Katipo Joe: Spycraft

Katipo Joe #2

by Brian Falkner

"I have been accused of whitewashing the Nazi leadership in my memoirs. Some people say I make them seem human. But therein lies the problem. I saw these men up close. They were human. If we think of them only as monsters and demons we may lose sight of the fact that they were very much like you and I. They had the same number of eyes, ears and limbs. If we forget what humans are capable of, we risk it happening all over again."

In Spycraft, Falkner's masterful telling of the astonishing journey of Joseph St George (Katipo Joe) continues. A teenage boy recruited by MI5, is this time on a mission to infiltrate an elite group of Hitler Youth.

Joe travels to Germany, to the very heart of the Nazi spider web, where Adolf Hitler is making plans that will change the course of the war, and the course of Joe's life. In a world where one wrong word could bring catastrophe, he must compete with the other young people for a prize beyond his wildest dreams. But the consequences of failure are torture and death.

From the war-torn skies over Germany, to the heights of the Eagles Nest, this is Joe's story. Set amidst actual events, Joe's story is once again a tale of incredible heroism, unlikely romance and unbearable tragedy.

NZ Book Awards Judges Said:
"An unputdownable, heart-pumping tale of infiltration and war, with a very real historical thread woven through the action and intrigue of the narrative. The story begins with ‘Katipo’ Joe St George, teen spy, parachuting into wartime Nazi Germany through flak and flame, and the stakes are only raised from there. Brian Falkner’s masterful control of pacing clinches this book’s lasting and wide appeal to teen readers."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Young Adult, War

Paperback

Published March 1, 2021

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a librarian I don't often read whole series unless I am completely hooked on a story, because if I can sell Book 1 to students then I don't need to keep selling!

You can see where this is going can't you...? I DID read the second in the Katipo Joe series because I loved the first book... and the second book did NOT disappoint.

What an absolute roller-coaster of a story. As an adult you probably need to suspend reality for a bit - would Hitler and his top aides REALLY have let themselves get so close to a group of hormonal teens - but once you have dismissed that, then you just have to let the writing take you on one helluva ride.

Joseph St George returns to Nazi Germany as a spy with a mission to infiltrate an elite group of the Hitler Youth (whilst also trying to seek out his missing mother, also a spy.)

The story starts as Joe is dropped from a burning aircraft over Germany and the pace doesn't slow down from that moment on. Joe ends up alongside seven other youths who are competing for a prize beyond their wildest dreams, but the consequences of making mistakes could be deadly.

If you want to be kept on the edge of your seat... this could be the book for you...

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, its brilliantly told and its perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series but set during WWII.
Joe has no fear he is very fixed in his ideals and motivations. This is a stunning tale of adventure set in a dramatic period of history.

[Julia Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoah, this is an extraordinarily good story. Katipo Joe, NZ teenager and spy recruited by MI5 during World War II, is on a mission to infiltrate an elite group of Hitler Youth. Honestly, the action and suspense in this historical war story doesn't let up throughout the whole book making it nearly impossible to put down. The depth of detail constructs such a rich, historically accurate thriller with the photos at the back adding to the realism of this well-researched story. There are so many breathtaking, gasp-inducing, nail-biting moments it is a totally enthralling read, guaranteed.

We've got two copies of each of the Katipo Joe books in our high school library. I will be recommending it for readers in Year 7 through to Year 10.

Absolutely awesome

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first. A fantastic series to hook college students into. If the size puts them off challenge them to read the first couple of chapters.
Brian Falkner's done a fantastic job. Can't wait for the next one.

[Wendy Bamber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb follow up to what I felt was an excellent gripping adventure in the first book. I feel my older kids at school will love this series. I liked the explanations of the senior Nazi officials, especially as most younger readers will not know what these men were notorious for. It wasn’t done in a fake way that some novels do, ie in the words of somebody in the story explaining something to one of the characters to fill them in, it was just done as part of the book as a third person story teller. This was just one detail that struck me as important and well done. I’d love to see more from the girls - these were obviously top notch girls chosen for these roles in the competition for their abilities yet they still came across as a bit stereotypical for my liking - manipulative, shy or a little weak even. No spoilers but the other strong female I was glad to see. Some pretty gritty stuff in here make it an intermediate plus read.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed with mystery and intrigue every time you turn the page. Who should you trust? Can Joe actually trust anything anyone says? Book number 2 in the Katipo Joe series certainly doesn't disappoint as Joe is dropped behind enemy lines and becomes a contestant in the Fuhrer's drive for two special people to represent the youth of Nazi Germany.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOOWOWOWOW! I actually sat for over a whole day and COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. It was so well written and the plot was so deep and complex set among real events. I absolutely love this book and it is so easy to relate to Joe. It is very deep too as Joe thinks about what is right and what is not and tries to keep his morals in the midst of Nazis. I haven’t read the first book, but I could understand what was happening fine and will definitely go back and read the first. Really really really hoping for a sequel!!!

[Joseph D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me think about how extreme circumstances can dramatically affect the decisions of people around us and our own decisions, about how we rely more and more on logic and less and less on our emotions, or vice versa. Throughout the book as the reader we start to get the impression that Joe's logic has been impaired, but has it, I believe that Joe's perspective on what is logical has only changed, and that change of perspective, or as some would say 'impairment' was necessary for his survival. At some points in the book Joe relies on his altered logic and at other points he relies on his unchanged emotion. This is highlighted at one particular moment in the book, 'Of all the people in the room, she [Sophie] is the one with the most devastating information to share', at this very moment, if you looked at things black and white, Joe proceeds to make the most logical decision from his altered perspective, there was a high risk, at least Joe thought of the information being shared. However, looking at things from a emotional perspective, Joe has just made a cruel decision. The book highlights interesting elements of the social landscape at the time, Joe was told to do anything at all to conceal his mission and true identity and did that, but still there was huge emotional trauma with each challenging decision understandably. Also, we have what you'd think would be the Naiziest of Nazis at Lake Königssee, however there are people there who believe in doing what's best for humanity, over what is best for there countries. This shows that among the most horrid people on Earth there are some good people within them. In society sure, there are some people where there is no good left. However, first we need to give some a second chance to add value to our society.

[Lockyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought Katipo Joe: Blitzkrieg was great, then you are going to be blown away by this masterpiece of a novel! This beauty of a book takes you through Joe's perspective as a spy in the Hitler Youth who in this novel is taken into the best of the best Hitler Youth Members. You will be blown away by how well this novel is crafted and will be hooked after only a few chapters.

[Coral Smith]

Katipo Joe's tale continues on and another page turner as Joe is sent on a mission to infiltrate the top Nazi inner ring. Joe's mother appears again in the tale when least expected and the life of a spy is well and truly told as Joe battles with remembering who he is verses the person he is pretending to be.

[Vicki Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great writing, full of action & adventure. Looking forward to the next instalment

[Ryan Cruickshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book. Hope for the third

[Rochelle]

This was a good fast paced suspenseful read that was even better than the first book in the series.
Will definitely be recommending it to our students

[T.K. Roxborogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Brilliant Falkner skill of action, accuracy, characterisation, suspense. Looking forward to book 3