Book Review - I'd Tell You I Love You..

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Gallagher Girls #1
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery | Young Adult
Release Date: April 25th 2006
Publishers:  Orchard Books
No. Pages: 309
Source: Purchased
Rating:
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Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love

While I enjoyed reading something different to my comfort zone, I wouldn't say this book gripped me in any way. If I'm being honest, I think given its target audience I was never really going to connect 100% to the characters because I'm not a teenager anyone as much as I wish still was, and though they may not have acted like it all the time, there was moments when they were typical teenager girls. I was never a typical teenager girl worried about boys and make up so it's very unlikely I would have been able to connect to the books back then either. But this is not Ally Carter's fault.

Like I said, I enjoyed the thought of an exclusive spy school as it was different from the rest, but I've never really been into spy book or films, in fact I've never even watched the James Bond movies so while it was a change, it didn't leave me dying to read the next. For me, and you could think I'm completely wrong, but this book focused too much on a love story and not enough on the spy side to it. I think being the first in the series it would have been better to have the love interest maybe closer to the end if not in the second book once everyone has gotten used to the idea of the school. Instead we were introduced to the school, the teachers, learnt some of the history of the school and then Cammie meets Josh and it almost feels like everything else is forgotten.

As far as the character's go, I've already said I couldn't relate to most of them, but that doesn't mean they weren't likeable. I really liked Cammie's friends Bex and Liz. I loved how they were loyal and really protective of Cammie. I didn't like Josh too much, but I don't think we really see his full character in this book so it's something I look out for as I carry on the series, and most of her teachers annoyed me at times.

Overall while it might seem all I'm doing is complaining about the book, I didn't hate it. It was a quick and easy fun read. I don't know when I'll be continuing the series because other books are just calling to me more, but I will because I want to see if it gets better.