Review: Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

When Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she's there to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world's best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart. Cammie and Macey soon find themselves trapped in a kidnappers' plot, with only their espionage skills to save them.
As her junior year begins, Cammie can't shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn't feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion's corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe?
Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth..

Review:

It has been a few years since I last read one of the Gallagher Girls books and I was worried I might be a bit lost. But I didn’t need to have worried, because I soon was caught up in the story and everything came flooding back. The action was heated up and there were even more secrets, plot twists, and thrilling clues in Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover. The title was definitely a perfect fit for this story as Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey face a lot of new challenges and their different “covers” are tested time and time again.

My favorite aspect of this series, in addition to the awesome plot, is the characters. Cammie Morgan is such a likable main character. She is such a loyal friend and will do whatever it takes to keep those she loves safe. Cammie’s training from the Academy really comes into play in Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover and there was a lot more action and excitement in this novel. The story focused more on the mystery and suspense than Cammie’s romantic entanglements and it was a fresh change. While I miss hearing about Zach and hope to see more of him in the next book, I liked that this book really let Cammie stand on her own two feet and prove she doesn’t need a guy in her life to kick-butt. Bex and Liz are, of course, two awesome characters and combined with Cammie a great team. They each have their own quirks and strengths which just makes them that much more developed. Macey also had an intriguing role in this book and it let me see a different side of her character and learn more about her background, as well.

The plot is excellent, filled with fun twists and unexpected turns. There were new characters introduced (like Aunt Abby!) who played key roles and I liked the storyline. Each of the characters is developed even more in Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover and the Gallagher Girls have even more opportunities to prove their abilities and to let all they have learned come into play.

The Gallagher Girls series is definitely not one to miss and this was a fabulous addition to the series. The only thing I wished was that the ending gave a little more closure. It was definitely a huge cliffhanger and I had so many questions. Luckily, I already have the fourth book in my TBR pile and can start it right away! If you haven’t read this series already, I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the girls in Only the Good Spy Young!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

June 9, 2009/Disney*Hyperion/263 Pages/Young Adult/Book Three

Source: Bought (Hardcover)

Other books in this series: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Book 1), Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Book 2), Only the Good Spy Young (Book 4), and Out of Sight, Out of Time (Book 5, 2012)