Golden Gate - (City Spies) by James Ponti

As this book opens, Brooklyn and Sydney, two of the team of City Spies, are on board a ship for a week of marine biology targeted at young women. While they certainly do appreciate the science they are getting, they are really there to covertly guard two of the other teens on the ship. And it’s a good thing, too, when Umbra agents show up trying to kidnap the girls. Meanwhile, there is a new lead on a mole inside MI-6 and a lead in a secret project for Mother, the spy in charge of all the City Spies. Might it tie into the kidnapping? Last year, I fell in love with these characters with the first book in the series, and I’m delighted to say that this book was just as good as the first one. The story kept me engaged the entire way, and there were times I was turning pages as quickly as I could to find out what would happen next. While all of the characters get their moments to shine, this is really Sydney’s book since she sees the most growth. One thing I love is how much the characters care for each other, so we see them working through conflicts they have. I might have even teared up a time or two as I read. We also get plenty of laughs along the way. I especially enjoyed the scenes in San Francisco since I recognized so many of the places they went. Kids will love this book. I know I’m already anxious to find out what happens next.