Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2)

by Ally Carter

Paperback, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

YA A Car

Publication

Hyperion Paperbacks

Pages

236

Description

Cammie Morgan is a CIA legacy and attends the premier school in the world...for spies. The school hosts some mysterious guests with the code name Blackthorne. When Cammie is blamed for a security breach that threatens to expose the school's top secret status, she and her friends face danger to clear Cammie's name and learn the truth about Blackthorne.

Description

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.

Collection

Barcode

3621

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2007-10-02

Physical description

236 p.; 8.2 inches

ISBN

9781423122067

Lexile

850L

User reviews

LibraryThing member margaraawr
This is a great read. :)
LibraryThing member alcarinqa
The second instalment of the Gallagher Girls series picks up shortly after book 1 ended, with Cammie undergoing a debrief over her secret romance with Josh. Cammie just wants to get her life back to normal, back to the way it was pre-Josh, but she's got a surprise coming that will rock the
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foundations of her world.

Back at school after Winter break, Cammie notices a few changes around her beloved all-girls spy-school: a few corridors are inaccessible, her mother's keeping secrets from her and there's a mysterious word being thrown around - "Blackthorne". It's at about this time that I felt that the quality of the book started declining, and didn't stop. Everything is introduced in quick succession in Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy: Cammie's friends, the secret about Blackthorne, the tantalising locked corridor. And less than 24 hours after making a vow to her mother to behave and stop sneaking around her school to figure out the answers to questions she's better off not asking, Cammie's planning a covert mission with her friends. I guess this means we get straight to the action, but there are a lot of coincidences.

Cammie is a paradoxical, unbelievable character that I just barely abide to read about. She's meant to be super-smart, and yet, makes shortsighted decisions all the time, and very little of her training and skills go into making those decisions. Also, Cammie is written as someone who craves normalcy and shuns the limelight, always wishing she could just blend in and make people forget about her, and yet she goes out of her way to pull the stunts she does and obviously revels in being a star-pupil. There's nothing wrong with pride in oneself and one's achievements, but she's constantly pretending to be demure when she's really quite arrogant: Cammie doesn't exactly shy away from regaling readers with her skills, from rappelling down rope to blending in like a Chameleon, from acute observational skills (which abandon her the moment she needs them in real life, OMG how did she miss those boys following her around!) to fluency in a dozen or more languages.

To further muddy the waters, the author introduces boys into the story, and what had previously been a passably enjoyable book turned into a frustrating, inexplicably silly read. The female students at Gallagher Academy literally go crazy when they see boys, there's so much nonsensical primping, showmanship and competition that I quickly grew tired, and then angry. I noted in the last book that I didn't like the insinuation that the only important thing in a teenage girl's life is boys. The competitive nature introduced to GG because of fifteen male visitors just panders to the myth that women can't get along once men are in the picture. But Carter goes one step further in this book and insinuates that every single girl goes nuts for the male visitors except for Macey, who's hung out with boys lots of times before her enrolment at Gallagher Girls, and Cammie, because she's had her one, incredibly short, pseudo-relationship with Josh. Carter actually uses the word "immune". I can't even ...

One boy in particular quickly becomes a large art of the plot, and I have to say I really liked him. Cammie finds him infuriating and unknowable, but that's really just because of the way Cammie is written as a character. I think Zach is interesting and sweet, and love that while Cammie was digging her heels in and apparently couldn't let go of the fact that someone had beat her once in a training exercise (remember what I said about arrogance), he was genuinely trying to get along with her.

Speaking of boys, I really, truly don't understand why the existence of a training school for male spies is considered shocking news for the girls. Where exactly did they think male spies were trained? Or did they assume that boys were born fully trained in covert operations? I didn't think it was such a big deal, in fact, I basically assumed there was a brother-school in my last review, so I was perplexed at the reactions Cammie and her friends had.

I was really looking forward to getting a few clues to the big questions that were posed in the first book - such as what happened to Cammie's father - but I feel like Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy has barely added anything to the overall series-arc. In fact, plot-wise the book reads almost like a rehashing of the first book: spy school for girls, hot guy, secret, illicit meetings, training exercise in town, huge attack on the school where only Cammie and her friends are able to help, which turns out to be a test for the students. The level of hyperbole and melodrama achieved throughout the narrative irritated me as well - we're expected to believe the Cammie's mother killed someone with an issue of People magazine, that one's appearance can be completely altered with only a pair of nail clippers and shoe polish. Where does Carter get those ideas? Are they meant to be funny? Is the author making fun of the spy-craft genre, or is she seriously expecting us to believe that spies can do silly things like that?

I think this sequel is a step backward from the first book, and didn't enjoy it very much at all. I now understand all the Zach-swooning that goes on by the readers, but there's very little substance to this series, which is a shame because it's a series about spies in training. I just feel like the books could be a lot more than they are. I will be continuing, because fans tell me that the plot darkens becomes about something other than boys in the future books, but I think, if I don't enjoy the third book, I'll be giving up.

Generally described as a light, fun read, I think Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy will be enjoyed by readers who want to switch off for a few hours and read about the adventures of a girl who's training to become a leading covert operative.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
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LibraryThing member peaceloveandpat
This is more I like it! The questions that I kept on asking while I was reading the first book. Is there an exclusive espionage school for boys, an equivalent of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women? I do not know why it was so exciting, maybe because Cammie and her friends became
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smarter or because this was less predictable. Last semester Cammie broke a million rules, spy code and school code then her forbidden boyfriend found out about her true identity and the school's real mission statement. Not everything went well of course when Josh left the premise he also left the secret embedded in its walls. But I was totally expecting a new boy, a new distraction, a young spy at that and I was not disappointed.

Here we meet Zach, one of the boy from Blackthorne Institute. He got the creepy way of sneaking up to Cammie unnoticed. He seems to be where ever Cammie goes and he pose as a threat and a protector at the same time. It is so frustrating that I do not know anything about him, Cammie and her friends tried but Zach and the rest of his school is so covert, no clue was given. It is getting exciting. The characters are getting stronger and more distinguished, even Tina Walter's ridiculous gossip theory is growing on me. I am still not a fan of the covers but I am glad that the series is picking up, the cuteness is still there but I want more action. Will I be getting that on the next book?
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LibraryThing member esmith389
Cameron Morgan goes to an all girls school for spies. Cameron is a sophomore and her and her friends want to find out what Blackthorne is. Her and her CovOps class go on a mission. The next day at school the Headmistress tells the whole school at breackfast that there were going to be fifteen boys
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from an all boys spy school joining them that semester. After the boys arrive strange things happen. THen at the end of the semester something very important gets stolen and no one eles is around, So it is up to Cameron and her friends to get it back.
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LibraryThing member midnighttwilight101
The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter is a very refreshing series. I love how the setting is a super secret spy school. And Cammie the chameleon is one of my favorite characters (after Edward Cullen of course).
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Sequel to If I told you I love you, I'd have to kill you. Fun set of books depicting main character Cammie Morgan, the Chameleon, as a spy-in-training. In this adventure, boys come to the Gallagher Academy and Cammie doesn't know what to make of it. Tightly written, target audience, 12 years and
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under, very enjoyable kids book.
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LibraryThing member margaraawr
This is a great read. :)
LibraryThing member barbiekait
Let's talk about Zach first. In case you can't tell, I LOVE Zach! He is hot, cocky, awesome, did I mention he's incredibly hot? Because he is. I love how he knows a lot about Cammie and she knows nothing about him and she's like "How do you know that?" and he just points to himself and says, "Spy."
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I love it when he does that! We find out later on in the books that Zach is a very important character, but I'll talk more about that in another book review.

Now for Cammie. Cammie is kind of heartbroken over her breakup with Josh in the last book, and it probably didn't help when she saw him in town with his new girlfriend (but that's okay because she has Zach now). At first Cammie doesn't like Zach at all but that changes little by little as the book goes on.

I also love Grant and Jonas. Grant is kind of the love interest for Bex and Jonas is for Liz. The sad part for me is that you never see them again in the books. A part of me wants to see them in book six but most likely we wont.

I love how Joe Solomon always pair Cammie with Zach, it's like he wanted them to get together form the beginning.

I really love the part when Zach and Cammie are one their first date and Zach says' "Just so you know, Gallagher Girl, I'm gonna kiss you now" but DeeDee stops him before he can, then at the end when Zach dips Cammie in front of the whole school then says, "I always finished what I start." then I squeal. A lot. Pretty much love every single part that has Zach. It can't be helped. I love the part where Zach and Cammie are studying and he knows that she and her friends bugged his room and he says he's not all bad and not all good, and the part when Zach first called her Gallagher Girl, and the part when Zach come out of nowhere and Cammie hits her head on a fireplace mantle.

There was a lot of good stuff in this book. Time to re-read it, again.
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LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
For the longest time, I've seen the Gallagher Girls books in the Scholastic book orders and wanted to read them... but alas, other books have had priority so I never got around to ordering them. When I was at the library a few weeks back, I saw they had this one... and even though it's not the
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first book (it's the second) I decided to give it a go anyway. And it has nothing to do with forgetting that it was the second book until I got home. Of course not. At all.

But, chronological order aside, I thought this was a pretty darn cute book! The premise is a little ridiculous -- young teens being trained as spies -- but then again, young teens get trained as wizards in a certain series that shall not be named, and that works, right? So, I can suspend disbelief here and enjoy the story.

In this installment, the girls at the Academy learn that *gasp* boys are coming to the school as guests... boys from their own top secret spy school.

(cue dramatic music)

Anyway, it's a fun story with realistically drawn young teens, and I'll definitely pick up more by the author either at the bookstore or the library. And one more thing: I really like that this series uses strong, confident female teenagers as protagonists... a rather marked difference from other offerings in the YA realm right now. These are girls that don't need boys to save them (and they could seriously kick any guy's behind) and it's great to see them have to work with guys on a level playing field throughout this particular book.

Really, it's one you could pass to your teenage girl and feel good about. Except maybe she'll end up wanting to join the CIA. Don't say I didn't warn you!
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LibraryThing member vanedow
Lately I've been reading sequels of books that I wasn't entirely gung-ho on. And it has been incredibly rewarding! While I'd Tell You I Love You didn't fully live up to the promise of the spy school concept (in my opinion, at least), Cross My Heart was fantastic. Finally the spy-girl sophomores
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have a challenge worthy of them- possible traitors in their own school!

This book had a great mix of humor and action, with just the right shake of romance thrown in for good measure. I felt so sorry for Cammie as she comes to terms with exactly what she has signed herself up for- a life of deception and paranoia. And yet, somehow I ended up laughing on almost every page as she and her roommates/sidekicks, Bex, Liz and Macey make their way through life with the help of a few extra gadgets (sign me up for a Boy-to-English translator, please!) I don't know if Cammie is really cut out for the spying life, though, because she seems to have a few too many regrets about what she's giving up. We'll have to see what happens in future books.

Cross My Heart was an extremely entertaining read. I'm so happy that the series gets better!
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LibraryThing member theepicrat
I loved how Ally Carter incorporated boy spies into the mix! While reading I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You, I got the impression that boy spies would probably pop up eventually, but I was not sure if there was a boy spy school. How they crashed into the girls' lives and
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arrived at the Academy proved to be amusing. It certainly created a dynamic boy vs. girl battle of wits.

I am not going to lie - as much as I hated to see Josh and Cammie apart, I truly dug Zach (Sidenote: I just have to get this off my chest - but I just love it when I spot my boyfriend's name (Zach) as the love interest!) and am now on Team Zach! Although Josh is still rather sweet, I think Zach is a better complement for Cammie, much better at understanding and even challenging her spy skills.
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
The Gallagher Girls are back. Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey are thrown for a loop when a group of boys from another school for spies join them for a semester. Zach takes an immediate interest in Cammie, who is still hurting from the incident with Josh in book one. The girls are up to their usual
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spy-ways and try to figure out just what these boys are up to. A quick, fun read.
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LibraryThing member lalalibrarian
I love this series! very funny...reminds me of Harry Potter. this is the sequel to I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You...

LibraryThing member ccahill
This book was almost as good as the first, having the same witty characters, fun spy school activities, and humorous teen love. However, I thought the ending was rushed, a cop-out duplicate of the first book's ending.
LibraryThing member Elferkid
THIS IS A AMAZING BOOK!!!!!! Have you ever wondered how all the great female spies came to be??? They went to the Gallagher Academy! That is the school i want to go to. this book mixes cool spy/action/gadgets with teenage girls. Cameron can hack CIA codes, speak 14 languages, and kill a guy with a
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piece of uncooked spaghetti. She is ready for everything... except blackthorne. When the boys school for spies which the Gallagher girls had no prior knowledge of become guests at her school things are turned upside down. She meets Zach a blackthorne boy who took special intrest in cammie. She doesn't totally trust them so she does what any normal person would do, she bugs his room and pretends to be his girl friend so she can spy on him. Big time honey trap. Can she figure out whats going on with out actually falling for zach?
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LibraryThing member travenwill
In this sequel to I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you, Cammie finds herself in hot water over her infatuation with a local boy, Josh. Then she realizes her mother is keeping secrets from her. It is up to Cammie to find out what is going on and make sure everything and everyone
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she loves is kept safe. Very entertaining book.
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LibraryThing member edspicer
I would not because it wasn't that good to me. I like books with humor this one had some but not what I was looking for. The title made it sound like a book I would like, but it wasn't after I read it. Q3P2 AHS/Jenna G
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
(spoliers)
This had less of the spying and more of the relationships that the first book in the series. I was intrigued by the central mystery, but I felt let down by the ending. Worse than a dream sequence - it was all a class exercise. If the teacher who once went to Blackthorn had been the
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villain of the piece, that would have been awesome! And the reason the boy's school is the 'stepson nobody talks about'' is never revealed. And for Cammie's apparent fame might be a bit of a problem in her intended career, no?
Also, the accents I ignored while reading the first book were irritating in the audio book - no fault of the actor, they were just a bit trop. But still, I was keen to see what happened to Cammie, her mother, and even Zac.
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LibraryThing member callmecayce
Though not as well written as Heist Society, I really like this series. It's both sweet and fun, while being a bit tricky. It's a nice mix of spy fiction with teenage drama, and the result is usually interesting enough to keep the novel going. I can't wait to read the third one.
LibraryThing member BGMSTeachers
This book is the sequel to I'd Tell You I Love You but I'd Have to Kill You. It is set at a school for spies that has secret chambers under the school. Cammie is a genius but struggles with other aspects of her life, such as relationships. This book is like the Alex Rider series books (by Anthony
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Horowitz), but about a teen spy who is a girl instead of a boy.
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LibraryThing member mlcecilia
After reading this book I fell in love with Zach Goode. A hot, mysterious boy spy was an amazing twist. The fact that the Gallagher Girls discovered there were Blackthorne Boys I stopped breathing. This book was a amazing! I especially loved it when Cammie met Zach, and when they both ran into Josh
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and DeeDee. Another amazing book by Ally Carter!
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LibraryThing member 8F_SAM
This book was really....unpredictably predictable. What I mean is the book makes you think one thing's gonna happen, then makes you think another thing's gonna happen, but in the end, your first suspicion is right. Unpredictably predictable. In this book, Cammie, Bex, Liz and Macey are trying to
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find out what Cammie's mom is hiding from them. The East Wing is blocked off for no reason, and Cammie sees her mom and Mr. Solomon talking about Blackthorne. What's going on?
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LibraryThing member JRlibrary
This is the second book in the Gallagher girls series, and I think there will be more. The first book, I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You, was surprisingly popular in my library and several students were begging for the second book.
After the events in book one, Cammie Morgan is
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determined to be as normal as possible. She has promised her mother that she will be on her best behaviour, and she intends to keep her promise, but that becomes quite difficult when Cammie suspects that something secret is happening at the Gallagher Academy. One wing is blocked off, but the reason given is one she knows is a lie. She hears a whispered discussion of something code named Blackthorne, and she knows that something is afoot. After two Code Blacks (security breaches) occur, Cammie and her friends are determined to get to the bottom of whatever is threatening their existence. A great second novel, one that will not disappoint those who loved book one. And for those who are missing Josh, he does make a reappearance in book two.
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LibraryThing member sarah1234
A great story about middle schooled girls and how they cope with boys in there all girls school. Very funny and enjoyable. One of my favorites and a must read. Everyone should enjoy this well written series.
LibraryThing member liga1996
i liked this book alot but not enough to read it again it was fun but it was slow in the beggining . i would recomend this book to patient people who like mystery and love.

Rating

(603 ratings; 4)

Call number

YA A Car
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