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Spy School #8
Spy School Revolution
Ben Ripley faces the Croatoan—a new evil organization that’s so mysterious, the only proof it exists is from the American Revolution.
With SPYDER defeated, Ben Ripley is looking forward to his life getting back to normal, or as normal as possible when you’re a superspy in training. Until someone bombs the CIA conference room next door. To Ben’s astonishment, the attacker is none other than Erica Hale, the spy-in-training he respects more than any other.
His mission: prove Erica is not a double agent working against the US, locate the fabled colonial-era insurgent group that’s blackmailing her, figure out what their devious plot is, and thwart it.
But this time, Ben finds himself up against opponents he has never encountered before: his own friends. How can he succeed when he doesn’t even know who he can trust?
With SPYDER defeated, Ben Ripley is looking forward to his life getting back to normal, or as normal as possible when you’re a superspy in training. Until someone bombs the CIA conference room next door. To Ben’s astonishment, the attacker is none other than Erica Hale, the spy-in-training he respects more than any other.
His mission: prove Erica is not a double agent working against the US, locate the fabled colonial-era insurgent group that’s blackmailing her, figure out what their devious plot is, and thwart it.
But this time, Ben finds himself up against opponents he has never encountered before: his own friends. How can he succeed when he doesn’t even know who he can trust?
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
1320 people are currently reading
2744 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
March 6, 2020
Hi folks. I'm the author of this book, and I'm writing this because, yet again, Goodreads policy is allowing people who could not have possibly read this book to give reviews of it. How do I know this? Because no one besides me and my editor has even seen the book. Goodreads claims that they allow reviews before a book comes out so that people can 'express their desire for reading the book' -- but that's a quote from a customer service person, not their website. This website presents itself as a place where people can review books that they have read, not a place where people can indicate how much they would like to read a book in the future.
At some point in the future, my publisher may release Advanced Reader Copies of this book to allow people to read it and post actual reviews early. But for now, those don't exist. So don't trust any reviews from before... let's say August 2020. That goes for good or bad reviews. Even my own review is suspect. I mean, I wrote the book, so I'm going to be biased. (Although I really do think it is fun and that you will enjoy it. You wouldn't expect me to give my own book anything less than five stars, would you?)
At some point in the future, my publisher may release Advanced Reader Copies of this book to allow people to read it and post actual reviews early. But for now, those don't exist. So don't trust any reviews from before... let's say August 2020. That goes for good or bad reviews. Even my own review is suspect. I mean, I wrote the book, so I'm going to be biased. (Although I really do think it is fun and that you will enjoy it. You wouldn't expect me to give my own book anything less than five stars, would you?)
February 6, 2025
Such a cute book! Also, I feel weird...let me explain. I read this book for my nephew. He's twelve and hates to read. I was shocked when he asked me for this book set for Christmas. I suggested we read these together, and he said YES!
Unlike me, he reads books at random (I have a compulsion to read book in series in sequence). So this eighth book is the first book we've read together. I can hardly wait to do our book discussion together. I'm super excited about that. But here's why I feel weird. Whereas my niece (age 10) is really innocent and has no real notions of being kissed or whatnot, my nephew is definitely a tween. Last time I saw him, his arm hair started to come in. I am dreading the day his voice drops. He's so darned cute right now, and I feel like that'll have to change when he matures.
I mean, I don't really know if that's true, but I've already gone from #1 on his call list to the last person he'll call when none of his friends are picking up. But either way, he is growing up, and he likes this series a lot, where the protagonist has a crush on a fellow spy and wants to be kissed by her. My nephew is at a stage in life where his consciousness is considering wanting kisses from girls! 🥹 😣 😫 And that's why I feel weird. While it's a privilege for me to have this relationship with him where I can be an objective observer and also be his only nonparental adult friend, it's weird to think of him as an almost pubescent teen. In the meantime, I will read whatever book he wants with him.
Book itself is really cute and well-executed. It's got the above-mentioned budding romance, the barely-there romance triangle, a ton of action and adventure, and the most accepting parents on the planet. I can see why he likes this series. I like it too.
Rounding up to 4.
Unlike me, he reads books at random (I have a compulsion to read book in series in sequence). So this eighth book is the first book we've read together. I can hardly wait to do our book discussion together. I'm super excited about that. But here's why I feel weird. Whereas my niece (age 10) is really innocent and has no real notions of being kissed or whatnot, my nephew is definitely a tween. Last time I saw him, his arm hair started to come in. I am dreading the day his voice drops. He's so darned cute right now, and I feel like that'll have to change when he matures.
I mean, I don't really know if that's true, but I've already gone from #1 on his call list to the last person he'll call when none of his friends are picking up. But either way, he is growing up, and he likes this series a lot, where the protagonist has a crush on a fellow spy and wants to be kissed by her. My nephew is at a stage in life where his consciousness is considering wanting kisses from girls! 🥹 😣 😫 And that's why I feel weird. While it's a privilege for me to have this relationship with him where I can be an objective observer and also be his only nonparental adult friend, it's weird to think of him as an almost pubescent teen. In the meantime, I will read whatever book he wants with him.
Book itself is really cute and well-executed. It's got the above-mentioned budding romance, the barely-there romance triangle, a ton of action and adventure, and the most accepting parents on the planet. I can see why he likes this series. I like it too.
Rounding up to 4.
November 9, 2020
When someone fires at the CIA building while Ben Ripley is in it, he assumes it was an attack on the CIA in general. It quickly becomes clear that Ben was the target, and the person who attacked the CIA is his friend Erica Hale. Despite the evidence, Ben doesn’t think that she has turned into a traitor. The CIA, however, wants her arrested no matter what. Is Ben right? If so, can he clear his friend?
The series has turned a bit of a corner with this book, but longtime fans will not be disappointed in the slightest. The book is still packed with plenty of action and a mystery that keeps throwing us surprises until we reach the climax. Meanwhile, I laughed multiple times as I was reading the book. I enjoy studying early American history, so I enjoyed the fact that the storyline delved into that period a bit. The characters are as strong as ever and grow some again here. The series is aimed at middle graders, but it is on my auto buy list – for me. If you are looking for a fun, action packed book for any reader in your life, this is the book to get.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
The series has turned a bit of a corner with this book, but longtime fans will not be disappointed in the slightest. The book is still packed with plenty of action and a mystery that keeps throwing us surprises until we reach the climax. Meanwhile, I laughed multiple times as I was reading the book. I enjoy studying early American history, so I enjoyed the fact that the storyline delved into that period a bit. The characters are as strong as ever and grow some again here. The series is aimed at middle graders, but it is on my auto buy list – for me. If you are looking for a fun, action packed book for any reader in your life, this is the book to get.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
April 29, 2020
“Spy School” continues to be my favorite Stuart Gibbs series and shares in my top three action adventure series to recommend to strong readers in my 4th and 5th grade libraries. In the newest installment, team Erica-Ben have seemingly defeated their nemesis SPYDER and thwarted the double agents lurking in the CIA, but there is fallout from their success. In the midst of tying up all the loose ends, a new nefarious group emerges and seems to be responsible for innumerable anti-USA acts of terrorism from dumping tea to presidential assassinations and even the disappearance of the entire colony of Roanoke. (Thank you, Mr. Gibbs for solving that widely discussed mystery for early American enthusiasts everywhere!) Ben, Erica, Mike, Chip, Zoe, Jawa, Mama Hale, and a few new adult characters join together (or maybe not so together) to defeat Croatoan in their typical fashion—jumping from helicopters, blowing things up and even a frenetic horse and buggy ride. With his usual style, Gibbs creates a storyline that clearly couldn’t happen in real life but with such logic that readers may feel like shelving this one in with other realistic fiction. His writing is highly descriptive and his context-rich use of upper level vocabulary such as aghast, cacophony, dormancy, and reverberated (all in the same paragraph, no less) will expand readers’ word skills without them even being aware of it! All libraries, whether at home, public or school, should own this entire series and for those that already do, be sure that this one is on your next order. Content note: no profanity, violence is bloodless and entirely appropriate to defeating evil agents of doom, and while there is a hug and a significant face to face contact, there is nothing even approaching “sexual.” Thank you, Stuart Gibbs, for creating a book that is complex enough to interest even the grade 6-8 crowd, but free of anything that would keep it from the shelves of 4-5 grade students. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss.
March 29, 2021
is it possible to give a book 6 stars
December 6, 2020
I was kind of disappointed with this book. The whole Croatoan thing did not make as much sense as SPYDER, it doesn’t make sense that a spy organization would remain dedicated to a country they have no connection to anymore. But it is a middle-grade book so I guess it doesn’t have to make that much sense (let’s face it, I’ve read things that make far less sense). I’ll probably still continue to read the series.
April 14, 2022
3.5 ⬆️
April 19, 2021
Ben Ripley's cover has been blown which means his parents have to be told that he's a spy and given new identities to protect them. The meeting with his parents goes better than Ben expected until someone shots an explosive the room next door in the CIA building. When Ben finds out that Erica Hale was on the other end of the launcher that shot into the building, he knows something must be up. Erica would never try to kill him (or if she did, she wouldn't miss). But the rest of the world thinks Erica has gone rogue. Ben's quest to clear Erica's name will have him hunting down proof of a secret spy organization everyone thinks is a myth but George Washington and Thomas Jefferson may have proof as to the organization's headquarters. Of course, getting info from the founding fathers will be a bit challenging. No one has found it in hundreds of years, so why should Ben Ripley be able to?
Another great spy adventure with Ben and Erica and gang. I loved Ben's parents' reactions to him being a spy. The adventures in and around Washington D.C. are fun and help readers learn a little founding father history along the way. (Gibbs does a great job of clarifying what is true and what is fictional in the back of the book.) This is hands down one of the top 5 most popular series in our library and for good reason. Gibbs knows how to write exciting adventures that have touches of humor and are super engaging. Highly recommended (though you may have to wrestle the ardent Spy School fans to get your hands on a copy).
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some perilous situations but nothing more than some bumps and bruises.
Another great spy adventure with Ben and Erica and gang. I loved Ben's parents' reactions to him being a spy. The adventures in and around Washington D.C. are fun and help readers learn a little founding father history along the way. (Gibbs does a great job of clarifying what is true and what is fictional in the back of the book.) This is hands down one of the top 5 most popular series in our library and for good reason. Gibbs knows how to write exciting adventures that have touches of humor and are super engaging. Highly recommended (though you may have to wrestle the ardent Spy School fans to get your hands on a copy).
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some perilous situations but nothing more than some bumps and bruises.
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February 1, 2022هزارساله تموم شده... خیلی خوب بود حتی از جلد ۲ که مورد علاقه امه هم بهتر بود
November 24, 2020
Oh right, I was gonna write a review on this. I forgot about that.
Well, there's not much to say about this book. I feel like this series is getting really repetitive and it might be better if it was just ended already. If they finished SPYDER off in the last book, why do we need a whole other evil organization? When will it end?
Another thing about this book: I'm not sure how to feel when the main characters are all white americans and the villains are...not americans, are people of another race (in this case, hispanic). That just seems very weird for me to read. So I'm really really not sure how to feel about this book.
Well, there's not much to say about this book. I feel like this series is getting really repetitive and it might be better if it was just ended already. If they finished SPYDER off in the last book, why do we need a whole other evil organization? When will it end?
Another thing about this book: I'm not sure how to feel when the main characters are all white americans and the villains are...not americans, are people of another race (in this case, hispanic). That just seems very weird for me to read. So I'm really really not sure how to feel about this book.
June 25, 2022
Generic Spy School novel, nothing special
So, here we have it, installment #8 in Stuart Gibbs' Spy School series. This one was inspired by a visit by Gibbs to Mount Vernon (George Washington's estate), where Gibbs learned that Washington was the first spymaster of the USA. (The Afterword is worth a read -- in it Gibbs carefully sets out which parts of the book are true facts about Washington and which made-up fantasies.) The result is a formulaic Spy School novel. We have Ben Ripley, a gifted kid who achieves excellent results by not being stupid, Ben's friends who are well-intentioned and sometimes competent, and the ever-expanding dysfunctional Hale family made up of the World's worst spies, who believe themselves to be the World's best spies. If you love the Spy School books, you will probably love this one, too.
For me, to be honest, it fell a bit flat. What I like about Spy School is the humor and Ben. In the first book, Spy School, Ben is brought into spy school under false pretenses and set up to fail. By showing unique gifts, Ben manages to succeed despite adverse circumstances. (The reality is that, for the most part, Ben succeeds by being good at things that a real-world spy needs to be good at, while Spy School teaches skills of the James Bond-spy variety. Anyone who has thought about intelligence work seriously knows that James Bond would have been an absolutely terrible spy. So the Spy School series is a sneaky way of showing what it really takes to be a good spy in the real world.) It is always a pleasure to see someone succeed through unexpected merit.
Unfortunately, we have little of that pleasure in Spy School Revolution. Somehow Ben never really shines. As for the humor, this one was really not all that funny. After the joke about blowing up the Witness Protection Program vehicle if they park in the wrong spot again, there was little in it that made me laugh.
Also, I have a shocking revelation to make. Stuart Gibbs has not read The Iliad. (Or had not when he wrote Spy School Revolution.) I base this claim on the following passage, where Ben writes:
In actual fact, the story of the Trojan horse appears nowhere in The Iliad. The Iliad ends before the fall of Troy. The story of the Trojan horse is told in The Aeneid, written hundreds of years later by the Roman poet Virgil. This error makes nonsense of a major plot point of the last few chapters of Spy School Revolution. You can self-correct this fault by mentally substituting "The Aeneid" for "The Iliad" throughout Spy School Revolution.
So, here we have it, installment #8 in Stuart Gibbs' Spy School series. This one was inspired by a visit by Gibbs to Mount Vernon (George Washington's estate), where Gibbs learned that Washington was the first spymaster of the USA. (The Afterword is worth a read -- in it Gibbs carefully sets out which parts of the book are true facts about Washington and which made-up fantasies.) The result is a formulaic Spy School novel. We have Ben Ripley, a gifted kid who achieves excellent results by not being stupid, Ben's friends who are well-intentioned and sometimes competent, and the ever-expanding dysfunctional Hale family made up of the World's worst spies, who believe themselves to be the World's best spies. If you love the Spy School books, you will probably love this one, too.
For me, to be honest, it fell a bit flat. What I like about Spy School is the humor and Ben. In the first book, Spy School, Ben is brought into spy school under false pretenses and set up to fail. By showing unique gifts, Ben manages to succeed despite adverse circumstances. (The reality is that, for the most part, Ben succeeds by being good at things that a real-world spy needs to be good at, while Spy School teaches skills of the James Bond-spy variety. Anyone who has thought about intelligence work seriously knows that James Bond would have been an absolutely terrible spy. So the Spy School series is a sneaky way of showing what it really takes to be a good spy in the real world.) It is always a pleasure to see someone succeed through unexpected merit.
Unfortunately, we have little of that pleasure in Spy School Revolution. Somehow Ben never really shines. As for the humor, this one was really not all that funny. After the joke about blowing up the Witness Protection Program vehicle if they park in the wrong spot again, there was little in it that made me laugh.
Also, I have a shocking revelation to make. Stuart Gibbs has not read The Iliad. (Or had not when he wrote Spy School Revolution.) I base this claim on the following passage, where Ben writes:
The Iliad was the ancient Greek poem that told the story of the Trojan War. I had tried reading it in sixth grade, though I had ended up skimming most of it to get to the good parts, like where the Greeks scammed the Trojans with the Trojan horse.
In actual fact, the story of the Trojan horse appears nowhere in The Iliad. The Iliad ends before the fall of Troy. The story of the Trojan horse is told in The Aeneid, written hundreds of years later by the Roman poet Virgil. This error makes nonsense of a major plot point of the last few chapters of Spy School Revolution. You can self-correct this fault by mentally substituting "The Aeneid" for "The Iliad" throughout Spy School Revolution.
December 18, 2020
I had so much fun reading this book. Gibbs is a master at slapstick comedy. I was chuckling the whole while at the ridiculous names, chipper personalities, and general incompetence of several CIA agents (or moles).
Ha! You thought SPYDER was the only evil organization out there? Welcome to the Croatoan. Honestly, the Croatoan being an evil Spanish organization is the funniest conspiracy I have heard. (I don't really mean that. There are way too many conspiracy theories out there, like "mysterious ballot dumps." In fact, Gibbs had to write an author's note where he warned us against conspiracy theories.) It's honestly not a bad theory about the Lost Colony. And learning about the true sneaky side of George Washington was news to me. That founding father has gone up in my esteem, what with his substitution ciphers and invisible inks.
There's a whole new relationship arc with Ben and Erica, and a surprise Hale relative. I only have one problem, and that's Gibbs has done Zoe dirty. The way she acted in this book is contrary to her general personality, Gibbs made Zoe do things that she has frowned upon and said she would never do. Well, that's one way of getting out of a messy love triangle, I guess. If only it didn't affect one of my favorite characters in the series.
Guess what? Chip is actually a genius. You all think he's so dumb, but really, he's way above your level, that you really don't understand him. And, we get another visit from our old friend Murray Hill, who is fatter and sloppier than ever. What can I say, evil comes in all forms.
All in all, I loved this book, and am sad that I have to wait who knows how long for the next. I've been steadily reading this series ever since the first one came out, but, no one gets used to waiting a year for the next. Hurry up Stuart, write, write, write!
Ha! You thought SPYDER was the only evil organization out there? Welcome to the Croatoan. Honestly, the Croatoan being an evil Spanish organization is the funniest conspiracy I have heard. (I don't really mean that. There are way too many conspiracy theories out there, like "mysterious ballot dumps." In fact, Gibbs had to write an author's note where he warned us against conspiracy theories.) It's honestly not a bad theory about the Lost Colony. And learning about the true sneaky side of George Washington was news to me. That founding father has gone up in my esteem, what with his substitution ciphers and invisible inks.
There's a whole new relationship arc with Ben and Erica, and a surprise Hale relative. I only have one problem, and that's Gibbs has done Zoe dirty. The way she acted in this book is contrary to her general personality, Gibbs made Zoe do things that she has frowned upon and said she would never do. Well, that's one way of getting out of a messy love triangle, I guess. If only it didn't affect one of my favorite characters in the series.
Guess what? Chip is actually a genius. You all think he's so dumb, but really, he's way above your level, that you really don't understand him. And, we get another visit from our old friend Murray Hill, who is fatter and sloppier than ever. What can I say, evil comes in all forms.
All in all, I loved this book, and am sad that I have to wait who knows how long for the next. I've been steadily reading this series ever since the first one came out, but, no one gets used to waiting a year for the next. Hurry up Stuart, write, write, write!
August 1, 2020
Even though it hasn't came out, it's still amazing.
October 20, 2020
Brought me back to the good old days. I do still love this series lol. The fact that Erica continues to give Ben DUST pains me but here we are.
December 31, 2020
This is AMAZING! I am obsessed with spy school books. I never knew Eric’s had a sister! This book was by far the best one yet! I would absolutely love if a movie was made based on this!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2021
GOOD BOOK!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2020
Any day I can read a new Stuart Gibbs book is a good day. This new addition to the Spy School Series continues the action packed adventures of Ben, Erica, Mike, and friends. Fans of the series will be thrilled to read it. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
December 21, 2020
IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2021
That was so much better than I expected :)
December 30, 2020
I love these books! I don't care if they're written for an audience about 30 years younger than me, judge me all you want. Stuart Gibbs tells fun stories, and I will fight you if you say otherwise.
March 22, 2021
Our family loves these books. They are such a great family/road trip/audiobook option. Excited they are going to have another!
February 28, 2023
amazing besides for the facts the book glorified the old american presidents, especially thomas jefferson. that cunt was a fucking r*apist.
after ski spy school or spy school secret service, however, i do feel like the series has lost some of its originality. the series is being a bit repetitive and this book was definitely not needed, but i will eat up all of his work.
i love the humour, the language, and the familiar characters. only complaint is that he did zoe DIRTY. my girl would never have done it and i hate how it's ruined her character.
i also don't like the sister reveal, especially the end (just a preference).
after ski spy school or spy school secret service, however, i do feel like the series has lost some of its originality. the series is being a bit repetitive and this book was definitely not needed, but i will eat up all of his work.
i love the humour, the language, and the familiar characters. only complaint is that he did zoe DIRTY. my girl would never have done it and i hate how it's ruined her character.
i also don't like the sister reveal, especially the end (just a preference).
February 19, 2023
Ben and his friends have finally defeated SPYDER and now it seems another evil entity is after Ben and his family. The Croatoan’s have infiltrated the CIA. No one believes Ben, Mike and Erica. Not even Zoey!!
Read
February 18, 2021Finally finished the full series. Yay! Anyways, this book is as equally surprising and action packed as the rest of the other books, and I really liked it. I was really surprised how El Capitan hid in plain site. It was really clever. Of course, I really enjoy how Stuart Gibbs used real facts in the book, such as George Washington's invisible ink. Rating: ∞/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2022
Starts of really bad for a spy school book I would’ve expected more. Once you get to the end though it becomes really good.
February 15, 2024
Spy school books are always so much fun to read!!
October 17, 2020
Spy School Revolution is a very well thought out book- in a nutshell. No matter what, Gibbs always has us longing for the next book to arrive as soon as possible.
Content: (Spoilers)
Erica is blackmailed by the Croatoan into killing Benjamin Ripley or her sister, Trixie, would die. Ben was currently speaking to his parents about the Witness Federal Protection Programme with Alexander Hale and two other agents, Nora Taco and Heather Durkee, because in SSBI Ben’s parents’ location and identity were compromised.
However, the conference room next door blows up after Erica Hale fires a RPG at it. Apparently, that conference room was the conference room that Ben and his parents were supposed to be in, but they had been moved.
Out of all the friends that he had spoken to about Erica blowing up the conference room, only Mike believes him fully. Ben realizes Erica left him a message via a teddy bear in his room. He crackes the code in the message and figures out Erica’s location, before he and Zoe, with the help of Mike and Cyrus, go and find Erica. After they meet Erica, Zoe betrays both of them by contacting the CIA and compromising Erica’s location.
Erica speaks to Ben about the Croatoan and Ben, along with Catherine Hale and Mike, (without Erica) goes to Mount Vernon in order to retrieve Croatoan documents that were hidden by Thomas Jefferson. With the help of Thomas Jefferson’s journal, Ben figures out the location of the files.
During their escape from Mount Vernon, Catherine has no choice but to abandon Ben so that George Washington’s document would be safe from the Croatoan. Ben, Catherine and Mike meet up at Ben and Mike’s burrow, after Zoe finds Ben again in the burrow, threatening to arrest him.
In the end, they finally figure out the true meaning of the message in George Washington’s letter and also meet Erica.
Soon, they head down to the Croatoan headquarters and after some events, they are found by the DADD, the Double Agent Detection Division by Agent Nora Taco.
Ben and the rest are captured and put into cells, before they put under the Federal Witness Protection Programme by Agent Durkee. Agent Durkee turns out to be El Capitan, leader of the Croatoan and kidnap Ben, Mike, Catherine, and Erica. Both women are knocked out by Durkee’s taser.
Ben meets Murray Hill when he is being escorted to a room above the Bowl-O-Rama, the local bowling alley to be taken hostage by Agent Durkee. Murray Hill gives Agent Durkee RDX explosive in exchange for a briefcase of money. Ben and Mike meet Ben’s parents in the room while Erica and Catherine are thrown into another, still unconscious.
Ben and Mike, along with Ben’s parents, escape by blowing up the door. Erica and Catherine are awakened by the explosion. All of them manage to escape and go to a pancake place before returning to Spy School.
Ben, Chip and Jawa brainstorm but have no luck. Ben falls asleep but wakes up when Erica enters his room. We see some romance here. Chip then walks in on them. Gibbs mentions that Ben was although not a violent person, he was seriously giving thought to throttling Chip or knocking him out so that Ben and Erica could be alone again.
Jawa and Mike also enter the room and they discuss for a bit before figuring out the Croatoan’s real plan. Alexander flies them in via Orion’s helicopter which was given to him by Orion. However, because of some fighter jets, Catherine tells everyone that they are unable to proceed with the mission.
Erica defies her and jumps off the helicopter. Ben takes on Agent Durkee while Erica tackles Durkee’s henchman. Ben is able to stop the attack.
In the end, Trixie visits Ben when Ben is recuperating for his injuries. Trixie mentions that she had always wanted to see the person her sister liked and said that Erica had already mentioned him 4 times.
Mike walks into the room and both Trixie and Mike are attracted to each other. Mike then tells Ben where Murray Hill had been after Paris after Trixie left the room, unaware she was eavesdropping on them. Trixie enters the room again and demands Ben and Mike tell Trixie the truth about her family.
Overall, it was a great book that kept me hanging. This book is very well developed and would be worth a try reading.
Any cons? I don’t think I can find many, except the fact that Gibbs does not remember his character’s minor details well. He mistakenly writes something wrong about one character each time.
Go get the book. That’s all I can tell you.
Content: (Spoilers)
Erica is blackmailed by the Croatoan into killing Benjamin Ripley or her sister, Trixie, would die. Ben was currently speaking to his parents about the Witness Federal Protection Programme with Alexander Hale and two other agents, Nora Taco and Heather Durkee, because in SSBI Ben’s parents’ location and identity were compromised.
However, the conference room next door blows up after Erica Hale fires a RPG at it. Apparently, that conference room was the conference room that Ben and his parents were supposed to be in, but they had been moved.
Out of all the friends that he had spoken to about Erica blowing up the conference room, only Mike believes him fully. Ben realizes Erica left him a message via a teddy bear in his room. He crackes the code in the message and figures out Erica’s location, before he and Zoe, with the help of Mike and Cyrus, go and find Erica. After they meet Erica, Zoe betrays both of them by contacting the CIA and compromising Erica’s location.
Erica speaks to Ben about the Croatoan and Ben, along with Catherine Hale and Mike, (without Erica) goes to Mount Vernon in order to retrieve Croatoan documents that were hidden by Thomas Jefferson. With the help of Thomas Jefferson’s journal, Ben figures out the location of the files.
During their escape from Mount Vernon, Catherine has no choice but to abandon Ben so that George Washington’s document would be safe from the Croatoan. Ben, Catherine and Mike meet up at Ben and Mike’s burrow, after Zoe finds Ben again in the burrow, threatening to arrest him.
In the end, they finally figure out the true meaning of the message in George Washington’s letter and also meet Erica.
Soon, they head down to the Croatoan headquarters and after some events, they are found by the DADD, the Double Agent Detection Division by Agent Nora Taco.
Ben and the rest are captured and put into cells, before they put under the Federal Witness Protection Programme by Agent Durkee. Agent Durkee turns out to be El Capitan, leader of the Croatoan and kidnap Ben, Mike, Catherine, and Erica. Both women are knocked out by Durkee’s taser.
Ben meets Murray Hill when he is being escorted to a room above the Bowl-O-Rama, the local bowling alley to be taken hostage by Agent Durkee. Murray Hill gives Agent Durkee RDX explosive in exchange for a briefcase of money. Ben and Mike meet Ben’s parents in the room while Erica and Catherine are thrown into another, still unconscious.
Ben and Mike, along with Ben’s parents, escape by blowing up the door. Erica and Catherine are awakened by the explosion. All of them manage to escape and go to a pancake place before returning to Spy School.
Ben, Chip and Jawa brainstorm but have no luck. Ben falls asleep but wakes up when Erica enters his room. We see some romance here. Chip then walks in on them. Gibbs mentions that Ben was although not a violent person, he was seriously giving thought to throttling Chip or knocking him out so that Ben and Erica could be alone again.
Jawa and Mike also enter the room and they discuss for a bit before figuring out the Croatoan’s real plan. Alexander flies them in via Orion’s helicopter which was given to him by Orion. However, because of some fighter jets, Catherine tells everyone that they are unable to proceed with the mission.
Erica defies her and jumps off the helicopter. Ben takes on Agent Durkee while Erica tackles Durkee’s henchman. Ben is able to stop the attack.
In the end, Trixie visits Ben when Ben is recuperating for his injuries. Trixie mentions that she had always wanted to see the person her sister liked and said that Erica had already mentioned him 4 times.
Mike walks into the room and both Trixie and Mike are attracted to each other. Mike then tells Ben where Murray Hill had been after Paris after Trixie left the room, unaware she was eavesdropping on them. Trixie enters the room again and demands Ben and Mike tell Trixie the truth about her family.
Overall, it was a great book that kept me hanging. This book is very well developed and would be worth a try reading.
Any cons? I don’t think I can find many, except the fact that Gibbs does not remember his character’s minor details well. He mistakenly writes something wrong about one character each time.
Go get the book. That’s all I can tell you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 27, 2021I love this book! It was my third time reading but I still love it! I highly recommend all the Spy School books and this one too! I really love how they introduce another pretty big character even though it's one of the lasts books in the series. All in all, I really think you should read Spy School!
June 21, 2022
An interesting plot! A bit unexpected since the cover made me think the book would be related to colonial times. (It's not). Glad I had the next book on hand since it sets us up for another adventure...
January 6, 2026
Spy School Revolution was written by Stuart Gibbs, and is book eight in the Spy School series.
Summary: Ben Ripley has finally bested SPYDER. But there is little time to relax-someone is already trying to kill him.
Now Ben has a whole new evil organization out to get him, his parents, his friends, and the United States of America.
How will he know who to trust when he finds out Erica was behind the attempt on his life?
And will he be able to discover the enemy’s plans and stop them before it’s too late?
My Thoughts: Last year when I reviewed Spy School British Invasion, I just thought it looked like a fun book. I went back and read the previous books to get caught up, and just like that-I was hooked.
And it wasn’t just me. I read all of the books out loud to the kids. We bought all of the audio books. My husband even listened to them. I can’t tell you how many times the kids have listened to the series all the way through, but it’s a lot. We actually go around quoting lines from this series.
And we have waited on pins and needles for the next book.
I read Spy School Revolution out loud to the kids, and they think it’s the best book yet. I am a little torn as I am pretty partial to Spy School Goes South, but I definitely like this one too.
Now that SPYDER is gone, one would think the excitement level would die down, but this book is yet another whirlwind of non-stop action, suspense, and dastardly plans that need foiling. There is also plenty of humor mixed in, which kept us all laughing.
This is a fantastic series, and yet another great book by Stuart Gibbs. I highly recommend the series to pretty much everyone I meet, and I will recommend it here too.
The Spy School series is great. This book is great. Go buy it. The end.
The only real problem is......how are we ever going to make it until the next one comes out?
I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you very much!
Summary: Ben Ripley has finally bested SPYDER. But there is little time to relax-someone is already trying to kill him.
Now Ben has a whole new evil organization out to get him, his parents, his friends, and the United States of America.
How will he know who to trust when he finds out Erica was behind the attempt on his life?
And will he be able to discover the enemy’s plans and stop them before it’s too late?
My Thoughts: Last year when I reviewed Spy School British Invasion, I just thought it looked like a fun book. I went back and read the previous books to get caught up, and just like that-I was hooked.
And it wasn’t just me. I read all of the books out loud to the kids. We bought all of the audio books. My husband even listened to them. I can’t tell you how many times the kids have listened to the series all the way through, but it’s a lot. We actually go around quoting lines from this series.
And we have waited on pins and needles for the next book.
I read Spy School Revolution out loud to the kids, and they think it’s the best book yet. I am a little torn as I am pretty partial to Spy School Goes South, but I definitely like this one too.
Now that SPYDER is gone, one would think the excitement level would die down, but this book is yet another whirlwind of non-stop action, suspense, and dastardly plans that need foiling. There is also plenty of humor mixed in, which kept us all laughing.
This is a fantastic series, and yet another great book by Stuart Gibbs. I highly recommend the series to pretty much everyone I meet, and I will recommend it here too.
The Spy School series is great. This book is great. Go buy it. The end.
The only real problem is......how are we ever going to make it until the next one comes out?
I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you very much!
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