***Thank you Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the arc of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.***

I really wanted to read this graphic novel after reading its description. Unfortunately, I found the execution of the story to be very lacking. The dialogues seemed very dry and didn’t flow all that well in the beginning. They did get somewhat better towards the end though.

And the graphics. I just didn’t like them. It wasn’t just the style (I liked the red theme and some other style aspects) but it felt like there was no effort put into the illustrations and just didn’t feel like it would be a final draft for a graphic novel?? I think the book would’ve been more enjoyable had the illustrations been revised a bit more so we could actually see the characters’ facial expression a little better or even some of the cool spy moves the protagonist does.

While I loved the title, the art style was definitely not something I enjoyed. However, the story was great! It was definitely something I never would have guessed! It is something you need to read to the very end! It will keep you guessing!

Artwork: 4/5
Story: DNF.

The Spy who raised has a very interesting premise for me: My mother, a spy? However, despite having very beautiful illustrations and a beautiful reddish color, the plot is not for me. Or at least it has not managed to hook me as expected and that is why I have ended up abandoning the story. I don't know why, but I don't like the main character and the whole mystery behind her. Also, the "spy thing" came just on the first page and I was not expecting that too early.

I don't read graphic novels very often, but every now and again I feel in the mood to give one a go. So I picked up this one because, yeah, it is about spies. But the story is just bizarre: basically the mother belongs to a corporation that uses spies to do espionage, and the mum volunteers her daughter (our main character) to be programmed/brainwashed into obeying commands. So Josie has no idea she is a spy, until now... So basically it is a story about abuse with some kicks thrown in.

The other half of a graphic novel is, well, the art. I might have just been spoiled because I recently read Lumberjanes and I thought that the art there was really fantastic, but The Spy Who Raised Me was very basic art-wise. This is very, very basic. Which could work for like an online webcomic or something, but not a full on graphic novel. No offence to the artist, because I actually quite liked the cover which is what initially drew me to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Spy Who Raised Me is a book with a strong girl-power message. I loved the illustrations and the plot in general! One thing I didn’t like was how JB didn’t feel any remorse for her mother going to jail. If they were close for a long time, I think it would be hard to understand her mother is a criminal.

Over all, if this becomes a series, I would definitely continue reading on.

The Spy Who Raised Me is a fun read about Josie Black (J.B.) finding out that her mom has raised her as a sleeper agent without her ever knowing. J.B. now needs to decide if she’s going to live the life her mom wants for her or if she’s going to live her own life.

This was a fast paced adventure. J.B. accidentally finds out her mom has trigger words that control her skills and memory when her mom fails to use them right away before a mission she’s being sent out on. From there J.B. picks apart the truths and lies of her life with the help of her best friend Zoe and has to decide who she wants to be and what she wants to do with the skills she’d been given without her consent.
Is J.B.’s loyalty to her blood and the company that gave her the skills she has, or is to something else?
***
J.B. was a fun character who adapts incredibly quick to what’s going on and goes with the flow. The best part of the story was Zoe and her dedication to her friend and willingness to follow her into danger to make sure she’d come out on the other side alright.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I was not a fan of the book. The general idea was super interesting and I love spy stories but this- this i wasn't a huge fan of.

The story was way too simple and too predictable for my liking. All my predictions were correct and that didn't please me, it just straight up annoyed me.

It’s ok, but nothing special. The idea was good, but the clunky execution really brought it down. This book is full of weird pacing and awkward dialogue. As for the positives, I do think younger readers will really enjoy the action, and be able to look past the book’s issues. (vague spoilers) Theres also a bit of a twist halfway through that genuinely made me laugh (end spoilers). I think this book will be enjoyed by young readers, but those of us who are older should skip it for something better. 2.5/5

I wanted a Read Now book for something quick and fun and this premise really caught my eye. However, a couple of pages in, I am not in love with the art style (which is honestly, the least of my problems) and the story seems to progress in a strange way whereby frames seem to be missing in order to connect the dots (it's perhaps part of the story telling but I couldn't get into it); the dialogue is stiff and unnatural. Despite this, it will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy this type of story and art style.

Note: It was a DNF and 2-star rating is based on the part I did read.

Personally, it was a great summary for a mediocre book. A very quick read with no solid story and horrible cartoon images.
I am not great at drawing but I have seen many books with amazing design work. This book stated the obvious but gave very little background.

A great idea from what I gathered in the summary but fell flat with the execution.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

When reading graphic novels/manga, I can usually forgive a work if the story is compelling, but the art bad, or vise versa. This however, wasn't very strong in either case. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did - the blurb seemed interesting and I did like the cover art. The art inside, while I did like the red scheme, was lacking. The backgrounds were done well, but the characters seemed awkwardly drawn. The fight/action scenes, which should have been great for a spy story, were not drawn well. The overall plot wasn't terrible, but it felt like it needed to be longer with every plot line it introduced. This made it seem both too short, and also too long to get through. If this hadn't been a short graphic novel, I probably would have put it down. Neither the art or story seemed like a final draft. The trauma the main character experienced was never unpacked and was never really addressed. Some of the lines were funny, if a little cheesy. The story felt like it kept throwing more plot lines at you, without resolving anything in the end. Nothing really came together in the end, though the plot was technically wrapped up. I like spy stories, so I didn't really mind the trauma that was the main plot point - I just think it could have been done better. The story seemed to introduce every cliche in the book.

Overall, not terrible, but not outstanding either. I wanted this to be so much more than what it was.

I received a free E-ARC of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was a big fan of Alex Rider and I thought the concept of this story was great. It was a great opportunity to explore themes such as familial loyalty, betrayal or a unique take on a coming of age paired with realising your own potential and trusting your instincts. However none of these themes are evident in this novel. The story is rushed yet long. The main character never has any trouble of with immediately dismissing her mother as a villain and goes through very little emotional growth. I understand the limited color palette was an artistic choice but I felt the muted and repeated red tones didn't lend itself very well to the moments of high tension. Also the lettering in this novel was at times
distractingly messy and would benefit for another pass.

Liked the color schemes and the over all story. The art and words co well together in telling the story. I enjoyed myself reading this it is very clever and fun, I hope there is more.
What I didn't like was the art, the characters were plane and ugly and not my style which is why I gave it a four star rating.

this graphic novel was very.....interesting. Right off the bat, I was hooked, this was a unique story and I enjoyed the writing and the illustrations. But as the story went on I had some issues. This is a decent book on the surface level, but some things just don't add up? Maybe I'm looking too much into it, but the character's actions didn't align sometimes and it wasn't exactly very realistic.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and had a lot of fun reading it.

It's supposedly a story about a teenage spy, whose mother trained and "programmed" her to be a spy, without her knowing, and what happens when she finally discover the reality of her life and who her mother is. I didn't like the art at all, it looked clumsy and unfinished, and I would've been okay with that if the story was intriguing or sensible or even fun, but I didn't like it at all.

I thank Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the digital ARC

The book is a cute and quick read. It would be great for any teenager that is having issues with their parents. The art is simple and very easy to follow if someone isn’t as familiar with reading graphic novels.

What a fun and action packed graphic novel! I loved the monochromatic color scheme and the art was effective. As for the storyline, I am always here for daughters who break away from their toxic mothers and realize they are badass and awesome all by themselves and that they don't need a mother's love to thrive.

This graphic novel is about JB, who is a spy, but she doesn't know it. Her mom, also a spy, has been using JB as a tool and an experiment by programming her with super special spy skills. When JB finds this out, she's furious and confused and goes on a spy adventure to find all the answers she seeks.

Honestly, this was highly entertaining and a quick read. Definitely recommend when this comes out in April. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Josephine Black has a problem. She just recently found out that she has been programmed to be a secret agent for "The Company" by her Mom! What to do, what to do? Naturally, she enlists her friend Zoe to help her. But "The Company" is not what she thought it was, and things go sideways. So, now she needs to rescue Zoe and take down her Mom so she can get on with having her own life! The question is will she manage to defeat her trainer and overcome her conditioning? Read and find out in this action-packed drama!

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this tale!

The Spy Who Raised Me by Ted Anderson and Gianna Meola is a graphic novel for teenagers. The story revolves around a girl named Josie, or J.B. When J.B. realizes that she is missing some memories – she can’t remember anything that happened after her mom picked her up from school that afternoon – she discovers that she’s been programmed to be a spy! Her mother works for “The Company” and J.B. is a special agent also, she just doesn’t know it. However, when J.B. realizes her mother is lying to her and using the programming to control her, she and her friend Zoe end up in a race to free J.B. before her mother and The Company can get her back.

I enjoyed the story but I found it a bit quick and superficial. I think most teenagers would enjoy a more in-depth plot. I also did not really like the artwork. It’s not full-color, it’s mostly shades of red.

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

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.

Ever since I was little, I have been obsessed with spies. I find them intriguing and exciting and to be honest if I had the opportunity I would, without thinking, totally be a spy. So when I found out this graphic novel I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, this book was not what I was excepting.

In The Spy Who Raised Me we follow J.B who has a set of abilities that she has no recollection about, until one day she finds out she is a spy working for a covert agency.

I was so underwhelmed with this graphic novel, I had big expectations and to be honest I did not like it at all. The plot is very fast paced so it was hard to keep track of what was happening. The characters are not developed at all, and most of them are very unlikeable.

The story line was incoherent, the characters were flat and overall the art style wasn’t impressive.

Overall I am sad to admit that I did not enjoy reading this graphic novel, it was very underwhelming and I was expecting so much more. I am not sure who this novel was meant for but sadly I do not recommend it.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me read and review this book.