Spy Ski School the Graphic Novel

Spy School Graphic Novels #4

by Stuart Gibbs, Anjan Sarkar (illustrator)

The New York Times bestselling Spy School series continues in graphic novel form with the fourth book as Ben Ripley enrolls in ski school, where the slopes—and the stakes—get really steep.

Thirteen-year-old Ben Ripley is not exactly the best student spy school has ever seen—he keeps flunking Advanced Self Preservation. But outside of class, Ben is pretty great at staying alive. His enemies have kidnapped him, shot at him, locked him in a room with a ticking time bomb, and even tried to blow him up with missiles. And he’s survived every time. After all that unexpected success, the CIA has decided to activate Ben for real.

The Become friends with Jessica Shang, the daughter of a suspected Chinese crime boss, and find out all her father’s secrets.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mystery, Middle Grade, Espionage, Adventure, Young Adult, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Sarah Y Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book ever

Gooooooooooooood booooooooooooook
And than I have to write this cuz thdfdgdfdfsfdfdfdfdvcvdvcvgvvvgcgcgdgfffvcgvv a a a ava a Ca a a a a

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Ripley is recruited to spend his winter break on assignment in Vail, Colorado to try and get close to the daughter of a Chinese businessman the CIA suspects is a major bad guy. They suspect he isn't really in Colorado to let his daughter learn to ski, but they can't prove it, and no one can get close enough to find out. So Ben is tasked with befriending Jessica Shang, and getting close enough to figure out what her father is really up to. Some of his classmates are recruited to go along as his cover and backup as fellow ski school participants. Erica is miffed she isn't on point for this, and is struggling to take a back seat. And Ben's best friend Mike decided to randomly show up in Colorado and crash Ben's school ski trip so they could spend more time together...which could be dangerous for both of them.

This is a great adaptation of the original novel. It stays true to all the most important points and I didn't feel like it was missing much from the adaptation at all. Students will be very excited for this to hit the shelves. It's a bit crazy how popular this series is...ok, no it isn't crazy...I get it. It is a pretty fun and exciting series in both novel and graphic novel form.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: There's some talk about crushes and liking others, but nothing beyond a kiss on the cheek.
Violence: A huge explosion threatens thousands but the good guys save things in the nick of time. Beyond that, just some skiing wipe outs.
Ethnic diversity: Ben is white American. His classmates are a mix of white American, Asian Indian American, I think one is Hispanic American, Mike is Black American, and Jessica and her father are Chinese.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Some secrets and lying (good guys to keep people safe, bad guys for nefarious reasons). Erica thinks she knows best and has to learn to trust authority and others.

[Daniel Stitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first picked up Spy School: Ski School, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Right away, it felt a little corny—like it was leaning hard into classic spy tropes, almost to the point of parody. As someone who enjoys more serious, high-stakes espionage stories, I initially found the adolescent tone a bit silly. The action didn’t have the weight or intensity of an adult spy novel, and the whole concept of teen spies felt a little too lighthearted for my taste.

But as I kept reading, I found myself unexpectedly drawn in—not so much by the espionage itself, but by the characters. Their awkwardness, their struggles with dating and crushes, and the way they tried to balance personal drama with life-or-death missions actually became really fun. It’s a great introduction to the spy genre for younger readers, easing them in with humor, school-age relationships, and fast-paced adventure rather than deep, dark intrigue.

That said, the book does still have its cheesy moments. Some of the character interactions feel a little over-the-top, but once I accepted that this is a book aimed at adolescents, I found myself enjoying the ride. The action sequences turned out to be pretty engaging, and the situations the characters found themselves in were exciting enough to keep me turning pages. I could definitely see myself reading more books in this series—just with the understanding that they come with a side of teen drama along with the espionage.

As for the artwork, it’s very straightforward—clear, approachable, and fitting for the young adult audience. It’s not particularly stylized or visually striking, but it gets the job done. However, I did really enjoy the illustrations of the ski resort itself. Those landscapes were well-detailed and added a nice sense of atmosphere to the story.

Overall, Spy School: Ski School is a fun, light spy adventure that leans into its adolescent audience with humor, action, and a bit of romance. If you go in expecting a playful, slightly cheesy take on espionage, rather than a serious thriller, you’ll probably have a good time with it.

[Lenni Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t love the original Spy Ski School as much as the books before it when I read it originally as a regular book, but I guess things have changed because that was amazing!!! I realized after reading this that I miss the Spy School series so much that I want to catch up this summer. Then I can eagerly await the next book’s release like I used to back in the olden days before Evil Spy School came out, lol.

I could mention that some things seemed off logistically, like a bunch of undercover agents who are supposed to hide their relationships eating together in public, but honestly I loved the plot and characters so much that it doesn’t bother me.

I hope they keep adapting this series into graphic novels. Simon and Schuster, please hear me!!!

[Caleb Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the original chapter book, it states that Zoe shot Leo Shang's foot with a gun. Why is it that, in this graphic novel edition, she punches him in the face instead? People, rendering someone shooting with a gun on a person's foot is not that inappropriate. I mean, there's a fairly big panel on the book showing Ben and Erica kissing, in the lips, but they altered the scene of the shooting of the foot.
That is no the only reason for this book's 3 stars. In recent times, Stuart Gibbs has been putting LGBTQIA+ propaganda in his books. Since this a book by Stuart Gibbs, I am discriminating that against him.
Those are some of my reasons for this 3 star review.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The graphic novel adaptations adhere very closely to the original text, which I appreciated, but are very wordy. I have the first three in the series in my school library, but since I also have all of the novels, I may pass on purchase when it comes to the rest of the graphic novels.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great middle grade graphic novel and an excellent adaption of the novel. I loved reading this story in this format and really liked the illustrations throughout the graphic novel. Fans of the Spy School series will definitely enjoy reading this version of the story.

Thank you to Simon Kids for the gifted copy.

[Susan]

Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs

[Elisabeth Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was as good as the original full book. I love the art style.

[Ellie Gaidai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as good as the book.

[Christian (GFB 1000 members!)semi hiatus Rief · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet!

This book is so good! I have been waiting for this for forever! Thank you Stuart Gibbs! You are a great author!

[Jeff Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too juvenile for my tastes.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This action-packed downhill skiing themed spy school is well-suited for a graphic novel adaptation. It’s always fun to revisit Ben, Erica, and spy school!

[Declan DURLING · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all the books out already and the graphic novels, and this one is no different. I like the visuals and how you get to see the people, but nothing particularly special about this one.