Rockstar Book Tours presents... CITY SPIES: MISSION MANHATTAN by James Ponti - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CITY SPIES: MISSION MANHATTAN by James Ponti Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

Title: CITY SPIES: MISSION MANHATTAN

Author: James Ponti

Pub. Date: February 6, 2024

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 430

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/CITY-SPIES-MISSION-MANHATTAN 

In this fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies take on New York City in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.

The City Spies head to the Big Apple when a credible threat is made to a young climate activist who is scheduled to speak in front of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. With Rio acting as alpha and a new member in their ranks, the team’s mission to protect a fellow teen takes them on an exciting adventure in, around, and even under the greatest city in the world as they follow leads to the outer boroughs, the UN Headquarters, and even the usually off-limits stacks that extend deep under the main branch of the New York Public Library.

 

Grab the rest of the CITY SPIES BOOKS now!

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You can not go wrong with a City Spies book!

Seriously! I'm still behind on the series...  read the last two, but need to catch up on the beginning ones... but I'm still RIGHT THERE with them! For those that don't know, the City Spies are a group of fantastically amazing kids that all have different talents, strengths, and smarts. Separate, they are remarkable, but together, they are a force! Here, the kids work as a unit while navigating their way through the big city streets (and beyond!) of New York, and while their last mission was tre exotic, you better believe you won't look at the city the same way again!

I won't spoil it for you because being there for the twists and turns, following the case one on one, uncovering the bigger bad as well as the potential leaks within, is all a part of the experience. I, for one, loved the touch of familiar with the story coming stateside because it gave it that much more a chance of readers connecting with it, exploring places mentioned, seeing if some of the secrets revealed are true. You gotta love a story that sparks further investigation, am I right?

A great pick for Children's Fiction fans, young and young at heart, and a fab addition to this excellent series!

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Book Trailer:

About James:

JAMES PONTI (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy– nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway Details:

1 lucky winner will receive a finished copy of CITY SPIES: MISSION MANHATTAN, US Only.

Ends February 6^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/22/2024	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
1/22/2024	Kountry Girl Bookaholic	Excerpt/IG Post
1/23/2024	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
1/23/2024	@darkfantasyreviews	IG Post
1/24/2024	Little Red Reads	Excerpt/IG Post
1/24/2024	Log Cabin Library	Excerpt
1/25/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/25/2024	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
1/26/2024	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
1/26/2024	Avainbookland	IG Review

Week Two:

1/29/2024	The Guild	Review
1/29/2024	AJ Johnson	IG Review
1/30/2024	Callisto’s calling	IG Review
1/30/2024	@katherinebichler	TikTok Post
1/31/2024	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
1/31/2024	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
2/1/2024	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
2/1/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
2/2/2024	@pagesforpaige	IG Review
2/2/2024	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY week to... CITY SPIES: City of the Dead by James Ponti - REVIEW

The Super Bowl is over, but there's still plenty to party about!

Okay, well, in truth, there was ALWAYS plenty to party about, and even if I didn't have to work, I'm not a sports gal, so it was no big thing for me, but I would have spent my time READING (is there a BOOK BOWL? There should be a BOOK BOWL!), and tonight's book of choice is an epic adventure you won't forget!

City Spies:  City of the Dead

City Spies series, Book 4

by

James Ponti

9781665911573

Aladdin

About the book...

Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing security for the British Museum, it’s clear that Kat’s skill for finding reason in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job. And while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon realizes that there’s another layer to the mystery. With more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the group has faced to date. And it’s also going to bring about a change to the City Spies…

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So, the question on the tip of your tongue is WHY did I wait to post about this book until tonight...am I right?  I know, I know...you could have been reading it all day, but I wanted to save a little bookish fun for after the big bowl plus all the celebrations reminded me of the beginning of the book and Guy Fawkes night.  What's that?  Oh, you don't know about Guy Fawkes night, or at least not as much as you thought you did?  No worries, you'll get caught up on both the lowdown AND in the mystery that starts from the word go!

I admit, this being the FOURTH book in the series, I was concerned what I might be stepping into.  Would I have any idea what was going on...who was who...what was what...and the like.  The thing is...the churning mind seemed to be self-prophesizing at first, but I gave it a few more pages and I was RIGHT THERE.  I was there when the kids went up against the museum.  I was there when it looked like it was all going sideways.  I was there for the troubled tube ride.  I was there for all the supposed coincidences just afterward that were anything but.  I was there for the arrival of a new person to the group, but SO SKEPTICAL of the circumstances, timing, and ultimately the reason behind their appearance.  The point I'm trying to make is that, while yes, I may wish I had read the rest of the series, it wasn't out of confusion, but born out of my enthusiasm for the story at hand!  

The spies are kids for crying out loud, and I don't mean that they can't be, I simply mean that it's AMAZING what they can do, how they work together, and apply those mad skills!  They aren't robots or unable to fit in with others, all things that definitely work in their favor as spies, and they certainly have feelings, hard times, and suspicions of their own...one of which I agree with, but I'll let you decide who you believe when you read it.  They crack codes, solve puzzles, see patterns in things others can't or don't, and seriously work together to save the day from the "bad guys" trying to take over the system...as in all the systems, and run their own corner of the world!  Eek!

This book has something for mystery fans, spy lovers, and readers of all ages.  It's filled with diversity, STEM oriented, and just a great mix of plotline, characters, and overall gusto for reaching for your dreams, and you doing you.  I know I'll be checking out the other books in the series, but in the mean time, you check this one out and see what you think!

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About the author...

JAMES PONTI (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy– nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

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Special thanks to Thad at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is out now, so seek thee out a copy wherever books are sold. 

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!