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Stratagem
Being dragged out of a car and shoved into a darkened trunk might make a normal girl feel helpless, but Meda isn’t just any girl, and the boys who kidnapped her have no idea who or what they are dealing with.
At seventeen years old, Meda is ripped from her family to train as a shape-shifting operative for the Agency. It's her job to seek out and discredit political figures.
While on a high stakes mission, Meda is kidnapped by three teenage boys. It’s the last thing she needs. She’s behind schedule, and if the mission fails, her family pays the price. However, the longer she spends playing hostage, the more information she gathers on her kidnappers. Fueled by revenge, the boys are gathering intel on the Agency in hopes to take them down.
Allegiance and family are tested to their limits as bullets fire from all sides. Meda finds herself caught in a political conspiracy that shakes her to her core, and it’ll take all her strength to trust her own instincts and stop following orders.
At seventeen years old, Meda is ripped from her family to train as a shape-shifting operative for the Agency. It's her job to seek out and discredit political figures.
While on a high stakes mission, Meda is kidnapped by three teenage boys. It’s the last thing she needs. She’s behind schedule, and if the mission fails, her family pays the price. However, the longer she spends playing hostage, the more information she gathers on her kidnappers. Fueled by revenge, the boys are gathering intel on the Agency in hopes to take them down.
Allegiance and family are tested to their limits as bullets fire from all sides. Meda finds herself caught in a political conspiracy that shakes her to her core, and it’ll take all her strength to trust her own instincts and stop following orders.
- GenresYoung Adult
242 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2019
8 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Christina Hagmann
36 books155 followersChristina Hagmann is an award-winning author of young adult fantasy, horror, and suspense novels. She writes fictional page-turners that entertain and leave readers wanting more. Christina continues to lead a not-so-secret double life as an author and an English teacher. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their basement full of arcade games.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 2, 2021
It was literally one of the worst books i have ever read: boring, slow- paced, had bland charakters and pretty predictable plot. Nothing special, I thought it was a total waste of time from the very first page
June 18, 2022
It was amazing! Definitely a must-read! Beautifully written and you truly get lost in the story. Would recommend for everyone!
June 13, 2019
Edge of your seat thrill ride! I couldn't put it down. I hope there's a sequel!
June 15, 2019
This is exactly my kind of book! Short chapters, cliffhangers at the end of each one, and the perfect amount of suspense to keep me turning every page! Stratagem has a great plot line, involving a shapeshifter, conspiracy, and a whole lot of backstabbing. Like the main character, Meda, I never seemed to know who to trust! A quick, suspenseful read, perfect for fans of April Henry and Ally Carter. Can't wait to read more by this author!
August 4, 2019
The plot and idea of mimics being able to change into any person and create havoc on our political system is terrifying. I think the drama between Meda, her mom and Isi was drawn out too long and could have been shortened. Overall, a great debut book!
July 23, 2019
Christina Hagmann's debut novel, Stratagem, combines YA, magical realism, mystery and thriller in an action packed ride that starts on the first page and never lets up until the very end. Mixing all those genres isn't an easy task, but Hagmann pulls it off seemlessly.
The story is told through the eyes of Meda, a 17-year-old girl who has inherited the ability to shape shift at will, called a Mimic. A first person narrator is often suspect, and we can't expect Meda to accurately interpret what happens as narrates the tale. That can lead to a sense that she is merely objectively reporting what she sees, but narration is enhanced as she discovers a reality she never understood.
Meda has lived a sheltered life--essentially as a prisoner of The Agency that keeps her locked up until she is needed to impersonate a political figure to advance the Agency's evil plot to take over the US Government. She does whatever she is told and waits in isolation for her next assignment. Since she has been kept sheltered from the world, she is naive to the feelings and experiences of a normal 17 year old. Understandably then, her assessments are often a bit shallow and sometimes seem unfeeling. That all changes in a hurry when she is kidnapped by three teenaged boys who are members of the Opposition.
In the end Meda is able to grow beyond her limited experience of the world and unleash her suppressed emotions. In doing so, she becomes a legitimate heroine. A heroine you'll be cheering for.
The story is told through the eyes of Meda, a 17-year-old girl who has inherited the ability to shape shift at will, called a Mimic. A first person narrator is often suspect, and we can't expect Meda to accurately interpret what happens as narrates the tale. That can lead to a sense that she is merely objectively reporting what she sees, but narration is enhanced as she discovers a reality she never understood.
Meda has lived a sheltered life--essentially as a prisoner of The Agency that keeps her locked up until she is needed to impersonate a political figure to advance the Agency's evil plot to take over the US Government. She does whatever she is told and waits in isolation for her next assignment. Since she has been kept sheltered from the world, she is naive to the feelings and experiences of a normal 17 year old. Understandably then, her assessments are often a bit shallow and sometimes seem unfeeling. That all changes in a hurry when she is kidnapped by three teenaged boys who are members of the Opposition.
In the end Meda is able to grow beyond her limited experience of the world and unleash her suppressed emotions. In doing so, she becomes a legitimate heroine. A heroine you'll be cheering for.
July 11, 2019
Meda is different than other teenagers her age, she's a mimic and can make herself look like anyone she chooses. That ability gets her hauled in from the Agency, to use as they see fit, and they don't have good intentions. In fact, she's already been doing some dangerous missions, Meda's problem is that she doesn't think about what she does or the repercussions that come from those actions.
Meda is insecure in herself and sees herself as weak when in actuality, she has skills even she doesn't know about. (there could even be a book 2 involving the skills that were discussed but never came about in the book.) Sometimes her self-doubt was a bit too much for my taste as it made her appear weaker, and I prefer strong leading ladies. She has a high level of distrust of people, but considering the fact she's being used, it's understanding. But sometimes she needs to learn to trust her gut.
I liked Brody as a good supporting character although there wasn't too much depth to him. I think the book being short and sweet allowed you just enough time to get engaged in the storyline, but not as much time to giving our characters multi-dimensions. I also really liked what we knew of Isa, and being that she's more ruthless than other Mimic's, I think her character could do a lot of things.
Strategem was a super fun read for me. I liked the idea of having people that can change what they look like at will, and the possibility that there are more people out there that have skills we don't know about. I think as I mentioned above that Hagmann could do a book 2 to give her readers more of Meda and the skills that Isa alludes to in the book. This was a quick and easy read with a fun and engaging plot. Nicely done.
Meda is insecure in herself and sees herself as weak when in actuality, she has skills even she doesn't know about. (there could even be a book 2 involving the skills that were discussed but never came about in the book.) Sometimes her self-doubt was a bit too much for my taste as it made her appear weaker, and I prefer strong leading ladies. She has a high level of distrust of people, but considering the fact she's being used, it's understanding. But sometimes she needs to learn to trust her gut.
I liked Brody as a good supporting character although there wasn't too much depth to him. I think the book being short and sweet allowed you just enough time to get engaged in the storyline, but not as much time to giving our characters multi-dimensions. I also really liked what we knew of Isa, and being that she's more ruthless than other Mimic's, I think her character could do a lot of things.
Strategem was a super fun read for me. I liked the idea of having people that can change what they look like at will, and the possibility that there are more people out there that have skills we don't know about. I think as I mentioned above that Hagmann could do a book 2 to give her readers more of Meda and the skills that Isa alludes to in the book. This was a quick and easy read with a fun and engaging plot. Nicely done.
May 19, 2019
Stratagem captivated me from the get go. I was anxiously awaiting for more of the story to be revealed each time I turned the page. The character development was so detailed and each situation was so descriptive, I could see every scene play out in my head.
Meda’s inner struggle is so relatable. Trying to figure out who she really is and the journey it takes to get her there. I felt like I was right there with her the entire time.
Highly recommend!
Meda’s inner struggle is so relatable. Trying to figure out who she really is and the journey it takes to get her there. I felt like I was right there with her the entire time.
Highly recommend!
July 2, 2019
A thrilling ride right from the beginning. The characters were complex and well developed with suspense at every turn. I really felt for Meda, the mc, as she made the best of her complicated family structure that steered her into a world of danger and unpredictable situations. At age seventeen. Stratagem is a twisty, suspenseful ride from start to finish that I would highly recommend.
August 2, 2019
Stratagem by Christina Hagmann is a short thriller that is always one step ahead of the reader. I was left time and time again with my jaw open as each twist and turn was revealed to me through Hagmann's expert storytelling. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and fun read that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. Bravo!
August 18, 2019
This has honestly been one of the best books I have ever read. Your constantly going through the book and wondering what will happen, as well as seeing the characters develop through the book based on the other characters and events. You can you really tell the development that Meda goes through in this story from start to finish. I would definitely recommend this book for others! :)
January 10, 2021
Stratagem is thrilling and action packed right from the very beginning. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter made it hard for me to put down. Even though there's an element of speculative fiction, the character development was so well done, it felt very realistic. As the plot unfolded, I loved the depth and the unpredictable yet well developed twists. I can't wait to get my hands on more Christina Hagmann books, and I really hope there's a sequel to Stratagem!
May 25, 2019
This book is so well written that the words flooded my imagination with a movie that continued even after I set it down. I was able to live in the story, visualizing the characters clearly and experiencing the action. I can’t wait to read more from this Author!
June 15, 2019
Great read. I was pulling for the characters, stopping myself from looking ahead in the book to see what was going to happen. Expecting much more for Meda in the future!
May 28, 2019
Great read!
June 13, 2019
Suspenseful with many unpredictable plot twists. The author did a great job leaving the reader guessing.
June 4, 2019
Loved this book. Continually had me guessing what would happen next. Seriously hope this will become a series. Not a genre I would normally choose but so glad I decided to read something different.
November 6, 2019
It was great I 100% suggest it! IT WAS AMAZING!
August 5, 2019
A fast-paced read with a unique perspective! Meda is asked to make some difficult choices between what she knows and the unknown. The question is, does she make the right choices?
November 4, 2019
this was an amazing book
October 28, 2019
Stratagem is a great book that has great characters, great story structure, and good themes. Put all of those ingredients I think was an great book that is a must-read for anybody that likes good characters or shapeshifters and when the twist happened it makes sense for the character that does terrible things to the people around them. This is a thumbs up for me, 9.5 out of 10.
February 16, 2023
Great, short read
For how short this was, there was a lot packed in. I absolutely love how it got right into the action from the start, the supernatural element with the espionage.
I'm excited to read the next!
For how short this was, there was a lot packed in. I absolutely love how it got right into the action from the start, the supernatural element with the espionage.
I'm excited to read the next!
September 3, 2019
This was a really amazing book. I constantly was left wondering what would happen next and was so happy that I decided to read this book. If I had to read this book again, I gladly would.
April 15, 2020
a great book I'm not even done but can't put it down and a bit of everything from romance to action-packed scenes wish there was 10 stars
June 15, 2021
This indie YA book had a really compelling premise: 17-year-old Meda is a shape-shifter - she can take on the form of others - and has been forced to work with The Agency, a sinister organisation using shape-shifters to nefarious ends. When Meda is bundled into a car during a routine assignment by three boys who know her name and what she does, she seems to be in trouble... or is she?
The book drew me in straight away: it was pacey, engaging, and I found myself not only gripped but caring about Meda, the boys, and their fates. The final climax was big and perhaps could have done with more room to breathe - but it was left open-ish for a sequel, and I do think there's a lot more to explore of this world and these characters, so fingers crossed!
The book drew me in straight away: it was pacey, engaging, and I found myself not only gripped but caring about Meda, the boys, and their fates. The final climax was big and perhaps could have done with more room to breathe - but it was left open-ish for a sequel, and I do think there's a lot more to explore of this world and these characters, so fingers crossed!
March 26, 2020
It is very, very rare that I give any book 5 stars but this one was extremely close to being one of them. As I am not usually one to read science fiction type books, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed and was kept enthralled in this. It goes from the very first page to almost the last chapter of action and drama without giving you too much of a breath. Christina did a great job of not having any dull, dropping interest, or roll your eyes points in the book. I could see this as a good teen movie as well.
July 27, 2019
The author did a great job pulling the reader in from the start when Meda, who seems to be up to no good, is taken and shoved in the trunk of the car. There are definitely layers in this book that the author needed in order to create the intricate plot twists. I just wanted to know what was going to happen to all the characters: Meda, Brody, Aaron, Dan, and even Isi. Stratagem is a fun read that's hard to put down. I highly recommend for readers who like a lot of action and suspense!
June 17, 2019
Wow! I wasn't expecting much from this short book, but it really packed a punch. It starts off with the main character getting shoved in the trunk of a car and goes all the way to Washington DC without stopping to breathe. Great characters and loads of action. I highly recommend this no filler, suspenseful thrill ride.
November 6, 2019
This book has it all! Action, suspense, a little romance. The plot is fast paced and keeps you guessing until the very end. You never know if Meda is making the right decision, and neither does she!
September 3, 2020
Amazing book! The trailer is so captivating and I can't wait to read it from my local bookstore!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews