Spy School Goes North

4.3

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Author(s)

Stuart Gibbs

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

October 03, 2023

ISBN

978-1665934749

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In the eleventh book in the New York Times bestselling Spy School series, Ben Ripley goes on a rescue mission when one of his own is abducted from a remote Alaskan training facility.

Ben Ripley and his friends are training in Alaska when Cyrus Hale is kidnapped by his old Russian nemesis. Ben, Erica, and the others mount a rescue mission, but events quickly spiral out of control in a plot involving the secret history of US-Russian relations, a young KGB agent with skills to rival Erica’s—and lots and lots of bears.

Editor review

1 review

A Wild Tale

June 01, 2023

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

After the events of the last book, nowhere in civilization is safe for Ben and his friends, and with no spy school to return to the story is paired down to the essentials. Ben and his close friends along with Erica’s parents and grandfather are hiding in the wilds of Alaska. This gives them the time to train so that Ben is no longer bumbling along and he can reasonably hold his own when they must save Cyrus Hale when his old nemesis in Russia kidnaps him.
Zoe is given more emphasis in this book as she shares a moment with Svetlana, the Russian version of Erica, which lays the groundwork for saving the group and the world. It also introduces LBGTQ+ representation into the series.
While everyone has grown more competent there are still plenty of fun scenes especially as Cyrus could use the new code name Bald Eagle! Gibbs gives us some great action sequences as well as some knowledge about Alaska, Russia, and the wildlife in the area.
Final Verdict: This is a solid addition to the series and there is a secret communication at the end that reassures us that there will be a 12th book in the future. This was a fast-paced read and the characters are continuing to grow and develop their skills and relationships ensuring that there is more fun in the future for our developing spies!