Agent Q, or The Smell of Danger!

Pals in Peril #4

by M.T. Anderson, Kurt Cyrus (Illustrator)

It's time for Lily, Katie, and Jasper to head home from their exciting Delaware adventure, but the Awful Autarch's spies and goons are everywhere, and it's clear that *they* have other plans for our three intrepid heroes.

Chock full of ups, downs, twists, turns, and even a band of sentient lobsters fighting on the side of Good, this fourth installment of the Pals in Peril series is every bit as wild, wacky, and wonderfully outrageous as the first three.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Humor, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Action, Juvenile

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2009

About the author

Matthew Tobin Anderson (M. T. Anderson), (1968- ) is an author, primarily of picture books for children and novels for young adults. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The Game of Sunken Places, and Octavian Nothing. For middle grader readers, his novels include Whales on Stilts: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales and its sequel, The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[grosbeak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suspect M.T. Anderson may have listened to some Stan Freberg.

[Cassie Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the only book in this series that was set/about Delaware. I loved it!

[Ray Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last Pals in Peril novel was quest fantasy with a bit of espionage thriller. Agent Q is a direct sequel to Flame Pits and, as the title indicates, is in full on spy novel mode. Our heroes are still in the nightmare realm of the state of Delaware. The Awful and Adorable Autarch of Dagsboro’s spy apparatus, the Ministry of Silence, is hot on the trail of our heroes as they try to escape from behind the Iron Curtain to the freedom of the West. Also there are floating cities and giant amoeba.

This book is really Flame Pits part 2. And it regains the fast pace that is a hallmark of this series. I should point out that the artwork by Kurt Cyrus continues to be an integral part of the story telling.

[Marut · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main characters are Jasper, Katie, Lily and some monks who can't lie, Jasper and friends have to illegally cross the Delaware border into america. but the Delaware spies will not allow the the kids to cross the border. i like this book as it is very descriptive.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't you just love it when wishes in books come true?

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The gentleman is speaking in code. Every item on the menu and the specials has a meaning... If you keep on asking for hamburgers, fries, and Reubens, he will believe we are being pursued by lady musketeers. On zebra-back."

Lily, Jasper, Katie, and Drgnan are going strong in the fourth book in the "Pals in Peril" series. The gang is trying to escape from deepest, darkest Delaware, aided by the monks of Vbngoom and the mysterious Agent Q, while being pursued by the agents and informants of the Ministry of Silence, servants of the Awful and Adorable Autarch of Dagsboro.

Maybe not quite as a silly as the first couple of books, but still plenty silly enough, and with lots of thrills. I'd score the series so far as 4.5, 4.5, 3.75, and 4 out of 5.

Beware the curse of the jaguar!

[TNewman · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 friends (and heroes), Lily, Katie and Jasper are on their way home but are trapped in Delaware by the Ministry of Silence. This book has characters with weird names due to theft of vowels and humor that will appeal to younger MS students. There’s a monk who has taken the vow of sarcasm, protoplasmic lobsters, a runaway rice cart, sentient lobsters, sleeping gas, and spies to help and hunt our heroes. Who can they trust? It was hard for me to finish this book but I think young readers will love the odd humor.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book before the book before it in the series, so I was confused on my first read. I still liked the whole Delaware thing and the character of Drgnan. I hated Agent Q, but of course I was supposed to hate him, and so do a lot of the other characters.

[Scout Steinmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 and a half stars. it was okay... super slow. little boring.

[Stephen Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best of the series. Funny!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read this whacky book only for the teenage monk who's taken a vow of sarcasm, it will have been worth it.

[aarifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT! DON'T READ IF YOU DONT WANT TO LOOK AT THE AWESOME CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK!
Ok, I have to admit it, M. T. Anderson is one of my top favorite authors, and I mean it! I love his Pals in Peril series, which have made me LOL since I started them. I have to say, Agent Q, or The Smell of Danger is the most hilarious one in the series, and that's because of Katie and Drgnan, and all those spies, and "Doverian" accents in Delaware, and how Drgnan always explains things and doesn't have any fun (which I read about in Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of Delaware, and because Drgnan is a monk), and how Drgnan said Doverian language doesn't have vowels in the words, and a whole LOT of other things, but the most hilarious person was Taylor Quizmo, the most hilarious character in this book. His actions are funny, his making fun of the characters is funny (not to be mean to you Drgnan, Jasper, Lily and Katie) and I don't know how to describe this awesome character! One thing I liked in what he said in the book was ( And the words aren't going to be exact)," Ok, fine, I'm not going to eat my fries, and I think that's going to be OKAY with you Lily because you always say OKAY to me, right? Huh? And I guess it's OKAY......" Etc. etc. Then there was another part I liked and Laughed Out Loud at was when Taylor Quizmo was talking about how he looked " I mean, sure, I'm good-looking, but come on, not THAT good-looking. Not good-looking enough to explain all this attention I get all the time." And then he looked at Lily, and asked her," I mean what do you think? I'm not THAT good looking, really. I'm really not. What do you think? I guess you think I'm okay, right? Hm?" Then Lily, who is disturbed by him and is trying to listen to the plan of getting rid of spies, just nods. Then Taylor says, " You nodded." And she nods again. And Taylor says, " You nodded okay. What do you mean by, 'okay'? " She doesn't answer. And so he asks again, and then says, " So you think just okay. How can you say that? How can you say I'm just okay?" And she says she didn't say that and he says ( OK yes this review is getting long!), " Those were your exact words! Look, New York girls call me all the time, and they think I'm better than okay. They really know, people in N.Y. They know how a good looking guy looks like. But you, you think you're better than me." Than Jasper Dash, one of the main characters, shushes them and Taylor says," What IS it with you, kid, and the shushing. You going to librarian school or something?" Ok enough of Taylor.... now going on to Bvletch, another monk, and a funny one. Bvletch has just taken the Vow of Sarcasm, which as he is a teen at sixteen has to take for two years. He has to everything in a sarcastic way for two years! The Vow of Sarcasm's purpose is that the person has to get all that sarcasm out of them, and won't tell a lie again, because, obviously, they're monks. So one of the parts I liked about him was when Katie, Lily, Jasper and Drgnan were singing the Song that Never Ends, and Bvletch says ( He took his Vow, so now he has to talk in a sarcastic voice AND be sarcastic)," Wow. This is great. I love this. I hope it goes on all night. When do you cut your first album? Sure. Awesome. This fills me with joy like the bee alighting on a flower to drink it's nectar. Hey, could you sing that verse again? A little louder?" Lol. Ok yes, I am sorry this was a long review. I am sorry if this wasted your time. I am sorry if you didn't like it. But I hope it was aweosme for some of you! Thanks!

[Noah Sammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book review is about "A Pals in Peril Tale." It is a fictional book by M. T. Anderson. Jasper Dash has to go to Vbngoom, the Platter of Heaven, to find and save his friend. Jasper is a very clever inventor. He and his friends, Katie, a curious and adventurous girl, and lily, a very shy but brave girl, go on the adventure to save his friend. Jasper is part of the stare eyes team and they try to beat the Delaware team but he noticed that something was wrong with them. They travel to Delaware in search of Vbngoom. When they get there, they had to knock out all of the gangsters and afterwards the monks do a victory dance.
I liked this book because it had good details about the setting and the characters. It always kept me guessing and I didn't know what was going to happen to the three children next. The ending didn't really leave me hanging that much but it was strange because there was a weird song that went along with the book . If you like a adventurous story with crazy creatures and weird places then I would recommend this book. Overall, it was a funny book and I would rate it five stars.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to an audio recording on a car trip, and the reader for the audiobook was great (just as he was for Delaware). I doubt I'd have enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed listening to it.

Anyway, after we'd listened to both Delaware and Whales on past car trips (in that order), we'd assumed all the books were disjoint. So we got surprised when Agent Q picked up where Delaware left off. But it went well. And while some stuff was overdone, it was still a lot of fun.

It was also great to spend more time in the amazing state of Delaware. I do hope the elected governor is someday returned to his rightful place on the Chicken Throne of the Blue Hen State.

On the down side, as a result of this book, we did end up listening to an extra 2-3 hours of our kids singing The Song that Never Ends. ADHD for the win!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily, Jasper and Kate are trying to get home, but it's not easy. The Evil Autocrat of Delaware is after them. So, they seek the help of the Vbngoom Monastery - “most powerful monastery in the state of Delaware”. As the monks accompany them in their travels, they receive a secret message from a waiter tell them that an "Agent Q" is coming to help them. When the agent, Tyler Quizmos, shows up, it's hard to believe he cares about anything but his hair.

Will the Pals find their way home? Who is the "nameless monk" and what does he have to do with the mission. What happens if they get caught?

Another tongue in cheek adventure from the inventive mind of M.T. Anderson. Expect the unexpected, the ridiculous and some laughs along the way.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers who enjoy Adam Rex (Smekday) will appreciate the zaniness of Anderson's Pals in Peril series. The extremely bright Anderson peppers his appealing adventure stories with wit and the absurd and yet manages to offer a well-put-together chapter book. I started with book 4 and so had to pick up threads here and there as our heroes, Jasper (Boy Technonaut), and his companions Lily and Katie are stranded in the great land of Delaware and are trying desperately to return home. They are not sure whom to trust or where to turn, and events take a desperate turn when they realize they've trusted the wrong agent. Silly, yet sophisticated, and very entertaining. 5th grade and up.

[Rose]

LOL, I love these books! I don't think you necessarily have to have read the first two in the series (Whales on Stilts! and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen), but I do think you need to have read #3, the book immediately prior to this one (Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware). Otherwise, you will be lost as to why three children need to escape the exciting (but repressive) state of Delaware. Um, if we ever go to Delaware, my kids are going to be highly disappointed in its mundane reality. Also, the fact that people really do have vowels there.

[Diana Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pals in Peril series are hilarious! If you can get a copy of the audio version to listen to, it really adds to the experience of the book. Marc Cashman's various character voices are great and actually gave me an idea how to pronounce some of the names which are missing vowels. Even if you haven't read Whales on Stilts! or The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, it is crucial that you read book three: Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware. That sets the stage for Agent Q, or The Smell of Danger!

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a river filled with giant single cell monsters attempting to digest unwary waders, spies and informants everywhere, and the Ministry of Silence ready to silence you, who knew that the state of Delaware was such a dangerous place? Will the pals: Lily, Katie, and Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, and their fellow travelers, the monks of Vbngoom make it alive to the Jersey shore, relying on sarcastic teenagers, sentient lobsters, and the mysterious Agent Q? The answers are contained in this absurdly silly and utterly hilarious entry in the author’s Pals in Peril series.

[Trent Searles]

The book I read was Agent Q. This book is about a group of kids that are out of state and have to sneak back to there hometown. They had to get help from monks. If they failed to get home the government of that state would punish them for not being a citizen.

My opinion on this book is that it was good but it was also really hard to follow and boring in the beginning.

I would recommend this book people who like a plot twist and a hard fallowing book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was only going to give this 4 stars, but the last disc really pulled some punches. There were so many funny lines and situations in the last quarter, and I had a fabulous time listening to the story on my drives to and from work. I am going to get my hands on a copy of the book so I can post some of the more fabulous quotes.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters are still great and the story is very funny (don't skip the appendix!), but I'm feeling like he stretched this novel out longer than it needed to be. A little trimming here and there would have made the story a bit better. Still, it was very enjoyable. Jasper Dash is such a great character, even if he is cartoonish.

[ERL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. It was little confusing but awesome. It was in the dangerous state of Delaware. Agent Q. is a weirdo and he is also ssssssssssssssssssssuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppppppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr weird.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sentient lobsters! This is a fun series; good characters in loony situations. Only drawback is that I have been reading them out loud to my daughter, and some characters are missing vowels in their names.

[audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really saved by the sentient lobsters. I mean, it's really hard to take a kind of KGB-infested Cold War-esque country and make it funny, so I didn't enjoy this as much as the first three books in the series, but the plot twists were well done and, you know, SENTIENT LOBSTERS.

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had a slightly slow beginning, but once they got Mrglik ambushed them it got really exciting. It was really good, but Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of Delaware is still my favorite.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved it so much! Great spy book

[Roxanne]

Great review posted at Rain Taxi: http://www.raintaxi.com/online/2010wi...

[Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a really good one, drama with action makes the perfect stuff. Loved it sssoooooooooo much. How do they make books like these?

[Tigerlily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hilarious book from M. T. Anderson! :D