YA Adventure, Mystery, Sports: I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Carter, Ally. 2007. I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks. ISBN 4231-0004-2

Cammie attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women which only appears to be snooty school for heiresses in rural Virginia. Behind the façade is actually a legendary training facility for teenage girls aspiring to be top secret spies. Led by Cammie’s gorgeous and lethal mom, the Gallagher Girls deal with the challenges of classes like Covert Operations and Conversational Swahili. Life becomes extra complicated when Cammie, a.k.a. the Chameleon, finds herself deep in dual identities because of a boy who gives her a taste of what life beyond the spy world is like. Battling to balance expectations and perceived destiny with harsh realities and her future path, she and her sophomore friends face their greatest tests yet.

The exciting adventure and suspense from the beginning draw readers into the book as though they, too, are a Gallagher Girl on a mission. The efficient story line keeps up the pace, though details allow readers to experience the life of a spy in training. Though, “the plot revolves around more typical situations: she meets a boy in town and falls for him; and a new girl who thinks she is better than anyone else has difficulty fitting in. Cammie's mother is the principal of the school and she is supportive and loving” (Claire Rosser, KLIATT Review, May 2006). The fascinating setting of secret spy school as a hotbed of invention, technology, and protections with secret passages and labs and automations is still relatable to teens, while serving to enhance the action and storyline.

The intriguing and realistic variety of character personalities also adds depth to the story. Cammie is a strong character whose adventuresome and atypical side is balanced with realities of family, friends, school work, boys, and the real emotions of fear, heartbreak, recklessness, longing, and remorse. She has to deal with loss of father, relating to mother, dealing with an unusual and abrasive new comer, and reality of career path, coming to terms with the sacrifices of being a spy. “Is this the world I would choose if I could go back - be ignorant and blissful and happy - if I could live a white picket life on a white picket street and be ignorant of the unpleasant deeds that have to be done in places most people can’t find on a map? I don’t know. Maybe I would if my mind was like an Etch A Sketch and I could shake it and erase all that I know. But I’m in too deep now. I know what goes bump in the night, and I know how to fight it” (Carter 284).

The author’s flowing style is not overly complicated or detailed, with a focus on Cammie and seeing through her eyes. “Written in an easy-to-read, conversational tone, this novel combines the real (learning how to talk to boys) and the unreal (learning how to be a secret agent for the government) in a strangely believable way. Think Alias meets Gilmore Girls” (Stacey Hayman, VOYA, October 2006). The mostly lighthearted tone is coupled with plenty of jargon, language, and terms related to government and spies, which are not always explained but lends to believability in the main character’s first person account. This book is sure to appeal to those who like mystery, adventure, or spy stories, particularly girls. The Harry Potter parallels and a good mixture of adventure, drama, and romance help to broaden the potential reader base.

Classroom Connections:

-        Creative writing/social studies/history - choose a real place and time period, include details from research, and create a secret mission that would need to be done there - could extend into collaborative project, creating video or graphic novel or short story

-        Writing prompt: if you could create your own special school, what would it be? Who would go there? What would they teach? Where would it be?

Best Books:

Amelia Bloomer List, 2007 ; ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT)

Awards, Honors, Prizes:

Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2009 Winner Grades 6-9 Maryland
Georgia Peach Teen Readers' Choice Award, 2007-2008 Nominee Georgia
Kansas Notable Book, 2007 Winner