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50 in '10: #21
Title: The Agency: A Spy in the House
Author: Y. S. Lee
Length: 335 pages
Ahh, YA Lit. The concept of this sounded intriguing, so I picked it up. Unfortunately, the concept seems to be about all there is to it. "Young woman educated reformed thief! In Victorian England! Domestic spy/detective! Awesomesauce!" seems to be the entirety of the planning session. With a none-too-subtle helping of Women's Lib and a side of Oh How Cruelly Our Ancestors Treated Those Of Color.
For crying out loud, the spy's employer is "The Agency." I'm sorry but that hasn't worked as a name since Scarecrow and Mrs. King. And Scarecrow and Mrs. King was fun. The Non-Threatening Romance (because this is directed at teenagers; also because the main character is Enlightened and does not want to be married and this is a series so it's clear he's got to be on the train by the end of the book) is paper-thin. The eventually revealed villain is cookie-cutter. The point of all the plot is missing.
Verdict: Skip it. There's better YA lit out there.
Author: Y. S. Lee
Length: 335 pages
Ahh, YA Lit. The concept of this sounded intriguing, so I picked it up. Unfortunately, the concept seems to be about all there is to it. "
For crying out loud, the spy's employer is "The Agency." I'm sorry but that hasn't worked as a name since Scarecrow and Mrs. King. And Scarecrow and Mrs. King was fun. The Non-Threatening Romance (because this is directed at teenagers; also because the main character is Enlightened and does not want to be married and this is a series so it's clear he's got to be on the train by the end of the book) is paper-thin. The eventually revealed villain is cookie-cutter. The point of all the plot is missing.
Verdict: Skip it. There's better YA lit out there.