Chick-lit is not a genre I usually venture into. Girl wars, shopping, boyfriends? Not for me. Some of my best girl friends are Willow and other fellow readers, the wars I campaign are between dragons or demigods or mages, I shop at the library, and my boyfriends... well, I guess maybe my favorite ships from books. However, recently, I read not one, but two books in this genre: Alphas by Lisi Harrison and I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter.
Both books are the first books in their series: Alphas and Gallagher Girls. I've read books in other series by both authors: The Clique series by Lisi Harrison and the Heist Society series by Ally Carter. Both books are about talented, powerful girls going to specialized schools, and both cover a semester at that school.
First, Alphas. Three main characters all are attending Alpha Academy, a specialized, exclusive school run by a rich but quirky woman, Shira Brazille. Skye is a dancer who wants to prove herself, especially to her mom; Allie is actually impersonating a celebrity whose invitation she mistakenly recieved; and Charlie sacrificed two people she loved to be able to have this chance at Alphas, but she knows Shira's true cruel nature. Over the semester at the Academy, Shira bans the girls from socializing with boys (which is what some of the girls really wanted at the Academy) and begins sending home anyone who doesn't measure up to her arbitrary standards -- and it's rumored she has an inside spy.
Alphas didn't have that much of a plot. Most of the action, until the end, was character development, the girls chasing and/or rejecting boys, or backstory. However, character-wise, Alphas was amazing. All three of the main characters were equally developed. While they all fit into the general boy-crazy teenage girl stereotype (which I dislike, by the way), each was different, with different goals. Overall, I think Alphas deserves three stars. While the characters were interesting, the world and the plot weren't too well outlined or clear, and in general, the genre isn't my thing.
The second book I read was I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You. This story has only one main character, Cammie Morgan, daughter of a famous spy who's the headmistress of Gallagher Academy, an private undercover school for spy girls. It's Cammie's sophomore year, when she starts the hardest spy subject at Gallagher: Covert Operations, or real spy fieldwork. However, when Cammie meets Josh, a normal, non-spy boy, her spy skills are put to the test keeping their relationship intact. With her friends tough Bex, genius Liz, and unexpected-confidante Macey, Cammie has to both ace spy school and keep Josh from knowing who she really is.
Both books are the first books in their series: Alphas and Gallagher Girls. I've read books in other series by both authors: The Clique series by Lisi Harrison and the Heist Society series by Ally Carter. Both books are about talented, powerful girls going to specialized schools, and both cover a semester at that school.
First, Alphas. Three main characters all are attending Alpha Academy, a specialized, exclusive school run by a rich but quirky woman, Shira Brazille. Skye is a dancer who wants to prove herself, especially to her mom; Allie is actually impersonating a celebrity whose invitation she mistakenly recieved; and Charlie sacrificed two people she loved to be able to have this chance at Alphas, but she knows Shira's true cruel nature. Over the semester at the Academy, Shira bans the girls from socializing with boys (which is what some of the girls really wanted at the Academy) and begins sending home anyone who doesn't measure up to her arbitrary standards -- and it's rumored she has an inside spy.
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| Three stars! |
The second book I read was I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You. This story has only one main character, Cammie Morgan, daughter of a famous spy who's the headmistress of Gallagher Academy, an private undercover school for spy girls. It's Cammie's sophomore year, when she starts the hardest spy subject at Gallagher: Covert Operations, or real spy fieldwork. However, when Cammie meets Josh, a normal, non-spy boy, her spy skills are put to the test keeping their relationship intact. With her friends tough Bex, genius Liz, and unexpected-confidante Macey, Cammie has to both ace spy school and keep Josh from knowing who she really is.
The idea of a snooty private school being the cover for a school for genius spies was an amazing, if slightly cheesy, stroke of world-building (in my opinion). The book did have some humor, since it was narrated in first person by Cammie. Action scenes were well written and not chaotic, and the characters of the girls were a little bit one-sided but they all worked together. Macey and Cammie were by far the best. At the same time, the plot was completely focused around Cammie's lying and her relationship/obsession with Josh. Even the relationship seemed to kind of start and then plateau. Finally, the ending felt unclear and abrupt to me. So overall, this book deserves also three stars.
Comparison of the two: Both worlds were different from the "real world," and Gallagher Academy was definitely more interesting and well-described than Alphas Academy. Both sets of girl characters were awesome, though the Alphas were less one-sided. Neither plot was amazing: one was unclear, one didn't move except at the beginning and end. As far as the boy relationships in each: Shira's sons were more interesting and did more, while Josh was extremely flat (even considering he's supposed to be the normal boy). However, Cammie's relationship moved more clearly than the Alphas'.
Because of the characters and the worlds (and, okay, maybe because of the relationships I'm supporting), I might continue reading each series. However, neither book really blew me away: I liked them, didn't love them.
Happy reading and/or venturing into new genres and/or being an alpha spy!
~Citali
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| Three stars! |
Because of the characters and the worlds (and, okay, maybe because of the relationships I'm supporting), I might continue reading each series. However, neither book really blew me away: I liked them, didn't love them.
Happy reading and/or venturing into new genres and/or being an alpha spy!
~Citali
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