Loose Lips

June 16, 2003
Gidget joins the CIA in political writer Berlinski's rousing, hilarious, compulsively readable debut about a restless New Yorker who enlists in the secret service and learns about truth and justice the hard way. A Sanskritist previously stationed in India, spunky Selena Keller has returned to Manhattan only to face a lackluster teaching tenure. When a cryptic Internet ad seeking an "extraordinary individual" catches her eye, a whirlwind of screening exams and evaluations usher Selena in as the CIA's newest employee. Soon after relocating to Virginia, an orientation consisting of dull paperwork is replaced with hardcore, exhilarating physical instruction at a remote facility called "the Farm," where Selena learns hand-to-hand combat, emergency medicine and hilariously attempts to overcome a fear of flying. She befriends a tough, beautiful trainee named Iris and dates unsuccessfully—until Stan, a "pale, fat man with small eyes and very spiky thick red hair" manages to thrill her with his memory skills and eventually seduce her. Just as all is going well, Selena's trustworthiness and loyalty (and extracurricular activities) are called into question by a tough group of CIA adjudicators, an investigation is launched and it's clear that someone has framed her. Paranoia mounts and everyone close to Selena is considered a potential traitor, including the increasingly slimy Stan. Berlinski's far-fetched comedy of manners clips her protagonist's career wings a bit prematurely, but there's still a lot to cheer about thanks to the narrative voice of an extremely engaging and likable main character. Breezy, accomplished and bracing, this is superior entertainment. Agent, Kathy Robbins. 60,000 first printing; 4-city author tour; film rights sold to Tribeca and Universal.

March 15, 2003
Single young women trying to find themselves have endured some bizarre situations in recent fiction, but nothing quite compares with Selena Keller's experience when she joins the CIA. Selena, who has spent most of her adult life studying Sanskrit literature, has just received her doctorate when she joins the Agency. She applies to the CIA on a whim, as an alternative to the dull world of academia, but, unfortunately, her training at the Agency is not very exciting. What's worse, it's classified. At first, it doesn't look as if Selena has the makings of a spy: she's unobservant, mentions her training in unsecured e-mail, and isn't much of a sneak. But she's intelligent and determined, and it isn't long before she has mastered the art of manipulation. Alas, so has everyone around her, and in the end it isn't clear who has out-manipulated whom. This first novel is well written and would appeal to anyone interested in the workings of the CIA, but those looking for a good, romantic read will need to go elsewhere. For larger fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/03.]-Karen Core, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2003
Adult/High School-Selena Keller, a young scholar of Sanskrit literature, just isn't cut out for the life of an obscure academic. Impulsively, she answers an ad to work for the CIA, and the savvy New Yorker soon finds herself caught up in a culture as alien as any she had experienced in India or academia. Taught to recruit foreign nationals to serve as spies for the U.S., she learns covert operations at the agency's headquarters in McLean and paramilitary skills at its fabled "Farm" in rural Virginia. She makes friends and finds a lover, but her ambitious classmates tend to practice their new spycraft techniques on each other, and it is never clear how genuine these relationships are. Selena shows a talent for holding her own, and readers stay on the hook to see what happens next-and to find out what's really going on. Ultimately, a vestigial conscience-and a questioning intelligence that makes it impossible for her to embrace the Company spirit-proves to be Selena's undoing, and she finds liberation in a colorful ending. This fast-moving, economically told story has elements of humor, satire, and mystery. Though some readers will simply enjoy this book as spicy light fare, others will also savor its dark undertones.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2003
Berlinski's first novel gets inside the top-secret world of CIA trainees. Selena Keller, a Sanskrit expert, decides that the CIA promises more excitement than a university career. She passes the initial exams and soon finds herself in training at the Farm. Her classmates include sophisticated Iris, treacherous Jade, handsome Paul, and Stan, an overweight former lawyer who befriends Selena after she fails the surveillance part of her training because of her poor driving skills. Stan begins to insinuate himself into Selena's affections, first by helping her with her driving and then by becoming her friend. Eventually she finds herself falling for him, and the two become lovers. But after graduation Selena discovers her new career is in jeopardy and that someone close to her may have betrayed her. As she tries to determine who betrayed her, she realizes that finding someone trustworthy in an atmosphere that fosters suspicion and mistrust might be the biggest challenge. With " Alias" and " The Recruit" (not to mention current events) stirring up interest, Berlinski's insightful, clever debut will have wide appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)