Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.27, 2014, under Detective/Spy, Real life, Sam's Reviews, YRCA
Review by Samrarian
Who would like this book? Thoughtful readers, grades 5 and up, looking for a well-crafted story about friendship, family, and belonging.
The goods on this book: Georges, a 7th grader in Brooklyn, New York, has a lot to handle. His architect father has lost his job and their family has had to move from their house (and his amazing bedroom) to an apartment. His father is pursuing a new career idea while his mom works double shifts at the hospital. At school, Georges dodges bullies and is ignored by his long-time friend. In his new apartment building, he replies to an ad for a spy club and meets Safer, a home-schooled kid obsessed with spying on a man who lives upstairs from Georges. As Georges navigates this new friendship and his family’s new situation, the reader gets to know him well. Rebecca Stead is so good at developing characters that are complex and building plots that twist in very unexpected ways. Both of these traits are in fine form in Liar and Spy, making this quiet book very worthwhile to read and possibly read again.
The details: 180 pages; 2012 Review by Samrarian
