Bait and Switch

October 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-This series installment finds teen operative Alex in trouble with his Guardian and his Handlers for bumbling his previous assignment. His espionage training and secret agent schooling intensify, but more punitive is his separation from fellow teen spy and boyfriend Leo. Also traumatic is Alex's recent discovery that one of the strangers who raised him in isolation at The Center is actually his biological uncle. Meanwhile, Leo's latest undercover mission is jeopardized, and The Center has no choice but to send in Alex as backup. Alex and Leo fervently reunite, but their relationship plays right into the enemy's hands. The mysterious purposes of The Center and its assignments are perplexing rather than alluring. Alex and Leo's steamy encounters are sometimes abrupt and feel gratuitous. Readers get hints of the previous books' plots, but they'll need to be familiar with the earlier installments. VERDICT An additional purchase unless the series has been popular or if there is a demand for romance or suspense stories starring gay teens.-Elaine Fultz, Madison Junior-Senior High School, Middletown, OH

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