Going Rogue by Robin Benway | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver.

Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux.
Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo.

Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names.

Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies.

Spies are kind of the best. No, seriously, I love reading books about girl spies. I love it when girls do fun and exciting and daring things in books. Going Rogue by Robin Benway, sequel to Also Known As is all about girls doing daring things and I love it. Benway’s latest book called to me as I was in a fog of WHAT DO I READ NEXT because I was dying to know what was going on with Maggie, Roux, Jesse, and everyone else. Also, I have yet to meet a book by Robin Benway that I don’t like, so, this book was kind of a guaranteed winner for me. And you know, there are just those days where you don’t want to take a risk and instead want to go with a tried and true winner. This was one of those types of reads: a winner of a book.

Remember how in Also Known As, Maggie and her parents were part of this huge secret, shadowy organization of spies who take down bad guys called the Collective? Well, in Going Rogue, the Collective plays a pretty huge role. This time, Maggie’s parents are being accused of stealing gold coins worth seventy million dollars and are basically being kicked out of the Collective. Maggie knows that her parents didn’t do it, and so with the help of mentor Angelo, she goes rogue to take down the Collective. Along the way, she finds that her life as a spy clashes with her relationship with Jesse and her best friend Roux. Or maybe it’s that Maggie is not giving the two quite enough credit. Anyways, things are about to get real for Maggie as all of her spy skills are put to the test while she tries her hardest to save her parents from false accusations.

I feel like Maggie experiences more actual character growth in Going Rogue. She comes across as much more dynamic. Like, I get the feeling in this book that she’s more vulnerable and that the whole spy life is really taking a toll on her. There’s this sort of convergence between her desire to live a normal life and her desire to not be bored and in one place. I love it. I love that her desires are kind of at odds with each other. I love that Maggie makes some serious mistakes with the people that she cares about, but instead of that wrecking her relationships she experiences hurt and then grows and learns from it. I loved how she really grew as a character and became more confident in herself. I think this is the book where Maggie really becomes a leader and y’all it is so cool to see. It’s like seeing someone grow up – parts are frustrating, parts are amusing, but in the end it’s like YES! YOU DID IT SUCCESSFULLY, HIGHEST OF FIVES, my friend, HIGHEST OF FIVES.

Where is a super hero without her sidekicks? I do not even know. Friends, Roux and Jesse really make the book for me. First, Jesse. He’s such a great boyfriend to Maggie. He’s caring, he listens. He also doesn’t let her pull the wool over his eyes. He doesn’t throw in the towel when things get tough. They fight it out, but don’t break up or anything after the fight. I love that. I love that they have a pretty solid relationship with bumps in the road. I also liked the role that Jesse plays in this book. As for Roux, she basically steals every scene that she is in. I love her. This is a girl with so much attitude and fierceness. Yet, she’s one that’s hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Roux’s life isn’t perfect or easy, considering her parents don’t care for her and there’s all kinds of rumors about her. So, it’s nice to see good things happen to her and to see people actually really care about her. Let’s just say I am team Roux all the way.

Although Going Rogue did not read quite as fast for me as Also Known As, mainly because of life things, I have to say that I really, really loved this book. I liked the direction it went it. I loved the pacing. I liked the world building. And okay, I was about to give it 3.5 stars, but the ending and this scene with Roux that’s so touching bumped this up to four stars for me. If you’re in the market for a fun read, get your hands on the Also Known As series, they are such a great way to pass your reading time. PS, there are new characters introduced AND I LOVE THEM. Also, more of Angelo who I also LOVE.

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Latest posts by April (Books&Wine) (see all)

• A Christmas To Remember by Beverly Jenkins | Book Review - December 5, 2024
• Make The Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake | Audiobook Review - December 4, 2024
• Christmas at Corgi Cove by Annie England Noblin | Book Review - December 3, 2024