The Accidental Secret Agent

by Tom McLaughlin

Schoolboy turns secret agent in this hilarious spy spoof! Before you read this, I want you to carefully check that no-one is reading over your shoulder - go ahead, do it now. First off, that was terrible - really obvious. If I'm going to tell you top secret government information, you're going to have to be a bit more stealthy. Try again. Was anyone looking? No? Right, then I'll begin. This year the secret service made a major mix up, they mistook a 13-year-old boycalled Kevin for a secret agent (I know, so much for an 'intelligence' agency). This was the sort of kid that would try and zip wire across a building and end up falling head first into a fountain with his bum on show, so can you imagine what happened when he was allowed access to the amazing sortof spy gadgets that James Bond would use? Despite this, it was up to Kevin to save us all from an evil supervillain. It was the most dangerous, daring mission in the history of the secret service, and also its biggest blunder. This top secret book uncovers the entire story of Kevin's fateful and hilarious mission.

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Fiction

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2016

About the author

I write pictures and doodle words for Bloomsbury, Puffin, Oxford University Press, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, The Guardian, Disney, Nickelodeon. After leaving art college in ’97, I spent nearly 10 years as a political cartoonist for The Western Morning News before going freelance.

I’ve been published both as a writer and an illustrator for a number of publishers, had my books translated across Europe and South America. Apart from publishing, I’ve also spent time script writer and a character designer for several animation channels.

I live in Devon, spend most of my days drinking tea and dreaming up new stories.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children both loved, “The Accidental Prime Minister,” and now author Tom McLaughlin is back with a great follow up book, aimed at 9-12 year olds. In this story, the secret service mistake thirteen year old Kevin Twigg for a secret agent. Kevin is one of those kids who lives in a fantasy life and is always dreaming of codes to be cracked and mysteries to be solved. However, what Kevin really wants is a phone – he is obsessed with phones and so arranges to do a stunt to help him raise money. This amazing – and truly dangerous stunt – leads to him changing places with a spy named Jake Pond. Yes, this book is really full of truly awful jokes like that and my children loved them.

As in the previous book, we have a main character suddenly thrust into a situation that they do not really understand. Will he be able to party past eight thirty? Are phones for more than just playing games? Oh, and what about that criminal mastermind? Funny, fast paced and lots of fun, this is a great idea and great fun. What child doesn’t want to be a spy? Or Prime Minister? I think the author has hit a winning formula here and I hope he adds to the series.

[Karol (Libroteca El Gato de Cheshire) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hemos leído el libro en el club de lectura de "Los Cazalibros". Les ha gustado basante. Es una aventura divertida con algo de acción y muchas referencias al mundo de los espías, en concreto a James Bond.
Como curiosidad os diré que los capítulos tienen todos nombres de películas.
En realidad un 3.5. a los chicos les ha gustado y yo me he reído con algunas de las ocurrencias y frases de Kevin Twig.

[Salma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I read it on my kindle. I love the accidental series. I am planning to read the accidental Billionare boy next. It is a very good book all about a boy called Keven Twigg swapping his life with someone called Jake Pond (they both look exactly like each other!) Jake is a agent so now Keven is a agent!

[BrookesEducationLibrarian]

This book is available in the SEC! :D

[Alma Jurcut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, dar in acelasi timp, cu actiune! Un om diabolic incearca sa distruga internetul, iar un copil nepriceput trebuie sa il opreasca.

[E.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you accept that this is very silly then it sort of works.

[Sarah Ahmimed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it because Hannah got jealous and that was what she deserved for being a nosy sister.

[Gypsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so funny I loved it .The talking pants were hilarious. I love the bit about McDonalds. Humour was in the air.🤣

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het zou toch wat zijn als je op een dag opeens geheim agent bent door te wisselen van rol met iemand die heel erg op jou lijkt. Het overkomt Jesse Twigt die ineens de rol van James Rond krijgt. Een droombaan voor veel kinderen.

Het verhaal leek potentie te hebben, maar eigenlijk heb ik leukere jeugdboeken gelezen. Jesse vond ik overdreven en ook zijn grapjes vond ik niet grappig, maar best wel irritant. De schrijfstijl is daarbij ook niet heel prettig. Ik moet eerlijk zeggen dat ik Jesse ook wel een beetje kinderachtig vond, gezien hij op de middelbare school zit.
Ik zie dat de meningen over dit boek verschillend zijn, maar hoop dat kinderen toch enigszins plezier hebben bij het lezen van dit verhaal.

2,5/3 sterren

[Ish Middendorp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesse is een beetje een kluns. Hij is 13 jaar (alhoewel de leeftijd van 10 beter bij hem zou passen). en doet graag stunts om geld te verdienen.
Hij wisselt met een geheim agent van leven, aangezien deze er hetzelfde als hem uitziet ook al is hij veel ouder (tikkeltje ongeloofwaardig).
Het boek is op een vlotte manier geschreven en leuk geïllustreerd, dit zal kinderen wel aanspreken.
Zelf zou ik het boek niet voorlezen, het verhaal is te zwart-wit en mist diepgang.

Voorlezen: Nee
Zelf lezen: ja, het verhaal is simpel, leuk geïllustreerd en de verhaallijn is interessant voor deze leeftijdsgroep (9-11)

[Simon Osemwengie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a quick read. For me, I read it in a day. I enjoyed the books that Tom McLaughlin made, for example, the accidental prime minister.This book about a boy called Kevin Twigg who loved spy games and spy movies.One day after school he met a man and changed his life. the drama makes me think of what is going to happen next every time I get it wrong on how it is going to happen.When they saw each other they looked very alike so they switched places the man's name was Jake Pond and he now became a schoolboy because he didn't want to kill more people so that is why they switched. I thought that a job of a spy wasn't hard at this point in the story but then Kevin Twigg.

After some time Kevin got a job from the M19 but Jake told him not to take any jobs but he still took it.This was very hard for him because he has never done a job as a spy but he still didn't give up on the job.When he found out who the criminal was he asked Jake to help but he got angry that he accepted a mission and he wanted his life back but Kevin refused.So Kevin asked his older sister Ellie to help him and she accepted under one cost.To do her maths homework for an entire week.They found the criminal and tied him up and put him in prison.

In my opinion, this book was very funny and entertaining and I agree with the rating the people in the community as given this book (4.57 stars) because it has a very interesting plot and characters in the book. I rate this 4/5 stars because it illustrates a very good story with humour tied into it.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin wants to do something exciting with his life - one day an ill-planned stunt somehow has him stumbling into an identity swap with an MI6 agent. His visions of a glamourous James Bond lifestyle don't exactly pan out when he discovers his next job is pretending to be a teenager at the local high school but he's determined to prove himself any way he can!

This was a GoodReads recommendation because Miss 6 loves David Walliams. She enjoyed the audiobook, the adventure, and the UK accents. Kevin grew on me as the book went on and I enjoyed listening to chunks of the book as well.

Miss 6 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Adeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember that I bought this book expecting nothing, just knowing that it is a children's book and that I haven't read one of those in a WHILE (The Chronicles of Narnia don't count).

I just loved the work that went into it making this book enjoyable for both children and adults and I definitely see myself reading it to a hypothetical future child.

It was so fun to get the subtle puns and other humoristic one-liners in this book and it makes me want to read children's books more every now and then. I laughed in every single chapter :

Also, I demand the normalisation of illustrations in (young) adult books ; it's not childish, it's beautiful and gives opportunity for many more artists to show their work and give them a market to live thanks to their art.

[Eve beinguniquebeingme · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book normal school kid and wannabe superhero/stuntman

Kevin Twigg gets the opportunity to swap lives with Jake Pond, a real life spy he meets randomly and actually looks like!



Only the life of a spy isn't as thrilling as he expected as the girl of his dreams is family of his enemy and doesn't even want to be near him while his sister catches on to what's happening what damage will she do!?



It's safe to say the life of a spy can be a very random one...



A very fun bizarre book Kevin was a brilliant stand in spy and this story was great as the drama amped up Kevin had some hilarious gadgets and the banana scene was fun imagine the damage they could cause?!...

[KaIyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for laugh-out-loud fun, outrageous gadgets, and the most unlikely hero ever to stumble into saving the world, this is your book! Kevin is a 13-year-old disaster magnet accidentally recruited by the secret service and chaos naturally follows. Think James Bond meets Mr. Bean in school uniform. From bumbling mishaps to absurdly cool spy gear, this story is a fast-paced, side-splitting ride full of surprises. Perfect for fans of spy spoofs and epic blunders. Kids and adults alike will love every ridiculous twist. Don’t read it in public you’ll be laughing too loud!

[Denise Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin is a normal schoolboy; fed up with school and his annoying big sister. When he gets the chance to swap places for a few days with a secret agent (who offers to do Kevin’s homework), he jumps at the chance. Kevin is instructed to lie low and keep out of trouble but MI7 have other plans for him, giving him a case to crack.

This is an amusing, silly story about mistaken identity and solving crime.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very funny and really boring

[philip mackie rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

Amazing book! Definitely recommend reading! & a great price for the book. and the whole Accidental series is great 👍

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep another good book in the series, this is one of my favourites.

[Travis Berketa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter chose this book, thinking that it might be funny - that was an understatement - it was hilarious! Tom McLaughlin does a wonderful job of building up the characters in this book and many of his ridiculous lines are laugh-out-loud funny.

When 13-year-old schoolboy, Kevin, decides to show the world that he has what it takes to be a real hero; however, most people just laugh at him and avoid him. Things all change when Kevin decides to prove to all of them that he is capable of amazing things through a dangerous stunt, which backfires, but earns him the attention of Secret Agent, Jake Pond, who surprisingly matches Kevin's exact description - even if the agent is much older.

From here there's laugh after laugh, as Kevin takes on the life of Jake Pond, and Jake attempts to take a break by living Kevin's schoolboy life - complete with his family. Once gadgets and Kevin's sister are introduced and the villain is revealed, the story becomes even more funny and hilarious, as Kevin tries to prove that he can be a secret agent.

A great read for any age!

[Marit Tuik · Rating 1 out of 5]

De verhaallijn heeft potentie, maar de schrijfstijl is echt tenenkrommend slecht. De personages zijn oppervlakkig en eendimensionaal. De grappen die gemaakt worden zijn veel te overdreven en gewoon slecht. De gebeurtenissen en gesprekken gaan van de hak op de tak en je komt er niet lekker in. Wellicht ook omdat je alleen maar hoort over wat er gebeurt en niets gaat over karakterontwikkeling. Doordat de verhaallijn toch potentie heeft hoop ik toch dat de kinderen in mijn klas dit nog wat vinden, maar ik vrees dat veel minder ervaren lezers er niet doorheen komen (het boek is toch nog vrij dik). De verhaallijn lijkt op de boeken van Jozua Douglas, maar die zijn toch beter geschreven.

[Freddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

VEry good I loved it

[David]

hilarious