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Spy High #4
The Paranoia Plot
Book by Butcher, A. J.
6 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Butcher
26 books33 followersAndrew James Butcher is the English author of the futuristic teen spy series, Spy High. A.J., who taught English at both Poole Grammar School and Parkstone Grammar School, in Poole, Dorset, and currently teaches at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth, Dorset took a sabbatical from his teaching career to write Spy High Series Two. He says he has been influenced by Charles Dickens and George Orwell, but that Stan Lee, creator of many of Marvel Comics' super-heroes, is his biggest inspirational figure.
The series is published by Atom Books in the UK and Commonwealth and Little, Brown and Co. in the US. The first series has also been translated into many other languages.
The series is published by Atom Books in the UK and Commonwealth and Little, Brown and Co. in the US. The first series has also been translated into many other languages.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 4, 2020
A good entry.
The book introduces a new character. Butcher also uses the book to explore one of the world’s other academies, and unveils some new secrets about Deveraux. The team also grows up more. The humor and quips are pretty good.
The story’s interesting, but, like some of the other books, Butcher will introduce his characters with some defining personality traits and quips, but they never really grow beyond that.
A quick, easy read (like most of the other entries).
The book introduces a new character. Butcher also uses the book to explore one of the world’s other academies, and unveils some new secrets about Deveraux. The team also grows up more. The humor and quips are pretty good.
The story’s interesting, but, like some of the other books, Butcher will introduce his characters with some defining personality traits and quips, but they never really grow beyond that.
A quick, easy read (like most of the other entries).
February 27, 2011
By far, this is the best written book in this series. It is kind of confusing at the very beginning, BUT once you get to the second part it gets very interesting very quickly. But the biggest, most careless mistake in this book is that the villain from the second book is reintroduced- and so is Jennifer Chen, who died in the book just before this one. Dr. Frankenstine clones Jennifer and himself, while also doing brain implants of the most influential person in the world at the time: the president of the U.S. But besides the confusion and weirdness, it's okay. Not great or pretty good, just acceptable.
I strongly disagree with the idea of bringing back two main characters in the series that have died. All that showed ME was a lack of creativity and originality. I would have preferred the author to think up a new super villain or computer virus or something like that, not reintroduce the dead and gone. But I guess it makes sense if he was trying to make a character to fit the description of someone who is gross enough to clone and implant brains in people just to wipe out the population of the world.
If it were the other way, however, and he approached it like, "Humm, should I make yet another bad guy to try to take over the Universe, or should I use Frankenstine to try again in a different manner? Oh, that's a tough one." then he should have just done the obvious: don't make the book more confusing than it is already going to be. Just make a new plot with a new method of world-domination. But i guess when your budget is kind of low because you didn't sell as many copies as you expected to, you have to work with what you pay for.
I strongly disagree with the idea of bringing back two main characters in the series that have died. All that showed ME was a lack of creativity and originality. I would have preferred the author to think up a new super villain or computer virus or something like that, not reintroduce the dead and gone. But I guess it makes sense if he was trying to make a character to fit the description of someone who is gross enough to clone and implant brains in people just to wipe out the population of the world.
If it were the other way, however, and he approached it like, "Humm, should I make yet another bad guy to try to take over the Universe, or should I use Frankenstine to try again in a different manner? Oh, that's a tough one." then he should have just done the obvious: don't make the book more confusing than it is already going to be. Just make a new plot with a new method of world-domination. But i guess when your budget is kind of low because you didn't sell as many copies as you expected to, you have to work with what you pay for.
November 24, 2010
i love bex and there is something going on between lori and jake
August 6, 2011
The only bad part about this book is that Jennifer had to come back as a clone and die again.
August 26, 2011
I can't believe Jennifer came back to life!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2018
3.5 stars. The books of the series are getting better.
July 26, 2020
This book is what all previous spy high books where supposed to be. They finely hit their stride.
January 29, 2011
The first three books in the series were definetly my favorite. But when the third book came around and Jennifer died I must say I was extremely crushed. Which really surprised me because usually I am really glad when authors kill off some of their characters it gives it an edge. I don't know maybe her death was to soon. So anyways I put on hold finishing the series. Two years later and I still couldn't get into the series. I did finish it but it was tough. And now it looks like they all die in the end except the new agent Bex aka Rebecca Dee. Ummmm no thanks so I am not going to read any more in the series. Because honestly I think its lots its edge. Which is to bad because it had a lot of oportunity to be amazing :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2009
SPOILERS!!! LOTS OF THEM!!!!
I was surprised to see Frankenstein back, and even more surprised that he made a clone of Jen. I liked the introduction of Bex, and who knew that Devereaux was a freakin' computer?! Really fun twist. Wasn't surprised that clone Jen died. She had to, or else later on she was going to melt, like the other clones. Poor Jakey.
I was surprised to see Frankenstein back, and even more surprised that he made a clone of Jen. I liked the introduction of Bex, and who knew that Devereaux was a freakin' computer?! Really fun twist. Wasn't surprised that clone Jen died. She had to, or else later on she was going to melt, like the other clones. Poor Jakey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2010
I found this book somewhat confusing but only because I read the 4th book in the series 1st. But if you consider that I still managed to comprehend the writing even thought it's not the 1st makes it amazing. You can't do that with too many series.
August 29, 2011
Need to order Mission Five and Six. They are no longer in print and are not available at the local library.
June 17, 2013
great book
October 30, 2014
This book is good because if you have been reading the series of theese books then you will understand it. I did not read the series yet but i still liked it.
June 16, 2009
'twas a very nice book. Lots of surprises. Yes.
March 26, 2017
Ok so I picked this up with number 3 at a library sale. 3 was a good read that didn't matter if I'd read the others but I wouldn't recommend 4 for that. It has characters returning from previous books, contains major spoilers for emotional moments and is very hard to read.
Confusing excerpts from adverts. Nd broadcasts along with different POV paragraphs mean this is not the best example of his work.
The plot contains our team and how they try and integrate a new member after the death in the previous book. They've had time for grieving and now it's back to work and training but something is wrong. Who is out to get them? Which previous enemy has returned! Why do we keep hearing about the President? Did I really care? No! I finished this book with pure will power and won't be looking for the next one.
Confusing excerpts from adverts. Nd broadcasts along with different POV paragraphs mean this is not the best example of his work.
The plot contains our team and how they try and integrate a new member after the death in the previous book. They've had time for grieving and now it's back to work and training but something is wrong. Who is out to get them? Which previous enemy has returned! Why do we keep hearing about the President? Did I really care? No! I finished this book with pure will power and won't be looking for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews