Review: School for SPIES Book 2 Thicker Than Water by Bruce Hale

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Ages 8-12
Just when Max Segredo learned that his father is still alive, he also learned that Simon Segredo was working for LOTUS, an evil spy operation that wants to take down the Merry Sunshine Orphanage (a.k.a. the School for S.P.I.E.S.) and take over the world. Now Simon is on the run from LOTUS, and Max's surrogate family at the orphange is being threatened from without and within. LOTUS is trying to drive the school out of business, while the Ministry of Health is investigating an anonymous complaint about the orphanage.To top it all off, the trainee spies are riddled by fear and squabbling among themselves.
Into this chaos strolls a mysterious billionaire who hires S.P.I.E.S. to steal a powerful mind control device. The fee for the job will help save the school, but there's a catch: they've got just three days to pilfer the device from an ultra-secure facility before LOTUS steals it first. Can the S.P.I.E.S beat their rivals to the prize before the orphanage doors close for good? In this action-packed sequel to PLAYING WITH FIRE, it is impossible not to root for Max, a spy-in-training with mad skills, a spunky attitude, a way with the ladies (well, okay, maybe not so much), and a big heart.

MY TAKE:
If you or your child like action-packed books, then this one is for you.

In School for SPIES Book 2 Thicker Than Water, Merry Sunshine Orphanage is in trouble. Their nemesis L.O.T.U.S. is stealing jobs from them, thus depleting their funds. On top of that, a Health Inspector has come to see the state of the orphans at Merry Sunshine. They badly need a job, and one does come up, courtesy of an eccentric client. Will L.O.T.U.S. try to mess this job up too and destroy S.P.I.E.S. once and for all?

It's been a very long while since I read the first book in the series, but I remember liking that one., so I gave this one a try. I've already forgotten most of what happened in the first book, but thankfully, you don't need to have read the first book in order to enjoy the second book.

The things I liked about the first book are still present in Thicker Than Water: fast-paced action and hilarious dialogue. Several times throughout the book, I could feel my heart pounding as I read about the adventures of Max and his fellow S.P.I.E.S. colleagues.

I did figure out quickly who the mole was, though. Personally, I thought it was pretty obvious, but maybe it was a woman's intuition kind of thing too?

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It's fast-paced.
2. It's easy to imagine the action scenes.
3. There are some pretty funny lines. 

THE BAD:

1. Some may find it easy to figure out who the mole is. 

READ IT IF:

1. You or your child like spy novels.
2. Your child likes fast-paced novels.
3. Your child wants to be a spy.  

RATING:


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