Spy to the Rescue

Bridget Wilder #2

by Jonathan Bernstein

Middle school meets "Mission: Impossible" in the second hilarious adventure of a girl whose life is turned upside down when her long-lost father recruits her to be a super-spy.

When the top-secret spy agency that recruited Bridget turns out to be fake, Bridget hopes her super-spy father will teach her his tricks, stealth codes, and martial-arts moves. Wrong! Instead of drop-kicking evil villains and shooting laser beams from her lip gloss, he wants to bond over normal--a.k.a. boring--stuff like TV, fro yo, and boy talk. But when Bridget gets framed for stealing cheerleading secrets and ruining the most glamorous party of the birthday season, her spy instincts kick in: she’s being set up. And when her spy dad goes missing, Bridget knows she’s the only one who can bring him back alive—official spy or not.

Now Bridget’s back in the spy game and on a plane headed straight to New York City with her best friend by her side and a crafty nano-marble sidekick that does everything from hacking phones to taking down the fiercest enemy agents. Can Bridget ditch her annoying older brother/chaperone, squash a budding crush, and prevent global disaster before her mom texts to check in, or are Bridget’s days as a spy over—for good?

It is no secret—Bridget Wilder: Spy to the Rescue is part of an explosive new series packed with humor, high-tech gadgets, and best of all: girl power.

Genres: Middle Grade, Juvenile, Childrens

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

I am the author of Bridget Wilder: Spy-In-Training.
Bridget Wilder is an adequate daughter, an unexceptional student and a mediocre friend. She's just found out she's also the biological daughter of one of the world's most lethal and notorious spies, the legendary Carter Strike.

Now Bridget lives in two worlds. One, where her family forgets her birthday and so-called class clowns call her Midget Wilder to her face. And another world, where she's trained by a covert CIA department to become a fast, smart, fearless ,gadget-toting secret agent who's tough enough to take on the most fearsome of bad guys.

How many secrets can she keep? And how many secrets are still being kept from her. When you're a a spy-in-training, do you ever really know who you can trust?


I'm also the co-author of Mad World: An Oral History Of New Wave Artists And Songs That Defined The 1980s, which features brand new interviews with the likes of New Order, The Smiths, Duran Duran, Echo & The Bunnymen, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Depeche Mode, Human League, Dexys Midnight Runners, OMD, Thomas Dolby, ABC, Thompson Twins and many, many more.


I also wrote the YA book Hottie which has been described, not by me but accurately, as Clueless meets X-Men. It's packed with as much comedy, action, unrequited crushes, requited crushes and destruction of designer clothes as I could pack into 320 pages.

It's ridiculously over-the-top sequel was titled Burning Ambition.

I'm also the author of Knickers In A Twist which is a dictionary of British slang that addresses Cockney rhyming slang, TV catchphrases, pop-culture references, swearing and incomprehensible abuse that I brought with me from my native Scotland.

My first book was called Pretty In Pink: The Golden Age Of Teen Movies which was an extremely un-intellectual look at the 80s, taking in every genre from slasher to gross-out and paying extended homage to the John Hughes canon.

I also write the occasional screenplay, with the Disney evergreen Max Keeble's Big Move, Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan, Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector (I've got a mortgage, okay?) and the upcoming Jackie Chan movie The Spy Next Door to my name.

As I mentioned, I was raised in Scotland, spent some time in New York and moved to Los Angeles a few years ago.

I'm on Facebook and you can also find me on www. jonathanbernsteinbook.blogspot.com where I talk more about Hottie, discuss the latest reality show that's making me mad but I can't stop watching and post videos of ancient Scottish comedians.

I've also started a blog for my slang dictionary. Bookmark www.knickersinatwistbook.blogspot.com and learn a new word or phrase every day. Some of them will stop you getting punched in the face. Others will get you hit even harder!

Reviews

[Bret Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful childrens book. Also, an upside, I have to get my hands on the first one so I can give them both to my local school to enjoy.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots Going On Here

I like girl-spy action books as much as the next guy, but sometimes authors just come up with a girl, some sort of spy school premise, and a generic villain plot. Not so here. The Bridget Wilder books have a lot of moving parts, and they all mesh together pretty well.

This is the second Wilder book. You don't have to have read the first one, (since the author does a good job of recapping in the first few chapters), but I think it would help to read them in order. Bridget comes with a fair amount of baggage, and there are a number of recurring characters, and that all gets established in the first book.

In any event, in this book we learn more about Bridget's family and her just discovered biological father. We have lots of goofy spy stuff and lots of action. There are some nice set pieces, (like Bridget's kidnapping by a gang of insane cheerleaders, or Bridget's nanomarbles), and lots of hints that fuel the larger series story arc. Bridget is fun snarky, and just when it starts to get a bit too much, the author dials it back.

Some new sidekicks, villains and tech show up, so this isn't just a reprise of volume 1. Also, the author treats side characters with a certain amount of respect and some characters that start out lame get to develop and shine. So, Bridget's brother, and the shy girlfriend, and Bridget's parents, and so on, get to be more than jokes or comedy relief. I like that, and that's sort of what I mean by there being a lot of moving parts. That said, the center of all the action is Bridget Wilder, and it may just be enough to observe that she handles her heroine duties just fine. I don't see how fans would be at all disappointed by this outing.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Klaudia Janek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: In this second installment of the Bridget Wilder series, Bridget finds herself in a whirlwind of chaos when her long-lost father, a supposed super-spy, turns out to be less than she expected. Instead of exciting spy training, he focuses on mundane activities. However, when Bridget is framed for a crime and her father goes missing, she must step up and embrace her spy instincts. With her best friend and a high-tech nano-marble sidekick, Bridget navigates the world of espionage to save her father and prevent disaster, proving that girl power and humor go hand in hand.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This story is filled with thrilling moments like Bridget's kidnapping by cheerleaders and high-tech gadgetry, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Bridget's struggles with family dynamics, friendships, and crushes resonate with middle schoolers, making her a relatable protagonist. Parts of the book are pretty funny, making it enjoyable and accessible, ensuring readers are entertained while following Bridget's escapades. School librarians can incorporate "Bridget Wilder: Spy to the Rescue" into programming by organizing mystery-themed events or spy-related activities, encouraging students to engage with the themes of teamwork and problem-solving. It would be a fun book club book where students discuss the importance of character development and plot twists, fostering critical thinking. STEM projects could be inspired by the imaginative gadgets in the story, allowing students to learn about coding or robotics.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't really for me, so its okay if it doesn't all hit home. There are aspects to it that seem fresh and interesting, and aspects that are just too absurd for words. I did like the added depth in Bridget's best friend in this volume.

[Jnase1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of action from the very beginning. Would make a great movie.

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good sequel, maybe better than the first book!

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Anoush · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her first spy adventure and the fall out (how was she to know she was actually the pawn in a bigger scheme to get at her bio dad?), Bridget has been told to stay out of the spy business. She tries, hanging out with her "retired" bio dad Carter Strike and trying to on with life as usual at school minus her spy gadgets. Unfortunately, life doesn't want to cooperate. When Strike goes missing and someone is obviously sabotaging Bridget's experience at school, she goes back into spy mode because of course she's the only one who can figure things out.

This is a solid middle grade novel. After reading the first book and seeing how we got to this point, I was a lot more tolerant of all the completely unpredictable and unlikely coincidences and twists this book portrays. There's ALWAYS a surprise coming at you from behind. There's ALWAYS a twist. It's hilarious and completely unrealistic and perfect. Middle-grade readers will not get bored or feel like nothing is happening. It's not perfect for adults (much too far-fetched and out of this world), but the 10-year-old in me had a blast with this book.

Tha said I'm still impressed when an author can add a message to a crazy narrative like this. some words of wisdom:

DALE: This Vanessa is all the way in. you're not. You think you can be a spy when it suits you and then go back to your normal life. But you can't. If you're a part-time spy, you're always going to be playing catch-up. You'll always be the last to know the latest intel. You'll always be the last to get your hands on the latest gadgets. You have to commit or walk away, Bridget. You can't just show up for a weekend and then go back to school like nothing happened.

I loved the imaginative technology (nano everything!), I liked seeing old friends (good to learn a little bit more about Dale and his motivations), and I liked meeting new friends (Sam...I definitely don't trust that guy) and more family. This was so much fun to read and had great pacing. I look forward to the next!

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

My name is Bridget, and only a couple of people know I'm a part-time spy. My real father is a retired CIA agent, but I've just discovered he's been kidnapped. I manage to track him to New York, and I've "convinced" my adopted parents to let me fly across the country. They think I'm going to visit my friend Joanna, and they insist that my brother and his girlfriend go along as chaperones. Once I arrive, things don't go quite as I had planned. I find my father, but he's been taken by a powerful man in charge of thieves, assassins, and all kinds of evil criminals. His daughter turns out to be an even worse pain in the butt, and she plans to murder the son of a foreign diplomat, which will probably start a new war between countries. On the positive note, I finally meet my real mom, although she's actually another assassin. I don't know if I'm ready for all the drama!

I didn't read the first book in the series, but it didn't seem necessary to enjoy this one. The most unbelievable parts of this book are the marbles in Bridget's pocket and other technology. The marbles are tiny nanobots that come to her rescue throughout the plot; the red one becomes a loyal companion. The red marble knows anything Bridget needs done, and the story seems to lose characters when other marbles are destroyed. The plot describes a fun adventure with a brave, determined female protagonist. Bridget's spy work is complicated by normal teen issues. Boys like her, her friend has changed, and her real parents might get back together again. Bridget even has cheerleaders bullying her, and she develops a rivalry with the daughter assassin. The daughter has family issues too! Overall, it's an entertaining book for readers wanting a female spy story with a bit of humor mixed in.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridget Wilder: Spy to the Rescue was SUCH a FUN read! After meeting most of these characters in book 1 I thoroughly enjoyed this adventurous romp through NYC. Bernstein's writing is witty & fast paced. I will definitely be on the watch for more of this series.

I won a FREE copy of this book through Goodreads!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the series, the wildly improbable adventures of Bridget continue, this time in New York. Perfect book for the way I was feeling today.