Customer Reviews

Model Spy (The Specialists)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kelly, a foster teen with nowhere to call home, gets herself into a little bit of trouble hacking into a government computer system as a favor for her hottie R.A. Now she's under arrest.

Kelly's given a choice of being sent to a juvenile detention center or a government Special Operations Unit. Soon, her identity is gone and she's now Kelly Spree, working for the government as the resident computer genius with other teen agents.

But the biggest surprise is that it was all just a set-up, and that hottie R.A., David, well, he was sent to recruit her.

Now she's about to go on her first mission posing as a model and it's David who will be her backup. Kelly's finally found a place to call home and will do anything to stay there. So she does her job. She plays the part of the spoiled model convincingly while downplaying her crush on David.

If you liked I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls) by Ally Carter, don't miss out on this great spy novel full of intrigue, drama, and one very big crush.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

This middle reader/young adult book, Model Spy: The Specialists, is about the possibilities we all have to change, be accepted and find a place of importance in this world. Okay, it is also about teens serving their country, finding a "family of choice" because they don't have a real family, and about fitting in.

Kelly James had survived the plane crash that killed her parents, and then she had been passed from foster home to foster home.

Not yet 18, she is in college because she is so brilliant. She is a computer whiz--but a lonely one. Enter David, her older dorm resident advisor. He tells Kelly that he too is an orphan, and IF she would use her unique gift to hack into a government computer, he knows he will learn something important about his past.

He is irresistible, remember, and he has been SO nice to her--so she does, and gets caught and arrested. That's when the action begins. She is given a choice: serve a juvenile detention sentence--OR change her name, change her life and be a government spy.

Kelly joins other orphaned teens with unique skills (who also have been arrested) and will be trained as spies.

Kelly is not only brainy, she is tall and thin, and when an opportunity comes where her computer skills are vital, Kelly goes on assignment--as an "undercover model." Creating beauty from geek wasn't so easy, and that whole aspect is fun to read. And, they send David as part of her "spy cover."

What more could a girl want? You'll have to read this book to find out how successful Kelly was, how David's orphan status changes, and how important a mission she accomplished.

Kelly is a character you will root for because she is smart--and had been lonely and gawky, with no social skills. The idea of teens (specialists) serving their country is also unique, and Greenland convincingly writes their story.

For all young readers, I hope that Model Spy: The Specialists is the first of many in a series where someone finds beauty and value in every person--and sends them on a thrilling ride to something/somewhere.

Armchair Interviews says: HIGHLY recommend this book.

I bought this book for my 13 year old niece. She loved it .She is a spy novel freak! She is on the third one now. She is reading this series while she waits for the new Galliger Girl my Ally Carter ,witch happens to be her favorite series of all time. So if you like that series too I recomend the Specialist series as well , you will enjoy it.How do I know ? Because I read it too.It is a very cute story.

A fresh new look on the world of spys. I have always been interested in spy books but their emphasis on violence was a constant dissapointment. Model Spy has all of the excitment with less blood and gore. As a math geek I could even find myself relating to Gigi. Everyone will be able to find a little bit of themself in at least one of the characters. Greenlands writing is accurate in the way teens think and talk. The characters have their moments where they cant think of anything to say when talking to a cute boy. I would suggest this book to all of my friends and anyone who wants an exciting fun book.

I enjoyed the involvement of spies and how this played into Gigi's identity with a new family. It was great to see a character who is attractive yet clumsy, it gave the story some comic relief when usually "spy work" is so serious.

The story begins by capturing your attention immediately, which is always good because some books lack this and it is hard to get the past the first few chapters and get to the real meat of the story. Of course, it is always good to involve some sort of romance, which this book so tastefully involves. However, what I truly enjoyed was that the romance didn't overpower the book, but played a role in moving it along. If you want a little bit of romance with your action, this is the way to go :)

The reason why I gave this book four stars is because the second book of the series is the only book out of the four that is not a Kindle book. You get sucked in to the Gigi's story and lifestyle and it gets broken by the lack of the second book. Shame :(

There truly are no words to describe how much I have loved this series! It seems like the more of the book you read, the more engrossing it gets. At first I thought it was going to be about some model who just so happened to become a spy by some chance, but really its about this incredibly intelligent girl who is selected by a secret government organization to be a part of their team. Along with all of the other recruits "Gigi" ends up finding things about her past, her parents, and herself. The plot line of this story is excellent with action and some romance (more to come in the later books) you too will find your self in love with these books.

the book is really great because it has action,romance,and i think it is cool in all about how she is a " model " spy and how she has her
" people " so if you want a good action/romance book this was made for you!!!!!!!

This book is so good, so are the next 2 in the series, you HAVE TO READ THEM!

This is an amazing book. it has alldifferent personalities and it is perfect for fashionistas and spy loooooovers. a must read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The moment Kelly James agrees to hack into the government's files she knows she will regret it . At least she knows it will be easy for a computer genius like herself. Just mere hours after hacking into the system she is arrested. She is a lucky girl though because the agents offer her an alternative, the opportunity to go to a top secret government spy school and change her identity. She agrees, because who wouldn't want to not have to go to jail?? She quickly adjusts to the spy environment, even getting a new name - Gigi, all the while developing a crush on David, the person that persuaded her to hack the system in the first place -also part of the spy program known as the Specialists. After only a month she is sent on her first mission. Her mission: pretend to be a model while searching for a microchip that will lead to the discovery of a missing man.

For a thin book (205 pages) this book was packed with suspense and adventure. It definitely kept me turning the pages and eager to learn more of the fate of all the characters. Gigi is a very likable girl because she is smart, but not full of herself, and very realistic. What girl can't relate to getting tongue-tied around a hot guy?? There is a second book already published in the series and a third is due out in April of this year. The book definitely leaves the reader on the edge, with lots of unanswered questions. All in all this book is a light fun read and would be great for the beach or a lazy, rainy afternoon!