All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Title: All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Grace can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she’s come back to stay—in order to solve the mystery of her mother’s death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

Being in the book blogging community, I tend to hear about books a long time before they come out. And I mean a LONG time. Ally Carter’s All Fall Down, the first book in her new Embassy Row series was one of those books. And after having heard about it for all those months, I was very excited to finally be able to read it.

Grace has always had a knack for getting herself in trouble. Usually because she was dead set on chasing after her older brother, not afraid to do anything the boys were doing, not matter what that meant. As the granddaughter of one of the most powerful ambassadors in the world, that usually meant that Grace spent her summers running around Embassy Row, sometimes on roofs, sometimes over fences, but very rarely where she was supposed to. Now sixteen, Grace comes back to Embassy Row, but this time, it’s to stay. For the past three years she’s been obsessed with finding out what really happened on the night her mother died. Coming back to Embassy Row could mean finally getting the answers she’s been desperately searching for. But what Grace finds in Adria might be more than she ever bargained for.

Ally Carter is a master at writing spy stories. Though I still have to finish both her Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series (I KNOW GUYS I AM WORKING ON IT), I have loved what I have read. Those stories are always fun and different from the other contemporary stories I typically tend to gravitate to. So I was excited at the idea of a new series from Ally Carter. It didn’t hurt that All Fall Down sounded pretty great. And as someone who spent her high school years around expats and diplomatic families, that particular aspect of the story definitely drew me in. Though believe me when I say that my experience with expats and diplomats was nothing like Grace’s and what you see in the book. The stakes were never quite that high. But that’s besides the point. All Fall Down was a fast-paced story that kept me guessing the whole way through. I kept thinking that I had some part of the mystery figured out, but then Ally Carter would throw in another piece to the puzzle and I would be back at square one. I just couldn’t figure out what was happening. But in a good way. And that ending? I’m already begging for the sequel.

I loved Grace right from page one. How could I not? I mean, she starts off telling her story by saying that she jumped off a wall separating two properties on a dare. And she’s proud that she proved to her brother that the fall wasn’t a deadly one. So yeah, after reading those first few pages, I was sold on Grace. I couldn’t wait to read the rest of her story and find out more about her. Grace was fierce and snarky, not afraid to break the rules. And she was great at convincing others to go along with whatever plan she had, often getting her friends in trouble without meaning to. And she had some great friends who were ready to stand by her side. And I really liked those friends, especially Noah. Noah is the kind of friend I would love to have (not that my friends aren’t great because they absolutely are). He was always ready to stand by Grace, even when she wasn’t being the greatest friend. The character that I’m still trying to figure out, though, is Alexei. At first I thought he was a little shady. Then I discovered that he wasn’t actually. But then something else would happen and I was right back to thinking he was a little shady, but he had good intentions. Hopefully it all becomes more clear in the next book.

I loved Ally Carter’s All Fall Down. It was a great start to what promises to be a fantastic new series. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, action packed story with a mystery, then this is the one for you.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Title: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher 

Girls #2)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: October 2, 2007

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

After staking out, obtaining, and then being forced to give up her first boyfriend, Josh, all Cammie Morgan wants is a peaceful semester. But that's easier said than done when you're a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world…for spies.

Cammie may have a genius I.Q., but there are still a lot of things she doesn't know. Like, will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble is she really in after what happened last semester? And most of all, why is her mother acting so strangely?

Despite Cammie's best intentions to be a normal student danger seems to follow her. She and her friends learn that their school is going to play oct to some mysterious guests--code name: Blackthorne. Then she's blamed for a security breach that leaves the school's top secret status at risk.

Soon Cammie and her friends are crawling through walls and surveilling the school to learn the truth about Blackthorne and clear Cammie's name. Even though they have confidence in their spy skills, this time the targets are tougher (and hotter), and the stakes for Cammie's heart--and her beloved school--are higher than ever.

I've only just finally started reading this series and I'm really happy that I finally did. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was a light and fun read that I just sped through. I just love everything about this series and I'm happy to have finally discovered it.

Cammie Morgan is back at the Gallagher Academy for a new semester, trying to put everything that happened with Josh behind her. Her new goal is to always be herself. Except when you are being trained to become an elite spy, always being yourself is often easier than done. And to make things better, it seems that the Gallagher Academy will be host to some unexpected visitors: boys form another spy school. While the Gallagher Girls may be equipped to deal with just about any situation, sharing their school with boys is not one of them. But Cammie is over the whole boy thing, or so she says. But then there's Zach who manages to get under her skin and push all the right buttons to drive her nuts. But there might be something bigger going on at the Gallagher Academy.

Even though I've only read the first two books, I can already say that I love this series. It's just so much fun to read and I can't help but have a smile on my face as I'm reading. But while Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was definitely light and fun, there were also moments that were a little more serious that made me appreciate the book even more. The other great thing about the Gallagher Girls series is that I can pick one of the books up and read it all in an afternoon and escape for that time. And this book definitely provided a great escape from all the exam studying I was doing at the time.

I love Cammie Morgan and, like I said in my review of I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You, she is a fantastic narrator. The things she says just always seem to put a smile on my face. Cammie is also the kind of character whose emotions you can really feel. I felt both her joy and her pain. And of course I felt all her confusion about boys, especially Zach. Heck, Zach even drove me crazy at times. He was just such a hard person to figure out. Even once I finished reading the book, I still didn't really have a clear handle on him. Once again I also loved Cammie's best friends. They bring a lot of life and action to the story with their crazy plans and ideas. And in spite of everything, I just knew they would always have Cammie's back.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy definitely confirmed to me that I was seriously missing out by not having read the Gallagher Girls series sooner. It is a fantastic series and a great way to escape for an afternoon. I can't wait to read the next installment.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: April 25, 2006

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school--that is, it would be if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies.

Cammie Morgan is a second-generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she's already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (one of which involves a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for a boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl.

Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through town without his ever being the wiser--but can she have a relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie may be an elite spy-in-training but in her sophomore year, she's beginning her most dangerous mission--falling in love.

For the longest time, I have been hearing about how good Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series is, but it wasn't until recently that I finally picked up the first book in the series. Of course, I have now discovered exactly what I was missing out on and I will definitely go back and read this series.

To the outside world, it looks like Cammie Morgan goes to an elite boarding school for rich girls. But as often is, everything isn't always what it seems. Because while it is an elite all-girls boarding school, the Gallagher Academy is also a school where girls with genius IQs go to be trained to become spies. Cammie has always embraced her future as a spy, but when she meets Josh, she may be reconsidering the whole thing. Because with Josh, Cammie wants nothing more than to be the normal girl that he sees when he looks at her. But normal is the last thing Cammie can be, and she can never tell Josh who she really is.

While I have read both books in Ally Carter's Heist Society series, it wasn't until recently that I decided to give her Gallagher Girls series a try. I'm glas I did because I was finally able to discover what I was missing out on. It was one of those books that i just fun to read and takes you away from your own life for a few hours. I loved getting lost in the spy world of the Gallagher Academy, and discovering some of its secrets. What I loved best about the story was that it could go from being completely normal one minute to being full of spy action the next. I just didn't know what would be coming next.

I absolutely loved Cammie's voice as narrator. She just had a way of telling the story that made it so she could make me smile at the smallest of things. But she wasn't always that happy person and those other times often made me really feel for her. I could understand her yearning to be the normal girl that Josh saw in her. I could also really see why she would fall for Josh the way she did. He was definitely great and I loved his stubbornness when it came to Cammie. And Cammie's friends were also pretty fantastic, I would love to have them in my own life. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Bex, Liz and Macey in the next books in the series.

After reading I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You I can say that I will be going back and reading all of the Gallagher Girls books. If they're all like this one, then I'm sure I'm going to enjoy them.

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Title: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: June 21, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long--and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is...the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend--the gorgeous Hale--and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

After having finished Heist Society, I rushed to the bookstore to get myself a copy of Uncommon Criminals and started reading it straight away. I had a lot of trouble putting it down and I enjoyed every single page of it.

Kat Bishop is back in the thieving business, but not quite in the traditional sense. Instead of stealing for the sake of stealing, Kat now steals art pieces that were stolen by Nazis in order to return them to their rightful owners. So when Kat is approached by an old woman and her grandson about stealing the Cleopatra Emerald, Kat accepts to help. But the emerald is cursed. And as soon as Kat has the emerald in her possession, she loses it. But everything may not be quite as it seems. With the help of Hale and their crew, Kat has to steal the emerald back and return it to its real rightful owner. But doing so may prove to be a little easier said than done, what with the emerald being cursed and all.

Much like with the first book, Uncommon Criminals is a very fast paced book and there is never a dull moment. And things also never seem to go the way they are planned. The story was also interesting. What I particularly liked about it was that not only did I learn more than I ever cared to know about pulling off heists, but there was also some history woven into it. I also liked that there was a little more romance in the story, especially between two of the characters, but I don’t want to give too much away.

I loved getting to know better the characters I met in the first book. Kat once again kept me on my toes and I never know what to expect from her. She was as unpredictable as ever. But I also liked that she opened herself up to others a little more. And I especially loved her budding relationship with Hale. Though I like Hale a lot, there is still so much about him that I don’t know. And that may just be a part of his appeal, he’s mysterious and doesn’t really give anything away. As for the rest of the crew, they are still as crazy and interesting. Though they don’t play as important a role in the story as Kat and Hale, I don’t think the story would be quite the same and quite as interesting without them.

Uncommon Criminals was a fantastic read. It was fast paced and filled with twists and turns. I am now eagerly awaiting the next book to find out in what crazy mess Kat and her friends will find themselves in.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society (Heist Society #1)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: February 9, 2010

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster’s priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history--and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

I have had Heist Society sitting on my bookshelf for the longest time but I didn’t actually pick it up until quite recently. And mostly I finally read it because I knew the sequel was coming out. But once I started reading it, I wanted to slap myself for not having picked it up sooner. It was a really fast read and one I enjoyed a lot.

Katarina Bishop thought she had gotten herself out of the family business after conning her way into private school. But that was only until she got herself expelled for something she didn’t do, despite the incriminating evidence, and before her father was accused of stealing a man’s private painting collection. Now Kat has to try to find those paintings and find a way to steal them back. But all that may be a whole lot easier said than done, because if she fails, everyone she knows and loves could be in danger. With the help of a teenage millionaire, her crazy cousin, a computer mastermind and Scottish brothers, Kat is going to have to pull off one of the greatest heist of all time, one everyone is telling her just isn’t possible.

This was the first time I have read anything by Ally Carter and I absolutely loved it. There was never a dull moment and it got to the point that I never knew what to expect next. The story was just plain interesting and it hooked me right from the start. I also loved the pace. I hate when the story drags on and this never even happened once. I also now know a lot about pick-pocketing, cons and planning heists, more than I ever thought I would know. Now if I will ever be in a situation that requires me to use that knowledge is a whole other story.

There was not one character in this book that I disliked. Kat was great and unpredictable. I honestly rarely knew what she was going to do next. She was also a big part of why I enjoyed the book so much. She was different from a lot of other protagonists, mostly because she wasn’t boy crazy which was absolutely refreshing. But there was still Hale. I don’t really know how to describe him. He’s mysterious and sounds like he would be an amazing friend. No matter how crazy Kat’s ideas were, Hale was always the first to jump on board. The rest of Kat’s crew was interesting to say the least. Gabrielle always seemed to have the right outfit for everything, Simon was always a little hesitant but somehow still wound up helping and the Bagshaws just seemed to love making stuff explode. Like I said, interesting.

Heist Society was an awesome book. So much so that I ended up at the bookstore a few days later when Uncommon Criminals came out. Now I will definitely go back and read some more of Ally Carter’s books.