamics as well.
I also loved the aspect of the viral sensation. This whole concept was just so much fun. I used to be really into spy stories and movies, but I kind of am quite eh on them now. This book definitely brought the fun back to the genre for me, and I liked how they added in the whole "Alex from Target" aspect that really set this book apart from the rest for me.
I guess one of the main issues I had with the book is just how much you have to suspend belief. I mean, this a spy novel with three teens that basically save the entire day. Things came a little too easy to them sometimes. I figured I would have to suspend belief about some things, but I didn't really think that I would have to suspend whole idea beliefs so much. It almost was too unrealistic for me, and I will admit that it did affect my thoughts on the book and how much I was enjoying it. It also did get a bit cliched in parts and that kind of bugged me - especially the romance.
Overall, this book was fun for the most part, and Reid definitely carved herself out a spot in the spy novel market by having such a creative idea, good writing, and a memorable narrator. Other things might have fallen apart in areas, but overall, I did have a pretty good time with it. I'm not sure how memorable it will be in the long run, but it was a good enough book to satisfy you if you're looking for some action and adventure. 3 crowns and a Pocahontas rating!
This book was a bit of a hard one to rate. There were times that I really really enjoyed it, but there were other times that had me raising my eyebrows and skimming past it as fast as I could. However, I will say that Reid managed to take something that seemed pretty unbelievable and make it fun, quirky, and pretty enjoyable.
First, I have to say that I loved Jake/Peter. He was so much fun as a narrator. His voice was so clear and entertaining. Reid did just a fantastic job with him, and I definitely would jump into his story again if I had a chance. He was definitely a main factor that kept me going with this story, and I enjoyed him a lot.
The other characters were a bit of hit or miss for me. I really wasn't a fun of Katie too much. There were moments that I did enjoy her character and I loved what a great strong female role model she was, but at times she just felt...well, she was a little too perfect. I really don't know if she has any flaws? And she just seemed way too cliche perfect mysterious spy girl. I wasn't quite into that. I did enjoy Bunker as a side character as well. I loved how quirky he was, and his backstory really made him stand out from the rest of the regular YA sidekicks. He was fun and I super enjoyed him and Jake's dynamics as well.
I also loved the aspect of the viral sensation. This whole concept was just so much fun. I used to be really into spy stories and movies, but I kind of am quite eh on them now. This book definitely brought the fun back to the genre for me, and I liked how they added in the whole "Alex from Target" aspect that really set this book apart from the rest for me.
I guess one of the main issues I had with the book is just how much you have to suspend belief. I mean, this a spy novel with three teens that basically save the entire day. Things came a little too easy to them sometimes. I figured I would have to suspend belief about some things, but I didn't really think that I would have to suspend whole idea beliefs so much. It almost was too unrealistic for me, and I will admit that it did affect my thoughts on the book and how much I was enjoying it. It also did get a bit cliched in parts and that kind of bugged me - especially the romance.
Overall, this book was fun for the most part, and Reid definitely carved herself out a spot in the spy novel market by having such a creative idea, good writing, and a memorable narrator. Other things might have fallen apart in areas, but overall, I did have a pretty good time with it. I'm not sure how memorable it will be in the long run, but it was a good enough book to satisfy you if you're looking for some action and adventure. 3 crowns and a Pocahontas rating!
July 22, 2018
Review also on my blog • Twitter • Bookstagram
I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#Prettyboy Must Die is a spy novel with a comedic edge. It follows a seventeen-year-old black CIA agent and hacker, who arguably a genius, named Jake. He is working undercover at a prestigious high school called Carlisle Academy, for those who exceed academically. Jake is there to uncover a hacker, his lead suspects being any of the new students, notably the senior students. However, his identity could potentially be revealed when a picture of him goes viral on Twitter, calling him “Prettyboy”. A tagline of this book is that it’s ‘inspired by #AlexFromTarget, which is where that connection is.
One of the books strongest points is the characters. It’s understandable why Jake is in the CIA at seventeen, as he shows a lot of intelligence, mostly in tech and hacking, but also shows in chemistry. He is also able to speak eight languages. His closest friend is a boy named Bunker, who is a strange character and the comedic relief. His character is unique as he spent fifteen years in a bunker – hence the nickname – due to his father believing in the Year 2000 conspiracy theory. He is also suspicious of Jake after he saw him beat up multiple guys and drills him with questions. The other major character is Katie who is the love interest of sorts. I adored Katie. She was an intelligent character and also one who didn’t take people belittling her. She was so much fun to read about, especially since so much mystery surrounds her (but not in a manic pixie dream girl sort of way).
The plot was done really well and there were mystery elements to it, since it was a thriller. Although, it did feel kind of limited with the setting, as the entire book takes place at Carlisle Academy. The author did use the setting well but it did make the book drag at times as there’s only so much you can do in a high school setting. The start of the novel was also really slow, mostly because the author spent time introducing the characters, the main conflict, and threat. It took until 26% of the book for it to really start. But once it does pass the slow start, it gets difficult to put down as the plot gets more and more intense.
Overall, #Prettyboy Must Die was both a fun and gripping spy novel and was a great read.
I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#Prettyboy Must Die is a spy novel with a comedic edge. It follows a seventeen-year-old black CIA agent and hacker, who arguably a genius, named Jake. He is working undercover at a prestigious high school called Carlisle Academy, for those who exceed academically. Jake is there to uncover a hacker, his lead suspects being any of the new students, notably the senior students. However, his identity could potentially be revealed when a picture of him goes viral on Twitter, calling him “Prettyboy”. A tagline of this book is that it’s ‘inspired by #AlexFromTarget, which is where that connection is.
One of the books strongest points is the characters. It’s understandable why Jake is in the CIA at seventeen, as he shows a lot of intelligence, mostly in tech and hacking, but also shows in chemistry. He is also able to speak eight languages. His closest friend is a boy named Bunker, who is a strange character and the comedic relief. His character is unique as he spent fifteen years in a bunker – hence the nickname – due to his father believing in the Year 2000 conspiracy theory. He is also suspicious of Jake after he saw him beat up multiple guys and drills him with questions. The other major character is Katie who is the love interest of sorts. I adored Katie. She was an intelligent character and also one who didn’t take people belittling her. She was so much fun to read about, especially since so much mystery surrounds her (but not in a manic pixie dream girl sort of way).
The plot was done really well and there were mystery elements to it, since it was a thriller. Although, it did feel kind of limited with the setting, as the entire book takes place at Carlisle Academy. The author did use the setting well but it did make the book drag at times as there’s only so much you can do in a high school setting. The start of the novel was also really slow, mostly because the author spent time introducing the characters, the main conflict, and threat. It took until 26% of the book for it to really start. But once it does pass the slow start, it gets difficult to put down as the plot gets more and more intense.
Overall, #Prettyboy Must Die was both a fun and gripping spy novel and was a great read.
December 20, 2017
Jake Morrow is an undercover CIA operative currently posing as Peter Smith at a fancy boarding school in Colorado. He’s flying pretty low under the radar until one of the girls at the school posts his picture to Twitter with the caption “See the pretty boy run.” All of a sudden, #prettyboy is trending, not just at his school, not just in Colorado, but across the United States.
I love a good teenage spy novel. I also have a complicated relationship with them, because sometimes I think I place a bit too much importance on the suspension of disbelief. Now, of course, I know that books like this aren’t going to be realistic. I know that there aren’t kids highly trained in military combat hanging out at high schools across the country. I also know that foreign powers probably aren’t going to send out skilled assassins to take down a seventeen-year-old kid. But when a book is written realistically enough that I can shut down that part of my brain, I’ll probably love it.
Unfortunately, my entire brain was screaming at me that Jake/Peter was the worst spy who ever spied. I mean, the kid gets nauseated anytime he has to do something remotely spy-ish. Every little thing makes him lightheaded. I figured out who the “mystery hacker” was within the first 25 pages, but CIA kid took forever to put the pieces together. He’s also a sassy little teenager who has zero respect for the chain of command. (That’s me as an adult talking.)
I loved Katie and Bunker. I think that the general idea of the plot was good. I love the whole idea of #alexfromtarget being spun like this -- what if he was an undercover operative? How would he handle his face suddenly being everywhere? I just thought that the plot was a little messy and I couldn’t get over the fact that the main character would actually make a terrible spy.
Final rating: ★★☆☆☆
I received a free ARC of #Prettyboy Must Die from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for my honest review.
I love a good teenage spy novel. I also have a complicated relationship with them, because sometimes I think I place a bit too much importance on the suspension of disbelief. Now, of course, I know that books like this aren’t going to be realistic. I know that there aren’t kids highly trained in military combat hanging out at high schools across the country. I also know that foreign powers probably aren’t going to send out skilled assassins to take down a seventeen-year-old kid. But when a book is written realistically enough that I can shut down that part of my brain, I’ll probably love it.
Unfortunately, my entire brain was screaming at me that Jake/Peter was the worst spy who ever spied. I mean, the kid gets nauseated anytime he has to do something remotely spy-ish. Every little thing makes him lightheaded. I figured out who the “mystery hacker” was within the first 25 pages, but CIA kid took forever to put the pieces together. He’s also a sassy little teenager who has zero respect for the chain of command. (That’s me as an adult talking.)
I loved Katie and Bunker. I think that the general idea of the plot was good. I love the whole idea of #alexfromtarget being spun like this -- what if he was an undercover operative? How would he handle his face suddenly being everywhere? I just thought that the plot was a little messy and I couldn’t get over the fact that the main character would actually make a terrible spy.
Final rating: ★★☆☆☆
I received a free ARC of #Prettyboy Must Die from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for my honest review.
January 25, 2018
This was a fun read - by no means earth-shaking, but what the story lacked in character or originality, it made up with the simple magic that it reminded me of being a kid and wanting to be a spy.
Who has not dreamed about being a teenage secret agent at one point in their lives? For Jake Morrow, it's reality. Tasked to find a hacker at the highly prestigious Carlisle Academy, Jake tries to blend in with the other students. Until the day his magnificent face and body (hey, it's YA, after all) breaks the internet with the hashtag PrettyBoy and blows his cover right along with it. Hours later, Jake finds his school under attack, with hostiles looking to x him out of existence.
What I liked about the book was the pacing. There's never a dull moment, from the beginning where Jake works undercover in the house of a Ukrainian mobster, all the way to figuring out who the hacker is that Jake was sent to stop at Carlisle Academy. There are spies, funny quips, a sweet, clumsy sidekick and even a bit of romance.
A quick and fun read that makes for a suspenseful afternoon
Who has not dreamed about being a teenage secret agent at one point in their lives? For Jake Morrow, it's reality. Tasked to find a hacker at the highly prestigious Carlisle Academy, Jake tries to blend in with the other students. Until the day his magnificent face and body (hey, it's YA, after all) breaks the internet with the hashtag PrettyBoy and blows his cover right along with it. Hours later, Jake finds his school under attack, with hostiles looking to x him out of existence.
What I liked about the book was the pacing. There's never a dull moment, from the beginning where Jake works undercover in the house of a Ukrainian mobster, all the way to figuring out who the hacker is that Jake was sent to stop at Carlisle Academy. There are spies, funny quips, a sweet, clumsy sidekick and even a bit of romance.
A quick and fun read that makes for a suspenseful afternoon
February 15, 2018
”’Do you know what I hate more than guys telling me not to worry?’ Katie asked.I am seriously so incredibly disappointed. Teen spy novels fill a niche in my reader heart -- but it’s hard to find good, original ones that are actually believable. A teen thriller based off the #AlexFromTarget story sounds amazing, yes, but the actual novel had one main issue: inconsistencies..
‘Um, no?’ [sic]
‘Guys condescending to me. Now get out of my way before I make you regret doing that.’”
Part One: Spoiler-free general overview
Characters
I loved how much diversity there was in this novel!! Teen thrillers are an area where diversity most seems lacking and there was so much in here. It warmed my heart. Peter was kind of annoying, but the balance between teen boy and spy-hacker working for the CIA was met, and so I can’t say I found his character unsatisfactory. Katie was my favorite character -- duh, she’s the greatest -- and I enjoyed watching her and Peter’s relationship throughout the course of the book. I don’t want to spoil anything about either of their character development, but it’s awesome.
Bunker seemed a little like a strange choice for a main character writing-wise, but he contributed a lot towards the humor factor of the novel and I couldn’t help but love him. He was #PrettyBoy Must Die’s very own Kimmy Schmidt.
Writing Style
The writing was really easy to follow, which was nice. It was also really funny in an awkward sort of way, which I loved. I didn’t feel as though a lot of research was put into the novel about different spy stuff, but that’s a minor misstep that I’m willing to overlook. Even though all of the vocabulary was there, besides that it felt like all the information was based off of other YA spy novels, which was kind of meh.
Plot
The plot is where I had the most issues with this one. It started off great, but around 55% in I started to notice a wide range of discrepancies, from minor inconsistencies to great, gaping holes. Though I could have been able to brush off just one or two, the sheer number of them is impossible to ignore.
Part Two: Spoiler-filled Analysis
To conclude, I would only recommend this book if you can completely ignore anything that has to do with the plot. Otherwise, it won’t be enjoyable. I’m really disappointed and wished this had been better. Ugh.
I was provided an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review. All opinions are taken from an unfinished copy.
--
Pre-review
lol like wtf was this
1. I'm so disappointed.
2. Katie?? love her.
3. This book has plot holes so big I could drive a truck through some of them.
full rtc
April 7, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I’ve always been a pretty big fan of the Alex Rider series and other spy movies and novels, and #Prettyboy Must Die had so much potential. It just fell flat when it could have been so witty and action-packed.
Basically, teenage CIA operative Jake Morrow botches his mission in Ukraine and enrolls undercover as Peter Smith at Carlisle Academy under the guise of amassing intel on U.S.’s top science research labs and its scientists when, in reality, he’s tracked a hacker—one from his Ukraine mission—to Carlisle.
When some teenage girl snaps a picture of Jake, shirtless and jogging, and posts it on Twitter, it goes viral. After #Prettyboy starts trending in Denver, Jake’s chemistry teacher gets knocked out, and his class is held hostage when Jake is conveniently out of the room. With other hostiles in the building, the school on lockdown, and no way to contact the CIA or police, Jake must find the hacker and save the day.
It’s difficult cramming action, suspense, romance, and well-developed characters into a book that’s not even 300 pages long, yes, but it’s not that difficult. The action and suspense felt barely tangible. I mean, 15 girls charging at a built, cold-blooded murderer with a switchblade causing the killer to flee? That’s creative, I guess, but it set the mood for the rest of the book. There was no actual sense of danger because of how simple or quirky previous solutions had been. I mean, one of the characters keeps carfentanil in her purse to knock out the baddies, so this book isn’t exactly nerve-wracking.
Romance-wise, I’ve never been so disappointed. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the romance between Jake and Katie just felt so forced and predictable. Katie also felt like some damsel in distress disguised as a strong female character. Somehow, she ended up being so perfect that it felt like a flaw, and her character was two-dimensional. She’s Carlisle’s star soccer player, the most popular girl in school, president of the engineering club, extremely likable, super hot, really smart, and British. She’s also an MI6 spy, but that doesn’t stop her from being held hostage or needing to be saved by Jake.
“So they’re both close, except the bad guy has bagged her . . . He knows I’m close. Probably knows what Katie means to me, so he has that advantage” (273). Yeah. After 200+ pages on how Katie isn’t like other girls, she’s still reduced to a generic female love interest who needs to be rescued by the strong male lead.
In general, I didn’t care much for #Prettyboy Must Die, but I guess I’ll give it points for diversity. Instead of reading about a conventionally attractive, white guy saving the day and his conventionally attractive, white love interest, I ended up reading about a conventionally attractive, black guy saving the day and his conventionally attractive, part-Indian love interest.
Basically, teenage CIA operative Jake Morrow botches his mission in Ukraine and enrolls undercover as Peter Smith at Carlisle Academy under the guise of amassing intel on U.S.’s top science research labs and its scientists when, in reality, he’s tracked a hacker—one from his Ukraine mission—to Carlisle.
When some teenage girl snaps a picture of Jake, shirtless and jogging, and posts it on Twitter, it goes viral. After #Prettyboy starts trending in Denver, Jake’s chemistry teacher gets knocked out, and his class is held hostage when Jake is conveniently out of the room. With other hostiles in the building, the school on lockdown, and no way to contact the CIA or police, Jake must find the hacker and save the day.
It’s difficult cramming action, suspense, romance, and well-developed characters into a book that’s not even 300 pages long, yes, but it’s not that difficult. The action and suspense felt barely tangible. I mean, 15 girls charging at a built, cold-blooded murderer with a switchblade causing the killer to flee? That’s creative, I guess, but it set the mood for the rest of the book. There was no actual sense of danger because of how simple or quirky previous solutions had been. I mean, one of the characters keeps carfentanil in her purse to knock out the baddies, so this book isn’t exactly nerve-wracking.
Romance-wise, I’ve never been so disappointed. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the romance between Jake and Katie just felt so forced and predictable. Katie also felt like some damsel in distress disguised as a strong female character. Somehow, she ended up being so perfect that it felt like a flaw, and her character was two-dimensional. She’s Carlisle’s star soccer player, the most popular girl in school, president of the engineering club, extremely likable, super hot, really smart, and British. She’s also an MI6 spy, but that doesn’t stop her from being held hostage or needing to be saved by Jake.
“So they’re both close, except the bad guy has bagged her . . . He knows I’m close. Probably knows what Katie means to me, so he has that advantage” (273). Yeah. After 200+ pages on how Katie isn’t like other girls, she’s still reduced to a generic female love interest who needs to be rescued by the strong male lead.
In general, I didn’t care much for #Prettyboy Must Die, but I guess I’ll give it points for diversity. Instead of reading about a conventionally attractive, white guy saving the day and his conventionally attractive, white love interest, I ended up reading about a conventionally attractive, black guy saving the day and his conventionally attractive, part-Indian love interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2018
NOTE: I received an ARC of this via Netgalley. This in no way influences my opinion.
When I first saw this on Netgalley, I decided to request it because it looked like a quick, fun, cheesy read - something that would just cheer you up and let you escape for a couple go hours. However, this book did not cheer me up, and I actually ended up DNFing it. The characters, the descriptions and some of the ideas that the author had left me eye rolling pretty hard - to the point where I'm pretty sure that my eyes got stuck in the back of my head.
I'm going to start off with the MC. I struggled to really engage in this story because I found Peter/Jake to be extremely unlikeable. He was constantly complaining and whining and was pretty condescending toward others - whether it was just his thoughts and the way in which he saw people or whether it was things he said to other characters. He was horrible the person who was supposed to be his best friend within this book and it just grated on my nerves. I physically couldn't connect to him as a character because I found no relatable qualities in him whatsoever. Despite his many mistakes etc. he still acted like he was better than everyone else and it really drew me out of the story.
His best friend's back story (Bunker) also seemed completely out there and extremely unlikely. His dad took him underground (for reasons I have forgotten) and he doesn't resurface for 15 years. It then seems unlikely to me that he is able to get into a relatively prestigious school on a scholarship and that he would be relatively sane of mind and pretty current with the times when he has been underground for the past 15 years. Surely he would have various psychological, if not also physical, issues that would confine him to a hospital/unit until he has be rehabilitated into the real world?
I think the biggest issue for me, and ultimately what led me to putting the book down, is the way in which Peter (the author) dismissed the possibility of a character being the hacker he's looking for because: She's English and beautiful and she has an amazing English accent and her hair smells English (Strawberries and Vanilla, who knew? Pretty sure my hair currently smells like coconut, so does this make me not English?), and she kisses super amazing and she's English and Rich as hell... Did I mention that she's English? This is what the book basically read like for me and to dismiss a female character because of these relatively shallow things got on my goat. It made me angry and I actually put the book down because I just couldn't face reading anymore.
All in all, I was pretty disappointed, and irritated, with this book. I was expecting something fun and cheesy and got quite the opposite. I gave this book 1/5 stars.
When I first saw this on Netgalley, I decided to request it because it looked like a quick, fun, cheesy read - something that would just cheer you up and let you escape for a couple go hours. However, this book did not cheer me up, and I actually ended up DNFing it. The characters, the descriptions and some of the ideas that the author had left me eye rolling pretty hard - to the point where I'm pretty sure that my eyes got stuck in the back of my head.
I'm going to start off with the MC. I struggled to really engage in this story because I found Peter/Jake to be extremely unlikeable. He was constantly complaining and whining and was pretty condescending toward others - whether it was just his thoughts and the way in which he saw people or whether it was things he said to other characters. He was horrible the person who was supposed to be his best friend within this book and it just grated on my nerves. I physically couldn't connect to him as a character because I found no relatable qualities in him whatsoever. Despite his many mistakes etc. he still acted like he was better than everyone else and it really drew me out of the story.
His best friend's back story (Bunker) also seemed completely out there and extremely unlikely. His dad took him underground (for reasons I have forgotten) and he doesn't resurface for 15 years. It then seems unlikely to me that he is able to get into a relatively prestigious school on a scholarship and that he would be relatively sane of mind and pretty current with the times when he has been underground for the past 15 years. Surely he would have various psychological, if not also physical, issues that would confine him to a hospital/unit until he has be rehabilitated into the real world?
I think the biggest issue for me, and ultimately what led me to putting the book down, is the way in which Peter (the author) dismissed the possibility of a character being the hacker he's looking for because: She's English and beautiful and she has an amazing English accent and her hair smells English (Strawberries and Vanilla, who knew? Pretty sure my hair currently smells like coconut, so does this make me not English?), and she kisses super amazing and she's English and Rich as hell... Did I mention that she's English? This is what the book basically read like for me and to dismiss a female character because of these relatively shallow things got on my goat. It made me angry and I actually put the book down because I just couldn't face reading anymore.
All in all, I was pretty disappointed, and irritated, with this book. I was expecting something fun and cheesy and got quite the opposite. I gave this book 1/5 stars.
February 6, 2018
I really don't normally read this kind of book, but I figured, what the heck, and I gave it a try. It was fun! Basically, it's a teenage CIA agent in a spy thriller that, aside from the prologue and backstory, takes place in the course of one day.
I know, a teenage CIA agent already makes you roll your eyes (it's called Operation Early Bird, get it?) But hold that aside, and we've got a teenage hacker and orphan, Jake, who was found breaking into the NSA's database, and instead of being prosecuted, was made a part of this program. And we start off in the Ukraine, on the last day of a huge case, where Jake manages to get in the way instead of help and a bad guy gets away.
Fast forward a few months, and he's no longer an active agent, but his boss has helped him get into a fancy prep school in Boulder, CO, where he thinks there might be some activity, in particular where he thinks the hacker the Ukrainian bad guy was using might be hanging out. Without his boss's approval, he's been trying to track the hacker down.
Then one day he's at the track, running, with his best friend, Bunker, when a group of freshmen girls ambush him and take his picture, without his shirt or glasses, which starts going viral on Twitter with the hashtag Prettyboy. So his cover is blown and he can't go back to the CIA. But he doesn't even have time to be mad about that, before a couple of bad guys rappel down through the ceiling into his chem lab classroom (luckily he was getting supplies from the supply closet at that moment.) And he has to go into full-on spy mode and use all his Langley training, to try to save all his friends and classmates from the bad men who have caught up with him.
The action was non-stop, I kept wondering exactly who could be trusted, as there are some other spies and some double-agents, and plenty of red herrings to throw readers off the path. It was just good, old spy thriller fun, and I wish his cover wasn't blown, because I'd like to read another book starring Jake.
I know, a teenage CIA agent already makes you roll your eyes (it's called Operation Early Bird, get it?) But hold that aside, and we've got a teenage hacker and orphan, Jake, who was found breaking into the NSA's database, and instead of being prosecuted, was made a part of this program. And we start off in the Ukraine, on the last day of a huge case, where Jake manages to get in the way instead of help and a bad guy gets away.
Fast forward a few months, and he's no longer an active agent, but his boss has helped him get into a fancy prep school in Boulder, CO, where he thinks there might be some activity, in particular where he thinks the hacker the Ukrainian bad guy was using might be hanging out. Without his boss's approval, he's been trying to track the hacker down.
Then one day he's at the track, running, with his best friend, Bunker, when a group of freshmen girls ambush him and take his picture, without his shirt or glasses, which starts going viral on Twitter with the hashtag Prettyboy. So his cover is blown and he can't go back to the CIA. But he doesn't even have time to be mad about that, before a couple of bad guys rappel down through the ceiling into his chem lab classroom (luckily he was getting supplies from the supply closet at that moment.) And he has to go into full-on spy mode and use all his Langley training, to try to save all his friends and classmates from the bad men who have caught up with him.
The action was non-stop, I kept wondering exactly who could be trusted, as there are some other spies and some double-agents, and plenty of red herrings to throw readers off the path. It was just good, old spy thriller fun, and I wish his cover wasn't blown, because I'd like to read another book starring Jake.
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