Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky

Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky
Buy Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Robert James
Summary: Slightly thin characters but an enjoyable action story with excellent pacing and a clever premise makes this one well worth a read!
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 336	Date: June 2014
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1407140179
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Jessica Cole is a schoolgirl model with an ex-spy for a father. When he mysteriously vanishes and MI6 are less than helpful, she's forced to use her talents for both modelling and spying to try and mount her own rescue mission. But the bad guys here have some really evil plans, and if Jessica's not able to stop them, she could find that she's not only lost her father, but she's missed the chance to save many more people. With danger seeming to lurk around every corner, she'll need not only all her resourcefulness but also help from her allies. If she can only work out who she can trust...

This is an enjoyable romp despite the characterisation being on the slim side. I liked the main character a lot but found the villains to be a bit too obvious and one-dimensional. That said, plot-wise, it’s cleverly done and moves along at a cracking pace. Fashion-orientated readers will enjoy the modelling parts, people looking for more action will be thrilled by the climax and love the imaginative gadgets that she uses during the course of her adventure. Sarah Sky also does a great job of neatly tying together the worlds of modelling and spying.

It arguably works slightly better as a series starter than it does as a book in its own right – there are several characters who I’d hope to get to know better in the upcoming sequel and any future books, and while I found the ending very exciting, it’s definitely one which doesn’t wrap all that much up, leaving you needing to read the next one. My personal preference is definitely towards neater finales, but having said that, I’m still looking forward to the second in the series.

Definitely a book that fans of action-packed contemporaries will enjoy.

For more brilliant girl spies, you can’t go wrong with Ally Carter! Start with I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls) by Ally Carter and work your way through the entire superb Gallagher Girls series. Moving away from spies and towards a less action-packed but still brilliant story about modelling, I’m assuming everyone has read the Waterstones-prize winning Geek Girl by Holly Smale by now, but if not, don’t miss it!

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You can read more book reviews or buy Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.

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