The Squad

Heeey! I'm back, hyper, and better than ever! Well, except for a small sunburn that I picked up on vacation, but that'll fade. And I don't really know if I'm better than ever, just, you know, it sounds good to say. Sorry for the false advertising. (About the hyperness, I swear they put crack in those girl scout cookies). So yeah, due to a nasty stomach flu the week before last I now have two reviews to make up. I'm gonna try to do them this week and next, so here's the first. Soooo......drumroll...... here's The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!
Toby is the ultimate anti-cheerleader. She's into codes, puzzles, and hacking, and prefers to stay beneath the radar. A sophomore in high school, she despises the so-called "God Squad" with a vengeance. On most days, she wouldn't mingle with cheerleaders even if you paid her. This isn't most days, though. This is the day when she gets an invitation onto the cheerleading team—in code. Curiosity piqued, she decides to check it out (if only to see which one had a high enough IQ to write in code), though she's ready to bail at any second. When she confronts them, though, things really take a turn for the weird. Apparently, the Bayport High Spirit Squad is a front for a covert spy operation— consisting of Brooke (the bossy one in charge); Chloe (the gadget girl); Tara (the linguist); Zee (the profiler); Bubbles (the contortionist. Yes, Bubbles is her actual name); and Lucy (the weapons expert). While Toby's processing that information—read: looking up the nearest mental hospital— the girls of the Squad decide singlehandedly that Toby's one of them now. Soon she discovers how very real the operation is, right down to the extensive weapons lab hidden under the school. As she's inducted into the Squad, Toby's entire life gets turned upside down- in good ways and bad. Soon she has to figure out how to deal with her first mission while simultaneously dealing with her newfound (unwanted) popularity. One thing's for sure: she's never going to underestimate a cheerleader again.
Ooookay, that ran a bit long. Sorry, I don't really have an "off" switch. Would be nice if I did, huh? Anyway, this was the perfect airplane book because it wasn't super thick and kept up a nice fast pace. I actually really liked it, though I don't usually go for the really superficial-looking books. This turned out not to be so superficial! It was interesting, really funny, and I will definitely be looking up the sequel. Take my advice and read it, I think you'll like it. It's assumed lost at Kettleson, though, so you can either buy it or do an Interlibrary Loan.