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City Spies #1
City Spies
Five kids seemingly forgotten by the world join forces to hone their skills and become real-life spies in this first novel of a brand-new series that #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein said "may keep you up all night--reading!" And it's perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls.
Five kids from around the globe. Home is a castle on the coast of Scotland. They attend an elite prep school, and just happen to be part of an experimental, off-the-books program run by Britain's MI6. They call themselves the City Spies because the only connections they maintain to their pasts are the codenames taken from their hometowns: Brooklyn, Paris, Sydney, Rio, and Kat (short for Kathmandu).
Overseeing the team is an unlikely pair: a legendary British spy thought to have been killed in a massive explosion and a brilliant biophysicist/cryptologist who is part Marie Curie, part Mary Poppins. They help the five form a family while also training them in a unique blend of high tech gadgetry and old school spy craft.
This first story focuses on Sara Martinez, Brooklyn, who is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and law breakers. However, instead of being hailed a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and being banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy, who not only gets Sara released from jail, but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI-5 agency.
Before she know what she's doing, Sara is helping to hack into a rival team's computer to prevent them from winning, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building in Paris, and trying to stop a villain from releasing a deadly virus into the air conditioning system of a secure building all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.
Five kids from around the globe. Home is a castle on the coast of Scotland. They attend an elite prep school, and just happen to be part of an experimental, off-the-books program run by Britain's MI6. They call themselves the City Spies because the only connections they maintain to their pasts are the codenames taken from their hometowns: Brooklyn, Paris, Sydney, Rio, and Kat (short for Kathmandu).
Overseeing the team is an unlikely pair: a legendary British spy thought to have been killed in a massive explosion and a brilliant biophysicist/cryptologist who is part Marie Curie, part Mary Poppins. They help the five form a family while also training them in a unique blend of high tech gadgetry and old school spy craft.
This first story focuses on Sara Martinez, Brooklyn, who is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and law breakers. However, instead of being hailed a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and being banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy, who not only gets Sara released from jail, but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI-5 agency.
Before she know what she's doing, Sara is helping to hack into a rival team's computer to prevent them from winning, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building in Paris, and trying to stop a villain from releasing a deadly virus into the air conditioning system of a secure building all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2020
1366 people are currently reading
16230 people want to read
About the author
James Ponti
57 books1,436 followersJames Ponti is the New York Times Bestselling author of three Middle Grade book series: the DEAD CITY trilogy about a secret society that polices the undead who live beneath New York City; the Edgar Award-winning FRAMED! series about a pair of Sherlockian tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, D.C.; and the all-new CITY SPIES about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 spy team.
James grew up in Atlantic Beach, Florida and lives in Orlando. He's a die hard fan of the Boston Red Sox, the USC Trojans, and the Italian National Soccer Team. He loves travel, writing, and spending time with his amazing family.
James grew up in Atlantic Beach, Florida and lives in Orlando. He's a die hard fan of the Boston Red Sox, the USC Trojans, and the Italian National Soccer Team. He loves travel, writing, and spending time with his amazing family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,920 reviews
January 14, 2020
I love this book. You might know that already, because if you've seen it, it has a blurb on the front cover from me. I called it a 'must-read.' But I figured I'd go into a little more detail.
James Ponti writes excellent books. His Framed ! series is wonderful. But here, he has upped his game. He has written a book with fun characters, clever settings, intricate set-pieces, great set-ups and pay-offs, humor and charm. It is so much fun. Jame Ponti writes so well that I'm jealous (but in the best way possible). Read this book.
James Ponti writes excellent books. His Framed ! series is wonderful. But here, he has upped his game. He has written a book with fun characters, clever settings, intricate set-pieces, great set-ups and pay-offs, humor and charm. It is so much fun. Jame Ponti writes so well that I'm jealous (but in the best way possible). Read this book.
March 14, 2023
In an attempt to pick up more spy/espionage books targeted at middle grade readers, I decided to go for City Spies. What I didn't expect was a fun filled adventure full of action and great character development.
The story focuses on a character by the name of Sara who is a hacker that consequently gets into a bit of trouble. While in court, a man appears and claims to be her lawyer. From that moment on, Sara begins a world wind adventure where she is taken to Scotland to meet other youth spies. Changing her name to Brooklyn to hide her identity and keep her safe, Sara gets the opportunity to meet Paris, Sydney, Rio, and Kat. They work together to solve a case where people are being attacked by something called the Purple Thumb. To do this, they enter into a global environmental challenge to get a better of idea of what could be happening.
One of the strengths of this book was the pacing. While Sara is forced to get to know the world of spying fairly quickly, I truly enjoyed that readers are automatically submerged into action. There are so many components of the story itself that kept me intrigued. Readers to get the perspectives of all the characters. This could prove to be a little much at first, but its a great way to get to know everyone and their backstories which may become more relevant in future novels. There is also a strong sense of found family that I appreciated especially after getting to know the characters more. This story does include some tense moments that do put the characters in serious danger, but I appreciated that it created a sense of realness about the work they were engaging in.
Overall, this was definitely a solid read and is sure to be one of my favorite middle grade espionage/spy novels.
The story focuses on a character by the name of Sara who is a hacker that consequently gets into a bit of trouble. While in court, a man appears and claims to be her lawyer. From that moment on, Sara begins a world wind adventure where she is taken to Scotland to meet other youth spies. Changing her name to Brooklyn to hide her identity and keep her safe, Sara gets the opportunity to meet Paris, Sydney, Rio, and Kat. They work together to solve a case where people are being attacked by something called the Purple Thumb. To do this, they enter into a global environmental challenge to get a better of idea of what could be happening.
One of the strengths of this book was the pacing. While Sara is forced to get to know the world of spying fairly quickly, I truly enjoyed that readers are automatically submerged into action. There are so many components of the story itself that kept me intrigued. Readers to get the perspectives of all the characters. This could prove to be a little much at first, but its a great way to get to know everyone and their backstories which may become more relevant in future novels. There is also a strong sense of found family that I appreciated especially after getting to know the characters more. This story does include some tense moments that do put the characters in serious danger, but I appreciated that it created a sense of realness about the work they were engaging in.
Overall, this was definitely a solid read and is sure to be one of my favorite middle grade espionage/spy novels.
December 29, 2021
This book is much fun! It’s also really touching!
This would have been a favorite book of mine when I was 9-12 years old. It’s excellent in every way.
I’m excited that the next book, book 2, appears to take place in San Francisco. I want to read it soon.
I love all of the characters. The name “Mother” gives me the creeps though. I do like him a lot anyway. He is experiencing a situation that is poignant and that will continue to make for a great subplot. I adore Monty and would have loved her (an adult character) even as a kid.
The story is brilliantly constructed! I’m favorably impressed. It’s a romp and an adventure book that is never dull and it’s also a thoughtful and serious story at the same time. I love how the kids in particular are taken seriously and are shown as smart and skilled people. It was enjoyable to be with them and to watch them and to see their relationships develop. Yes I had to suspend disbelief but I had zero problem doing that in this case.
This book’s story takes place in Paris and in & near Edinburgh, but it really has settings all over the world as the characters are introduced and as different events occur. Brooklyn from Brooklyn NY, and Paris from Paris France, and Sydney from Sydney Australia, and also Rio from Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Kat from Kathmandu Nepal, and additionally Charlotte from Charlotte North Carolina.
This one is a genuine page turner. If I hadn’t been so busy with two other books and with life (extra covid/viruses safe socializing and paperwork) I would have gulped it down in one day instead of three days and even three days makes it a very fast read for me. There are so many great children’s mystery novels out. This is one of my favorites, maybe my favorite at least for the moment. It has some complexity that many other similar novels don’t.
I was a bit surprised at how serious the potential crimes were and also surprised at how serious the dangers were that the characters faced. Scary! Just when I thought they would make one of those very stupid mistakes characters in mystery novels make they ended up making a wiser decision. I was happy about that. There are other scenes fraught with danger though and one of them was particularly frightening to me given my fear of heights. That’s my only caveat, that for sensitive readers please know that the book is intense and the crimes and the dangers are on par with (non-cozy) mystery stories written for adults.
Highly recommended!!! Equally recommended for girls and for boys.
This would have been a favorite book of mine when I was 9-12 years old. It’s excellent in every way.
I’m excited that the next book, book 2, appears to take place in San Francisco. I want to read it soon.
I love all of the characters. The name “Mother” gives me the creeps though. I do like him a lot anyway. He is experiencing a situation that is poignant and that will continue to make for a great subplot. I adore Monty and would have loved her (an adult character) even as a kid.
The story is brilliantly constructed! I’m favorably impressed. It’s a romp and an adventure book that is never dull and it’s also a thoughtful and serious story at the same time. I love how the kids in particular are taken seriously and are shown as smart and skilled people. It was enjoyable to be with them and to watch them and to see their relationships develop. Yes I had to suspend disbelief but I had zero problem doing that in this case.
This book’s story takes place in Paris and in & near Edinburgh, but it really has settings all over the world as the characters are introduced and as different events occur. Brooklyn from Brooklyn NY, and Paris from Paris France, and Sydney from Sydney Australia, and also Rio from Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Kat from Kathmandu Nepal, and additionally Charlotte from Charlotte North Carolina.
This one is a genuine page turner. If I hadn’t been so busy with two other books and with life (extra covid/viruses safe socializing and paperwork) I would have gulped it down in one day instead of three days and even three days makes it a very fast read for me. There are so many great children’s mystery novels out. This is one of my favorites, maybe my favorite at least for the moment. It has some complexity that many other similar novels don’t.
I was a bit surprised at how serious the potential crimes were and also surprised at how serious the dangers were that the characters faced. Scary! Just when I thought they would make one of those very stupid mistakes characters in mystery novels make they ended up making a wiser decision. I was happy about that. There are other scenes fraught with danger though and one of them was particularly frightening to me given my fear of heights. That’s my only caveat, that for sensitive readers please know that the book is intense and the crimes and the dangers are on par with (non-cozy) mystery stories written for adults.
Highly recommended!!! Equally recommended for girls and for boys.
June 13, 2022
⛔STOP. ESTO ES UN MENSAJE CIFRADO. STOP
🌸Bueno, cifrado lo que se dice cifrado, más bien no, 🤭, pero sí que tiene algo que ver con Brooklyn, París, Río...
(Ay, santa Cachucha, que ahora sí que ha perdido la chaveta del todo y ya ni sabe lo que se dice😱)
🌸Ejem..., vamos a ver, pongámonos serios. Y ¿si te digo que en esta historia hay una MADRE, aún creerías que se me va la chaveta?
(Bueno, no es por estresarte, pero siempre hay una madre...😅)
🌸Pero seguro que no sabes que hay un malo malísimo, de esos que llegas a odiar.
(Verás, no sé cómo decirte esto, pero en todo thriller que se precie, tiene que haber un malo malísimo🤭)
🌸Y ¿si le añadimos una casa de acogida, un edificio abandonado y una academia?
(Ay, santa Cachucha, que no se puede sacar a Harry Potter de la cabeza🥴)
🌸Eres muy cansina, que lo sepas!
🌸Bueno, cifrado lo que se dice cifrado, más bien no, 🤭, pero sí que tiene algo que ver con Brooklyn, París, Río...
(Ay, santa Cachucha, que ahora sí que ha perdido la chaveta del todo y ya ni sabe lo que se dice😱)
🌸Ejem..., vamos a ver, pongámonos serios. Y ¿si te digo que en esta historia hay una MADRE, aún creerías que se me va la chaveta?
(Bueno, no es por estresarte, pero siempre hay una madre...😅)
🌸Pero seguro que no sabes que hay un malo malísimo, de esos que llegas a odiar.
(Verás, no sé cómo decirte esto, pero en todo thriller que se precie, tiene que haber un malo malísimo🤭)
🌸Y ¿si le añadimos una casa de acogida, un edificio abandonado y una academia?
(Ay, santa Cachucha, que no se puede sacar a Harry Potter de la cabeza🥴)
🌸Eres muy cansina, que lo sepas!
January 8, 2022
(2.5/5)
Welp, mark me down as disappointed and angry.
As a fan of Stuart Gibbs' Spy School series, I came running when I heard that another author was writing a book with a similar premise; namely a secret espionage task force made up of kids.
Naturally, my expectations were ridiculously high because the Spy School books happen to be some of my favorites, which might count for part of why I was so disappointed in City Spies. But personally? This book isn't all that good to begin with.
City Spies follows Sara Martinez (now known as Brooklyn, for the city that she's from), a child prodigy hacker, who ends up on the wrong side of the law for exposing her terrible foster parents. After being rescued by Mother, a spy who is technically 'dead', Brooklyn joins the City Spies, a group of precocious kids brought together by MI6 to undertake missions that adults couldn't. In particular, it appears that the next victim of Umbra, a global crime syndicate, will be Stavros Sinclair, a young genius, and his company, Sinclair Scientifica, at the Youth Summit for the Environment in Paris. It's up to the City Spies to save the day, and the world.
Brooklyn is like the quintessential middle-grade adventure novel protagonist, minus any meaningful character growth. While she does struggle occasionally, she eventually but very quickly overcomes it. She's perfect at the spy biz as soon as she begins, and is even better than the others?? Despite having just joined???
It just doesn't make sense.
My dislike of the characters would have been somewhat forgivable if the plot was any better.
Spoiler alert? It wasn't.
Now, I get that this is a middle-grade novel, so I can't expect the complexities of the plot that one could expect with an adult or even YA adventure novel. That being said, I think it says something about the book that I was able to figure out exactly how everything was going to go down, as well as the identity of the head of the evil organization, in the first few chapters. It's not that there were a lot of clues - it was simply too obvious, too cliche, almost to the point where rather than the twists being hinted at, they were just being avoided being said.
(Side note that my siblings, who do fall under the target audience of this novel, read this book before me and warned me beforehand that the plot was extremely predictable. I'm starting to regret not listening to them more often.)
That being said, this book wasn't entirely all bad.
I actually really liked the whole found-family concept and felt it to be really interesting, especially between the City Spies themselves. I liked seeing how their relationships with one another grew and they learned to accept one another, even if it did take some time. In particular, I liked reading about their backstories and how Mother brought them all together, which proved to be more interesting than I had anticipated.
The writing style was alright and actually worked quite well for the book, even if it was majorly told through Brooklyn's perspective. Even though I found her character to be quite infuriating at times, there weren't a lot of thought processes written out in detail, thankfully.
Overall, while I did have a lot of high expectations for this book, it didn't exactly meet all of them. I was disappointed, but that isn't to say there was no potential with the characters and the plot. I think to compare this book to the Spy School series would definitely be a stretch, because although the central concept is the same, the Spy School books execute this concept much more effectively. That being said, I'm probably going to continue with this series anyhow, because I really think that there's potential for an enjoyable, middle-grade adventure story here.
Welp, mark me down as disappointed and angry.
As a fan of Stuart Gibbs' Spy School series, I came running when I heard that another author was writing a book with a similar premise; namely a secret espionage task force made up of kids.
Naturally, my expectations were ridiculously high because the Spy School books happen to be some of my favorites, which might count for part of why I was so disappointed in City Spies. But personally? This book isn't all that good to begin with.
City Spies follows Sara Martinez (now known as Brooklyn, for the city that she's from), a child prodigy hacker, who ends up on the wrong side of the law for exposing her terrible foster parents. After being rescued by Mother, a spy who is technically 'dead', Brooklyn joins the City Spies, a group of precocious kids brought together by MI6 to undertake missions that adults couldn't. In particular, it appears that the next victim of Umbra, a global crime syndicate, will be Stavros Sinclair, a young genius, and his company, Sinclair Scientifica, at the Youth Summit for the Environment in Paris. It's up to the City Spies to save the day, and the world.
Brooklyn is like the quintessential middle-grade adventure novel protagonist, minus any meaningful character growth. While she does struggle occasionally, she eventually but very quickly overcomes it. She's perfect at the spy biz as soon as she begins, and is even better than the others?? Despite having just joined???
It just doesn't make sense.
My dislike of the characters would have been somewhat forgivable if the plot was any better.
Spoiler alert? It wasn't.
Now, I get that this is a middle-grade novel, so I can't expect the complexities of the plot that one could expect with an adult or even YA adventure novel. That being said, I think it says something about the book that I was able to figure out exactly how everything was going to go down, as well as the identity of the head of the evil organization, in the first few chapters. It's not that there were a lot of clues - it was simply too obvious, too cliche, almost to the point where rather than the twists being hinted at, they were just being avoided being said.
(Side note that my siblings, who do fall under the target audience of this novel, read this book before me and warned me beforehand that the plot was extremely predictable. I'm starting to regret not listening to them more often.)
That being said, this book wasn't entirely all bad.
I actually really liked the whole found-family concept and felt it to be really interesting, especially between the City Spies themselves. I liked seeing how their relationships with one another grew and they learned to accept one another, even if it did take some time. In particular, I liked reading about their backstories and how Mother brought them all together, which proved to be more interesting than I had anticipated.
The writing style was alright and actually worked quite well for the book, even if it was majorly told through Brooklyn's perspective. Even though I found her character to be quite infuriating at times, there weren't a lot of thought processes written out in detail, thankfully.
Overall, while I did have a lot of high expectations for this book, it didn't exactly meet all of them. I was disappointed, but that isn't to say there was no potential with the characters and the plot. I think to compare this book to the Spy School series would definitely be a stretch, because although the central concept is the same, the Spy School books execute this concept much more effectively. That being said, I'm probably going to continue with this series anyhow, because I really think that there's potential for an enjoyable, middle-grade adventure story here.
Want to read
March 28, 2024I brought my sister this book last week but rlly I brought for me🫡
January 19, 2024
Great story. Good adventures. I enjoyed the smart characters and diversity. I liked the teamwork. Each character's story was interesting.
This story followed Sara aka Brooklyn. She's been shuffling through different foster homes. She's now 12, and in police custody because she hacked into an official system. A man called Mother came to recruit her to join his spy team. She went through several tests but eventually passed and got to meet the rest of the team. They went on a mission, a youth competition but also to investigate and protect someone. Along the way, readers got to know each character's back story. There were mini views from each character including the bad guys. Mother's story is also intriguing and mysterious where his wife turned against him by working with the bad guys and left him for dead 5 years earlier. But in a surprise turn of events, his spy team was rescued by his wife and he was finally gifted a glimpse of his kids even though still doesn't know where they are.
The team: Mother, Monty with spy kids Paris, Cat, Sydney, Rio, and Brooklyn. Sometimes Tru, Mother's Supervisor.
Excited to read book 2!
Thank you SimonKids for the opportunity to read and review!
This story followed Sara aka Brooklyn. She's been shuffling through different foster homes. She's now 12, and in police custody because she hacked into an official system. A man called Mother came to recruit her to join his spy team. She went through several tests but eventually passed and got to meet the rest of the team. They went on a mission, a youth competition but also to investigate and protect someone. Along the way, readers got to know each character's back story. There were mini views from each character including the bad guys. Mother's story is also intriguing and mysterious where his wife turned against him by working with the bad guys and left him for dead 5 years earlier. But in a surprise turn of events, his spy team was rescued by his wife and he was finally gifted a glimpse of his kids even though still doesn't know where they are.
The team: Mother, Monty with spy kids Paris, Cat, Sydney, Rio, and Brooklyn. Sometimes Tru, Mother's Supervisor.
Excited to read book 2!
Thank you SimonKids for the opportunity to read and review!
March 13, 2020
You can take the kid out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the kid. At the heart of this new mystery from James Ponti is an international team of young spies recruited for their skills and named for the city they came from. Their headquarters (FARM) is in Scotland and they work under the supervision of MI-6. It's a little James Bond and a little Oceans 11. We don't get the back story on all five members of the team, so there has to be another book -- or perhaps a trilogy?
Thank you to Aladdin and Edelweiss for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Aladdin and Edelweiss for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 17, 2021
This book. I love it. While I wait for Stuart Gibb's new books I can be reading James Ponti books. Middle-grade spy mysteries are my favorites.
Plot: 5/5 - The plot was quick moving and well-planned. The plot was SO ORIGINAL, the mystery was incredibly driving. The little things, like nicknames and small mentions, are so genius and help add on to the perfect base.
Characters: 5/5 - I love the diverse cast in this book! Each character has a story and a unique personality. Everyone grew and I love the potential these characters have. Brooklyn "Brookie the Rookie" was my favorite. She grew so much and learned a lot. We also share a nickname :)
Action: 5/5 There was a perfect balance of conversation and action. There was that moment where you wait for the action to come and it was just so seamlessly done.
I look forward to reading more books by James Ponti!
Plot: 5/5 - The plot was quick moving and well-planned. The plot was SO ORIGINAL, the mystery was incredibly driving. The little things, like nicknames and small mentions, are so genius and help add on to the perfect base.
Characters: 5/5 - I love the diverse cast in this book! Each character has a story and a unique personality. Everyone grew and I love the potential these characters have. Brooklyn "Brookie the Rookie" was my favorite. She grew so much and learned a lot. We also share a nickname :)
Action: 5/5 There was a perfect balance of conversation and action. There was that moment where you wait for the action to come and it was just so seamlessly done.
I look forward to reading more books by James Ponti!
January 23, 2021
3.5 stars.
Spy books are always something I'm willing to try out and this one was pretty fun. I'm still not sure about murder and mentions of killings being in a middle grade book for middle grade readers, but at least it wasn't over the top or detailed. I preferred the spy training parts compared to the competition/weather (climate change) parts, so that's why my rating is only a 3.5 star.
{{Hold on a minute, I thought this was an old series and I would be able to binge read it, but no?? it's not?? I have to wait for the next book to be released? :( }}
Content:
There's one 'freaking' and a handful of 'stupid's said; Mentions of murders/killings & those who are hired to kill someone (a couple mentions of bodies and a missing limb, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a fire, injuries, & someone being left to die in a fire; Mentions of thieves, stealing, & shoplifting; Mentions of explosions; Mentions of a deadly virus; Mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of a car accident & deaths; Mentions of Greek mythological gods and stories; A mention that a man is a god in the computer world.
Spy books are always something I'm willing to try out and this one was pretty fun. I'm still not sure about murder and mentions of killings being in a middle grade book for middle grade readers, but at least it wasn't over the top or detailed. I preferred the spy training parts compared to the competition/weather (climate change) parts, so that's why my rating is only a 3.5 star.
{{Hold on a minute, I thought this was an old series and I would be able to binge read it, but no?? it's not?? I have to wait for the next book to be released? :( }}
Content:
There's one 'freaking' and a handful of 'stupid's said; Mentions of murders/killings & those who are hired to kill someone (a couple mentions of bodies and a missing limb, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a fire, injuries, & someone being left to die in a fire; Mentions of thieves, stealing, & shoplifting; Mentions of explosions; Mentions of a deadly virus; Mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of a car accident & deaths; Mentions of Greek mythological gods and stories; A mention that a man is a god in the computer world.
January 16, 2024
I am IN. LOVE. I was literally in the middle of reading another series by this author (which I was also enjoying), but I somehow stumbled across this one, and it looked way too good to pass up, so I went for it. And it was 100% the right decision!
It took me a couple of chapters to have a good handle on where we were going...Brooklyn's story doesn't have the most auspicious beginning (although it's certainly intriguing!), but we quickly got to exactly what I was looking forward to most--the incredible found-family dynamic between this group of teen/preteen spies and their mentors--and it fulfilled all my greatest hopes! NOT that Brooklyn is an automatic fit, but the dynamic made sense, as did the fact that it took some time and effort to shift. That scene where the existing kid-spies decide to do some snooping on their own, though... *snickers* I loved all the deep cover explanations of the different spy operations, the base where they lived, etc. And once we got into the serious mission, the intensity ramped up considerably, but not in a way that made it inappropriate for a kids' book.
The only thing that felt slightly off to me was the way that Brooklyn figured out so much of the spy stuff without any formal training. Not in her special area of expertise, just in the basics of noticing a tail, throwing people off the scent, etc. But (although I can't remember if it's this book or not) that natural ability is pointed out and made a source of character growth and conflict, so it's not like it was done lazily; I just felt like I wanted more of an explanation. (This critique is also coming from a very unobservant person, though, so it's not a surprise that I can't put myself in the mind of a "natural" spy. :P) The other thing that kept throwing me off was "Mother's" code name--not the code name itself as much as the fact that it belongs to a man. Especially when both mentors were on the scene, it took some concentration to keep track of the fact that "Mother" is the man and "Monty" is the woman. XD (Also, there's nothing weird going on there--we actually get the story behind that code name later, and it's super sweet.) It was just hard to keep straight for a while in my brain.
Overall, I'm absolutely loving this series and can't wait to continue it!
It took me a couple of chapters to have a good handle on where we were going...Brooklyn's story doesn't have the most auspicious beginning (although it's certainly intriguing!), but we quickly got to exactly what I was looking forward to most--the incredible found-family dynamic between this group of teen/preteen spies and their mentors--and it fulfilled all my greatest hopes! NOT that Brooklyn is an automatic fit, but the dynamic made sense, as did the fact that it took some time and effort to shift. That scene where the existing kid-spies decide to do some snooping on their own, though... *snickers* I loved all the deep cover explanations of the different spy operations, the base where they lived, etc. And once we got into the serious mission, the intensity ramped up considerably, but not in a way that made it inappropriate for a kids' book.
The only thing that felt slightly off to me was the way that Brooklyn figured out so much of the spy stuff without any formal training. Not in her special area of expertise, just in the basics of noticing a tail, throwing people off the scent, etc. But (although I can't remember if it's this book or not) that natural ability is pointed out and made a source of character growth and conflict, so it's not like it was done lazily; I just felt like I wanted more of an explanation. (This critique is also coming from a very unobservant person, though, so it's not a surprise that I can't put myself in the mind of a "natural" spy. :P) The other thing that kept throwing me off was "Mother's" code name--not the code name itself as much as the fact that it belongs to a man. Especially when both mentors were on the scene, it took some concentration to keep track of the fact that "Mother" is the man and "Monty" is the woman. XD (Also, there's nothing weird going on there--we actually get the story behind that code name later, and it's super sweet.) It was just hard to keep straight for a while in my brain.
Overall, I'm absolutely loving this series and can't wait to continue it!
August 10, 2021
4,5 stars. A touching, lovely, fun and light middle-grade book. Scribd.com English text, and translation for Portuguese + audio in English from Google Translate.
Synopsys: "Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.
Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.
Before she knows what she’s doing, Sara is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.
No one said saving the world was easy…"
Synopsys: "Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.
Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.
Before she knows what she’s doing, Sara is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.
No one said saving the world was easy…"
May 20, 2025
3.5 Stars ✨
Middle Grade Adventure
“Justice doesn’t require a membership card. Just a sense of right and wrong.”
City Spies is a middle grade action adventure novel that introduces the reader to a misfit, diverse group of young agents working for MI6. The main character in this story is Sara aka Brooklyn. She is a talented hacker who ends up in a juvenile detention center after uncovering the corruption in the foster care system. She is secretly recruited to join the team and help on a special assignment instead of going to prison.
This book was adventurous and fun and perfect for middle grade readers looking for an exciting read. The cover caught my attention as an adult, and I was excited to check it out to see if it was something my kids would enjoy. I think I found a winner. The group of kids in this book are thrown together and forced to work as a team with each individual bringing a different talent to the table. I look forward to continuing this series and sharing it with my kids! Would recommend.
Middle Grade Adventure
“Justice doesn’t require a membership card. Just a sense of right and wrong.”
City Spies is a middle grade action adventure novel that introduces the reader to a misfit, diverse group of young agents working for MI6. The main character in this story is Sara aka Brooklyn. She is a talented hacker who ends up in a juvenile detention center after uncovering the corruption in the foster care system. She is secretly recruited to join the team and help on a special assignment instead of going to prison.
This book was adventurous and fun and perfect for middle grade readers looking for an exciting read. The cover caught my attention as an adult, and I was excited to check it out to see if it was something my kids would enjoy. I think I found a winner. The group of kids in this book are thrown together and forced to work as a team with each individual bringing a different talent to the table. I look forward to continuing this series and sharing it with my kids! Would recommend.
March 12, 2021
James Ponti’s City Spies #1 is an excellent start to an exciting mystery series that both kids and adults can enjoy. Taking readers from New York to Scotland and Paris, this story makes for an engaging experience. Major props for featuring a racially diverse cast of characters who leap off the page and whose realistic, humorous banter will keep readers turning the pages. If you enjoy middle-grade mysteries with a side of adventure and friendship, you’ll love City Spies #1. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
Read my full review on my blog.
Read my full review on my blog.
May 25, 2020
One of the best Middle Grade books my son and I have read! Action, description, locations, settings, humor, we get it all. And then add the distinct characters from around the world and you’ve got an unputdownable story!
February 27, 2024
This satisfied my inner middle-grader and espionage-obsessed heart. I absolutely loved how clever, resourceful, and yet all kid the characters were. Their different strengths and weaknesses played off each other perfectly. I also enjoyed how involved the adults were.
Definitely a series I will be continuing. ;)
Definitely a series I will be continuing. ;)
July 6, 2024
I thought this was a great book, with a very well-thought out and complex plot. There were so many different moving parts that fit together well, and I liked how the ending wrapped it up. I also liked how the flashbacks of each of the spies pasts really brought the characters to life with their individual personalities. The transitions between the characters in third person were also really smooth and added to the story.
My favorite part was at the beginning when Brooklyn outsmarted the FARM team right from the start by tricking them with the jewelry box, and I like how good she was at quick thinking. Another part I enjoyed was near the end when they took the keycard of François Fournier to get into the server room and hide there. Sydney and Kat were both great characters, I like how they both were important to the team. Mother was a good team leader, I liked how he helped the team handle the situations while still letting them take control.
Overall, it was a great book and I would recommend it to people who enjoy mystery and spy stories.
Quiz on the book: https://forms.gle/HXxDL1LgcxDqLEBV8
My favorite part was at the beginning when Brooklyn outsmarted the FARM team right from the start by tricking them with the jewelry box, and I like how good she was at quick thinking. Another part I enjoyed was near the end when they took the keycard of François Fournier to get into the server room and hide there. Sydney and Kat were both great characters, I like how they both were important to the team. Mother was a good team leader, I liked how he helped the team handle the situations while still letting them take control.
Overall, it was a great book and I would recommend it to people who enjoy mystery and spy stories.
Quiz on the book: https://forms.gle/HXxDL1LgcxDqLEBV8
December 19, 2023
Woah. Just woah.
I thought this book looked interesting. In fact, it made me really excited to pick up and read. But did I expect it to blow me away and have me on the edge of my seat??
No. No, I did not.
It is rare to find a clean spy book. And when I say rare, I mean nearly impossible. But alas! Y'all! I have here a completely clean as well as riveting spy book! ACK! I'm totally in love with it.
It gave me ALL the feels. It made me laugh, it made me melt, it had me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book (especially the ending 😳). But most importantly, it nearly made me cry. That ending... Y'all.
If you're looking for an equal parts thrilling and captivating read, then this book is for you. Read it. You won't regret it!
I thought this book looked interesting. In fact, it made me really excited to pick up and read. But did I expect it to blow me away and have me on the edge of my seat??
No. No, I did not.
It is rare to find a clean spy book. And when I say rare, I mean nearly impossible. But alas! Y'all! I have here a completely clean as well as riveting spy book! ACK! I'm totally in love with it.
It gave me ALL the feels. It made me laugh, it made me melt, it had me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book (especially the ending 😳). But most importantly, it nearly made me cry. That ending... Y'all.
If you're looking for an equal parts thrilling and captivating read, then this book is for you. Read it. You won't regret it!
April 9, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
City Spies
By: James Ponti
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
I read City Spies with my eleven year old son. He enjoyed it very much. He said it was exciting, fun and great. He liked all of the characters and how smart and cool they were. He wants all of his friends to read the book, too. I enjoyed the story as well. It's perfect for middle grade readers.
City Spies
By: James Ponti
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
I read City Spies with my eleven year old son. He enjoyed it very much. He said it was exciting, fun and great. He liked all of the characters and how smart and cool they were. He wants all of his friends to read the book, too. I enjoyed the story as well. It's perfect for middle grade readers.
December 27, 2025
This book reminded me of The Natural series by Jennifer Lynne Barnes. I’ve already borrowed the second one and plan to listen to the entire series. Outstanding narration. Highly recommend.
January 12, 2024
2024:
I wanted to reread to get ready for the release of book 5, and ended up listening to the audio with my 13 year old son. This book was such a stand out for me when it first came out, but after reading through 11 Spy School books, I can confirm (again) that this series is head and shoulders better. It is so well written, the characters are deep and realistic, the problems they encounter are much more believable, and the themes are deep. Plus, now that we've read Dead City (by Ponti) it was fun to catch the easter egg nods to MIST, the school in that series.
2021:
This book was an absolute blast! My 12 year old flew through it on audio in just 2 days and I read the physical copy in 3.
Adventure and spy books featuring 12 and 13 year olds can be a struggle because for the book to really shine you have to get rid of the adults—something that doesn’t work well for that age! But this book pulls it off. The main character is taken out of a bad foster care situation in NYC and joins a team of similar rescued kids as part of MI6. The kids are all believable and full of personality, and it was fun watching them learn to work together as a team. The adult characters worked well, and the cover story for this special team had me invested from the beginning.
The set up for the next book is perfect, and I loved references to the value of math, science, computer skills, teamwork, history and geography, art, and most of all how we need each other. Better than 39 Clues books for me and my daughter liked it more than Spy School.
I wanted to reread to get ready for the release of book 5, and ended up listening to the audio with my 13 year old son. This book was such a stand out for me when it first came out, but after reading through 11 Spy School books, I can confirm (again) that this series is head and shoulders better. It is so well written, the characters are deep and realistic, the problems they encounter are much more believable, and the themes are deep. Plus, now that we've read Dead City (by Ponti) it was fun to catch the easter egg nods to MIST, the school in that series.
2021:
This book was an absolute blast! My 12 year old flew through it on audio in just 2 days and I read the physical copy in 3.
Adventure and spy books featuring 12 and 13 year olds can be a struggle because for the book to really shine you have to get rid of the adults—something that doesn’t work well for that age! But this book pulls it off. The main character is taken out of a bad foster care situation in NYC and joins a team of similar rescued kids as part of MI6. The kids are all believable and full of personality, and it was fun watching them learn to work together as a team. The adult characters worked well, and the cover story for this special team had me invested from the beginning.
The set up for the next book is perfect, and I loved references to the value of math, science, computer skills, teamwork, history and geography, art, and most of all how we need each other. Better than 39 Clues books for me and my daughter liked it more than Spy School.
February 1, 2024
James Ponti’s City of Spies is a smart, action packed introduction to a little family of spies. Young spies ready to take action and save the day! Readers jump right in with secrets, missions, and hacking skills like no other. It’s fun!
I liked these kids. Sara was the character to track and follow in this installment. And she’s kickass! I liked her and I liked this book. BUT…. I didn’t love it. Truth be told…if I had read this book first (before Framed!), I wouldn’t have met the sweetest detective in all of DC. Florian! Florian Bates is a main character in another Ponti series, which I *hand over my heart* adored. This book was fun, but it didn’t inspire me to read on. *gasp* I would have missed out on meeting Florian and Margaret! Man, that’s a scary thought. I didn’t miss them though! Soooo, everything is right as rain in the world of books.
To sum up...sadly, this story and cast of characters didn’t touch my heart. I realize that wasn’t much of a review, so please read a few others. There is a lot of love for this book and series around GR. I might be alone on this one. :)
August 2, 2025
the nostalgia…these r so fun
December 12, 2022
This would make for a really fun PG movie that would be enjoyed by the whole family (PG for some intense scenes, no language or anything foul). Think Spy Kids, but with kids who are super smart versus really well trained. Excellent on audio, too. Will be holding on to this one to read to my kiddos when they're a little older!
January 10, 2022
4.5 stars
This is a really strong start to what promises to be a great spy/adventure series! In some ways, it reminds me of the Gallagher Girls series, except there is less romance (none so far) and a lot more about the interactions between the different kids as well as the adults who work with them. I also like that this spy school includes both girls and boys. I think this book targets its audience perfectly and I can see many upper elementary/middle school kids eating this up. However, it might feel a tad long for younger kids, but the story is well-written and within the realms of possibility that kids might enjoy reading and imagining themselves in these kids' places. I'm definitely looking forward to future books in the series as some questions are left unanswered at the end of this story (but not in a way that feels like a cliffhanger). I will be recommending this to some of my students!
Thanks to #JamesPonti, #SimonandShusterChildrensPublishing, and #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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This was a reread although this time I listened to the audiobook by Lisa Flanagan and I completely enjoyed it! It's been a couple of years since I last read this and although I didn't remember all of the details, I did remember the major characters and I really enjoyed coming back into their world. As unbelievable as it is to have 12-16-year-olds as spies for MI6, I still loved the idea. I think as a kid, it would be a lot of fun to read a book like this and imagine themselves being spies and so on. Okay yeah, it's not all fun and games. But I loved this series and I am looking forward to reading the next two books, one of which just came out.
This is a really strong start to what promises to be a great spy/adventure series! In some ways, it reminds me of the Gallagher Girls series, except there is less romance (none so far) and a lot more about the interactions between the different kids as well as the adults who work with them. I also like that this spy school includes both girls and boys. I think this book targets its audience perfectly and I can see many upper elementary/middle school kids eating this up. However, it might feel a tad long for younger kids, but the story is well-written and within the realms of possibility that kids might enjoy reading and imagining themselves in these kids' places. I'm definitely looking forward to future books in the series as some questions are left unanswered at the end of this story (but not in a way that feels like a cliffhanger). I will be recommending this to some of my students!
Thanks to #JamesPonti, #SimonandShusterChildrensPublishing, and #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
******
This was a reread although this time I listened to the audiobook by Lisa Flanagan and I completely enjoyed it! It's been a couple of years since I last read this and although I didn't remember all of the details, I did remember the major characters and I really enjoyed coming back into their world. As unbelievable as it is to have 12-16-year-olds as spies for MI6, I still loved the idea. I think as a kid, it would be a lot of fun to read a book like this and imagine themselves being spies and so on. Okay yeah, it's not all fun and games. But I loved this series and I am looking forward to reading the next two books, one of which just came out.
June 7, 2020
Sara Martinez is in jail after hacking into New York’s juvenile justice system to turn in her foster parents. She gets the surprise of her life when her lawyer turns out to be a man called Mother, who reveals himself to be a British spy. He whisks Sara away to Scotland where she joins a secret team of MI6 made up of other kids like herself. Sara has joined them just weeks before their next mission – infiltrating an ecological conference to stop a group that is out to sabotage it. Will Sara be far enough along in her training to be an asset to her team? Will they succeed in their mission?
I saw this new series debut recommended by another author I love, and I’m so glad I did. This middle grade book is fast paced. We get plenty of set up, but everything is introduced as part of the story, so it never slows things down. Once the mission begins, the pace picks up even more, and I couldn’t put the book down. Some of the elements are a little over the top, but I just reminded myself this is a spy story and got right back into the book. We don’t get to know all the characters well yet, but we definitely saw some growth in Sara and a few others, and what we saw of them is great. There are some truly heartwarming moments as well as moments that made me laugh. This is a fantastic middle grade book for readers of all ages.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I saw this new series debut recommended by another author I love, and I’m so glad I did. This middle grade book is fast paced. We get plenty of set up, but everything is introduced as part of the story, so it never slows things down. Once the mission begins, the pace picks up even more, and I couldn’t put the book down. Some of the elements are a little over the top, but I just reminded myself this is a spy story and got right back into the book. We don’t get to know all the characters well yet, but we definitely saw some growth in Sara and a few others, and what we saw of them is great. There are some truly heartwarming moments as well as moments that made me laugh. This is a fantastic middle grade book for readers of all ages.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 4, 2020
Five kids from around the world have been recruited to form a top secret spy team at MI6 (which even most of Mi6 doesn't know about). The story focuses on the most recent recruit, Sara aka Brooklyn, a foster kid from New York with incredible computer and hacking skills. She joins up with Paris, Kat, Rio, and Sydney, who each have their own special (and almost superhuman) talents. Their mission is to infiltrate a global youth environmental summit and stop the next attack from a global criminal organization.
The story starts mysteriously, as Sara is swept out of juvenile detention by an MI6 agent posing as a lawyer, slows down a bit as Sara/Brooklyn joins up with the team and experiences the inevitable interpersonal conflicts, and then speeds up to a thrilling conclusion as the team stops a devastating virus from being spread. Kids will cheer for the juvenile spies, who make James Bond look like an amateur.
The story starts mysteriously, as Sara is swept out of juvenile detention by an MI6 agent posing as a lawyer, slows down a bit as Sara/Brooklyn joins up with the team and experiences the inevitable interpersonal conflicts, and then speeds up to a thrilling conclusion as the team stops a devastating virus from being spread. Kids will cheer for the juvenile spies, who make James Bond look like an amateur.
October 29, 2023
this was so much fun!! i can't wait to read the next one :)
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this was very very mg but it was just so much fun to read, i can't even explain. james ponti's other mystery series, framed!, was a staple for me in middle school so this definitely gave me a nostalgic vibe, but it was also solid on its own.
the spy and mystery stuff was really cool. the thing i really liked was the characters and their burgeoning found-family relationship. they're all so sweet and have distinctive personalities. i loved reading about their backstories. i just wanted these poor kids to be happy!! ofc i loved sara, but besides her i really loved kat.
anyway, this was super fast paced and i love these kids so i'll definitely be picking up the rest of the series!
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this was very very mg but it was just so much fun to read, i can't even explain. james ponti's other mystery series, framed!, was a staple for me in middle school so this definitely gave me a nostalgic vibe, but it was also solid on its own.
the spy and mystery stuff was really cool. the thing i really liked was the characters and their burgeoning found-family relationship. they're all so sweet and have distinctive personalities. i loved reading about their backstories. i just wanted these poor kids to be happy!! ofc i loved sara, but besides her i really loved kat.
anyway, this was super fast paced and i love these kids so i'll definitely be picking up the rest of the series!
December 13, 2022
City Spies by James Ponti, well known children's author of the Framed! series and other titles, is a smart, fun read for anyone who likes kids-as-spies books in the vein of Stuart Gibbs' Spy School series. City Spies came out in March 2020, and its sequel, Golden Gate, is out now. Golden Gate is just as good as the first book.
- Reviewed by Amy H.
- Reviewed by Amy H.
August 16, 2025
Great character work and fun story for a middle grade.
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