Review: Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

So, I got a proof of this book in a goodybag when I went to a Waterstone's event for the launch of It Only Happens in the Movies. I admit, it didn't really seem like my cup of tea (but that's because I was silly and didn't look up the proper blurb, and only saw the small proof blurb).

I finally picked it up again now because it's released on March 8th, and I wanted to see if I liked it enough to review it before it came out - I did. In fact, I loved it!

Here it is:

A Jewish girl-turned-spy must infiltrate an elite Nazi boarding school in this highly commercial, relentlessly nail-biting World War II drama!

After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old Sarah--blonde, blue-eyed, and Jewish--finds herself on the run from a government that wants to see every person like her dead. 

Then Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment, and a lockbox full of weapons. He's a spy, and he needs Sarah to become one, too, to pull off a mission he can't attempt on his own: infiltrate a boarding school attended by the daughters of top Nazi brass, befriend the daughter of a key scientist, and steal the blueprints to a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe. 

With years of training from her actress mother in the art of impersonation, Sarah thinks she's ready. But nothing prepares her for her cutthroat schoolmates, and soon she finds herself in a battle for survival unlike any she'd ever imagined.

So, like I said, I didn't look this book up properly until I started it, and now I am regretting this decision becuase it was an amazing book. So amazing that I sped through it in a few days. From the description on my proof copy, I didn't expect it to be set during the beginning of World War II, so when I opened it and got stuck in I was instantly sucked in.

I have always loved the Book Thief, it is one of my favourite books, and I definitely got Book Thief vibes when reading this book. But, not because it was the same kind of plot - no this is totally different. This book is about Sarah, a Jew with Aryan looks, who becomes a spy after meeting the Captain (a British spy currently working in Germany).

I loved Sarah as a character. She was strong for her age, and even with everything that happens to her she still manages to keep up with her mission throughout the book without getting caught. Throughout the book she has a voice in her head guiding her way - and helping her when things are likely to go wrong - and it really helps to up her spying game. Just overall she is definitely one of the more beautifully written characters I have come across in my many reads.

The thing I found most amusing was that she managed to play the part of a 'monster' (her words for the girls at the school) perfectly - and all with only a few papers that marked her as the perfect Aryan schoolgirl. The constant use of 'monster' in her head definitely tied in with the name of the book - something which I loved.

Overall, this book had me on the edge of my seat throughout, wondering just what would happen to both Sarah and the Captain, and the last part of the book especially had me wanting to turn to the end just so I could see (I managed to resist the urge), but it definitely was a very suspenseful ending - one that also left me with the hope to see more from Sarah in future books - but I'm not sure how likely that would be!

I give this book 5 cats!

If you are a fan of the book thief, I think you'll love this book. Are you planning on reading this, or have you read this yet? Comment below!