Kristen Orlando

If spies, assassins, extractors, and covert operations are your jam--this book is for you.

Reagan has spent her whole life moving from place to place, never making real friends. Instead she's been training to defend herself, to use guns and other weapons, to hack computers, and to be a part of the Black Angels, a covert CIA group. But maybe, if someone would ask--she'd like a normal life.

Having moved every year as a military kid, I could identify with Reagan. My parents didn't train me like her's or expect me to follow in their footsteps. But leaving everyone behind never gets easier, unless they weren't really your friends to begin with. I had to put this one down at the halfway point, when I didn't want to face the plot issue that was happening, but powered through a few days later. The first half sets up the world Regan lives in, with the second half much more action filled. One frustrating aspect of the plot is that Regan is considered "gifted" but the adults don't listen to her, or even consider her input. Which of course turns out to be the motivation for her to take risks.… (mer)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Luke is so frustratingly loyal and it always bites him in the ass. Raegan wonders whether or not she is selfish (she is), and Luke is unflinching in his devotion/friendship/love for her no matter the cost to himself. I honestly don't think she deserves even half of him. After what happened in Columbia, and once Luke saw how consumed she was with vengeance, he should have started doing more for himself. There was no going back, but he could have done things differently going forward. He could've been her friend and loved her from a distance.

I don't know what I would have done in Raegan's situation, but I can see how her thoughts and actions affected the people she cared about. She started to really lose herself in this book. She didn't know who she was, what she really wanted, or how to go forward. It was like she was stuck in a loop.

I don't think Torres is working alone. I think someone within the Black Angels is helping him and feeding him information. It's the only thing that explains how he knew so much about things before they happened. I also think that's why Raegan going rogue allowed her to literally catch him with his pants down.

I really enjoyed the setting for this book. We also meet a few of the other trainees, which are mostly Legacies (children of Black Angel operatives), and I wish they had been expanded on a little more. They had childhoods very similar to Raegan, so I'm sure they had interesting stories to tell.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 16th 2018
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2018/01/you-dont-know-my-name-you-wont-know-im.html… (mer)

"Like that's what love really is; that back and forth, give and take. She says one thing. He says another. She laughs. He touches her arm. If you're lucky, it's in those simple moments you find complete happiness. And that's how you want to spend the rest of your life. Forever in the middle of a conversation with the person you never, ever get tired of talking to."

This was a lot darker than I was expecting. I knew it was going to be about spies and espionage, secret agencies and double lives, but I wasn't thinking about the unpleasant aspects. That's my fault, honestly. I should have known it wouldn't be a romantic, happy and carefree story. The romance is subtle, but I wish it had been nonexistent. Their relationship just wasn't something I could get behind wholeheartedly. It never clicked for me.

As for the unpleasant aspects, the author doesn't explicitly mention the gory details, but she skillfully nudges the mind in a specific direction. She encourages certain thoughts, and those played out very vividly in my mind.

I get that Reagan was paranoid and anxious, she had every reason to be, but she should have shared her concerns with someone. She endangered herself and everyone around her because she didn't want to look crazy. I also didn't like how much hatred she directed at herself. She always wanted to take all of the responsibility and make it her own, and then she would drown in her emotions. I wanted her to handle things a little differently, but alas...

You Don't Know My Name captured my attention and held it. I have a few issues with the main character, her self-loathing being one of them, but they are all qualities she can grow and learn from.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 16th 2018
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2018/01/you-dont-know-my-name-you-wont-know-im.html… (mer)

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Yes
Level: high school

This is the third book in the Black Angel Chronicles. I picked this book up at a librarian book review group- I didn’t realize it was the third in a series until I got home. I was reluctant to read it because I didn’t have time to read the first two books. To my surprise I was captivated instantly. I immediately cared about the characters and wanted to find out what happened. Kristen Orlando did an excellent job of grounding the reader in the story and concluding her series. I ordered the rest of the series for my collection.

I would recommend this series to a YA that liked stories about espionage, romance, or friendship.… (mer)