They Call Her Ella

by P.D. Atkerson

Ella Morris was an average teenager, or so it seemed. In truth, she was better known as Agent 428 of the Grimly Family, a third party, covert operations group.Taken in by the G.F. at the age of six, by thirteen, she became one of the youngest operatives to be placed out in the field.But on her first high-level mission, she is plunged into the confusing reality of deciphering outward displays of loyalty, where the wrong move could mean losing everything.Everyone has their secrets. Some shape others.

Genres: Suspense, Fiction

284 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2021

About the author

P.D. Atkerson is a homeschooled writer, living in Montana, who may or may not be a secret agent. She spends almost as much time in the worlds she creates as she does the real one.
When she’s not reporting the stories of her agents, she’s learning different languages, or traveling to different worlds through the portals of books.
She has a black belt in sarcasm and a master’s degree in useless facts.

If you're interested in reading any of her books for an honest review, just fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Reviews

[Kristina Hall]

4.5 stars!

Characters: The characters were my favorite part of this book. Ella was a fun main character. She had a sarcastic sense of humor that was entertaining to read, and I really enjoyed her relationship with her "dad." Hunter was also cool, and I especially loved the plot twist involving him at the end. No spoilers ... :)

Language: Clean.

Moral: I'd say the main theme of this book was family. From what I can remember (I had a couple of books going while I was reading this one), there wasn't that much Christian content included.

Plot: The first half of this novel was a little slower paced, but the second half really picked up (and took a surprising turn). I read the second half in one night! I do wish the Grimly Family (Ella's spy organization) had been explained a little more, but I'm thinking that might've happened in one of the author's previous books. Now to go find that book :)

Romance: Clean. This novel didn't include any romance which was a nice change from a lot of the books I read.

Writing: P.D.'s style worked great for this book. Spy stories need to move quickly, and her writing style allowed that while also not skimming over pertinent details. I'm planning to read more books by her in the future!

Overall: They Call Her Ella was an entertaining read, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction, clean fiction, spy stories, action/adventure novels, and suspense.

[Deigan Marie]

Once again, P.D. Atkerson couples heart-melting characters with edge-of-your-seat thrills in the first addition of The Grimly Family.

It's not easy to move forward and leave the past behind, especially when that past shaped who you are. Ella has been in the same school and small town for three years, and only made friends with one girl. If something exciting didn't happen soon, she might go crazy. So when one day a new kid shows up at their school, she's all for hanging out. Then, things start to get interesting.

Suddenly, Ella is forced to choose between the life she has, and the life she dreamed of. Which will she choose?

Everyone has their secrets. Some shape others.

[M.L. Milligan]

Hang on, people!! This is gonna get wild.

Ella Morris, the average teen. Uh . . . not really. She's better known as Agent 428. A Grimly girl. And she is anything but normal.

Godmother gave her a mission, and life is trying its hardest to block her attempts at completing it. This book is the perfect combination of daring spy girl and woah-did-not-see-that-coming!-twists. This book will keep you on the very edge of your seat from cover to cover. This book is one of P. D. Atkerson's best yet.

Everyone has their secrets. Some shape others.

[Hannah Foster]

Well, first of all I really did enjoy this. I read it in about two days, so it obviously kept my attention and turning pages. And was very well written for the most part. Though I always struggle through any kind of fight scene. But that's with most authors. Fight scenes are just tedious for me, I guess.

It definitely has the typical P.D. dose of sarcasm. Which can be a lot of fun though sometimes the teen attitude rubs me a little bit the wrong way. I guess because it portrays teens as expected to have an attitude toward adults or their authorities, and I would rather expect something more from teens. But that is probably overall my biggest complain.

The ending left me a little confused at times. Like I was suddenly just left wondering who actually the good guys were and who were actually the bad guys. If you know what I mean. I think this kind of book does that to me though which is probably why I don't read a lot of books like this. I'm never really quite sure I'm supposed to be rooting for certain organizations or not. I like a clear-cut good guy and a clear-cut bad guy.

But I felt like by the time the book actually came to an end, I was indeed satisfied with the result.

Once again, super fun YA book by this author.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Katja Labonté]

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this, but it still wasn’t what I expected. I enjoyed all the banter. Mr. Morris and Ella had such a sweet relationship; and I liked seeing Mrs. Morris + Ella too. Hunter was AWESOME and I loved him. Jazz was awful. Harry was great. I was a little confused as to what was going on towards the ending but that was on me for reading too fast—I was so hooked! The plot was full of action and suspense. Although Ella wasn’t always very respectful, I think her relationship with the Morrises did make sense, and after a while things did get smoother. I really liked Ella’s touch of PTSF and her backstory! Overall, I don’t recommend it for teens who might get an attitude after reading it, but its a fun, light read—and if you’ve read the Phantom Thief series then you will want to read this ;)

A Favourite Quote: “You were cyber-bullied?” she asked, and he nodded. “I guess that’s what you get when you teach a generation to ‘use their words’, huh?”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Ella was going to have to hurry if she was going to get the sedative into his cup before he drank the whole thing! Man! Was the boy related to a camel or something?

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[Bree Pembrook]

Today.... I am reviewing..... my very first P.D. Atkerson book! I've hear SO much about her books, and this one really was AWESOME!!!! Let's get going!!!
Musha Musha Musha: Not really, the Main Character had to become someone's "girlfriend" as part of a mission. No kissing or anything like that, other than a married couple, and that was just on the cheek!
Ye Olde Magicks: None, obviously. Just fancy tech, definitely no magic. This isn't a fantasy, in case you hadn't noticed already.
Blood, Blood, Blood, and Death: *sobs* Yes... Mentions of her family dying in a fire, large glass shards in her arm, and someone gets shot and killed. So.... so sad. And fight scenes that sound... painful, to say the least.
Folk of Fame: I LOVED Mr. Morris *sobs* and Ella. I still am a little wary of a certain character who showed up at the end... I don't believe he really is who he says he is. Suspicious character, in my mind. And Jasmine... *cringes* She drives me batty. I felt all the anger that Ella felt. Boy, she just... *Calms down* Well. It's well done.
Mouth-wash-able Words: Nope!
Overall, this book was GREAT. Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. I know plenty of people who like spies and such. I actually had tears in my eyes at parts, that's how well written it is. I've decided I MUST read more P.D. Atkerson books. They're too good to miss! So read now!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.”

[Lydia Willcock]

4.5 stars

As always with anything by this author, They Call Her Ella quickly drew me into the story and held my attention, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. And, just when you think you know how things are going to turn out, something else comes along and throws you completely, leaving you with no idea of who to trust or whether anything is really as it seems.
Ever since a Certain Person said a Certain Thing in one of the AKA SL books, and it was surprisingly left unresolved, I’ve wondered about it – and suspected that there would be more about that before long. And yet I must admit that I didn’t connect the two until much later in the book – and that was one twist that completely blew me away. Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll just say that I was delighted with the way that turned out for Certain People!
I loved Ella’s story. I was slightly confused about a certain thing for most of the book, but I still loved it. Mr Morris was great, and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Mrs Morris. As for Hunter, there isn’t much I can say there without spoilers, but I absolutely loved him! Especially when I Guessed. Right from the start, I had several theories about him, but I was so glad when my main one turned out to be the right one! XD The other characters were all so good… especially one at the end ;);)
I wasn't sure how much I'd actually end up liking this, since I don't like this kind of female lead, but Ella was a way more complex character than you would first thing. Have I mentioned I love the ending?
This is an amazing addition to the SLU. While technically a standalone, I wouldn’t recommend reading it until you’ve read all the books in the AKA Simon Lee series; and it’s an absolute must-read for everyone who has!

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Recommended Reading Order for the Simon Lee Universe books (SLU):
Note: This is the order I've put together after reading and rereading almost all of these books, sometimes at once. While there are different opinions on which series should be read first, this is the order I personally feel is best for a first-time reader. It is NOT the chronological order - and I strongly recommend that a first-time reader does NOT read these books in chronological order. That's great for rereads, but the most will be got out of the SLU books by reading them loosely in the following order
Phantom Thief
Nicholas Bishop
Gregory's Epilogue (blog short)
Christmas Hostage
Guardian Eagle
Murphy Lawson
Ghost Hunter
Most Wanted
Winnie Winfield
Not Enough
Rebel Mind
Talking Turkey (blog short)
Killian Young
Domestic Conflict (Seize the Fight)
They Call Her Ella
Deadlock
First Christmas (blog short)
Exploit
Choices
License
Training
Guilt
My Name is Anastasia
Night Crier (blog short)
Only For a Moment (blog short)
Christmas Bear (blog short)
Everything
Sick Leave (blog short)
Water Boy (Classified Files)
Школьник (blog short)
Bank Robber (Classified Files)
Blinded (blog short)
Room Escapee (Classified Files)
Dare (blog short)
Wrong Number (blog short)
Minor Detail
Unwanted Services
Off the Rails
Smoke Screen
Lost Time
Web of Lies

[Faith Gilliosa]

They Call Her Ella has it all. The suspense, the fast-paced action, the humor, the stuff that hits you hard: it’s all there. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was a whole lot more. P.D. Atkerson’s stories always make you want more, while satisfying you with the best possible ending there really could be. Read it. Before you know it you’ll find yourself caring about each and every character, pulled along into Ella’s story.

I received a copy of They Call Her Ella from the author, but was not required to give an positive review.

[Olivia]

Rounded to 4 🌟
I think this was my fave so far of the P D Atkerson books! The ending is what made it 4 stars for sure, threw me for a loop(even though I had been expecting something). I loved the SL appearance there!! His character was my fave through the whole book



I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review, favorable or no

[Elrica Francisca]

Another great story

I enjoyed this story very much. It kept me guessing the whole time. I can't wait for more of P.D Atkerson's books to be published.

[Rhys-Marie]

This book was so good! I really liked Ella, Hunter, and the rest of the side characters. When I started this book, I was sure characters from the Simon Lee series would show up somewhere, but I was honestly quite surprised at how they did so and was left wondering how I missed the clues.

They Call Her Ella is a bit slower in pace than the Simon Lee books, and it was refreshing to see what P.D.’s characters’ lives are like when they’re not battling bad guys who are inches away from world domination. I did feel like we were lacking some background information about the Grimly Family, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the plot.

If you’ve already read AKA Simon Lee and haven’t read They Call Her Ella, go read it now—you won’t regret it. If not, I recommend reading Simon’s books first; you’ll enjoy the Grimly books the more for the added background. It’s fun to pick up on the hidden character cameos from the original series.

I received a free review copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review.

[Abigail Harris]

RTC

[P.D.]

It's finally out!


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09666HV78#...

[Anna Lane]

They Call Her Ella

This story, oh my goodness. Absolutely incredible. I started out thinking that I wouldn't like her (Ella) as a main character and wouldn't enjoy this story as much as I thought I would. However, I was proved wrong.
Plot/Writing Style: There was nothing slow about this story. Absolutely none. The writing style was pretty good. It reminded me of a mix of my writing style and a friend of mine. This story had me going "Wait, WHAT?!" I literally read a sentence and said out loud, "I KNEW it!" I won't spoil anything about the story too much, so you must read it for yourself.
Characters: Ella was... wow. Man, that girl has spunk. By that I mean her sarcasm is THROUGH THE ROOF. I wouldn't necessarily say that in a good way, but I honestly respect P.D. Atkerson for writing such a unique character. All those quips... it takes talent to come up with those. Mr. and Mrs. Morris. I absolutely loved Mr. Morris. Even though he wasn't Ella's birth father, the relationship he has with his "daughter" is so wonderful. Hunter had me half-laughing, half-feeling sorry for him almost the entire book. That kid. My goodness.
Action/Peril/Thrill: There's no bloody violence, there are (SPOILER) some deaths, some more talked about than others. There are tussles, some ninja-like encounters, and all that. This is definitely a teen/young adult/new adult story.
Language: None, with the exception of Gosh and a few other alternatives.
Things I enjoyed about this book: TCHE is one of those books that you put down and just kinda sit there on the couch and think over for a few moments before you decide to get up. I mean is that this story goes in directions you would not expect. Ella starts out being this sarcastic, rude teenager with barely any friends and an orphan. Then things happen and, well... *grins* You'll just have to read the book for yourself.
I can't wait to read MNIA (My Name is Anastasia)! Five stars.
If you love thrillers, sarcastic humor, and a good book to fangirl (or boy) over, you'll definitely want to consider reading TCHE.

||I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review||

[Melody]

I loved it!! At first it was rather slow paced but the later parts easily made up for that! It was an exciting read with an end I could never have guessed. And the characters made the story!! I loved Ella’s sarcastic point of view and (without trying to spoil) Hunter was a totally fascinating character😉. This is one book I would’ve loved to have written myself. I 100% recommend!


I received a free copy for an unbiased review. This is my honest opinion.

[C. Rivers]

They Call Her Ella was a highly enjoyable read! The book was suspenseful, but not at the cost of its characters. Ella’s good intentions in contrast to her misguidedness and flaws made her an interesting character, and her relationship with Hunter was a highlight of the book. Overall, the characters had their own personalities, the only real exception being one antagonist who felt somewhat flat.
One neat element of the book was the references to Cinderella sprinkled throughout the text. TCHE is a loose retelling of Cinderella, but it was done creatively enough that it still stood as its own story. I’d recommend this book to fans of the AKA Simon Lee series, as it is most enjoyable if one is familiar with those books.

Content Warnings

Language: No cursing, some words such as ‘shoot’ and a use of ‘speak of the devil’

Violence: Some characters are threatened and there is some mild violence (including the death of one character) but it’s not graphic.

Other: Someone makes a nasty comment about suicide and some characters are bullied, all of which is depicted as wrong. One girl seems to want to flirt with a guy (this is not lauded), and the story contains some disrespect to parents and lying.

Note: I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review, but a positive review was not required.

[Elisabeth Joy]

Good, clean spy novel. The plot twist had me laughing for days.

[Serenity F. Helzerman]

Alright…did I tell you that I absolutely lover these books!! Ahhh!! 😱 is it Simon Lee?!????? I NEVER LOSE EMOTION WHEN READING THESE BOOKS!! I’m always on my toes and I get sucked in. I love SL and Aidan and Max and Winton (I think that’s his name??) or Gregory…whichever. ALL OF THEM!!!

Thank you sooooooo much, PD!!!!! You have fans here!!! My heart! Oh goodness, I love the sarcasm and the relationships. I just knew Hunter wasn’t who he led on to be! But everything is just so mysterious. I’ve got half the picture!! OM!! I really really REALLY WANT TO GET ALLLL THE BOOKS!!!!

One thing I must say, you’ll LOVE P. D. Atkerson’s books!! They’re soooo amazing! I could just go on! But you probably wouldn’t like that…

I have to admit, I got tears 😭 in my eyes! I didn’t want him to die….yep, sorta a spoiler…not like you know who I’m talking about unless you’ve read it. But yes, somebody dies.

[Ariana S.]

I have read quite a few of PD's books, and loved all of them but this one was special. I was not expecting all the twists the plot took, but on top of that, I really fell in love with the characters. Ella was smart and funny and really cared about her "parents", who were actually agents like her, but she was also had her struggles. The struggle between wanting to be a normal teenager and living a life as an undercover agent was real, as well as dealing with her past and the flashbacks that came with it. Her friendship with Hunter was so fun, I loved every minute of it! And Jasmine. I was as annoyed as Ella was every time she showed up.
The ending was an incredibly sweet close to the story. My only complaint is that there isn't a sequel!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle D.]

Once again P.D. Atkerson has me on the edge of my seat in excitement. The story was very well written and I found that I couldn't put the book down until I had finished the very last page!
I really liked that P.D. gave little clues along the way. It made it a really nice read.

[Abigail E.]

They Call Her Ella proved to be a fascinating, fast paced spy story with a surprise twist at the end. I’d definitely recommend it. I’m looking forward to more of P. D. Atkerson’s books.