This is the second book in the series and while I can tell I missed some of the hows and whys from the first book, this did not make it difficult to read the second. I thoroughly enjoyed the story even without those specifics I missed from book one. I never felt lost or wondering about something. I would like to go back and read book one, mostly because I absolutely enjoyed the writing style and the characters in this book. This is a great spy story with twists that this reader highly recommends. When I mentioned the writing style, I particularly liked that while the sections are all about the same girl, they are different as they are based on what identity she was living at the time. Her "real" identity of Gwendolyn Bloom is dead. Well not really, but the CIA is supposed to believe she is dead. She adapts other identities to keep herself safe or to acquire items. I am giving this a solid 4-star rating! looking forward to possibly a book 3?

This book was full of twists and turns. However, the story line got way too bogged down with Gwen's search for the money and her greed. I was sick of her naivety when it came to the money. I was also so annoyed with her obsession with Terrance. Their relationship was sweet in book 1 but got very annoying in book 2. Gwen has been through so much but is still struck dumb by a boy. The suffering that Gwen goes through in this book was unimaginable. In my opinion the epilogue was unnecessary.

This is a fast paced book that keeps the pages turning fast speed! Our main character saved her father in the first book but is now on the run herself! This is a great sequel for the readers who enjoyed the first. The series is a great one for reluctant readers who would be into action and thrills!

Thank you to Feiwel and Friends as well as @netgalley for the advance copy of The Greed. I actually had to go back and read The Cruelty first because I didn’t realize it was a sequel. These books have consumed my week.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for The Cruelty, ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for The Greed. I wanted to read these to evaluate for my middle school library. They are DEFINITELY best for mature high school readers. Wow. In The Cruelty, Gwendolyn has lived all around the world with her (adopted) father after her mother’s death when she was seven. As far as she knows, her dad is just a paper pusher for the CIA. When he disappears one day on a trip to Paris, she learns that he was hiding so much more from her. At this point the story gets fairly implausible, as she kind of turns into a ruthless killer on her quest to find the truth. The Greed picks up with her reunion with her father, as they now live undercover in South America. The sequel was pretty repetitive - Gwendolyn massively messed up, is caught, moves to a new life, tortured here and there, rinse and repeat. Where the first book felt like the movie Taken, except the daughter is rescuing the father, the second felt like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Gwendolyn really doesn’t develop a ton as a character, which makes her kind of hard to like. This duo is definitely intense, with lots of violence, drinking, and “adult relations” (as my mom always called it). I would recommend for grade10+. #highschoolreads