Crossing the Line

February 1, 2016
It’s spy versus spy in this thriller, which sees a teenage secret agent defecting from the North Korean agency she was forced to serve. For 10 years, Jocelyn Steely has been an unwitting, drug-dependent tool for KATO, which kidnapped her as a child; when the organization sends her to infiltrate the U.S.-based International Defense Agency, she seizes the opportunity to regain control over her destiny. Acting as a double agent, Jocelyn plays one group against the other, slowly winning the trust of the IDA agents she has fought against for years while planning her revenge against KATO. Although the premise tilts heavily toward the cinematic (as is often the case with this genre), the characters’ interactions are fully realistic as Rogers crafts a tense tale of espionage, action, and intrigue. Jocelyn makes for a kick-ass, determined heroine, and there’s no shortage of scenes of adrenaline-charged adventure. Despite a less-than-satisfying cliffhanger ending, this is a strong debut for both the author and the Raven Files series. Ages 12–up. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary Agency.

February 1, 2016
An elite, teenage spy fights to take down the agency that stole her childhood. KATO, a fictional division of North Korea's intelligence agency, kidnapped Jocelyn when she was just 8. The organization focuses on recruiting and brainwashing young orphans to become ideal spies, controlling them by fostering addictions to a drug called Gerex. Ten years later, 18-year-old Jocelyn has become Viper, a spy renowned for her ruthlessness and skill. She's harbored intentions to defect to the U.S.-based International Defense Agency for years, and now that KATO has sent her as a double agent, she's not going to waste any time. But getting off Gerex leaves her reeling; KATO's claws stay in her even as she begins to rebuild herself. The brass accept her as a vital ally, but her peers in IDA's academy show her no mercy--especially one code-named Scorpion, her former nemesis-turned-school guide. Jocelyn must fight her schoolmates for their respect and KATO for her freedom. Though there's no shortage of elaborate missions in this series opener, there's a lack of escalating danger. The true war rages between Viper and Scorpion, and though their journey is satisfying, its focus makes the final showdown between the IDA and KATO seem inconsequential. Hopefully, the now-established relationships leave ample room for higher tension in the sequel. Less espionage than escalating teenage emotions. (Fiction. 12-16)

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March 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Jocelyn Steely was kidnapped by a secret North Korean agency called KATO and trained to be a spy when she was eight. Subjected to a brutal training regimen and forcibly addicted to the fictional drug "Gerex" (described as being worse than heroin), Jocelyn has lived a life marked by violence and pain. Ten years later, she is sent to infiltrate IDA, the international agency founded to counter KATO's youthful and ruthless crew of spies. Unbeknownst to KATO, the protagonist intends to become a double agent in order to prevent other children from being subjected to a similar fate. After a brutal detox, Jocelyn must learn to build alliances with other young agents while still maintaining her cover. Slowly, she is able to build bridges within her new agency, make friends, and begin to heal. She also becomes a critical component in unraveling KATO's plan to overthrow South Korea. While aggressive suspension of disbelief is required with some of the political elements of the narrative, it's the characters who make this novel work. Jocelyn is a very damaged but strong young woman whom readers will want to see succeed. Much grittier and more serious than more common teen espionage fare, this title will appeal to an older audience than that of either Ally Carter's "Gallagher Girls" or "Heist Society" (both Disney-Hyperion) because of Jocelyn's drug addiction combined with the brutal and occasionally sexual nature of her work with KATO. VERDICT For fans of TV's Alias, this is the beginning of an excellent new espionage series.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Grades 8-11 Rogers starts her compulsively readable Raven Files series by introducing 18-year-old Jocelyn Steely (daughter of American spies), who was kidnapped 10 years ago by the North Korean spy agency KATO. There she learned to be an efficient killer and how to endure torture. KATO sends her back home to the U.S.-based IDA (International Defense Agency) to act as a double agent. However, Jocelyn's decided to switch her allegiance to IDA and become, in effect, a triple agent. First, though, she has to detox from the experimental drug KATO injected her with and accept that her former nemesis, IDA agent Scorpion, has been assigned to be her guard and guide. There's a plot twist, revealed secret, or chase scene in every chapterRogers knows how to keep the pages turning. Character development takes a backseat, resulting in formulaic romances and alliances, but most readers will be too busy zipping through the fast-paced adventure to mind. The cliff-hanger ending begs for a swift sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)