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Nose Jobs, Hair Dye, and Other Ways to Fake Your Death
Death changes a person... Especially when their death is faked.
When your father happens to be the next Presidential hopeful, flying under the radar is about as easy as scaling a twenty-story glass building in broad daylight. Even if I was mostly in the background, staying in Dad’s spotlight would make my ambition of becoming a spy difficult at best. And he didn’t want to be the one to take away my dreams.
The plan was to fake my death a month after he announced his candidacy, but everything changed when I didn't make it home for winter break.
They insisted it was a car crash, but that didn't explain the gunshot wounds in my chest. Or why Dad said it was best to let people think that I was dead.
Six weeks and eight surgeries later, I was back at school. New name, new face, and a couple hundred classmates still mourning my death. I thought it would be easy to adopt the new identity, especially since I’d spent the last three and a half years at a special high school run by the Department of Defense.
But no amount of training could have prepared me for this.
After all, I still had to figure out who killed me.
When your father happens to be the next Presidential hopeful, flying under the radar is about as easy as scaling a twenty-story glass building in broad daylight. Even if I was mostly in the background, staying in Dad’s spotlight would make my ambition of becoming a spy difficult at best. And he didn’t want to be the one to take away my dreams.
The plan was to fake my death a month after he announced his candidacy, but everything changed when I didn't make it home for winter break.
They insisted it was a car crash, but that didn't explain the gunshot wounds in my chest. Or why Dad said it was best to let people think that I was dead.
Six weeks and eight surgeries later, I was back at school. New name, new face, and a couple hundred classmates still mourning my death. I thought it would be easy to adopt the new identity, especially since I’d spent the last three and a half years at a special high school run by the Department of Defense.
But no amount of training could have prepared me for this.
After all, I still had to figure out who killed me.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2021
44 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 18, 2021
I accidentally stayed up till 3:00 reading this in one sitting. It's a fluffy romance written by someone who watches too many crime dramas, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book deals respectfully with serious trauma (flashbacks in nightmare format), but it never stops being fun. I really appreciated the diversity of the characters and the portrayal of healthy sexuality and consent.
January 27, 2024
This made me feel the way I felt when I read books in elementary school. It was just so fun and fast, and it didn’t spend 200 pages trying to make me care about the characters, it just got straight into it. This is a new fave for sure. 5/5 ⭐️
January 3, 2024
I could not put this book down! It was so fabulous! It is a YA spy school romance book and totally lives up to any expectations you might have. I loved it and the representation that was in it. It has queer representation, disability representation, and people of color.
I truly loved all the characters and was shocked at the plot twist. I highly recommend this book it is my favorite read of the year so far! (First book I read in 2024).
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Medical content, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Blood, Murder, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Sexual content, Terrorism, and White supremacy
I truly loved all the characters and was shocked at the plot twist. I highly recommend this book it is my favorite read of the year so far! (First book I read in 2024).
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Medical content, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Blood, Murder, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Sexual content, Terrorism, and White supremacy
January 24, 2024
Cute slow burn romance mixed with Criminal Minds/NCIS vibes all bundled up in an action-packed YA that has diverse characters, queer rep, and handles trauma in a really interesting way.
November 13, 2021
Action packed
I love the plot for this book. It is the perfect mix of action and romance. This book sucked me in from the moment I started reading and I couldn't put it down. Well done!
I love the plot for this book. It is the perfect mix of action and romance. This book sucked me in from the moment I started reading and I couldn't put it down. Well done!
November 13, 2021
A fun, quick read.
January 25, 2022
A spy thriller, fun YA
-Perfect mix of action and romance.
- the book deals with some serious trauma through nightmares.
-you follow Kat/Jennie while they try to figure herself out.
-Quick easy read.
-Perfect mix of action and romance.
- the book deals with some serious trauma through nightmares.
-you follow Kat/Jennie while they try to figure herself out.
-Quick easy read.
February 5, 2024
sometimes poorly written books are good for the soul
January 31, 2024
High-stakes, deadly secrets, and an internship at the FBI spike the tension and keep this read grabbing all the way to the unexpected twist at the end.
Kat's the new girl and three weeks late into the Semester...but not really. As the daughter of the next Presidential hopeful, she's spent her life in the lime light, which also makes her dream career in the CIA as a spy difficult. Her death changed everything. An attack she can't remember lead to massive plastic surgery, and now, she's born again, safe but having to start a new life while being reminded of her old one. Except her killers were never caught, and while they might not know who she is, their goals haven't changed. Plus, she really wants revenge.
With the whispers of an academy read, it remains so much more and doesn't slip into the cliches of that trope. Instead, it offers the backdrop to root her teen life as she already spreads her wings toward what awaits after graduation. Although this is an action novel, Kat's character carries more depth than first appears. She not only struggles with the slow recovery of the memories of the attack (a very brutal one) and constantly faces who she was before but recognizes the shift in her own perception of the world around her. Plus, there's an interesting play of redefining who she is. While none of this propels into deep moments chucked full with wisdom, it gives Kat more substance with problems and scars.
Then, there's the mystery and action. It grabs on every page and makes sure there's never the blink of a boring moment. Some clues are a bit easy, but that doesn't bother as the read smoothly flows from one sticky situation to the next. It's light, doesn't take tons of need for thought, and entertaining. I did read it in one go and couldn't put it down.
There is romance, which worked fine, but I wished it didn't get quite as much page time as it did, since the story didn't really need it. Plus, some of the other characters missed a little depth. But none of this bothered, either, as the book flows very well for a light, exciting read.
For readers wanting a fun read with action, tension, danger, some girl power, a bit of romance, and criminal chasing atmosphere, this is one worth taking a look at.
Kat's the new girl and three weeks late into the Semester...but not really. As the daughter of the next Presidential hopeful, she's spent her life in the lime light, which also makes her dream career in the CIA as a spy difficult. Her death changed everything. An attack she can't remember lead to massive plastic surgery, and now, she's born again, safe but having to start a new life while being reminded of her old one. Except her killers were never caught, and while they might not know who she is, their goals haven't changed. Plus, she really wants revenge.
With the whispers of an academy read, it remains so much more and doesn't slip into the cliches of that trope. Instead, it offers the backdrop to root her teen life as she already spreads her wings toward what awaits after graduation. Although this is an action novel, Kat's character carries more depth than first appears. She not only struggles with the slow recovery of the memories of the attack (a very brutal one) and constantly faces who she was before but recognizes the shift in her own perception of the world around her. Plus, there's an interesting play of redefining who she is. While none of this propels into deep moments chucked full with wisdom, it gives Kat more substance with problems and scars.
Then, there's the mystery and action. It grabs on every page and makes sure there's never the blink of a boring moment. Some clues are a bit easy, but that doesn't bother as the read smoothly flows from one sticky situation to the next. It's light, doesn't take tons of need for thought, and entertaining. I did read it in one go and couldn't put it down.
There is romance, which worked fine, but I wished it didn't get quite as much page time as it did, since the story didn't really need it. Plus, some of the other characters missed a little depth. But none of this bothered, either, as the book flows very well for a light, exciting read.
For readers wanting a fun read with action, tension, danger, some girl power, a bit of romance, and criminal chasing atmosphere, this is one worth taking a look at.
May 24, 2024
Meh. My girls are always up for teenagers attending super secret spy schools, but this one required too much suspension of disbelief. Listen, for this genre, I am willing to suspend disbelief and accept that a teenage girl can be a polyglot and beat polygraphs and know all about weapons, okay? Internally, though, this premise doesn't make sense. The heroine was kidnapped and presumed dead, gets plastic surgery, and returns as a "new student" six weeks later to her spy school where she had been for 3.5 years, stays with her best friend roomie, and gets extra attention from all the teachers because of herher purple hair and leather jacket, and no one recognizes her. None of the super-spies-in-training notice her vocal patterns, gait, mannerisms, or body shape are the exact same as the friend who was just suspiciously murdered. She's also suddenly able to beat up the best fighter in the school, has suddenly improved with weapons, and has had a total personality shift so that she doesn't care about fashion or frivolous things anymore.
The teen interns at the FBI are allowed to participate in real cases, where they have insights that the agents missed; when terrorists attack the school of highly trained teen operatives during a Valentine's dance, only the heroine jumps in to fight them; and the heroine and her new boyfriend sneak around the school at night undetected by their secret agent teachers and end up topless in bed together, but it's okay because they're taking it slow. I could go on, but you get the gist. I really only finished it so that I could give a fair review of the entire book.
The teen interns at the FBI are allowed to participate in real cases, where they have insights that the agents missed; when terrorists attack the school of highly trained teen operatives during a Valentine's dance, only the heroine jumps in to fight them; and the heroine and her new boyfriend sneak around the school at night undetected by their secret agent teachers and end up topless in bed together, but it's okay because they're taking it slow. I could go on, but you get the gist. I really only finished it so that I could give a fair review of the entire book.
February 25, 2024
One star for the title, and one for the basic premise of the book.
Lost stars for the execution, pacing, and the main character saying multiple times that she had to conjugate verbs for her Mandarin homework when there are no verb conjugations in Mandarin 😀 Not the worst free kindle book I’ve read, but be warned that a Herculean effort was required for the suspension of disbelief.
Lost stars for the execution, pacing, and the main character saying multiple times that she had to conjugate verbs for her Mandarin homework when there are no verb conjugations in Mandarin 😀 Not the worst free kindle book I’ve read, but be warned that a Herculean effort was required for the suspension of disbelief.
March 9, 2024
This book really surprised me with how good it was! When I first decided to read it, I honestly thought it would be a book that I would read a few chapters then not finish it. But overall it was a very fun and cute read! If there ends up being additional book in this series, I would for sure read them!
May 25, 2024
had kind of low expectations PLEASANTLY SURPRISED
good little twist. definitely a fast read you could binge this one and you definitely will want to. theres so many questions you want answered so you just cant stop. i really like the writing style and will be diving into more natalie tay
good little twist. definitely a fast read you could binge this one and you definitely will want to. theres so many questions you want answered so you just cant stop. i really like the writing style and will be diving into more natalie tay
January 25, 2024
⭐4.25/5
This was an excellent book! The perfect high-stakes, yet cozy, YA book. Loved the characters and their dynamics with one another. The plot was interesting and made me want to keep reading. Fell in love with the boarding school setting! So found-family feeling. I loved it!
This was an excellent book! The perfect high-stakes, yet cozy, YA book. Loved the characters and their dynamics with one another. The plot was interesting and made me want to keep reading. Fell in love with the boarding school setting! So found-family feeling. I loved it!
June 14, 2024
ehh
i really wanted to like this; when i decided to get it off the summary, i really thought i would. but i don’t know. something just didn’t hit in the right places. it’s a good quick read tho; if you’re in the mood for a pallet cleanser. 🤷🏻♀️
i really wanted to like this; when i decided to get it off the summary, i really thought i would. but i don’t know. something just didn’t hit in the right places. it’s a good quick read tho; if you’re in the mood for a pallet cleanser. 🤷🏻♀️
Read
January 17, 2025Sometimes it’s fun to read a cheesy spy-school-mystery-teenage-romance. And while almost none of the contents of this book could actually happen in real life, a little exercise in suspension of disbelief is good for some warm and fuzzies every once in a while.
December 29, 2023
Unexpectedly
good YA thriller / romance. The FMC is a refreshingly strong person showing a lot of the confidence many FMC's lack.
good YA thriller / romance. The FMC is a refreshingly strong person showing a lot of the confidence many FMC's lack.
December 31, 2023
Highly underrated book, I love the amount of consent there was between the characters! Good for crime nerds :)
January 9, 2024
This was such a cute read haha! It was very entertaining and not graphic on the relationship end of things. I loved it! Would totally read the sequel!
January 10, 2024
Fluffy romance, in a good way. I did not care for the ending…too many side plots were tied up in a messy way. Overall, a fun, quick read! 3.5 stars.
February 5, 2024
A quick fun YA read; I enjoyed the backdrop of spy school and the mix of everyday teen issues alongside training to be special agents. Looking forward to the next installment.
February 26, 2024
A bit confusing to start, decent moments but I wish it was a bit more fleshed out. Maybe the rest of the series helps with that.
November 2, 2024
Great YA Read
Unique storyline, diverse characters, and a splash of nitty gritty made this book a quick and enjoyable read . Looking forward to more from Natalie Tay.
Unique storyline, diverse characters, and a splash of nitty gritty made this book a quick and enjoyable read . Looking forward to more from Natalie Tay.
May 28, 2025
Dnf 36% even more far fetched than I’d anticipated, and I struggled to get into it
February 28, 2024
actual rating ⭐️ a lil over 3.5
this was actually so good?? not gonna lie at first i was leaning towards 2.5 or 3 stars , but it picked up pretty quickly and is very interesting! it’s a lot different then my other spy books but i actually really like that about it!
i like Kat, the fight scenes were so good and the romance was perfect! i love their friendship and absolutely love Owen <3 this book covers a lot of important issues and i think the author did a very good job of that while also keeping it fun and not too heavy feeling 👏🏼
only thing is the end felt a bit rushed. should have been a slightly bigger deal when her identity was revealed and we don’t know much about how she got into the spy business or the backstory of either of her parents but especially her mom. that part at the end was tossed in out of nowhere so i wish we got more of an explanation. but other then that i loved it! another spy book for the win and i will definitely be checking out more of her books 🫶🏼
- ya
- romance: closed door
- tw: kidnapping, terrorists and mentions of torture
this was actually so good?? not gonna lie at first i was leaning towards 2.5 or 3 stars , but it picked up pretty quickly and is very interesting! it’s a lot different then my other spy books but i actually really like that about it!
i like Kat, the fight scenes were so good and the romance was perfect! i love their friendship and absolutely love Owen <3 this book covers a lot of important issues and i think the author did a very good job of that while also keeping it fun and not too heavy feeling 👏🏼
only thing is the end felt a bit rushed. should have been a slightly bigger deal when her identity was revealed and we don’t know much about how she got into the spy business or the backstory of either of her parents but especially her mom. that part at the end was tossed in out of nowhere so i wish we got more of an explanation. but other then that i loved it! another spy book for the win and i will definitely be checking out more of her books 🫶🏼
- ya
- romance: closed door
- tw: kidnapping, terrorists and mentions of torture
August 5, 2024
I had hit a reading slump when I picked this up. It was one of those books you grab on stuff your kindle day, and kind of forget about until your TBR is dwindling. Ya know?
This was exactly what I needed when I began reading. I needed something goofy, YA, and just an easy read which is exactly what you get. I will say I am intrigued to read the rest of the books in this world, but I don't know when that will happen as it isn't a top priority for me right now.
Stars: 4/5
This was exactly what I needed when I began reading. I needed something goofy, YA, and just an easy read which is exactly what you get. I will say I am intrigued to read the rest of the books in this world, but I don't know when that will happen as it isn't a top priority for me right now.
Stars: 4/5
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews