Devi Nair
š§ Listened in Audio š¢ Narrated by MacLeod Andrews ā± Duration: 9 hours š·ļø Publisher: HarperAudio Adult | William Morrow (ARC provided by NetGalley) šļø Pub Date: December 2, 2025
I was all in for the neon-soaked premise: a scrappy 14-year-old channeling Ferris Bueller espionage vibes while Reagan and Gorbachev prep for Geneva. The Cold War nostalgia hits hard, Scientific Atlanta contracts, convertible Porsches, Phil Collins on repeat, and Atkins nails the ā80s texture. MacLeod Andrewsā narration pops with teen sarcasm and drag-queen flair; you can practically hear Jackie Demureās heels clicking.
Yet, despite MacLeod Andrews' engaging narration, the pacing dragged, and the tone felt uneven, like it couldnāt decide if it wanted to be a sharp spy caper or a nostalgic coming-of-age story. At 25%, I realized I wasnāt invested enough to keep going. The characters drifted instead of driving the story, and even the potential laughs landed flat. I kept waiting for the satirical bite or the gut-punch twist, yet the stakes never ignited.
Ultimately, this one is a case of a premise with promise but pacing and tone that didnāt match. I got to roughly 25% before I had to stop.
Would I Recommend It? Not really. Maybe fans of Ace Atkinsā slower, character-driven work will find more to love here, but for me, the momentum just wasnāt there. DNF at 25%.
Spy Games Gone Wrong? Have you ever picked up a book with a thrilling premise that just couldnāt keep you hooked? Iād love to hear your āalmost great, but nopeā reads in the comments!
š§ Listened in Audio š¢ Narrated by MacLeod Andrews ā± Duration: 9 hours š·ļø Publisher: HarperAudio Adult | William Morrow (ARC provided by NetGalley) šļø Pub Date: December 2, 2025
I was all in for the neon-soaked premise: a scrappy 14-year-old channeling Ferris Bueller espionage vibes while Reagan and Gorbachev prep for Geneva. The Cold War nostalgia hits hard, Scientific Atlanta contracts, convertible Porsches, Phil Collins on repeat, and Atkins nails the ā80s texture. MacLeod Andrewsā narration pops with teen sarcasm and drag-queen flair; you can practically hear Jackie Demureās heels clicking.
Yet, despite MacLeod Andrews' engaging narration, the pacing dragged, and the tone felt uneven, like it couldnāt decide if it wanted to be a sharp spy caper or a nostalgic coming-of-age story. At 25%, I realized I wasnāt invested enough to keep going. The characters drifted instead of driving the story, and even the potential laughs landed flat. I kept waiting for the satirical bite or the gut-punch twist, yet the stakes never ignited.
Ultimately, this one is a case of a premise with promise but pacing and tone that didnāt match. I got to roughly 25% before I had to stop.
Would I Recommend It? Not really. Maybe fans of Ace Atkinsā slower, character-driven work will find more to love here, but for me, the momentum just wasnāt there. DNF at 25%.
Spy Games Gone Wrong? Have you ever picked up a book with a thrilling premise that just couldnāt keep you hooked? Iād love to hear your āalmost great, but nopeā reads in the comments!