Live and Let Shop

Spy Goddess #1

by Michael P. Spradlin

I was never a delinquent. Not really. I'm just misunderstood. Of course, that's not how the judge saw it. That's how I wound up at freaky Blackthorn Academy. Talk about boring. There isn't even a mall nearby. I mean, what did they expect a girl from Beverly Hills to do? Also, from the start I could tell there was something really weird about The headmaster, Mr. Kim, knew way too much about me. The class schedule features Intro to Code Theory and Microelectronics. A whole section of the school is off-limits. Then the FBI showed up ... and Mr. Kim disappeared. Well, here's something Mr. Kim didn't know about Rachel Buchanan never gives up when there are secrets to uncover. Watch out, Blackthorn Academy!

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Espionage, Adventure, Mythology, Boarding School

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

About the author

Michael P. Spradlin is the author of more than a dozen books for children.

Reviews

[Lady Entropy · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Given as ARC by NetGalley)

Making a good teen spy book is more than just creating a super academy, finding a sassy main character with a chip on her shoulder, a group of friends and a catchy title that makes a bad pun with spy-related movies or books.

Gallagher girls had a series of well-defined support character, an interesting main character, before it worried about getting the spy-pun title.

Unfortunately, Spy Goddess failed to impress in its first outing: the secondary characters were mostly two dimensional, with the exception, maybe of the headmaster, the plot went too quickly into the supernatural for my tastes in this sort of thing, and the main character wasn't just brattish. She came across as spoilt, annoying, whiny and just plain uninteresting. There was some growing, thankfully, but not enough to entirely salvage her. The "Spy Academy" as it were wasn't particularly interesting, either, and I was puzzled at their love for Tae-Kwon-Do. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE TKD. But I'd expect a spy-in-training academy to train students in multiple martial arts, and restricting them to a single style could actually be an issue in the future. MMA artists try to master complementing styles, so they can be ready for most anything.

But, martial arts rants aside, I'm not entirely willing to give up on this series. I love Gallagher Girls, and I always had a soft spot for the teenspy genre. So I will pick up the other books in the series to see if it can be redeemed.

Also, it's VERY bad form to have a title that has 0 to do with your character or the book: the main character doesn't like shopping, there are no shopping scenes that are meaningful to the plot, shopping is in no way related to the plot, and I spent the entire book looking for the shop connection. Yes, I know that Gallagher girls does it as well, but they puns are espionage related, not "other activity" related. If the book had been "Spy and Let Spy" or "Snoop and Let Snoop", I'd be fine with it. "Shop and Let Shop" just makes promises that it can't keep.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As mentioned on another review, I am horrible at writing reviews, so have decided to keep a score card & write in my thoughts of why I chose that rating for it. Every category is based out of 5.

Review Tally:

Overall: 4

Story/Plot: 4 - The general premise of this novel is a young troubled teen who has a second chance by going to a special school. I enjoyed the humor even if I did think the heroine was considerably immature - but then, it could be representative of some young teens.

Re-read Value: 3 - Another 50/50.

Continue Series: 3 - This is 50/50. The problem I face is I seriously DO want to continue the series and would like to make this number a 4, but it seems the author & or the readers didn't think too highly of this series.

The second book is in regular book format, but following that, are & , which are in Graphic Novel format.
This, is then followed by another in the series , which is back to being in novel format.

Confusing, right?!

I highly enjoyed this series and wish to know what will happen to Rachel & her friends at Blackthorn Academy, but I am not sure I can trust an author who switches formats. In my opinion, I think Mr. Spradlin should have revamped the whole series and turned them into Graphic Novels if he decided to go down that path, trusting the readers who enjoyed the series to re-read the first two books in the Graphic Novel format and continue the series. Personally, I read comics/graphic novels/manga, etc. all the time & wouldn't have considered it an issue at all.

Characters: 5 - I did enjoy the characters. As mentioned previously, I did have some questions related to Rachel and if I am honest I did question some of the other characters in the book. That said though, this is the first book in a series and is merely an introduction to the "Spy Goddess"/"Blackthorn Academy" world. I would hope in the continuing books, the characters would become more developed and I wouldn't have an issue.

Cover: 5 - This cover is quite amazing. I am drawn to it for a number of reasons. First, it screams punk to me for some reason. I also get the serious vibe of it being a young adult novel. Lastly, this is a personal thing so please skip over this if you think you'll be bored with my private thoughts and remembrances.

A number of years ago, I read an amazing book called by Isaac Adamson. It's primarily a mystery, but features a lot on Japanese culture. As you can see, the covers are similar, so I must admit even if the blurb/synopsis of this book had not caught my eye, the cover would have. I am continually on the lookout for books which are similar to Tokyo Suckerpunch & the others in that series, so if something catches my eye, I always check them out. Sad, I know - LOL.

Genre Fulfillment: 4 - Yes, the genre (Young Adult) was indeed fulfilled. Also, if you are curious, you can check the myriad shelves where I thought this series could be placed.

Now, I did think it might have worked out some of the issues that all teens deal with or preferably the ones Rachel and some of the other students at Blackthorn Academy are dealing with, but as mentioned above in the character comments I am assuming the author will continue those threads in the story and make some headway or allow the characters to grow. That being said, I am of the mind that reality is never like books or other forms of media and a lot of unresolved issues are resolved sometimes hastily and sometimes I am left thinking "WTF?!". I guess this is a personal pet peeve of mine as I wonder when everything is all resolved or seemed to be resolved with the end of the story I don't think the reader can experience any personal growth from the story as well. In real life, everything isn't resolved so easily, but we wish it was.

Personal Involvement: 4 - I came to care about Rachel and her friends at Blackthorn Academy. I think because I wish to continue the series, but feel to do so would be stressful, I am left feeling a little disappointed with this story now that it is finished. I'd like to see more of what is going to happen. Time will see.

[Hangg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I’m reviewing is Spy Goddess by Michael P. Spradlin. It’s a fiction book. The main theme in Spy Goddess is the curiosity and courage to make people be stronger and better, especially with friendship. It almost talks about the friendship and some unbelievable things that make people scare and confuse about life. Spy Goddess took a place in Blackthorn Academy in Pennsylvania.
Spy Goddess talks about a main character; Rachel Buchanan is moved from California to Blackthorn Academy in Pennsylvania because the Judge thinks she steals the car with her friends. But she actually doesn’t tell the names of her friends, so everything just happens on herself. In Blackthorn Academy, she tries to escape many times because it’s hard to study, especially with Do Jang Won, which practices to be an Army. Mr. Kim, who is headmaster in Do Jang Won seems know everything about Rachel. He always helps Rachel peacefully and doesn’t get mad at her every time she escapes. The curiosity makes Rachel change all about her “bad” when she sees the two FBI men are talking to Mr. Kim and a note written MITHRAS word. She begins to investigate everything about Mr. Kim’s office. Her friend, who share the room with her, Pilar and Pilar’s friends, who are Alex and Brent also join in the investigation. They all find the secret way in Mr. Kim’s office, it has a screen of computer is covered with many lines tells the reason missing of Mr. Kim. Pilar tells Rachel about her dream with Mithras and the sense forces her to sure that Mr. Kim is in the trouble. They make a plan to discover everything. Finally, they appear a guy named Mithras steals the book from Mr. Kim with the title “The Book of Seraphim” written by himself. Mithras pushes Rachel and her friends in the dead way with Mr. Kim. However, because of Rachel’s courage, she kicks the book away when Mithras comes close her. They climb out after the fighting as many lessons in Do Jang Won and all of them still live to get out the smoke room. After all, the friendship of Rachel and her friends protect each other by sacrificing punishment from school because they break the school rule. Nevertheless, Mr. Kim helps them and keeps them in school, and then he writes the letter to the Judge because Rachel is the best girl in Blackthorn with a nice curiosity and a big courage.
The book is awesome and helpful. It teaches me know what does a friendship do, how to face with the trouble, and what does the curiosity change a characteristic of a person. In Spy Goddess, Rachel is not a bad girl, but she is a special girl, because first, she doesn’t betray her friends by telling her friends’ names out to the polices and the Judge in California; second, she has the curiosity and she investigates by herself; and finally, she can stands out to help her friends to stay in school by telling everything is made up by her. I love the ways she treats for her friends, and faces in the dangerous condition. I just want to say, I love Rachel Buchanan in this story, and really love this book, because it contains the curiosity, courage and friendship of Rachel, Pilar, Alex, Brent.
I would recommend this book to teenagers, who don’t care about friendship much because I can sure when they finish this book, you would understand and know how to keep the friendship being better. Besides, I also want to recommend this book to people, who want to know how to face with the problem because it helps you know more about that, the way to study. Do you want to know how much curious Rachel is and what she does? Read Spy Goddess, it would pull you in the interesting way as I was. I really love and enjoy it.
Finally, Spy Goddess talks about the friendship, curiosity and courage between Rachel and her friends. If you read “The Dead Man in Indian Creek” written by Mary Downing Hahn, you would know about Spy Goddess, because both of stories talk about the curiosity to investigate of two main characters. In The Dead Man in Indian Creek talks about Parker and Matt appear a dead man in Indian bridge, and they never stop discovering him. Finally, they figure out that a member in their family is the murder. It’s same with Spy Goddess a lot. In Spy Goddess, I hope that Rachel would continue to stay in Blackthorn Academy to study, because it’s the best place to train her to be a good girl.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy was provided to me by Netgalley.

Rachel is a typical spoiled brat. She's ignored by her parents and she acts out against everything they say. Her mom tells her she dresses like a slob so she dresses even more like a slob. She befriends the bad crowd at school because they're the opposite kind of people her parents would want her to interact with and they care about her.

Well, she was wrong. When Rachel takes the blame for stealing a car her "friends" stole, she's given two choices. She can either spend a month in juvie or she could spend a year at Blackthorn Academy. Obviously, she chose the academy. But this school isn't an ordinary boarding school.

The school teaches you Tae Kwon Doe, Criminology, has a whole floor of the school off limits, and the headmaster freaking knows Jackie Chan. This definitely makes Rachel suspicious of the school.

I really like the beginning of this book and the premise of it. I thought it sounded cool about a spy academy and secretly being trained to be a spy.

Rachel is a witty character with actual problems and funny comebacks. I liked Rachel and she was an intriguing character. She doubts herself and doesn't think she's all that. She pretends to be invulnerable, pretends that having her parents ignore her is okay with her, but she actually had feelings.

Her friends were kinda flat to me. They didn't make very many appearances in the beginning of the book and Rachel didn't even like them or care for them all that much. But then she was suddenly going off on an adventure with them and depending her life on them. If there was more backstory, more feelings about them, I would have connected with them.

I would have preferred if this book didn't have the magic in it. I didn't think it was really necessary for the magic to be in it. It was too much what with the spies and the stolen artifact. Just being a spy is enough, I think, to make this book work.

Also, some things just seemed to happen way too coincidentally. Things fell in place rather artificially and didn't seem as if they would be possible in real life. The ending felt rather quick and seemed to skimp on the details.

But I do want to read the next book and find out what happens with Rachel. The book leaves at a cliffhanger that I definitely want to explore. Spies and more reside in this book, but it isn't too complicated and it's interesting enough for me not to want to put it down.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good and rather unusual book. First, the main character, Rachel Buchanan, is not the typical "nice girl." She's be in trouble with the law before and at the beginning of the book she gets involved in a joyriding mishap which lands her (again) in front of the judge.


She's given two choices; one, go to juvenile detention. Two, go to some school called the Blackthorn Academy. She ends up at the academy and tries to escape on her very first night. You see, the girl has a lot of attitude. Not really nasty-type attitude, just totally independent, I'll-do-what-I-want attitude.


She gets caught, of course. She also finds out that the curriculum in the school is somewhat different from what she's used to, including courses in criminal justice and physical ed including Tae Kwan Do.

She's also got a mystery as the head of the academy disappears, she discovers something like the bat-cave, her room-mate is psychic (somewhat), and the FBI is nosing around.


hen there is also the little matter of the guy who thinks he is the ancient god Mithras reincarnated, a stolen book, her own life being in danger, and some kind of reference to this evil guy thinking she's actually the reincarnation of a goddess.


It's a book filled with a lot of action and a lot of attitude and it all comes together very well. It was so good I went out and bought the sequel, which was still in hardback.


Another thing I like about the book is that it uses a lot of pop culture references which is how I tend to think, sometimes, like such-and-such an event is like a scene out of this-or-that movie.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I was sent this book for review from NetGalley*
This was a very light read. If you are looking for a novel that is cute, but still interesting, then this is your book! I thought that it was very witty with well-written humor. The characters were adorable and I felt so connected to them. And can we please talk about the plot twist? The plot twist. Oh, the plot twist. It was extremely unexpected and I thought it was absolutely genius! The plot twist made this book so much better than what I expected.

There were a few mistakes in this book. Spradlrin tended to contradict himself occasionally. There were a couple places in the novel where he would say one thing in a sentence and then a few sentences later, would claim something differently or write the complete opposite of what was said previously. Besides that, though, I did not find anything else that I had complaint about.

Overall, I really liked this book! I would definitely recommend reading it. I would probably recommend it to age 13 or 14 and up.

Read more: http://thenoveltyoflife.wordpress.com...

[Jennifer Maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Definitely a page turner. But... I can't give it more than three stars because it felt extremely unedited. Tons of typos, grammatical errors, and odd little inaccuracies than any good editor would've caught.

Also what was up with the title? The book had nothing to do with spies or shopping. At all. And the goddess thing wasn't revealed until the last freaking paragraph of the entire freaking book. Thank you for spoiling the ending, title. Thank you. If I had to name the book, I'd probably just call it "Blackthorn Academy" or "Mithras and the Book of Seraphim" or anything that doesn't give away the ending of the freaking book. Seriously. Who edited this thing? They should be fired.

Grrr. Okay rant over. The storyline was cool. I'll give it that. And I could definitely see this making a cool movie. The characters were interesting, the setting was amazing, and although the storyline was slightly predictable, it was still pretty fun. I definitely liked it; I'd just change the title and edit the book better, is all.

[Amy Brobst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in like an hour and half. Of course this book is targeted toward a teen audience, but I still really enjoyed it. I felt sorry for the main character, Rachel, who got sent to Blackthorn Academy (a boarding school), across the country, because she got busted for something she participated in. She was good friend and did not snitch on her fellow car borrowers, but they were terrible friends to her. Her parents ignored her until she got in trouble, but all they did was send her away. Just another example of parents who should never be parents. At the Academy she meets new friends, and is able to enjoy new classes and experiences. Her Criminology class sounded very interesting, and when the school master (Mr. Kim) disappears mysteriously, Rachel and her friends do all they can to find out what happened to him. Rachel discovers that she may be the reincarnation of a goddess who sent an evil god to the underworld.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original review:

I continue to binge on YA espionage fiction, and I'm having a lot of fun. This first book in a series has some serious issues with reality. We have another spy academy. In this one, most of the high school kids are somewhat dysfunctional in society. The story is quite simple, but swerves into the silly supernatural. Light, fast and fun.

Update:

Re-reading this book six years later, I have upgraded the rating. Everything I wrote originally still applies, but I liked it better. I think originally I was unprepared for the supernatural elements. Characters are still thin, but the pace is quick, making this a short read.

A side note: Despite being a play on an Ian Fleming title, the title has no relevance to the story.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book.

I love these kinds of YA books, esp set in a boarding school. This book reminded me of "The Specialists" series by Shannon Greenland, which I also love.

The book is well written, it's exciting all the way through, the characters are all unique, the setting is perfect....I loved it and can't wait to read more from this series.

[Erica Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I have tried to find similar books but nothing has compared to this book. I have gotten all of my coworkers addicted to the series. The books in the series are fun, have adventure, and who wouldn't want to go to a spy school.

[Homefrontgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was predictable even for a YA title, it was the voice of Rachel (main character) that kept me interested. Some of the plot lines we're a little out there, but Rachel's one-liners were so funny I didn't didn't bother me that much.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel is even better than Harriet! Gets a little creepy at the end!

[Lucy Jolliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book! The main character Rachel is really fun and engaging - she's smart, determined, and loyal, and her gradual adjustment to liking her new school and the other characters helps a reader grow to like them too. She's a bratty teenager at the start, but I never found her to be unlikable because the causes of her issues are so obvious - she has bad parents and bad friends. Her willingness, even readiness, to break the rules ends up proving to be an asset, and it's clear that even once she's decided she likes the school and plans to stay, she isn't going to stop standing up to people she's supposed to treat with respect and putting her foot down when she feels she has to.
This book definitely sparked an interest in Tae Kwondo for me, and certainly taught me a lot more about it than I already knew (which was that it was a martial art). Despite having a background decidedly not in child psychology, Mr Kim is a dream of a headmaster at a school that takes so many troubled kids like Rachel, and their conversations towards the start of the book were pretty funny, since he definitely won those battles of wit. The classes at the school sound absolutely fascinating, even if part of me was screaming that it would probably be a nightmare for any transfer student with a different knowledge base to Rachel's to switch from regular-school maths to Advanced Coding.
If I had one complaint about this book, it's that the other three main characters barely get any characterisation - of the boys, Alex is loud, brash, and a little mean, Brent is quiet, smart, and maybe had an interesting backstory we didn't get to hear about, and both of them are really good looking and great at Tae Kwondo. Pilar is a little bit weird, studious, not very adventurous, and is more defined by a lack of personality than the presence of one. I'm hoping that the next book in the series really gives all three of them a better chance to shine, since so much of this book was by necessity dedicated to setting up the premise of the series and letting us get to know the main character.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loud, aggressive but a heroine all the same

A great read. Yes it might be for teens but don't be fooled it's a book that most adults will enjoy. A plot that has subterfuge, an evil mastermind, mysticism, a touch of paranormal and treasure. The heroine is a mouthy, aggressive teen who finds herself facing either a juvenile term or a year at a boarding school.
Force into taking the school (her father is constantly making deals whilst her mother self medicates with liquid refreshments), she arrives to find that the headmaster knows more about her then she does. Her roommate keeps trying to guess where she had seen her before and strange dreams are experienced by both girls. Throw in a stolen book from the museum, a locked room for special students, a missing headmaster, a secret den and an email threat. Can she, her roommate and two male students work out what has happened to the headmaster and who thinks they are a 'god'reborn?
Great characters, nice flowing storyline, well paced with action at the right instance - to keep the reader reading. The characters are as teenage as you can wish for - from the cocky to the rule follower but each adds more colour and depth.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live and Let Shop is the first book in a series about Rachel Buchanan. Rachel is a rich Beverly Hills teenager whose parents have better things to do than deal with her. Since her grandmother, who was the only person who seemed to care about her, died, Rachel has slowly getting into more and more trouble until she ends up in court for Grand Theft Auto. Instead of sending her to juvie, the judge decides to send Rachel to a school in Pennsylvania for troubled students. This school is like no other school that Rachel has ever known, and before long, she discovers many strange things going on that make her believe the school is much more than it seems.

I really enjoyed this story and finished it in once sitting. Rachel has a strong, sarcastic voice that made identifying with her very easy. My only complaint was how quickly the story seemed to draw to a close. I have to believe that the quick finish has more to do with the fact that there is a sequel rather than something lacking in the story. I look forward to the next installment.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It is not Gallagher Girls but this book is definitely a nice start to a new spy series. I love that Rachel was sassy and had a mind of her own. Alex annoyed me quite a bit throughout the book but Brent & Pilar were not too bad. The author needed to build the characters up a bit more as you really don't get know any of them other than Rachel. Overall, a quick, exciting read. Now, I am off to read book 2.

[Scarlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

As fantastic as I remember!

I had read this before, over a decade ago, while in school. I love going back and re-reading old stories that I loved while growing up. It's just as enthralling as I remember. I never got a chance to finish the series before, but now that I have added them to my library, I will be successful in my endeavor. I can't wait to see what's in store for Rachel in the future! Are the myths real, or just a fantasy from a broken mind? Guess we'll find out!

[Irene Kim C1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! It is an interesting book, it has a little bit of almost every genre I know of-comedy, mystery, fiction, etc. The author does use this fake (?) Korean that I just can't seem to place (I am guessing it is some kind of slang but I don't really know). Overall, I loved the general plot of this book

[Karlen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't come close to Gallagher Girls. I didn't even like the main character until the end. I did feel that it set up things so the next book could be better but I'm not sure I'll take a chance on #2.

[Sarak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thankfully the title has nothing to do with the story. It looks like the series is named after James Bond...Live and Let Die, To Russia, With Love... There are a lot of weak spots in the plot and characters but interesting enough that I read it all the way through.

[Danny Cason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book I really hope they do a fourth one or more to finish the series.

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich Beverly Hills teen with major attitude problem gets sent to a school instead of Juvenile Hall...

[Diva]

I think this is the Spy Goddess book I read way back as a kid, during my spy girl phase.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star because it includes a girl doing martial arts. Everything else is rubbish.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars!

Inflating stars due to I feel like I would have really enjoyed reading this book when it actually came out almost 20 years ago! BUT it still was entertaining for me now! 😊

[Aaliyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book no so much spyish like some other spy school books I have read so that is why I gave it a three though the book was definitely creative.

[Nai Nai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly a nice teen book to read. Nothing too extravagant or eye popping but a good change in pace and a very easy read. Would recommend if you want to have a more relaxed book to get into.

[TEE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little beginning book to a spy school series. The actual title, Live and Let Shop, has little to do with the storyline in my opinion. I find the writing to be quality and the storyline and content a good start. I simply don't have a lot to say about the characters; the main character most definitely, but I know little to nothing about the secondary. I'm hoping in the next book we can learn more about (and hopefully get behind/root for) the characters. The mythology and the villain are a neat bonus, and fun to encounter. Definitely intriguing enough to explore further.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*


3.5 stars

This is a quick, fun read that is perfect for those who want a story of light espionage and action. The cover is bright, however I feel it needs something more to help it stand out.

When Rachel is caught during a speed chase in a stolen car, she is happy to take the blame knowing her parents will get her out of the mess she has caused. She is wrong. She has been faced with a decision, attend Blackthorn Academy for one year or attend juvie for thirty days; Rachel chooses Blackthorn Academy thinking she can easily breeze through it, but when faced with Tae Kwon Do training every day, alongside the study of strange and new studies, Rachel begins to consider whether there is more to Blackthorn Academy than it first seems.

Rachel is a character whom is strong and just does something, she doesn't stop to think and so goes in head first. She is an interesting character, her evolvement throughout the course of the novel is interesting to see her transform from a girl who thinks everything is handed to her and she can get out of anything, to actually thinking about what she is doing, helping others and risking her life to solve a mystery. Furthermore I loved her comebacks, I was consistently highlighting them as they were comical and fun. I would have liked to have learned a little more about Rachel's new friends, especially about her new roommate's background.

This story is filled with light action that will keep you reading, however I just felt the story needed to go on further as it felt rather brief. The next book in this series: To Hawaii, with Love.