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Sekret #2
Skandal
The dramatic sequel to SEKRET, this psychic Cold War espionage thriller follows Yulia to Washington, DC, where she fights to discover the truth about her family without losing control of her mind.
My mind is mine alone.
Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international SKANDAL.
My mind is mine alone.
Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international SKANDAL.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
17 people are currently reading
1332 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Smith
41 books442 followersLindsay is the author of multiple novels for young adults, including Sekret and A Darkly Beating Heart, as well as the comic series Black Swan. She is the showrunner and lead writer for Serial Box's The Witch Who Came In From the Cold, a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2017. Her short stories and comics have appeared in the anthologies A Tyranny of Petticoats, Strange Romance Vol. 3, and Toil & Trouble and on Tor.com. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and dog.
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March 1, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Skandal by Lindsay Smith
Book Two of the Sekret series
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Summary (from Goodreads):
The dramatic sequel to Sekret, this psychic Cold War espionage thriller follows Yulia to Washington, DC, where she fights to discover the truth about her family without losing control of her mind.
My mind is mine alone.
Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international Skandal.
What I Liked:
This series is pretty interesting - different from what I'm used to reading, but interesting nonetheless. I liked Sekret, but I admit, I forgot a lot of what happened in Sekret. So I was really wary of reading this one, because I had very little context! It wasn't so bad though, reading the sequel pretty much from scratch.
In this sequel novel, Yulia is now residing in Washington, D.C. She, Valentin, and her father working with a PsyOps team, looking for Rostov's scrubbers (the super-psychics mentioned in the synopsis). Something strange is going on with the scrubbers, and it seems like Rostov is able to control the situation without even being in D.C. Meanwhile, Yulia wants to protect her mother, but it's not easy when her mother seems to be working with Rostov. Nothing is as it seems and no one is who they are. Yulia must trust and safeguard her mind if she wants to protect and help her loved ones.
This book is historical fiction, which is really cool, because it's set in the 1960s, when the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain and the Red Scare were still super significant things. I don't read too many books set in the 1900s (not a huge fan of the century in general, sorry!), but I really like this series, in terms of the setting (time and place). I love seeing things from Yulia's mind, the mind of a Russian girl who wants to protect herself, and her family. I also really liked the paranormal aspect of this series - it's not necessarily an original idea, but I like the presence of it, in this time period, with the politics of this situation.
I like Yulia. She is smart, she works hard, she never gives up. Yulia has to push her psychic limits over and over in this book, but she never backs down. I really liked watching her struggle to command the English language - that was a small bit of authenticity that was also a bit endearing. Especially since the author did a pretty good job of keeping the anachronisms in the language to a minimum.
I liked the story, though I was bored at times (see the next section). I couldn't quite get a grasp as to where it was going, but I never stopped reading, so that's a good sign. I wanted more from the romance plot, but in the end, I liked the romance in general. No love triangle, no acts of jealousy or emotional breaking up or any of that mess that authors like to throw into sequels. Overall, the book was interesting to read, and I had to know how things would end.
What I Did Not Like:
My biggest problem was the boredom. As I said above, I struggled to remember very much of what happened in Sekret. I couldn't even remember Yulia's love interest's name (and I cleverly didn't say the love interest's name in my review of Sekret, lovely). More on the romance later. But I got reoriented with bits and parts of Sekret as I was reading Skandal. I just found that I wasn't really following the story. I didn't really know where the story was leading to, what the climax would involve, what the whole point was.
I feel like there wasn't enough hints, enough foreshadowing, for me. I thought there would be more on Yulia's father, because Yulia's relationship with her father is strained. I thought that Yulia's mother would be more of a villain, but that turned out to be different from what I expected. The mole situation was a bit anticlimactic, and to be honest, I almost missed that entire scene. Also, once the mole is uncovered, he/she disappears from the story altogether. And something involving Sergei - that felt anticlimactic to me too.
I wanted more from the romance. Yulia and Valentin are sweet together, but I feel like it got to the point where Valentin was asking Yulia to help him, or Yulia was thinking about helping him, and I just thought that whole situation was a turn-off. You have to know what he needs help with to understand... I just didn't really like that whole deal. I don't know if I could do it, if I were Yulia. It seemed too hard on her.
In general, I was a bit bored, and the plot wasn't very decisive and clear to me. I'm curious as to whether or not there will be a another book in this series. This one ended pretty explosively, but I could see the author adding one. I can't decide if I'd want to read it or not.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhh. If you read and enjoyed Sekret, then this one is probably worth your time. If you haven't read Sekret, then I'd say maybe. No rush or anything. I can't remember what drew me to Sekret in the first place, but I don't mind that I gave these books a chance! I'd just be wary of reading another one, if there will be another book.
Rating:
3 stars. Not bad, a decent sequel novel. I think I have trouble with paranormal historical novels sometimes, or maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read this one. Either way, I feel positively towards these books, but I can't say I'd be re-reading them.
Skandal by Lindsay Smith
Book Two of the Sekret series
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Summary (from Goodreads):
The dramatic sequel to Sekret, this psychic Cold War espionage thriller follows Yulia to Washington, DC, where she fights to discover the truth about her family without losing control of her mind.
My mind is mine alone.
Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international Skandal.
What I Liked:
This series is pretty interesting - different from what I'm used to reading, but interesting nonetheless. I liked Sekret, but I admit, I forgot a lot of what happened in Sekret. So I was really wary of reading this one, because I had very little context! It wasn't so bad though, reading the sequel pretty much from scratch.
In this sequel novel, Yulia is now residing in Washington, D.C. She, Valentin, and her father working with a PsyOps team, looking for Rostov's scrubbers (the super-psychics mentioned in the synopsis). Something strange is going on with the scrubbers, and it seems like Rostov is able to control the situation without even being in D.C. Meanwhile, Yulia wants to protect her mother, but it's not easy when her mother seems to be working with Rostov. Nothing is as it seems and no one is who they are. Yulia must trust and safeguard her mind if she wants to protect and help her loved ones.
This book is historical fiction, which is really cool, because it's set in the 1960s, when the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain and the Red Scare were still super significant things. I don't read too many books set in the 1900s (not a huge fan of the century in general, sorry!), but I really like this series, in terms of the setting (time and place). I love seeing things from Yulia's mind, the mind of a Russian girl who wants to protect herself, and her family. I also really liked the paranormal aspect of this series - it's not necessarily an original idea, but I like the presence of it, in this time period, with the politics of this situation.
I like Yulia. She is smart, she works hard, she never gives up. Yulia has to push her psychic limits over and over in this book, but she never backs down. I really liked watching her struggle to command the English language - that was a small bit of authenticity that was also a bit endearing. Especially since the author did a pretty good job of keeping the anachronisms in the language to a minimum.
I liked the story, though I was bored at times (see the next section). I couldn't quite get a grasp as to where it was going, but I never stopped reading, so that's a good sign. I wanted more from the romance plot, but in the end, I liked the romance in general. No love triangle, no acts of jealousy or emotional breaking up or any of that mess that authors like to throw into sequels. Overall, the book was interesting to read, and I had to know how things would end.
What I Did Not Like:
My biggest problem was the boredom. As I said above, I struggled to remember very much of what happened in Sekret. I couldn't even remember Yulia's love interest's name (and I cleverly didn't say the love interest's name in my review of Sekret, lovely). More on the romance later. But I got reoriented with bits and parts of Sekret as I was reading Skandal. I just found that I wasn't really following the story. I didn't really know where the story was leading to, what the climax would involve, what the whole point was.
I feel like there wasn't enough hints, enough foreshadowing, for me. I thought there would be more on Yulia's father, because Yulia's relationship with her father is strained. I thought that Yulia's mother would be more of a villain, but that turned out to be different from what I expected. The mole situation was a bit anticlimactic, and to be honest, I almost missed that entire scene. Also, once the mole is uncovered, he/she disappears from the story altogether. And something involving Sergei - that felt anticlimactic to me too.
I wanted more from the romance. Yulia and Valentin are sweet together, but I feel like it got to the point where Valentin was asking Yulia to help him, or Yulia was thinking about helping him, and I just thought that whole situation was a turn-off. You have to know what he needs help with to understand... I just didn't really like that whole deal. I don't know if I could do it, if I were Yulia. It seemed too hard on her.
In general, I was a bit bored, and the plot wasn't very decisive and clear to me. I'm curious as to whether or not there will be a another book in this series. This one ended pretty explosively, but I could see the author adding one. I can't decide if I'd want to read it or not.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhh. If you read and enjoyed Sekret, then this one is probably worth your time. If you haven't read Sekret, then I'd say maybe. No rush or anything. I can't remember what drew me to Sekret in the first place, but I don't mind that I gave these books a chance! I'd just be wary of reading another one, if there will be another book.
Rating:
3 stars. Not bad, a decent sequel novel. I think I have trouble with paranormal historical novels sometimes, or maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read this one. Either way, I feel positively towards these books, but I can't say I'd be re-reading them.
Read
June 25, 2014SKANDAL cover is live! And a tentative release date: 4/7/15. I hope to have the synopsis to share soon!
February 10, 2015
Ugh so good I missed my subway stop so actually I'm a little mad about that but you should read this anyway because it's really freaking good.
December 12, 2015
3.75 stars! Definitely an enjoyable book, but I did like Sekret better!
April 12, 2015
An empty mind is a safe mind.
If you're familiar with Sekret, the first book in Lindsay Smith's historical-fantasy-espionage duology, you remember that Yulia was once a psychic spy for the KGB. Her ability is to hear people's thoughts and access their memories by way of touch. She and other teens like her were controlled by a master puppeteer, a Russian politician who wanted to go to war with the U.S. Who still wants that, in order to purport Soviet Union supremacy and communist ideology. Yulia and Valya, another psychic and her love interest, escaped Russia together with the help of her father, once presumed dead, and are now living in the United States. It turns out, however, that the psychic warfare has only just begun.
My mind is mine alone.
One of my favorite things about this series is the way Yulia has strengthened in mind. In the first book, she is fearful of the way others can read her thoughts and seep into her conscious. She fought to keep her mind empty, that way she could never be controlled or suspected. She lived in a country that would never value her individual self-worth. In Skandal, though, she comes to realize just how important and precious her mind is. She deserves to think freely and to have control over her own emotions. She'll stop at nothing for her and Valya to have this chance. Yulia doesn't want just safety anymore; she longs for self-possession and the right to share only what she is willing to.
I also like how the setting has been such a strong factor in this duology. What better way to express extreme paranoia than through characters with psychic abilities? In the 1960s you have the Red Scare and the Iron Wall, you have Martin Luther King, Jr. singing "Let freedom ring", you have the secrecy of the CIA and possible moles around every corner. Lindsay Smith clearly did her research when it comes to the time period and using that to its greatest advantage. If ever there were a time for physic spies, that would so clearly be it. It's also heightened by the fact that Yulia is very much an outsider in this second book. She has difficulty understanding American nuances and the language barrier is ever present. Now more than ever she doesn't know who to trust.
The biggest drawbacks for me are the plot and pacing. It's an extremely slow-moving book, and despite what you may think due to the premise, there isn't much action. It's a lot of metaphor and being inside Yulia's head and waiting patiently for the next piece of the puzzle. Her and her team are tasked with stopping the "scrubbers" (psychic spies who can wipe and change people's memories) sent from Russia, and in the midst of that they discover there's a mole among them. Unfortunately that part of the story line was very anti-climatic; I expected a major "gasp!" moment, but it all dissolves rather quickly. I was hoping for more complexity and shock value.
The romance in Skandal is just as lovely as it was in the first book. Yulia and Valya are very gentle with one another and have this connection through music that is so endearing. I feared for a few minutes that it would go down the "I'm keeping secrets for your own good" path, but thankfully that's a false alarm. The two of them are constantly in sync and they rely on each other with everything. There's just this undeniable sweetness to their relationship that I adored.
If you're looking for something different to read in terms of fantasy and setting, I recommend giving Lindsay Smith's duology a try. The pacing is on the slow side and the plotting isn't as deft as you'd expect it to be, but the historical details and psychic abilities are a fantastic mix.
***Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!***
This review can also be found at Love at First Page.
If you're familiar with Sekret, the first book in Lindsay Smith's historical-fantasy-espionage duology, you remember that Yulia was once a psychic spy for the KGB. Her ability is to hear people's thoughts and access their memories by way of touch. She and other teens like her were controlled by a master puppeteer, a Russian politician who wanted to go to war with the U.S. Who still wants that, in order to purport Soviet Union supremacy and communist ideology. Yulia and Valya, another psychic and her love interest, escaped Russia together with the help of her father, once presumed dead, and are now living in the United States. It turns out, however, that the psychic warfare has only just begun.
My mind is mine alone.
One of my favorite things about this series is the way Yulia has strengthened in mind. In the first book, she is fearful of the way others can read her thoughts and seep into her conscious. She fought to keep her mind empty, that way she could never be controlled or suspected. She lived in a country that would never value her individual self-worth. In Skandal, though, she comes to realize just how important and precious her mind is. She deserves to think freely and to have control over her own emotions. She'll stop at nothing for her and Valya to have this chance. Yulia doesn't want just safety anymore; she longs for self-possession and the right to share only what she is willing to.
I also like how the setting has been such a strong factor in this duology. What better way to express extreme paranoia than through characters with psychic abilities? In the 1960s you have the Red Scare and the Iron Wall, you have Martin Luther King, Jr. singing "Let freedom ring", you have the secrecy of the CIA and possible moles around every corner. Lindsay Smith clearly did her research when it comes to the time period and using that to its greatest advantage. If ever there were a time for physic spies, that would so clearly be it. It's also heightened by the fact that Yulia is very much an outsider in this second book. She has difficulty understanding American nuances and the language barrier is ever present. Now more than ever she doesn't know who to trust.
The biggest drawbacks for me are the plot and pacing. It's an extremely slow-moving book, and despite what you may think due to the premise, there isn't much action. It's a lot of metaphor and being inside Yulia's head and waiting patiently for the next piece of the puzzle. Her and her team are tasked with stopping the "scrubbers" (psychic spies who can wipe and change people's memories) sent from Russia, and in the midst of that they discover there's a mole among them. Unfortunately that part of the story line was very anti-climatic; I expected a major "gasp!" moment, but it all dissolves rather quickly. I was hoping for more complexity and shock value.
The romance in Skandal is just as lovely as it was in the first book. Yulia and Valya are very gentle with one another and have this connection through music that is so endearing. I feared for a few minutes that it would go down the "I'm keeping secrets for your own good" path, but thankfully that's a false alarm. The two of them are constantly in sync and they rely on each other with everything. There's just this undeniable sweetness to their relationship that I adored.
If you're looking for something different to read in terms of fantasy and setting, I recommend giving Lindsay Smith's duology a try. The pacing is on the slow side and the plotting isn't as deft as you'd expect it to be, but the historical details and psychic abilities are a fantastic mix.
***Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!***
This review can also be found at Love at First Page.
March 28, 2015
I have really enjoyed this duology. I like the mix of physic powers with the history of the Cold War. I enjoy historical fiction and I enjoy paranormal, so the mix here was really great for me.
Yulia is a very strong character and I enjoyed watching her deal with integrating into a new culture, dealing with a father who is nothing like what she remembers and a new job working for the CIA. The odds are stacked against this girl, but she stubbornly plods onward towards her goals.
We meet a host of new characters as well amongst Yulia's new American coworkers, as well as her re-united father. Her father is frustrating to me for most of the book, but towards the end we get some insight into why he is the way he is. My favourite of Yulia's coworkers in Cindy, who I am itching to learn more about. Lindsay Smith has said this series is over, but she may continue in this world and if she does, I hope it's with Cindy. That girl has secrets I'm dying to know about. Donna was a frustrating character as well, although she more or less redeemed herself. And Valentin is such a sad, sweet characters that I mostly just wanted to hug. Oh and Winnie! I love this woman as well. So fiesty and determined and such a great rolemodel for Yulia. The rest of the team (Marylou, Judd, Tony and Al) aren't developed quite as much and I help fairly neutral about.
One thing that sometimes got a bit confusing for me was the descriptions when Yulia was dealing with the scrubbers. It's a fairly abstract concept and I found myself having to re-read sometimes. But it didn't bother me, because it was meant to be confusing and disorienting, so it kind of worked.
I loved this glimpse into a paranormal-infused history. Yulia is such a tough girl forced to deal with culture shock, family issues, a romantic relationship AND psychic warfare all at once!
Yulia is a very strong character and I enjoyed watching her deal with integrating into a new culture, dealing with a father who is nothing like what she remembers and a new job working for the CIA. The odds are stacked against this girl, but she stubbornly plods onward towards her goals.
We meet a host of new characters as well amongst Yulia's new American coworkers, as well as her re-united father. Her father is frustrating to me for most of the book, but towards the end we get some insight into why he is the way he is. My favourite of Yulia's coworkers in Cindy, who I am itching to learn more about. Lindsay Smith has said this series is over, but she may continue in this world and if she does, I hope it's with Cindy. That girl has secrets I'm dying to know about. Donna was a frustrating character as well, although she more or less redeemed herself. And Valentin is such a sad, sweet characters that I mostly just wanted to hug. Oh and Winnie! I love this woman as well. So fiesty and determined and such a great rolemodel for Yulia. The rest of the team (Marylou, Judd, Tony and Al) aren't developed quite as much and I help fairly neutral about.
One thing that sometimes got a bit confusing for me was the descriptions when Yulia was dealing with the scrubbers. It's a fairly abstract concept and I found myself having to re-read sometimes. But it didn't bother me, because it was meant to be confusing and disorienting, so it kind of worked.
I loved this glimpse into a paranormal-infused history. Yulia is such a tough girl forced to deal with culture shock, family issues, a romantic relationship AND psychic warfare all at once!
August 25, 2017
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/...
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
exciting, intriguing, suspenseful, full of action and mystery, new setting and new characters, lots of twists and turns, a lot more emotionally deep than the first, really intense
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
historically accurate, elaborate, descriptive, detailed, vivid, poetic, emotional, precise, intense
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
Yulia is still one of my faves but she’s in shaky ground in this book. She’s in a whole new place, with a completely different kind of culture and it’s tough for her to get her bearings. She’s still incredibly brave and determined and powerful. However, she has a lot of doubts about herself and her insecurity shows and we get a glimpse into a more vulnerable part of her life. She’s angry and emotional and scared a bit. I loved her development and really enjoyed the ending.
I wasn’t captivated by the new characters in this series as much as I was in the first book. I liked them but I didn’t find them as intriguing as the group from the first book. They made an appearance and I was blown away by them once again. The romance developed in a very natural way, I loved how it wasn’t just all sunshine and roses. It reflected what was happening in the plot and what the characters had been through, while still tugging at my heart and pushing me to root for them. I feel like it was a great way to end the duology though I want more of the world.
Emotionally
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/...
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
exciting, intriguing, suspenseful, full of action and mystery, new setting and new characters, lots of twists and turns, a lot more emotionally deep than the first, really intense
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
historically accurate, elaborate, descriptive, detailed, vivid, poetic, emotional, precise, intense
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
Yulia is still one of my faves but she’s in shaky ground in this book. She’s in a whole new place, with a completely different kind of culture and it’s tough for her to get her bearings. She’s still incredibly brave and determined and powerful. However, she has a lot of doubts about herself and her insecurity shows and we get a glimpse into a more vulnerable part of her life. She’s angry and emotional and scared a bit. I loved her development and really enjoyed the ending.
I wasn’t captivated by the new characters in this series as much as I was in the first book. I liked them but I didn’t find them as intriguing as the group from the first book. They made an appearance and I was blown away by them once again. The romance developed in a very natural way, I loved how it wasn’t just all sunshine and roses. It reflected what was happening in the plot and what the characters had been through, while still tugging at my heart and pushing me to root for them. I feel like it was a great way to end the duology though I want more of the world.
Emotionally
April 13, 2015
The world of Skandal, while not in Russia anymore, was equally fascinating in this continuation of Yulia's story. The setting of Cold War era Washington D.C. might not be the USSR, but it was still full of just as many dangerous plots, double-crosses, and political landmines. Yulia has been put into service with the CIA and is having to learn English and adjust to a new life all while working as a spy for the Americans. The team of Psychic spies on the US side are a very interesting group. Everyone's skills are sightly different from her Russian team, and I was amazed at how much detail and world building must have gone into creating a whole new team for Yulia. Her father plays a bigger role in this book and it was interesting getting to know him, as well as hearing more about Yulia's mom, who is still at the center of much of the knowledge they seek. As you can probably gather, a lot is happening in Skandal, but the pacing and world building did not make it seem too jumbled or dense with details.
I really enjoyed Yulia's hard-won journey to find out more about her psychic abilities and gain control of them. In fact, controlling them becomes a matter of life and death. Her relationship with Valentin is a sweet spot in the book, but even that is strained under the pressure of everything they have been through and must still endure. This is a duology, so the ending was critical. I thought it was extremely well done and I loved the way everything was resolved. I wish I could write more about it, but I don't want to risk spoiling it for anyone. Just believe me when I say that if you have not picked up this series, or if you read book one and haven't gotten to Skandal, I highly recommend you fix that as soon as possible.
I really enjoyed Yulia's hard-won journey to find out more about her psychic abilities and gain control of them. In fact, controlling them becomes a matter of life and death. Her relationship with Valentin is a sweet spot in the book, but even that is strained under the pressure of everything they have been through and must still endure. This is a duology, so the ending was critical. I thought it was extremely well done and I loved the way everything was resolved. I wish I could write more about it, but I don't want to risk spoiling it for anyone. Just believe me when I say that if you have not picked up this series, or if you read book one and haven't gotten to Skandal, I highly recommend you fix that as soon as possible.
May 4, 2015
**I received this book for free from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children's in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Young Adult, Psychic, Historical, Espionage, Thriller
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
*My past cannot hurt me now. My future cannot stop me now. All I have is now."
Skandal is the conclusion to the Sekret duology. The story takes place 3 months after 17-year old Yulia Andreevna Chernina and her boyfriend Valentin escaped from the USSR where they were used as tools by the KGB in hunting down traitors and spies. After requesting asylum in the US, there is a whole new world for Yulia to learn about. Especially the English language and culture so that she can fit in. Thankfully, Air Force Sergeant Winnie Davis is her teacher in all things American.
*Full Review Posting to Talk Supe Blog* Link to Come
Published: April 7th 2015 by Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children's
*Genre* Young Adult, Psychic, Historical, Espionage, Thriller
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
*My past cannot hurt me now. My future cannot stop me now. All I have is now."
Skandal is the conclusion to the Sekret duology. The story takes place 3 months after 17-year old Yulia Andreevna Chernina and her boyfriend Valentin escaped from the USSR where they were used as tools by the KGB in hunting down traitors and spies. After requesting asylum in the US, there is a whole new world for Yulia to learn about. Especially the English language and culture so that she can fit in. Thankfully, Air Force Sergeant Winnie Davis is her teacher in all things American.
*Full Review Posting to Talk Supe Blog* Link to Come
Published: April 7th 2015 by Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children's
June 2, 2015
I'm sorry, but I have to DNF this. It's so freaking slow. I got to page 100 in 6 days after constantly falling asleep reading it. There's nothing that makes me want to keep reading.
December 20, 2018
It's been a while since I read the first book so a lot of the beginning was confusing. However, I still really enjoy the writing style of Lindsay Smith. I love that she found a way to have a unique take on young people with supernatural powers, despite 90% of YA seemingly being about the same thing. I think it really helped that it was not set in the 21st century, though I wish the setting had not switched to America in this book.
Not much more to say as of course this is a sequela and reviewing sequels without spoilers for the first is SO HARD!
Not much more to say as of course this is a sequela and reviewing sequels without spoilers for the first is SO HARD!
March 2, 2015
It's 1964. Yulia has escaped from the Soviet Union and is with her father and her boyfriend Valentin. They are working for the CIA but working for someone who is suspicious of them because they are Soviets. Yulia sees some of the values of being in the United States but she is overwhelmed by the differences of life in the USA. Her father is different than she remembers; she is worried about the mother she left behind; and she is worried that Valentin's demons will overcome him.
In the larger picture, Rostov is still plotting for the good of the Soviet Union. He would very much like to goad the United States into a war in Vietnam. He has forced Yulia's mother to work with him by creating a serum that develops psychic powers in people who don't already have them. However, these people can't handle their powers and they die of the complications but not before they can further Rostov's agenda.
Yulia has to develop a cure for the serum her mother invented after Valentin is injected with it. She also has to come to terms with her own psychic talent which often buries her in other people's memories. And, along the way, she has to stop Rostov and rescue her mother.
This was a great story that really brought to life the times with the Cold War raging and issues at home like racial discrimination coming to a head. Yulia's English tutor and guide is a Black woman. This lets Yulia and us, as the readers, see what things were like in the 1960s. I liked the glimpses into the fashions and the Arts of the time period.
Historical fiction fans with enjoy this book.
In the larger picture, Rostov is still plotting for the good of the Soviet Union. He would very much like to goad the United States into a war in Vietnam. He has forced Yulia's mother to work with him by creating a serum that develops psychic powers in people who don't already have them. However, these people can't handle their powers and they die of the complications but not before they can further Rostov's agenda.
Yulia has to develop a cure for the serum her mother invented after Valentin is injected with it. She also has to come to terms with her own psychic talent which often buries her in other people's memories. And, along the way, she has to stop Rostov and rescue her mother.
This was a great story that really brought to life the times with the Cold War raging and issues at home like racial discrimination coming to a head. Yulia's English tutor and guide is a Black woman. This lets Yulia and us, as the readers, see what things were like in the 1960s. I liked the glimpses into the fashions and the Arts of the time period.
Historical fiction fans with enjoy this book.
February 27, 2021
Ok, so I am not crazy about this series but I also did not dislike it entirely. As a linguist though, I don't see how it is possible after 3 months of learning a language to become proficient to the level of translating medical research articles. After 3 months to be able to use past perfect correctly "is that the thing you were surprised he hadn't told me?" is quite impossible. After learning that many languages myself, being able to grasp the concept of this verbal tense and know when to use it is only possible at high levels of proficiency. Also, apparently Yulia is able to come up with a vaccine cure on her own when her own mother, the genial scientist behind the virus, could not. I know it is just SF but I would have liked the book to be a little bit more realistic on these matters.
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May 4, 2016Didn't like quite as much as the first book but enjoyable nonetheless. No love triangle at all, thankfully. Settled end, but opened enough for another installment, if there was one. Full review to come.
April 1, 2015
This series is so fantastic, and Smith devotes as much attention to 1960s America as she did to the Soviet Union in the previous book. The characters are so well-drawn, especially Yulia, and the setting really bolsters the plot.
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September 4, 2016Action-packed and very enjoyable sequel to SEKRET! :)
March 27, 2015
Loved that ending. More to come!
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January 3, 2016THIS WAS SUCH A FUN READ.
January 24, 2018
It's been almost a year and a half since I read the first book, Sekret, and I wish I could remember the events of that book a little better.
Much of my review for Sekret also applies to Skandal:
- I'm really impressed by the historical research that formed the basis for what appears to be a supernatural novel. Smith's author note in the last book mentioned that the premise of these books is based off of real-life Soviet government attempts to develop psychic talents for espionage purposes. Similarly, in Skandal, which is set in 1964 America during the era of the Red Scare and embers that will ignite to become the Vietnam War, Smith uses more historical context to bolster her plot -- the US Department of Defense actually did try to induce psychic powers for defense purposes, and the CIA actually did research the applications of LSD in espionage, similar to what Yulia encounters with her PsyOps team. Though I don't prefer stories about the supernatural or supernatural abilities, the fact that real-world research was actually conducted in the 20th century to develop such off-the-wall resources for warfare helps ground this story. We get something more plausible and less fantastic, with doses of historical fact and a nicely realized 1960s setting giving this book more weight.
- However, the above is the main thing going for book #2. I gave this book a 4th star for the setting, history, and research involved, but the story itself warranted more of a 3-star rating. There was less sweeping romance this time. More menacing threats, confusion over the enemy, a less cohesive team, and occasional stretches of psychic power that made some characters practically omnipotent made the story less believable and characters less interesting. Yulia's team in Sekret seemed more strongly or vividly realized. I didn't get much of an impression of most of Yulia's PsyOps team, and because of this, the book loses that fun dynamic of working together as a well-oiled team. Yulia's romance with Valentin is very much on the back burner -- despite a few stolen kisses and "I love you"s (in Russian), we don't get much of the passion that Yulia and Valentin had in Sekret, and that's disappointing.
- There were also multiple editing issues throughout the book (and I'm not talking about Yulia's struggles with learning the English language). Once, "surround" was misspelled as "suround" (the sort of thing spellcheck would automatically pick up). There were also several missing open/close quotation marks and apostrophes that made text unclear (especially dialogue). "Secondhand control" was left as "second hand control," which doesn't convey the meaning that was intended in that sentence. I'm not sure what happened, but I don't recall these editing issues in the first book.
Much of my review for Sekret also applies to Skandal:
- I'm really impressed by the historical research that formed the basis for what appears to be a supernatural novel. Smith's author note in the last book mentioned that the premise of these books is based off of real-life Soviet government attempts to develop psychic talents for espionage purposes. Similarly, in Skandal, which is set in 1964 America during the era of the Red Scare and embers that will ignite to become the Vietnam War, Smith uses more historical context to bolster her plot -- the US Department of Defense actually did try to induce psychic powers for defense purposes, and the CIA actually did research the applications of LSD in espionage, similar to what Yulia encounters with her PsyOps team. Though I don't prefer stories about the supernatural or supernatural abilities, the fact that real-world research was actually conducted in the 20th century to develop such off-the-wall resources for warfare helps ground this story. We get something more plausible and less fantastic, with doses of historical fact and a nicely realized 1960s setting giving this book more weight.
- However, the above is the main thing going for book #2. I gave this book a 4th star for the setting, history, and research involved, but the story itself warranted more of a 3-star rating. There was less sweeping romance this time. More menacing threats, confusion over the enemy, a less cohesive team, and occasional stretches of psychic power that made some characters practically omnipotent made the story less believable and characters less interesting. Yulia's team in Sekret seemed more strongly or vividly realized. I didn't get much of an impression of most of Yulia's PsyOps team, and because of this, the book loses that fun dynamic of working together as a well-oiled team. Yulia's romance with Valentin is very much on the back burner -- despite a few stolen kisses and "I love you"s (in Russian), we don't get much of the passion that Yulia and Valentin had in Sekret, and that's disappointing.
- There were also multiple editing issues throughout the book (and I'm not talking about Yulia's struggles with learning the English language). Once, "surround" was misspelled as "suround" (the sort of thing spellcheck would automatically pick up). There were also several missing open/close quotation marks and apostrophes that made text unclear (especially dialogue). "Secondhand control" was left as "second hand control," which doesn't convey the meaning that was intended in that sentence. I'm not sure what happened, but I don't recall these editing issues in the first book.
June 3, 2017
If you'll recall, I quite liked Sekret. It was fun and action packed and helped me with my minor reading slump. I confess, though, I knew I wouldn't like this book as much as I liked the first. I wasn't looking forward to picking it up, but I decided to anyway because I didn't know what else to read and I figured this would be fun and action packed enough.
However, Skandal didn't grab me the same way Sekret did. Maybe it's because I thought (and honestly still think) that Sekret didn't really need a second book. It was just fine on its own. It was just kind of the first book but taking place in America instead of the Soviet Union.
I did, however, enjoy the writing. I particularly liked Smith's descriptions, they were pretty and set the scene up nicely. Sure, the way the characters spoke seemed like it was right out of a 60s noir movie, but I managed to let myself enjoy it, even if it was a bit painful.
Yulia was still the same okay main character. I still cared little for her and Valentin. The other characters didn't really interest me much and didn't do anything surprising to me. I just excused this as being a fun book and not one that was meant to be a literary masterpiece.
I do think that Smith went with the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to historical fiction that I talked about in my A Death-Struck Year review. She threw in basically everything that people think of when they think of the 60s, and even a few of the 50s. Greasers, beatniks, Vietnam, Kennedy's assassination, the Cold War, mod clothing, the Beatles, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis- whether it actually fit or not it was going in. Frankly, she should just have focused on the Cold War or maybe Vietnam or Cuba, to make for a more centered story. While I did like that scene in the jazz club, it felt a bit forced and not natural with the storyline.
Continue reading this review on my blog here: http://bookwormbasics.blogspot.com/20...
However, Skandal didn't grab me the same way Sekret did. Maybe it's because I thought (and honestly still think) that Sekret didn't really need a second book. It was just fine on its own. It was just kind of the first book but taking place in America instead of the Soviet Union.
I did, however, enjoy the writing. I particularly liked Smith's descriptions, they were pretty and set the scene up nicely. Sure, the way the characters spoke seemed like it was right out of a 60s noir movie, but I managed to let myself enjoy it, even if it was a bit painful.
Yulia was still the same okay main character. I still cared little for her and Valentin. The other characters didn't really interest me much and didn't do anything surprising to me. I just excused this as being a fun book and not one that was meant to be a literary masterpiece.
I do think that Smith went with the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to historical fiction that I talked about in my A Death-Struck Year review. She threw in basically everything that people think of when they think of the 60s, and even a few of the 50s. Greasers, beatniks, Vietnam, Kennedy's assassination, the Cold War, mod clothing, the Beatles, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis- whether it actually fit or not it was going in. Frankly, she should just have focused on the Cold War or maybe Vietnam or Cuba, to make for a more centered story. While I did like that scene in the jazz club, it felt a bit forced and not natural with the storyline.
Continue reading this review on my blog here: http://bookwormbasics.blogspot.com/20...
March 9, 2023
Rate: 3.75/5 ⭐
TW: racism, sexism, sexual harassment & suicide
If I'm being completely honest, I like the sequel more.
It’s also interesting that the life, ideology and culture in Russia and America is so different to one another. But in the end, both wants to achieve the same goal which is demolished everything for their own purpose.
Reading this reminds me of the wars that these two countries started in Ukraine, Iran, etc. And also country like Palestine (IMO, it's still a country), India and Bangladesh. A lot of these countries started wars bcs of the difference in ideology and wants others to accept their ideology (hope this make sense).
But I want to focus more on the war that the mainstream keeps pushing in the early of 2022. Russia-Ukraine war. (If I'm not mistaken) like the war between them started again bcs Russia doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO bcs Russia believes that Ukraine is a part of Russia. That's why Putin declared war between those two countries. Fact check me if I'm wrong. And some theorists said that Russia actually wants to take over the world. Which is not shocking at all bcs America terrorized and started wars in the middle east long time ago AND IT'S STILL ONGOING!!!
In conclusion, let's not forget all the wars that these big, ego countries started.
TW: racism, sexism, sexual harassment & suicide
If I'm being completely honest, I like the sequel more.
It’s also interesting that the life, ideology and culture in Russia and America is so different to one another. But in the end, both wants to achieve the same goal which is demolished everything for their own purpose.
Reading this reminds me of the wars that these two countries started in Ukraine, Iran, etc. And also country like Palestine (IMO, it's still a country), India and Bangladesh. A lot of these countries started wars bcs of the difference in ideology and wants others to accept their ideology (hope this make sense).
But I want to focus more on the war that the mainstream keeps pushing in the early of 2022. Russia-Ukraine war. (If I'm not mistaken) like the war between them started again bcs Russia doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO bcs Russia believes that Ukraine is a part of Russia. That's why Putin declared war between those two countries. Fact check me if I'm wrong. And some theorists said that Russia actually wants to take over the world. Which is not shocking at all bcs America terrorized and started wars in the middle east long time ago AND IT'S STILL ONGOING!!!
In conclusion, let's not forget all the wars that these big, ego countries started.
August 28, 2017
Overall, this was a pretty good series. I liked it, but I don't know that I would want to re-read it.
Yulia grows up a lot in this book. One big lesson is that her parent's are human and don't know everything. I liked how the author showed the racism in that time period and how it affected Winnie and Cindy (they are sisters, but look different from each other).
My biggest criticism of the book is that the author didn't have more a confrontation between Yulia and Rostov. He was this overwhelmingly chilly presence in the first book and he was in this one, but he was more removed. What there was of the ending felt more like a throwaway and wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been to be more satisfying.
Yulia grows up a lot in this book. One big lesson is that her parent's are human and don't know everything. I liked how the author showed the racism in that time period and how it affected Winnie and Cindy (they are sisters, but look different from each other).
My biggest criticism of the book is that the author didn't have more a confrontation between Yulia and Rostov. He was this overwhelmingly chilly presence in the first book and he was in this one, but he was more removed. What there was of the ending felt more like a throwaway and wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been to be more satisfying.
April 6, 2018
Just some thoughts, it was an ok book:
Our protagonist Yulia is learning English, correct? Well then why is she using complex words?? I feel like her learning of English just kinda ~went away~ after the first 20 pages. English is a hard language to learn, so why is it portrayed as easy in the book?
Also, the plot was very slow in the middle and then suddenly everything is tied up neatly in the last 15 pages, which was annoying. (Confession: i didn't finish the first one! Which really didn't matter because Yulia monologued a brief summary of the entire last book.) So, uh... thanks I guess?
That's about it, other than the cringy romance with a Brooding, Suffering Artiste, TM.
Our protagonist Yulia is learning English, correct? Well then why is she using complex words?? I feel like her learning of English just kinda ~went away~ after the first 20 pages. English is a hard language to learn, so why is it portrayed as easy in the book?
Also, the plot was very slow in the middle and then suddenly everything is tied up neatly in the last 15 pages, which was annoying. (Confession: i didn't finish the first one! Which really didn't matter because Yulia monologued a brief summary of the entire last book.) So, uh... thanks I guess?
That's about it, other than the cringy romance with a Brooding, Suffering Artiste, TM.
December 28, 2017
This was a great sequel to Sekret! I actually liked this one better; I think it was because Yuila seemed more settled in this book. I loved how Smith had the era of the 1960s United States perfectly sculpted, as well as Yulia figuring out English and the espionage was so good! This one felt more intense, and there were parts of the book where I was like, did that really just happen?
Overall, an amazing duology! Totally recommend!
Overall, an amazing duology! Totally recommend!
February 12, 2023
I thought this was a good follow-up to Sekret. I liked seeing Yulia working with the psychic team in the CIA and her burgeoning relationship with Valentin, as well as her strained reunion with her dad. It wasn't as good as the first book, in my opinion, but Skandal was still an entertaining and engaging sequel.
April 19, 2019
This book was amazing! It is now one of my favorites, along with the first book Skandal. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about physics, spies, and the Cold War or just loves a great book.
February 11, 2019
Should have read the 1st book in the series I guess.
February 11, 2019
SO BORING
There was no character development (or characterization in any way... nothing stands out about Yulia) and I didn't care about the context at all. So glad to be done with it!
There was no character development (or characterization in any way... nothing stands out about Yulia) and I didn't care about the context at all. So glad to be done with it!
January 6, 2022
A book that doesn't leave you feeling lost if you haven't read the first book. Super freaking good.
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