I'd Tell You I Love you, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Carter, Ally.  2006.  I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.  New York: Hyperion.  ISBN 9781423100034

At Gallagher Academy, the students are expected to study diligently, act with grace and decorum and be capable of hand-to-hand combat in an evening dress and four inch heels. Gallagher Academy isn’t an ordinary private school; it’s a training ground for the world’s elite, teenaged, spies. Placed in a small town in Virginia, contact with the school, and its reportedly affluent students, is avoided along with a serious breach in National Security…until Josh meets Cammie.

When this seemingly ordinary boy stumbles into the middle of a covert operations lesson, the school’s true identity is compromised. To ensure the safety of themselves and everyone they know, the girls must discover Josh’s motives…and what type of girls he likes. These super-sleuthy teenagers can sneak into the Kremlin, but can they decipher what goes on in boys’ heads?

This fast-paced and entertaining first-installment of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series is well-written, offering a cast of funny, intelligent, and even vulnerable, individuals. More than a love story, the reader is taken into the complex relationships teenagers can share with their friends, parents and teachers. Carter effectively captures both the highly-trained voice of the spy and the naïve voice of the teenager in her writing.

Following Cammie as she journeys through adolescence, tear gas and grief, the reader is transported into a high school adventure with more repercussions than a failing grade. This book will be easy to recommend for many ages.

"This is escapist fiction for those who like unusual school stories."(KLIATT/May 2006)

"The promise of a second Gallagher Girl book is the promise of good times to come."(VOYA/October 2006)

Possible Activities:
1. Teen/Tween Book Club in which career options are discussed.
2. Open discussion about choosing others over self and/or how to protect loved ones.