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Surfer Girl
College student Arena Schmidt never wanted to be a secret agent. She interferes in a priority mission and steals a coveted technology, but is caught and imprisoned. Threatened with permanent menial employment unless she joins the CIA, she surrenders herself to the life of spy.
Assigned to a geeky unit of CIA spies known as "The Misfits", she struggles to recover the technology. Each Misfit offers a unique perspective and unconventional methods, from martial arts master Nate to enigmatic analyst Sterling to bubbly, enthusiastic Lorna. Slowly the Misfits win her over with their charm and their loyalty.
Sinister organizations move against the CIA to capture more than just the technology, fragmenting the Misfits and shattering their resolve. Arena finds herself in the middle of gunfights and high-speed chases, on the run from the organization's treacherous double agent out to claim her and the technology for their own.
Assigned to a geeky unit of CIA spies known as "The Misfits", she struggles to recover the technology. Each Misfit offers a unique perspective and unconventional methods, from martial arts master Nate to enigmatic analyst Sterling to bubbly, enthusiastic Lorna. Slowly the Misfits win her over with their charm and their loyalty.
Sinister organizations move against the CIA to capture more than just the technology, fragmenting the Misfits and shattering their resolve. Arena finds herself in the middle of gunfights and high-speed chases, on the run from the organization's treacherous double agent out to claim her and the technology for their own.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2012
6 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Blackmar
5 books15 followersLynn Blackmar is a graduate of a small college in Virginia and a former education writer. She lives in Atlanta with three cats and a two-foot koi, where she enjoys video games, tabletop gaming, ethnic restaurants, and siege weapons.
The Misfit Spies is the first action-adventure fiction series written by Blackmar. Book one, Surfer Girl, was released on Amazon Kindle and paperback. Rebel, book two of the Misfit Spies series, released in July 2013, and Catalyst will be released in early 2014.
The Misfit Spies is the first action-adventure fiction series written by Blackmar. Book one, Surfer Girl, was released on Amazon Kindle and paperback. Rebel, book two of the Misfit Spies series, released in July 2013, and Catalyst will be released in early 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 23, 2021
Arena Schmidt just wanted to be a normal college student and study her degree and then her roommate talked her into a night partying which ended up Arena and her friend being attacked and Arena stealing a hoverboard and riding it to save her friend which of course she couldn't as she crashes. The next thing she knows, Arena wakes up and is given two choices to become a secret agent for the CIA or go to prison and ruin her life for "stealing" government property despite her good intentions. With Arena's skills, she didn't realize but the CIA has kept an eye on her as they wanted to recruit her as an agent and her roommate was undercover and is a Special Agent. However, right now with Arena's skills as a surfer - they are more interested in teaching them how to hoverboard and how it works as no-one else has had as much success in managing and riding them, not like Arena - who just hopped on and went with the flow. If you love YA spy novels, then check out Surfer Girl by Lynn Blackmar. Though just be aware - this was supposed to be a longer series, but the author stopped at Book #2 aka Rebel which I also have to read and doesn't look like she will be releasing anymore as Rebel was released in 2013 and of course we are now in 2021.
February 16, 2013
Surfer Girl is a fast-paced thriller appropriate for YA and adult audiences. It features a strong cast of characters, detailed enough but not overly detailed, such that many of them remain mysterious. The main character, Arena, is a college student who is coerced into joining the CIA when she is unwittingly thrust into the middle of a mission to retrieve hoverboard technology. She's enlisted into an oddball unit that doesn't get the respect it deserves, appropriately nicknamed the Misfits. So, the story is, in part, Back to the Future II meets The Mod Squad.
On its face, Surfer Girl is a spy novel for, I assume, a YA audience. I assume this because these spies don't do a lot of killing or even shooting, where shooting may have made their missions infinitely easier. I don't generally read YA, but I found the novel appealing even for an older audience (namely, me). And there is some killing (yippee!).
What I really enjoyed about Surfer Girl wasn't its genre's primary tenets. Certainly, the thrills were thrilling, the action was abundant and interesting, and the protagonists and the plights were worthy of continued and enjoyed reading. In that respect, the author stays true to the genre and its fans.
But she also adds mystery and, dare I say it for the first time positively, romance. Let me clarify - this is not a romance novel. The hints of possible love interests/relationships are subtle and sparse. One has to read between the lines to detect it, and it makes the reader fall for the characters and wonder how their relationships will evolve - great fodder for a sequel. The mystery, too, is ever present. The author artfully makes the reader question nearly every character's true intentions at one point or another and keeps him guessing if there is a villain within the Misfits or among their contacts without. I found this aspect of the novel the most enjoyable.
My only criticism with the novel would be its linear quality. I believe every scene other than the first is taken from Arena's perspective and follows her in chronological order until the very end. This may be common within the genre and is no criticism of the author's style, but rather a statement of personal preference. I would have liked to get into the heads of the other characters more, particularly Sterling, whom I found the most interesting. Even so, the author does an excellent job of conveying their emotions, values, opinions, etcetera as seen though the eyes of Arena.
Overall, a solid effort. It will be interesting to see how the author develops her well-contrived character base.
On its face, Surfer Girl is a spy novel for, I assume, a YA audience. I assume this because these spies don't do a lot of killing or even shooting, where shooting may have made their missions infinitely easier. I don't generally read YA, but I found the novel appealing even for an older audience (namely, me). And there is some killing (yippee!).
What I really enjoyed about Surfer Girl wasn't its genre's primary tenets. Certainly, the thrills were thrilling, the action was abundant and interesting, and the protagonists and the plights were worthy of continued and enjoyed reading. In that respect, the author stays true to the genre and its fans.
But she also adds mystery and, dare I say it for the first time positively, romance. Let me clarify - this is not a romance novel. The hints of possible love interests/relationships are subtle and sparse. One has to read between the lines to detect it, and it makes the reader fall for the characters and wonder how their relationships will evolve - great fodder for a sequel. The mystery, too, is ever present. The author artfully makes the reader question nearly every character's true intentions at one point or another and keeps him guessing if there is a villain within the Misfits or among their contacts without. I found this aspect of the novel the most enjoyable.
My only criticism with the novel would be its linear quality. I believe every scene other than the first is taken from Arena's perspective and follows her in chronological order until the very end. This may be common within the genre and is no criticism of the author's style, but rather a statement of personal preference. I would have liked to get into the heads of the other characters more, particularly Sterling, whom I found the most interesting. Even so, the author does an excellent job of conveying their emotions, values, opinions, etcetera as seen though the eyes of Arena.
Overall, a solid effort. It will be interesting to see how the author develops her well-contrived character base.
January 3, 2013
This is a fast-paced, fun spy novel that moves quickly and never lingers too long in one area. The characters are diverse and interesting and you can tell that delving further into their personalities and back stories is going to be the driving force behind both this book and the rest of the series.
Unfortunately the rapid-fire nature of the action, while keeping things interesting, occasionally comes across as rushed and incomplete. At times not enough attention to detail makes it difficult to fully envision the sequence of events taking place. There are a large number of key characters (most of whom use at least 2 aliases) but only very brief introductions, making it hard to quickly understand who is doing what and why. I also felt a bit too much time was spent on the virtual gaming method the unit uses to communicate, time that could have been better spent developing the characters.
However, the concept is good, the characters are interesting, and you can see that the author has a clear vision of where she wants to take the series. I would recommend it for fans of high-speed spy action and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Unfortunately the rapid-fire nature of the action, while keeping things interesting, occasionally comes across as rushed and incomplete. At times not enough attention to detail makes it difficult to fully envision the sequence of events taking place. There are a large number of key characters (most of whom use at least 2 aliases) but only very brief introductions, making it hard to quickly understand who is doing what and why. I also felt a bit too much time was spent on the virtual gaming method the unit uses to communicate, time that could have been better spent developing the characters.
However, the concept is good, the characters are interesting, and you can see that the author has a clear vision of where she wants to take the series. I would recommend it for fans of high-speed spy action and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
June 27, 2013
"Surfer Girl" is an action book, basically within the spy genre, with an interesting angle: the main character is not a male spy but rather a fit, smart college girl with a board-surfing skill. Her talent brings her to the attention of CIA recruiters for an outfit (called the Misfits) specializing in the round up of the enemy's James Bond-ish toys--in this case, a hovercraft.
The agents press Arena into service, and a large part of the book is about her training. Though at the beginning the setup seems a bit implausible--I doubt CIA operatives are in fact recruited this way--all seems to fall into place as the plot puts Arena under increasing pressure. The software games used in training are ingenious, a missing roommate turns up again, and so forth.
I am charmed by the author's description of how she was pursued by her characters after literally dreaming up the story. I must also say I'm not the target audience for this novel, as my reading taste runs to Thackeray, Dickens, and Austen. However, I read Lynn's short book with pleasure. I think it has a lot going for it. In terms of meeting the expectation set up by its author--"a good afternoon read by the pool"--it earns four stars from this reviewer for accomplishing what it sets out to do.
I like the way the plot marches forward, driven by action verbs. The description, while sparse, is adroit. The characters are not so distinctively drawn as they might be--a bit more idiosyncrasy might be in order. But they are likeable, and their dialogue, which dominates the book, sounds authentic. I'm interested to see how they emerge in the next book in the series. I might add the book is well edited, that this eagle-eyed English professor detected very little to fuss over.
Overall, "Surfer Girl" is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, a good choice for fans of action novels.
The agents press Arena into service, and a large part of the book is about her training. Though at the beginning the setup seems a bit implausible--I doubt CIA operatives are in fact recruited this way--all seems to fall into place as the plot puts Arena under increasing pressure. The software games used in training are ingenious, a missing roommate turns up again, and so forth.
I am charmed by the author's description of how she was pursued by her characters after literally dreaming up the story. I must also say I'm not the target audience for this novel, as my reading taste runs to Thackeray, Dickens, and Austen. However, I read Lynn's short book with pleasure. I think it has a lot going for it. In terms of meeting the expectation set up by its author--"a good afternoon read by the pool"--it earns four stars from this reviewer for accomplishing what it sets out to do.
I like the way the plot marches forward, driven by action verbs. The description, while sparse, is adroit. The characters are not so distinctively drawn as they might be--a bit more idiosyncrasy might be in order. But they are likeable, and their dialogue, which dominates the book, sounds authentic. I'm interested to see how they emerge in the next book in the series. I might add the book is well edited, that this eagle-eyed English professor detected very little to fuss over.
Overall, "Surfer Girl" is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, a good choice for fans of action novels.
January 20, 2013
Surfer Girl is a story of how an amateur surfer became a member of a CIA team tagged the “Misfits”. She accidentally demonstrated her capability to operate a novel piece of technology (the hover board), and became involved in the world of espionage and decamping agents.
The book handled her training and assimilation into the group well, and for an action novel, the science aspect of the story was quite plausible, with the author inferring that the energy supply of the board was probably more valuable that the hover board itself, and presenting it as the reason for why so many people wanted it.
So what is wrong with the book? It starts weakly, with one page chapters having minimal plot development. Despite starting off this way, I grew to like it. The book developed depth the further I read, and somewhere in the middle, it shaped up to an interesting tale of subterfuge.
Having witness the growth of the author in this book, I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
The book handled her training and assimilation into the group well, and for an action novel, the science aspect of the story was quite plausible, with the author inferring that the energy supply of the board was probably more valuable that the hover board itself, and presenting it as the reason for why so many people wanted it.
So what is wrong with the book? It starts weakly, with one page chapters having minimal plot development. Despite starting off this way, I grew to like it. The book developed depth the further I read, and somewhere in the middle, it shaped up to an interesting tale of subterfuge.
Having witness the growth of the author in this book, I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
September 11, 2025
I've had this on my Kindle for quite awhile and to be honest never read it because of the title. However, I had to read the book to complete a challenge and was quite surprised by the story.
The story was not what I originally thought. Goes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover. Or in my case, by the title. It's not about surfing at all! Surfing is in the book but it's really an espionage story. And I enjoyed it!
A quick read with short chapters.
The story was not what I originally thought. Goes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover. Or in my case, by the title. It's not about surfing at all! Surfing is in the book but it's really an espionage story. And I enjoyed it!
A quick read with short chapters.
August 5, 2022
A good spy story to relax with. Has a good found family aspect, and I like how the romance isn’t rushed at all. The characters are believable, and the interactions were rather cute. Definitely going to read the next book.
December 15, 2018
Did Not Finish
July 23, 2015
Loved the action, the team, and the teamwork. The hoverboards are awesome cool and I want one!
What I like most of all in this story is how they didn't let circumstances, red tape, jerks, etc., stop them from doing good. Making things work regardless of the situation. That's so cool.
Arena, her middle name is beautiful Hawaiian Noelani, is a great character. She's smart, compassionate, and very brave.
I think my favorite male character is Sterling. I think all of the Misfits (which they embrace, and carry the nickname with honor) are cool. Like Sterling said,
#2 Rebel is available, and #3 Catalyst was supposed to be released in 2014. Haven't been able to find it.
The game in the book isn't my kind of thing, so I was glad there wasn't more of that. I prefer HeR Interactive's Nancy Drew games and Hardy Boys games.
If you like action, adventure, spies, intrigue, and good people doing what they can to make the world a safer, better place, then you want to read this book!
What I like most of all in this story is how they didn't let circumstances, red tape, jerks, etc., stop them from doing good. Making things work regardless of the situation. That's so cool.
Arena, her middle name is beautiful Hawaiian Noelani, is a great character. She's smart, compassionate, and very brave.
I think my favorite male character is Sterling. I think all of the Misfits (which they embrace, and carry the nickname with honor) are cool. Like Sterling said,
"It works because of the people in it."
#2 Rebel is available, and #3 Catalyst was supposed to be released in 2014. Haven't been able to find it.
The game in the book isn't my kind of thing, so I was glad there wasn't more of that. I prefer HeR Interactive's Nancy Drew games and Hardy Boys games.
If you like action, adventure, spies, intrigue, and good people doing what they can to make the world a safer, better place, then you want to read this book!
April 21, 2013
Surfer Girl is a fun spy story set in California, as Arena, a college student is dragged away from her studies to join a CIA team named The Misfits. The story is fast-paced, and it's clear the author had fun writing about Arena and her collaborators. Without giving away too much of the plot, a mysterious group has stolen some hover boards invented by some college geeks, and is using them for nefarious purposes. Lyn Blackmar has done a terrific job of building suspense, and writing a strong and capable female protagonist.
July 28, 2013
This book was so awesome! This is the kind of book that I obsess about. Arena is a very bright character and was able to just hop onto the CIA scene out of nowhere. I really want to read the next book and am trying to calm myself down from reading this book. Surfer Girl was funny and so fast paced. Everywhere Arena went there was some sort of obstacle. I also found it funny that the other characters kept hinting at Arena and Stirling. Amazingness!
September 4, 2012
A fun read. Looking forward to more of the series.
September 4, 2013
I really enjoyed this action packed teen spy/CIA novel.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews