"The Secret Life of Kitty Granger" by G.D. Falksen centers around a neurodivergent working-class teenager in London in the 1960s. Kitty has always been considered a bit odd - she hates crowds, hates noise, has trouble with physical contact, and is very observant and aware of anything out of place. She has left school and works in her father's shop. A chance encounter with a Russian spy ring gives her the opportunity to work as a spy for Her Majesty's government, where these same personality quirks may let her help save the country from a political conspiracy intended to take over the government!

The book has quite a lot of action and adventure, and there definitely is a bit of violence, including some violent death. So trigger warnings for that! I picked up pretty quickly that Kitty was probably on the autism spectrum, but this is never explicitly stated in the novel itself. This is not an oversight but a deliberate omission; the Author's Note at the end of the book explains why this is the case. The book also includes a number of Topics for Discussion that could be used in the classroom, or for a book club, or even for parents to discuss the book with their kids.

I believe that this book fills a definite gap in the YA literature. The number of YA books with disabled protagonists is still fairly limited, and there are even fewer that focus on neurodivergent characters. My knowledge of the topic is limited but to me it felt as if Kitty was treated respectfully. I loved that the same personality traits that caused her problems throughout her life also made her a much better spy!

I found this book to be a fun and quick read - it really grabbed my attention and I definitely enjoyed reading it. I sincerely hope the author is planning a sequel (or five!) because I want to know what Kitty does next! I'm seriously considering purchasing a hard copy of this book when it is published.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a free e-copy of this book.

A spy novel that centers on an autistic teenage girl being recruited by the government? Yes yes, gimme!

This was a really fun and quick read! I flew through it. It was a gripping and interesting story with lots of action.
I really liked our main character Kitty, but also the side characters very much, especially cheerful Verity.
Most of all my favourite thing about this book was, that here was NO romance! None!
Just badass girls being badass, fighting rich racist men. The cast is super diverse and it discusses racism as a main topic without getting too much into detail.

The only thing that bothered me, is that everything came together a bit too easily. Kitty, a 16 year old girl, just battled everything without any incidents. She never slipped, she fought adult soldiers, rescued her friends and the whole country. It wasn’t very believable.
But still it was fun to read about her and I bet I would have enjoyed this even more if I was still in my teenage years.

I highly encourage to read reviews by autistic readers as well and to also read the authors note at the end of the book, because I’m definitely not in the position to say anything about the autism rep in this.

~Free netgalley book for review~ This was a lot of fun! I enjoyed reading this and I think younger readers would probably appreciate it even more. There’s action and a spy agency and secret identities and Kitty is a nice strong heroine and learns more about herself and her capabilities in this story.

I will say I think she jumps into following Singh and Pryce a little easily (she certainly doesn’t consider any consequences, or have any real emotional/moral reason to join them, but whatever, we have to get the plot rolling) however I’m inclined to forgive this because overall I was entertained throughout this short book. The story starts off with a bang and is a fast paced and refreshing read to its conclusion. I would definitely read more of this if it ends up as a series.

arc provided by netgalley for an honest review

“The Secret Life of Kitty Granger” is centered around Kitty Granger who works in her father’s shop and ends up crossing paths with secret agents for Her Majesty’s government. She eventually ends up joining their ranks and has a role in taking down the conspiracy against the Crown.

There are several geographical and historical mentions and while you do not need to know them beforehand, it would be helpful to have the map of the UK nearby and wikipedia for the historical part. It was a little confusing at times since these mentions were pretty vague so it was not clear what time period this was set into until a Beatles song was mentioned.

This is one of the few books in which I can say that the neurodivergent rep is fairly good and the individual is not demonised. I would have been nice for it to have been stated that she is autistic instead of just describing that she is autistic but I was overall happy to see better neurodivergent rep.

tw: death, violence

ARC received courtesy of NetGalley.

I really really was looking forward to this. Historical fiction, protagonist that is neurodivergent, all of the things I LOVE plus set in Britain, but it fell flat. The plot was thought out, but the time jumps were too much, along with the pacing. The setting, characters, and everything else was well-developed, but it just felt rushed as we neared the climax and falling action of the story. I also think the resolution left much to be desired out of what I assume to be a standalone (correct me if I'm wrong).

Kitty, however, it a protagonist who is needed within YA literature by being autistic and demonstrating stimming and coping mechanisms throughout the book.

Also, I applaud the author for writing in an East End accent for Kitty.

Kitty Granger has always known that she is considered a bit odd. She isn't the best at reading the emotional ticks of others, hates noise and crowds, fixates on patterns, and is intensely aware of her surroundings; if something is out of place, Kitty is going to notice. As a working class girl in 1960's London, these personality quirks aren't the most helpful. But when Kitty stumbles upon a Russian spy ring with her powers of perception, she's offered a job to work for the Crown. And who knows, maybe the things that Kitty considers to hold her back will assist her in saving her nation from a treacherous plot against Queen and country.

I was beyond thrilled to learn this book existed since there is a sad supply of YA titles about individuals with any kind of disability. Not only was the representation of those on the autism spectrum done in a respectful way in this book, it was also paired with fun and engaging action and adventure as our heroine spied for her country. I really appreciated how Kitty's quirks just made her a better spy instead of holding her back. It was a fantastic way to get the message across without being too obvious about it. My only complaint is I felt some of the textual language didn't quite match up with the times. Kitty or other characters would speak in slang that lined up with the 1960's, but then our narration would convert back to present-day language. The juxtaposition was a little strange, but this is a very minor complaint and did not take from my enjoyment of the title. Overall, this was a super fun and fast read that I would recommend for middle school and early high school readers, or anyone who is looking for a quick read.

This book was an easy, fun read, but unfortunately despite an interesting premise it never really reached its full potential. The historical setting was fun, and I enjoyed reading a young adult novel with a neurodivergent protagonist. If you're looking for a good read for a young teenager, this might just be it. Sadly, its appeal doesn't really extend much further.

Kitty was an interesting protagonist, and while I didn't necessarily understand why the author seemed so keen to write an autistic character without actually saying she was, the afterword to the book explains this well. Unfortunately, like the other characters in this book, her characterisation at times falls flat and she ends up being rather two dimensional.

There isn't much character development in this book, with characters often being introduced despite having little relevance to the story. As well as this, often the plot seemed a tad too convenient - sometimes beyond how far I was willing to suspend my disbelief.

Kitty Granger knows she is a little different from everyone else, but she never guessed that her ability to notice things that are out of place and remember tiny details could land her a job with a network of spies. Kitty must learn how to manage and use what is both a talent and disadvantage for her as she thrown into a dangerous mission to save London.

“The Secret Life of Kitty Granger” is a fun read with everything you could ever want: a secret agency, spies and conspiracies. On top of this, it held great insight into history and what it may have been like for a girl to grow up with autism during the early 1900s. I think that this would make a really good read for teens interested in a variety of genres because the novel is not only exciting and fun, but also has danger and tension, with a valuable overall message.

The representation in this book was phenomenal and I can't believe I hadn't heard about this sooner! I really connected with our main character Kitty and I absolutely adored this story.
Is there going to be a second book because I definitely see potential for more stories here.

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I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
For me personally, Kitty seemed like such a ditz, I couldn't get attached to her. That always lessens a story in my mind

If anyone knows anything about me, they know I love all things espionage! This book was right up my alley and I had been hoping to receive a galley when I requested- and (obviously) I did! This is perfect for fans of Black Widow and the Gallagher Girls series! I loved this so much, I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

I am absolutely obsessed with this book! I couldn’t put it down and finished it in about five hours. Kitty is such a likable character, I instantly connected with her. The Secret Life of Kitty Granger has an interesting plot, and I appreciate that Falksen paid attention to historical accuracy. The book takes place in 1960’s London, and Kitty, a 16 year old working class girl with autism, is given the opportunity to be a spy through a strange turn of events. Kitty’s first assignment: spy on a Lord that may be aiding fascists attempting to take over the government. This book is quick, with just the right touch of 60’s flair, and several wonderful feminist teaching moments, my favorite being “I think you’ll find, Tommy, that girls can be interested in all sorts of things, only we don’t talk about ’em’ cause people keep tellin’ us we’re not s’posed to like ’em.” I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys spy novels, YA fiction, or just those looking for a quick fun read!

“The Secret Life of Kitty Granger” offers action-packed throwback escapism while giving us an unlikely heroine that still resonates in the current world. Sixteen-year-old Kitty Granger lives in London’s East End, works in her Pa’s shop, and is a “peculiar” person. When her curiosity gets the best of her, she finds herself crossing paths with secret agents for Her Majesty’s government. Her personality quirks make her a prime candidate to join their ranks, and soon she is in the middle of a mission to suss out a political conspiracy that could bring down the Crown.

This was a fun read with well-written characters and a briskly moving plot. A minor content warning for violence and death, but nothing visceral or beyond what you would see in a PG-13 movie. It also helps to have a general knowledge of a UK map and major post-war moments to understand some of the references made.

I loved the realistic portrayal of an autistic perspective. Kitty is never “outed” as being diagnosed, which makes sense given the time period this story takes place, but the details given about her perception of situations, sensory overloads, and even her masking and stimming are presented with awareness and respect towards that experience. It’s also not treated as savant syndrome either, which is really refreshing. Although some traits are to her benefit, some are not and provide both internal and external friction throughout the story.

I do wish that the time period was made a little more clear within the context of the plot. There were bits of historical context dropped here and there in conversations and scenery details, but it was vague; this could have been anytime between Post Austerity Britain and Pre Thatcher Britain. It wasn’t until a specific Beatles song was referenced halfway through the book. that I was able to pin down a rough year estimate.

If you’re a fan of spy films, neurodiverse protagonists, “Mod” London, or kicking some fascist butt, you’ll enjoy taking a peek at “The Secret Life of Kitty Granger.”