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Caramel reviews Spy School Revolution by Stuart Gibbs

As our readers know, Caramel has been reviewing the Spy School novels by Stuart Gibbs in order for the last few weeks. Today he talks to Sprinkles about the eighth book in the series: Spy School Revolution, first published in 2020.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you have been reading and reviewing these Spy School novels for a while now.

Caramel: Yep.

S: I am afraid we won’t be done by the end of the year. Today we are talking about book eight, and next week we can talk about book nine. But then there are two more.

C: I guess we will talk about them in February.

S: I guess so. But are you reading anything else besides these novels these days?

C: Of course. Some new ones and some old ones. You know I like rereading things. For example yesterday I was rereading Star Wars: Complete Vehicles – New Edition.

S: Yes, I saw that. Okay, at least you are not limiting yourself to this one series. But I do understand that it is a very fun series to read.

C: Yep. Marshmallow is reading them too, now, and she really likes them.

S: I know, I heard her say that too. Okay so what is going on in this eighth book?

C: In this book, Ben fights the Croatoan, an evil organization.

S: I had not heard that word before. And WordPress really wants to change it to Croatian, but Croatoan apparently has its own meanings.

C: Yep.

S: So apparently the Croatoan were a native peoples and apparently the word “Croatoan” was found carved into a tree on an island which is supposed to have been the site of an early colony from 1590. Wikipedia says some people call that colony the Lost Colony. Do these come into play in the book?

C: Yep. In the book the Croatoan is an evil organization trying to blame the disappearance of that colony on the native people.

S: So the book is about the American colonies before the United States was formed?

C: No, it is happening today to Ben Ripley from the other books, but the evil organization apparently goes back to the time before the American Revolution.

S: I see. What did you like about this book most?

C: I liked the part where Ben’s friends knock out Zoe.

S: I remember we met Zoe way back in the second book. But she was a friend of Ben. Why is it good that she is knocked out?

C: Well, I should probably not tell.

Caramel is reading Spy School Revolution by Stuart Gibbs. — Caramel is reading *Spy School Revolution* by Stuart Gibbs.

S: Hmm, okay let us put that aside then. I understand that there is some problem involving Erica?

C: Yes. There is an explosion and it turns out that she is the one behind it. So Ben’s friends and superiors begin to think she is working against the CIA.

S: What does Ben think?

C: He trusts Erica, and it turns out of course that she is not evil, she was just being blackmailed by the evil organization Croatoan.

S: Wait. Are we giving away too much information here?

C: Not really. We learn about Erica being blackmailed quite early in the book.

S: Phew, that’s good. So then Erica is in the book. Are there any new characters?

C: Yes. Agent Heather Durkee and Agent Nora Taco.

S: Who are they?

C: Well, they are both CIA agents. And Taco works for the Double Agent Detection Division, and Sprinkles, do you like anagrams?

S: I do! Some of my favorites are SILENT = LISTEN and DORMITORY = DIRTY ROOM. There are also two literary ones I like: HAMLET = AMLETH, EREWHON = NOWHERE. But why do you ask?

C: I don’t know if you noticed, but NORA TACO is actually an anagram for CROATOAN.

S: Hmm, that sounds suspicious.

C: Yep. Heh heh heh!

S: Okay, I think maybe there might be some spoilers coming, so maybe we should stop talking about this book.

C: Fine by me. I am already ready for the next book!

S: Can you describe the book using three to five words?

C: Amusing, adventurous, and page-turner.

S: That works! So let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Spy School Revolution by Stuart Gibbs and is ready for book nine. — Caramel loved reading *Spy School Revolution* by Stuart Gibbs and is ready for book nine.

Caramel reviews Spy School: British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs

Through these last few weeks of 2023, Caramel has been reviewing the Spy School novels by Stuart Gibbs in their chronological order. Today he reviews Book Seven: Spy School: British Invasion, first published in 2019. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

[Before reading this book, readers might like to check out the earlier books in the series. Here are Caramel’s reviews of the earlier books: Spy School; Spy Camp; Evil Spy School; Spy Ski School; Spy School: Secret Service; Spy School Goes South. Caramel also read and reviewed the graphic novel versions of the first two: Spy School: The Graphic Novel and Spy Camp: The Graphic Novel.]

Caramel reviews Spy School: British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs. — Caramel reviews *Spy School: British Invasion* by Stuart Gibbs.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are on Book Seven. What can you tell us about it?

Caramel: Of course I loved it.

S: Again?

C: Yep, again.

S: That’s wonderful! So tell us a bit about the book. What is going on this time?

C: Ben and his friends find Orion and make him hack a USB.

S: Wait, who is Orion? And what does it mean to hack a USB?

C: Orion is a hacker. And a USB is a file storage device.

S: I know what a USB is, but what do you mean by hacking one? Do you mean Orion helps them read the contents of a specific USB device? Or do they ask Orion to create a virus or something that can invade someone’s computer via its USB drive?

C: The first one. They find a USB device that belonged to Joshua Hallal, and they want to access the information in it.

S: I remember you mentioned Halal when you were talking about Spy School Goes South.

C: Yes, but he first appeared in the second book, Spy Camp.

S: I see. He is not a new character at all then. Do we meet any interesting new characters in Spy School: British Invasion other than Orion?

C: Yes. We also meet Mr. E, who is the leader of SPYDER.

S: Oh, that is exciting! Did we hear about him before?

C: No. It is a revelation.

S: That is really exciting!

C: It is!

S: Okay, before we move on, can you tell me why the book is titled British Invasion?

C: Well, because the book is mainly taking place in Britain. Ben is working with someone from MI6 to catch Mr. E who is hiding there.

Caramel is reading Spy School: British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs. — Caramel is reading *Spy School: British Invasion* by Stuart Gibbs.

S: What did you like most about Spy School: British Invasion?

C: I liked the part where Ben finds out SPYDER’s evil plan again.

S: Why?

C: Because it was hilarious to see Mr. E freak out about it.

S: So the book is pretty funny again, right?

C: Yep, it is.

S: So if I asked you to describe the book using three to five words, I am guessing “hilarious” would be one of them.

C: You know me well, Sprinkles. My description would be “hilarious, action packed, and suspenseful”.

S: Those work well! Does this book make you want to keep reading the rest of the series?

C: Yes!

S: So let us wrap up this review so you can move on to the next book. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Spy School: British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs and cannot wait to get his paws on Book Eight. — Caramel loved reading *Spy School: British Invasion* by Stuart Gibbs and cannot wait to get his paws on Book Eight.

Marshmallow reviews And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Sprinkles is an avid Agatha Christie fan, so she was very excited to introduce Marshmallow to her work. Earlier this year, Marshmallow reviewed her first Agatha Christie book, Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories. And today, she talks to Sprinkles about And Then There Were None, the classic mystery novel, first published in 1939, known to be one of the best-selling books of all time.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow how should we start talking about this book?

Marshmallow: I usually start my reviews with an overview. We could just do that.

S: Okay, so go for it!

M: If you like books about mystery or enjoy Agatha Christie’s works, then this might be the book for you.

S: That works. Okay, so can you tell us a bit about this book then?

M: Sure. Separately, eight people are invited to spend time at Soldier Island. They are all confused and do not fully understand why or by whom they were summoned to the island, because they do not know their host well or (in some cases) at all. They all travel to Soldier Island (for different reasons) and are ferried there together. They all have different ideas of who their host is; some suspect an eccentric billionaire while others think that the owner is a famous movie star. When they get to the island, they are also confused by the variety in their fellow guests: there is a judge, a doctor, two young men, a young woman, an older woman, a retired military man, and another man who we eventually find out is a former police inspector.

S: So there are eight guests. But the story needs ten people, right?

M: Right. There is a married couple in the single house on the island who are supposed to be the caretakers for the time the eight will be spending there. They make up the last two of the ten.

S: Then what happens?

M: The first night, during dinner, there is an eerie recording that plays and accuses each of the ten with murder. Each of the ten people, the eight guests and the two caretakers, were apparently involved with the death of at least one person, and the voice in the recording claims that they were guilty. Or rather it says “You are charged with the following crimes…” and goes on to list one by one whose deaths each of the guests and the caretakers was responsible for. And of course everyone is unsettled and some want to leave the island immediately but of course this turns out to be impossible. Then one by one, people start dying.

S: So somehow someone got them to this island to kill them off?

M: Yes, basically. After the first couple days the remaining ones figure out that there is nobody else on the island other than themselves, which leads them to the conclusion that the murderer must be among them. This leads to more mistrust and suspicion. While some of the people dismiss the accusations against them, others admit to them and show no remorse. The reader is left wondering how innocent some of the characters are and how they end up dying one by one.

S: How so?

M: There is a nursery rhyme hung up in every guest room called Ten Little Soldiers and it is a story about these ten little soldiers who die one by one in specific ways until there are none.

S: And so the title of the book is And Then There Were None.

M: Yes. This is the last line of the nursery rhyme.

Marshmallow is reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. — Marshmallow is reading *And Then There Were None* by Agatha Christie.

S: The rhyme is pretty interesting. I even reviewed a children’s book about zombies that parodies this rhyme.

M: Actually, the nursery rhyme in the book is coming from a real nursery rhyme that the book’s original title was based on. The title of the book used to be something quite different, but was changed because the original nursery rhyme was very offensive. I am very glad to have read the more modern, updated version, because the older title and rhyme were extremely offensive. Interested readers might read more about the history of this rhyme here. And here is the version from the book now:

Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine; 
One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Soldier Boys sat up very late; 
One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon; 
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks; 
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Soldier Boys playing with a hive; 
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Soldier Boys going in for law; 
One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Soldier Boys going out to sea; 
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo; 
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun; 
One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Soldier Boy left all alone; 
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

S: So, overall, what did you think about the book?

M: I was engrossed while reading it. I could not stop! And rereading it is still enjoyable, knowing now how things turn out and who did what and so on, it is really fun to read again, as I am doing now.

S: I know, right? Christie is a master of this genre!

M: I have not read much in the genre actually but I definitely liked this book. The plot is so tightly set up, and everything works out like clockwork, and it is simply captivating. I had to finish it!

S: I know. She is amazing and this is one of her best books. So what would you rate this book Marshmallow?

M: 100%, definitely.

S: I would too. To this day, I find it so intricately put together. I am honestly so happy that I could share this book with you Marshmallow! But this is probably a good time to wrap things up. What would you say to our readers while we do so?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 100%. — Marshmallow rates *And Then There Were None* by Agatha Christie 100%.

Caramel reviews Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs

Caramel has already reviewed the first five books of the Spy School series of Stuart Gibbs. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about Book Six: Spy School Goes South, first published in 2018.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, here we are, with yet another Spy School book. What is this one about?

Caramel: So in this one, Ben goes to Mexico because he was told by Murray that the leaders of SPYDER would be there. Then he gets shot at with a missile.

S: Why would he listen to Murray? Isn’t Murray an untrustable character?

C: Yes he is a baddie, but for some reason Ben trusts him to be telling the truth in this case.

S: I see. Was he?

C: At least that is what Murray knew to be the truth. And it did turn out that at least some of the leaders of SPYDER were there, so yes, he was telling the truth after all. But Ben never gets to see them.

S: You said he gets attacked. So does he figure out how to get out of it?

C: Yes.

S: And most of the story is taking place in Mexico?

C: Yep. I guess that is the going south in the title.

S: I guess so. So are there any new characters in this book?

C: Yes, Erica’s mom Catherine Hale.

S: What can you tell us about her?

C: She is very helpful. Maybe even more than Erica.

S: Interesting! So how old is Ben in this book?

C: I think he is thirteen now. It is one year after the first book.

S: Wow! so a lot has happened in that one year, right?

C: Yes. This is the sixth book after all.

Caramel is reading Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs. — Caramel is reading *Spy School Goes South* by Stuart Gibbs.

S: What did you like most about Spy School Goes South?

C: I liked the part where Ben finds out and foils SPYDER’s evil plan again.

S: Why?

C: Because it was hilarious to see Joshua Hallal freak out about it.

S: Wait, who is Hallal?

C: Joshua Hallal is an evil dude.

S: Hmm, so I guess it is good that he freaks out then.

C: Yes.

S: Does this book make you want to continue to read the rest of the series?

C: Of course!

S: Okay, then maybe we should wrap up this one. Can you describe Spy School Goes South using three to five words?

C: Reprehensible. Repugnant. Odious. Loathsome. Abhorrent. Subhuman.

S: Wait, what? That’s what you think about the book?

C: No of course not! I’m just quoting Erica! That is what she says about Murray!

S: You did surprise me there Caramel! So honestly, would you try to describe the book now?

C: Okay, okay. How about “spyfull”, “adventurous”, and “page-turner”?

S: Those will work fine Caramel, thank you! What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs and is ready for Book Seven! — Caramel enjoyed reading *Spy School Goes South* by Stuart Gibbs and is ready for Book Seven!