Review Detail

The Invisible Spy was an intriguing sequel to Forgotten Five #1 The Map of Flames. This book starts right after the events in book one where the 5 supernatural children, with the help of an ex-military turned spy named The Librarian and a supernatural teen girl named Lada, have finally rescued Birdie and Brix’s mother Elena.

The beginning of the book started a little slowly in regards to character development. There are eight characters which is a large cast. With so many characters and a fast-moving plot, I felt like there was initially little definition to make them stand out like they had in the first book. However, that was a short-lived problem and Cabot, Lada, and Seven took the focus this time.

There are many suspenseful mysteries to which the children and their allies are trying to find answers. They need to discover what happened to all their “bad parents,” the stolen loot, and the shady dealings of President Fuerte. Some of the answers the children receive pack an emotional punch when they discover which parent died, and that the parents are in deep with the President. Parents they thought were good seem to be the most culpable and the one that was awful on the island had some softer moments towards the children. These discoveries lead to an unexpected parting in their ranks.

Lada’s character was interesting. She has a disability that limits her mobility and causes pain leading to split time between a wheelchair and crutches. I like that it discusses how she must evaluate situations to see how she can accomplish the same goals which raises awareness of things most people do not have to consider. I also like that she has a cool supernatural ability and is one of the leaders of the group.

Seven was a compelling character. His ability to camouflage is incredibly useful but he loathes it. He shines in this book when he ends up in danger during a mission. His ability and quick thinking lead him to discover many of the answers they have been trying to find. His interactions with his father are unfortunate but overall, the events lead him to a new appreciation and confidence in himself and his ability.

I continued to enjoy the children’s interactions with the modern world. Having grown up isolated on an island they do not have the common knowledge of how technology and city life work. Reading about their wonder, bewilderment, and failures while also trying to take on professional criminals was endearing.

Overall, this book was a nice continuation of the series. Some answers are found making this book feel complete but it also sets up the third book nicely so that a reader wants to jump right into it. The children are learning about their world and coming into their powers at a good pace keeping the reader wanting to find out what happens next. There were realistic emotional reactions that helped keep this supernatural world grounded and believable. I am excited to read the next book.