Vi Spy: Licence to Chill - a laugh-out-loud funny spy series from the bestselling author of WHO LET THE GODS OUT

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I won't go on a long rant, but let's just say this is not how you write a 'white man conscious of privilege' character, even as a punchline. It was grossly miscalculated. Vi is a great character who is super-relatable. She’s been sheltered her whole life, thanks to her over-protective mum, but now she has a chance to prove that she can look after herself. She is desperate to become a spy, and her mum’s reluctance just makes her even more determined. I love the relationship that Vi has with her Nan and the relationship that grows between her and the Sprouts. Vi is failing at top spy school Rimmington Hall – even though the school motto is ‘Failure is Not an Option’. To make it worse, nearly-stepbrother Russell Sprout is an A* student. Worst of all, Vi’s shadowy nemesis Umbra is still at large.

If you are looking for a book that is side-splitting funny then look no further than Vi Spy by Maz Evans. I know it is not the same thing as a transgender person's deadname, but it's all in all teaching children to disrespect someone's choice until they eventually listen to you. I can deal with a fart joke every now and again. A smelly, crude, or silly joke. It's not my humour, but I know kids love it. I get it. But this was a David Walliams level of crude humour which I just have never understood a need for. No thank you. It just feels lazy. Can Vi not only foil the baddies but also do it in time to prevent her Mum’s brain exploding? Well, maybe, but she might need a little help from her friends - and the OAP branch of the Secret Service….

Extract

Twists, turns, spies and surprises. What more do you want? Tears? Laughter? Maz Evans delivers them all.' FRANK COTTRELL BOYCE My only other big dislikes of the first book were the very cheesey, punny, personally not funny humour - which I respect is different for everyone, especially children. Divorce is tough for any kid. But when - like Vi's parents - your mum is ex-secret service and your dad is a retired bad guy, 'till death do us part' takes on a whole new meaning. And with her parents' focus on each other, the real super-villains are having a field day. To save her family - and the world - from evil domination, Vi must turn spy.

The second book in a brilliant middle-grade comedy adventure series; follows book 1, Vi Spy: Licence to Chill, which was shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards. I was talking to friends that if this turned out to be a drawn out lesson about respecting people's choices towards the end, I might let it slide, while still disliking the method. But no. As well as school not going to plan, she has to contend with all the chaos surrounding her mother, Easter Day's, second attempt at a wedding and her father's new life away from being a villain, which, somehow, seems even more dangerous. But then, her enemy Umbra makes a reappearance and Vi is caught up in trying to unmask their true identity and also prevent them from getting a deadly weapon and controlling the world. Oh, she also has to pass the end of year exams at school. Maz Evans began her writing career in journalism as a TV critic and feature writer. She is also the founder of Story Stew, a creative writing programme that visits primary schools and literary festivals around the UK. She lives in London with her husband and four children. Vi Spy: Never Say Whatever Again is the second in the trilogy about teenage trainee spy Valentine (Vi) Day. Coming to the end of her first year at Rimmington Hall spy school, Vi feels like her actions in the previous book, Licence to Chill, when she defeated the super-villian Umbra, proves she is a good spy and so she doesn't need to put up with pointless exercises like rope climbing in Mr Repp's PE class and that she can make her own decisions when out in the field in the simulation exercises. So why is she struggling to get good grades and why is the head, Ms Direction, always on her case?I would give it 1 star, as its made me angrier than Who Let The God's Out did, but the plot, the characters, and the story potential itself redeems it just enough for 2 stars. Vi Spy would have classrooms erupting in laughter and would be a great book to support teaching of family, friendship, determination, perseverance, good vs evil and acceptance. Vi Spy: Licence to Chill is an entertaining thrill-ride of a book, with plenty of laughs along the way. This is a spy story unlike any I’ve read before, as it pokes fun at spies and villains. There is something in this book for all readers, from flatulent supervillains with stinky feet and super-spy grannies with gadgets galore, to dance-fighting parents and secret agent waiters. Maz Evans has clearly had a lot of fun writing this book!