Frankie Fox, Girl Spy: READY, SET, SPY by Yvette Poshoglian
(Lothian/Hachette)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN: 9780734415684
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie
(Lothian/Hachette)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN: 9780734415684
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie
Eleven-year-old Francesca (Frankie) Fox, motherless but with a
millionaire Dad, has a boathouse for her room which she shares with Boss, her
West Highland Terrier. It is located on a cliff 178 steps down from the main
house called Griffin where Hanna the housekeeper keeps house for her Dad
and cooks for the three of them when her Dad is home. He is a brilliant
scientist and runs a secret set of labs on Fortress Island which Frankie can
see from the boathouse window. Frankie's Dad protects his property with an
electric fence, and is concerned that his wealth and scientific knowledge could
make him a target of an evil group called the Alliance, a threat to the whole
world.
Frankie has always wanted to be a spy. She is studying The
Spy's Handbook which belonged to her Dad and pours over it every free
moment. There is a code scribbled inside it that she needs to decipher and so
far has been stumped. Unusual things have been happening. Frankie thinks she is
being watched and her room has definitely been searched. Later, when kayaking,
her boat is almost overturned by a woman in a kayak who she recalls later was
the stand-in bus driver on the school bus. Also, strange underwater lights are
puzzling.
James Jensen (JJ), a new neighbour but previous resident returned
from Iceland who attends Frankie's school, arranges to kayak across to Fortress
Island with Frankie and Boss. The two kayakers set off one evening and once
again Frankie sees the underwater lights. When they land on the island, they
come across soldiers and are captured. Their captors are agents for Griffin and
are fighting the Alliance. When Frankie is told her father has been kidnapped
by the Alliance, she is amazed to discover both JJ and herself have been in
training as Griffin spies, and as things fall into place, she knows whatever
she has to do to rescue her father, she will do it. It is vital she deciphers
the code in her spy handbook and completes Mission Icefall. And Boss and JJ
have a role to play, too.
Yvette Poshoglian, a Sydney-based high school teacher involved in
creative writing workshops, has created an exciting story with plenty of
intrigue and drama. She uses retrospect cleverly to keep the momentum charged
and pacey. Each chapter is headed by a quote from The Spy's Handbook
which alludes to the content and increases interest.