Reviews ~ The Super Spies and the High School Bomber
Review from Hooked in a Book
The wonderful Lisa Orchard is back with another gripping addition to her Super Spies Series, The Super Spies and the High School Bomber. Sarah, Lacy, Jackie, and Scott are still getting over solving The Cat Lady's murder when the small town is blasted into a new school year! We are instantly thrown into the action from the first page and you can't take a breath till the last!
This second book in the series is just as good, if not better than the first! You expect a wild ride and you are not disappointed! While the Super Spies are on the hunt for the bomber and trying to sort out all the clues you learn that there is a possibility that the girls’ parents’ disappearance may be linked to terrorism and that the FBI is now looking into it. WHAT?! HOW? WHY?
Something that I enjoyed immensely was the great amount of collaboration between the FBI/Cops and the Super Spies in this book compared to book 1. It was enjoyable to read about them working things out together and the authorities trusting what the Super Spies were telling them. Just taking them more seriously was a good move forward in the series. The banter between Sarah and Jackie is ALWAYS enjoyable to read! Lisa has done an amazing job at creating two totally opposite characters that leap off the page and mesh so well together! I think we all have a relationship in our lives like Sarah and Jackie's. :) I also enjoyed the small romance that you saw a peek of in book 1 between Lacey and Scott and getting to see it develop discreetly in book 2. I cannot say enough great things about this thrilling book!
If you loved The Super Spies and the Cat Lady you will LOVE The Super Spies and the High School Bomber! It has it all....thrills, close calls, justice, and heart to boot! Lisa made another winner and I look forward to more Super Spies mysteries to come.
Review from Paperbacks and Frosting
My review: After reading the first novel in the series I couldn’t wait for more! This book definitely didn’t disappoint. The action kicked in right away and had me on the edge of my seat through the entire thing. There’s something about the way these books are written that has me biting my nails and feeling nervous for these girls in every situation they get themselves into. I just love the characters in these novels. They have this incredible way of finding their way into extremely dangerous situations, but they do it in such a way that is completely believable. They also each have distinct personalities that I really enjoy reading about. The storyline is very original and it is different from a lot of the books I read and I think that’s part of what made me enjoy this book and the previous one. They’re books that will keep you turning the pages and escaping reality for a couple hours. I read this novel in basically one sitting, I was that hooked! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for action and adventure! I would recommend this to young adults or adults wishing to relive their childhood a little bit while embarking on a literary adventure! I do think the writing has improved from the previous novel and that the action was even greater. This novel is definitely worth the read and I hope so see much more in the future!
Review from Forever YA Fiction
Once again Lisa writes a story that will keep you turning pages to find out what will happen next. The second book in this series is actually better than the first, which many times are not the case in book series. Sarah, her sister Lacey, and her two friends Jackie & Scott are wonderful characters that will have you rooting for them. We loved how the police and the FBI worked with The Super Spies this time around. It made the storyline even better. Lisa is an amazing writer. She uses just the right amount of action, mystery, and drama to keep you entertained for hours. This book seems to be directed towards MG reader, but trust us older readers will also enjoy it. It will take you back to reading The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books. We personally can't wait for the next installment in this wonderfully entertaining series. 5 Stars!
Review from Mallory Heart Reviews
In this second entry in the “Super Spies” YA series, sequel to “Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer,” sisters Sarah and Lacey Cole, grieving their parents’ recent disappearance, supposedly on a cruise ship off Florida, find they have even more trouble. Living with their aunt and uncle, the new school year is about to begin, when the high school is bombed during a faculty meeting, and their Uncle Walt is one of the missing. Together with Lacey’s heartthrob Scott, son of the city’s Chief of Police, and Sarah’s best friend Jackie, the “Super Spies” four go into action, chasing the bombers, looking for the mysterious fireman who warned them away and then disappeared into the woods, and enlisting the FBI agents on site to find the bomber AND triangulate their parents’ cell phones to discover their last location before they went missing. There’s not a dull moment in this clean YA novel (no profanity, no overt sensuality), just tons of action, adventure, good fashion sense, sibling rivalry and sibling attachment, good friends-and a very cooperative local police department and FBI. I think even slightly younger readers (i.e., middle graders) could enjoy this one too, as it reminds me of the original Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries, with strong heroines who are feisty and plucky and never back down. I anticipate the next in the series.
Review by Treasured Tales for Young Adults
The Super Spies are back in another action packed mystery, one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It was really hard to put this book down because I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
One of the big mysteries in The Super Spies and the High School Bomber is just who the intended target of the bomb was. The bomb went off during a high school faculty meeting, which means that any of the staff members could have been the intended target – and Sarah and Lacey’s (both sisters and Super Spies) Uncle Walt is a teacher at the high school and was at the faculty meeting when the bomb went off. Could Uncle Walt have been the intended target? Sarah and Lacey have their suspicions, as this is not the first family tragedy to strike the Cole family.
Sarah and Lacey are now living with their Aunt June and Uncle Walt, as their parents disappeared while on vacation. Is there a connection between their parents’ disappearance and Uncle Walt’s high school being bombed? The FBI seems to think so.
As the Super Spies investigate the bombing, clues are revealed putting them in danger. The more they investigate the more unsure Sarah is about whether Uncle Walt is the intended target. With the information that she and the other Super Spies have gathered they are able to piece together that the intended target is now a patient at the hospital – the hospital where Uncle Walt is.
Throughout the novel there were so many questions, so many theories and possibilities that I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end.
As well as all the Super Spies (Sarah, Lacey, Jackie, and Scott) and Aunt June and Uncle Walt returning for the second book in the Super Spies series, other characters from the first book make a return appearance, including Scott’s dad (the Chief of Police) and Scoop. All have an important role in the story.
I really enjoy the friendship between Sarah and Jackie. They have such a connection; they are so loyal to each other. I also enjoyed reading about the blossoming romance between Lacey and Scott. It added a lovely innocence and sweetness to the story.
Sarah is the character that drives the story, as it is often her impatience or lack of ability to listen to authority that gets the Super Spies in trouble. However, what she does, she does for the right reasons. She wants to help; she wants to get justice for the victims. I was, at times, frustrated with Sarah, in regards to how she treated her younger sister, Lacey. She can sometimes be a little impatient with her sister – a little too harsh. To Sarah’s credit, she is trying with her sister – trying to make an effort to include her more. The sisters’ bond is growing, and I hope it continues to grow and strengthen.
One of my favorite things about the novel is the meetings that the Super Spies have at the local restaurant, Hinkle’s. I love the conversations that they have there, and I love seeing what they will order. They order some yummy sounding meals.
Everything about the novel captured my attention. It’s a fantastic mystery/detective novel, perfect for middle school readers right through to young adults.
Author Lisa Orchard’s writing is descriptive and flows smoothly, creating an intriguing and well developed story, with the perfect balance of mystery, action, adventure, and friendship.
A highly enjoyable read. 4.5 out of 5 Stars
The wonderful Lisa Orchard is back with another gripping addition to her Super Spies Series, The Super Spies and the High School Bomber. Sarah, Lacy, Jackie, and Scott are still getting over solving The Cat Lady's murder when the small town is blasted into a new school year! We are instantly thrown into the action from the first page and you can't take a breath till the last!
This second book in the series is just as good, if not better than the first! You expect a wild ride and you are not disappointed! While the Super Spies are on the hunt for the bomber and trying to sort out all the clues you learn that there is a possibility that the girls’ parents’ disappearance may be linked to terrorism and that the FBI is now looking into it. WHAT?! HOW? WHY?
Something that I enjoyed immensely was the great amount of collaboration between the FBI/Cops and the Super Spies in this book compared to book 1. It was enjoyable to read about them working things out together and the authorities trusting what the Super Spies were telling them. Just taking them more seriously was a good move forward in the series. The banter between Sarah and Jackie is ALWAYS enjoyable to read! Lisa has done an amazing job at creating two totally opposite characters that leap off the page and mesh so well together! I think we all have a relationship in our lives like Sarah and Jackie's. :) I also enjoyed the small romance that you saw a peek of in book 1 between Lacey and Scott and getting to see it develop discreetly in book 2. I cannot say enough great things about this thrilling book!
If you loved The Super Spies and the Cat Lady you will LOVE The Super Spies and the High School Bomber! It has it all....thrills, close calls, justice, and heart to boot! Lisa made another winner and I look forward to more Super Spies mysteries to come.
Review from Paperbacks and Frosting
My review: After reading the first novel in the series I couldn’t wait for more! This book definitely didn’t disappoint. The action kicked in right away and had me on the edge of my seat through the entire thing. There’s something about the way these books are written that has me biting my nails and feeling nervous for these girls in every situation they get themselves into. I just love the characters in these novels. They have this incredible way of finding their way into extremely dangerous situations, but they do it in such a way that is completely believable. They also each have distinct personalities that I really enjoy reading about. The storyline is very original and it is different from a lot of the books I read and I think that’s part of what made me enjoy this book and the previous one. They’re books that will keep you turning the pages and escaping reality for a couple hours. I read this novel in basically one sitting, I was that hooked! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for action and adventure! I would recommend this to young adults or adults wishing to relive their childhood a little bit while embarking on a literary adventure! I do think the writing has improved from the previous novel and that the action was even greater. This novel is definitely worth the read and I hope so see much more in the future!
Review from Forever YA Fiction
Once again Lisa writes a story that will keep you turning pages to find out what will happen next. The second book in this series is actually better than the first, which many times are not the case in book series. Sarah, her sister Lacey, and her two friends Jackie & Scott are wonderful characters that will have you rooting for them. We loved how the police and the FBI worked with The Super Spies this time around. It made the storyline even better. Lisa is an amazing writer. She uses just the right amount of action, mystery, and drama to keep you entertained for hours. This book seems to be directed towards MG reader, but trust us older readers will also enjoy it. It will take you back to reading The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books. We personally can't wait for the next installment in this wonderfully entertaining series. 5 Stars!
Review from Mallory Heart Reviews
In this second entry in the “Super Spies” YA series, sequel to “Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer,” sisters Sarah and Lacey Cole, grieving their parents’ recent disappearance, supposedly on a cruise ship off Florida, find they have even more trouble. Living with their aunt and uncle, the new school year is about to begin, when the high school is bombed during a faculty meeting, and their Uncle Walt is one of the missing. Together with Lacey’s heartthrob Scott, son of the city’s Chief of Police, and Sarah’s best friend Jackie, the “Super Spies” four go into action, chasing the bombers, looking for the mysterious fireman who warned them away and then disappeared into the woods, and enlisting the FBI agents on site to find the bomber AND triangulate their parents’ cell phones to discover their last location before they went missing. There’s not a dull moment in this clean YA novel (no profanity, no overt sensuality), just tons of action, adventure, good fashion sense, sibling rivalry and sibling attachment, good friends-and a very cooperative local police department and FBI. I think even slightly younger readers (i.e., middle graders) could enjoy this one too, as it reminds me of the original Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries, with strong heroines who are feisty and plucky and never back down. I anticipate the next in the series.
Review by Treasured Tales for Young Adults
The Super Spies are back in another action packed mystery, one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It was really hard to put this book down because I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
One of the big mysteries in The Super Spies and the High School Bomber is just who the intended target of the bomb was. The bomb went off during a high school faculty meeting, which means that any of the staff members could have been the intended target – and Sarah and Lacey’s (both sisters and Super Spies) Uncle Walt is a teacher at the high school and was at the faculty meeting when the bomb went off. Could Uncle Walt have been the intended target? Sarah and Lacey have their suspicions, as this is not the first family tragedy to strike the Cole family.
Sarah and Lacey are now living with their Aunt June and Uncle Walt, as their parents disappeared while on vacation. Is there a connection between their parents’ disappearance and Uncle Walt’s high school being bombed? The FBI seems to think so.
As the Super Spies investigate the bombing, clues are revealed putting them in danger. The more they investigate the more unsure Sarah is about whether Uncle Walt is the intended target. With the information that she and the other Super Spies have gathered they are able to piece together that the intended target is now a patient at the hospital – the hospital where Uncle Walt is.
Throughout the novel there were so many questions, so many theories and possibilities that I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end.
As well as all the Super Spies (Sarah, Lacey, Jackie, and Scott) and Aunt June and Uncle Walt returning for the second book in the Super Spies series, other characters from the first book make a return appearance, including Scott’s dad (the Chief of Police) and Scoop. All have an important role in the story.
I really enjoy the friendship between Sarah and Jackie. They have such a connection; they are so loyal to each other. I also enjoyed reading about the blossoming romance between Lacey and Scott. It added a lovely innocence and sweetness to the story.
Sarah is the character that drives the story, as it is often her impatience or lack of ability to listen to authority that gets the Super Spies in trouble. However, what she does, she does for the right reasons. She wants to help; she wants to get justice for the victims. I was, at times, frustrated with Sarah, in regards to how she treated her younger sister, Lacey. She can sometimes be a little impatient with her sister – a little too harsh. To Sarah’s credit, she is trying with her sister – trying to make an effort to include her more. The sisters’ bond is growing, and I hope it continues to grow and strengthen.
One of my favorite things about the novel is the meetings that the Super Spies have at the local restaurant, Hinkle’s. I love the conversations that they have there, and I love seeing what they will order. They order some yummy sounding meals.
Everything about the novel captured my attention. It’s a fantastic mystery/detective novel, perfect for middle school readers right through to young adults.
Author Lisa Orchard’s writing is descriptive and flows smoothly, creating an intriguing and well developed story, with the perfect balance of mystery, action, adventure, and friendship.
A highly enjoyable read. 4.5 out of 5 Stars
