I'm thinking spy books are not my thing. This book is pretty well written and I'm positive that most people who read it will really enjoy it. I enjoyed the first third of the book, but the story just wasn't my cup of tea.

You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando is fun, action packed and adventurous. Reagan has been trained to be a Black Angel agent, like her parents are, since she was very young. Black Angels are secret agents and, as the book opens, a hitman breaks into Reagan’s home to kill her and her parents. After the hitman is dispersed, Reagan and her parents need to move for their safety once again. In their new house, Reagan finds friendship and a possible boyfriend that she feels completely comfortable with but with becoming an agent looming in her future, she knows that the relationship is doomed and she’s determined to hurt Luke as little as possible. She sabotages their relationship soon after it starts, breaking Luke’s heart and her own. This book is full of action and suspense and I don’t want to give anything away! I read this young adult mystery quickly, enjoying every minute! 5 stars!

Such an interesting concept. Totally something I'd recommend to my students.

Reagan has trained her whole life to be part of the Black Angels, a highly trained secret CIA task force who does the most needed and dangerous of mission, which her parents are members of. But now that her senior year is almost over, and she actually has friends since they have not moved recently, Reagan is uncertain if she wants the life that her parents have trained her for. What is she wants to go to college and be just a regular girl? It doesn't help that the boy next door, Luke, is not only her best friend, but she may have deeper hidden feelings for him she can't give into. But when strange things start occurring and her parents leave for a new mission, Reagan realizes that she needs to step up to what she was meant to do.

I had been wanting to read this book for forever because I am in love with the idea of a teen trained for years to be a spy, the covert life, danger and mystery surrounding it. When I finally had the chance to read it, I found myself instantly engaged in the book. This was such a fast read I flew through the pages, not even realizing that time had passed by until I was at the last stressful chapter of the story. And FYI, this is the first in a series, the story sets up for what is to come, so don't expect a resolution (or a happy ever after- this is not that book).

of normalcy, but told she can't have it. Her parents (in my opinion) sucked- sure they helped the country, and did important things, but never spent time with their daughter except to train her- never to talk to her or get to know her. Their expectations were substantial, and I can't imagine how anyone could live up to them.

And yes, there was a smidgen of romance (which makes me happy) but it in no way was the focus of the story (which was also nice). Luke is the boy next door, the only person Reagan can be almost herself with. He is an army brat who dreams of following in his father's footsteps to join the military after graduation. It is a kind of bittersweet romance because Reagan knows it can't be, she can't have attachments, but boy is it hard to keep away. I loved Luke, I'm just going to lay that out. The boy knows how to keep his cool in a tough situation, as well as the fact he has an open mind and a healthy dose of respect for Reagan.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to the next step in Reagan's life. There are so many questions that I want to have answered that there is no way that I will not read the second book (which hopefully comes out soon!). The one issue I had was how fast the ending occurred- there was all this building up for like a chapter (an incredibly stressful chapter, but still super fast) and the book ended. I understand there will be more to come, but I wanted a little more from this event, but that is just a little nitpicky thing that probably only I had issues with. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an action book with a strong, competent female character who tries to fight for what is right.

I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more book stuff visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

I received a free copy of an ARC from the publisher via netgalley.

so incredibly annoyed that this is the first in a series. if you weren't already aware of that, BE WARNED. ugh.

it took forever for the action to start. I got impatient.

I did like the relationship between Regan and Luke. their slow build to kissing was excellent.

Regan's parents were half terrible. her dad did a lot of, "I can't deal with her!" door slamming. her mom was better. "aunt" Sam was annoying for the most part.

I won't bother to read the sequel.

I enjoyed this book. I asked to read and review it after having read the Gallagher Girls series. I preferred the Gallagher Girls series over this title, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this one, too. For the most part, it was more serious than the GG series. It had no trouble keeping my attention, and I understand a sequel will be coming in the future.

Pages Read: 115/320 pages

Because: Holy wow was this cheesy. And predictable. And very young-skewing? I felt like I was reading a MG that was aged up to try and appeal to YA readers? It was a very superficial read; shallow characters, blah plot, predictable narrative. I checked out mentally about 75 pages in and then gave up completely.

Reagan has spent her entire life moving from one town to another, always forced to leave as soon as she starts to get comfortable. That's what happens when your parents are members of the most elite, top secret spy network in the world. But now things are different. Reagan has finally found a group of friends she really likes and boy who could definitely become more than a friend. So of course everything starts to fall apart, ensuring that her family will soon be packing up and disappearing into the night. The action in this novel is fast-paced and intense, walking you through everything from Reagan's training exercises to the details of her parents' missions. Reagan reminds me of Katniss, if Katniss had spent her whole life being trained as a Career, instead of plucked out District 12. The romance in the novel doesn't suffocate the more important aspects, which is a definite plus, and the main character's interactions with her friends and family sound authentic and fit the way a teenager acts and speaks.

I should've read the description a little more closely when I requested this book on NetGalley. I probably wouldn't have read it if I had known.

The truth is, You Don't Know My Name isn't bad, but it just didn't keep me interested. I only finished because I was curious about Luke and Reagan, and what would happen with them.

In a lot of areas, the entire book was predictable. Which made me a little disappointed, because it could've been a really good book if not for the predictability.

Reagan had so many choices to make about whether she wanted to stay a Black Angel or to go about her life as a "normal" teenager. As things progressed, I did feel sorry for her. And I'll be completely honest . . . the ending really made me cry.

If you like spy-type stories with hunting down bad dudes, with lots of guns and violence - then You Don't Know My Name is perfect. Just wish I could've gotten into it more myself.

4.5 Stars!

"You were meant to change the world. You think you'd be happy with the white picket fence life?"

This was so much more than I expected! Before I started reading, I was thinking it would be slightly similar to the Gallagher Girls series, but I liked it so much more! Reagan is a badass, but she isn't in your face about it like so many YA heroines before. She is a little whiney sometimes but it's always understandable and well within the normal limits of an everyday teenager. Luke is absolutely perfect... but that ending! I need more

Strong girl character. Obviously there will be a sequel with the way this one ends.

This book called to me when I read the summary, it sounds exactly like the type of book that I would like. I mean, a book about a top secret agency? Yes, please! But this book was so much more than I was hoping for.

Reagan is no stranger to lies, in fact lying to the people around her, parents excluded, is pretty much the only thing she’s ever known. You see, her parents are part of a top secret government agency called the Black Angels. As you can imagine, living in that world isn’t very safe so Reagan and her family have had to move and switch identities, a lot. For Reagan though, Ohio is different, these friends are different and this is making her second guess what she wants to do with her life.

I won’t say much more than that because I don’t want to ruin this book for anyone. I will say that this book is about much more than what the summary describes. It’s more than just a book about secret agencies. It’s about family and friendship. It’s about not being afraid to stand up and break the rules for things you believe in, something that our MC, Reagan, is very good at and I loved that about her.

This book will also take your emotions on a rollercoaster. There were romantic parts that were just so sweet that I would just swoon, but on the other hand there were parts that were so sad that I cried my eyes out. I just can’t get over some of the things that happened, my heart absolutely broke for Reagan and the things that she had to go through. It’ll be interesting to see how the events of what happened in this book will affect her and her decisions in future books. Although with the way it ended, I have an idea on where her mind is at.

You Don’t Know My Name is an emotional, fast paced thriller that will grab readers from the beginning and keep them hooked until the very last page.

You Don't Know My Name is an action-packed thriller for which I received a free copy in exchange for review via NetGalley and the publisher. Reagan is a teenager preparing to complete high school who spends her time studying, applying to colleges, hanging out with her friends when she can and training to begin work for the Black Angels, a secret faction of the CIA to which most people are not even aware, even most people in the CIA. They are an elite unit used to rescue and handle very dangerous assignments. The Navy and Army are not the only ones with specially trained units. The Black Angels are so elite they train some of their members as soon as they come out of the womb and this includes Reagan.

Reagan is the daughter of two Black Angels and the entire organization has nurtured and honed her skills for her entire life, however, Reagan is starting to wonder if being a Black Angel and risking her life is really what she wants to do for a living. Maybe she might like to attend college and nurture the education that she has worked so hard to excel at and gain. Maybe she would like to do all of the things that her friends are doing, including maybe falling for the boy next door that she has grown so close to over the last year or so. When a mission her parents are on goes terribly wrong, Reagan has to decide quickly what she wants to do because despite wanting to give it some thought she is in the crosshairs before she has even finished her training and chosen to be a Black Angel.

I have to admit that one of my favorite things to do when reading a book with an exciting title is to tie the title to something that happens in the book. You Don't Know My Name did not disappoint in tieing in the title. This book does a great job of building in intensity and not releasing the tension even at the end of the book. The author does a good job of fleshing out the characters and drawing the reader into the story until they are invested in the outcome. Once that happened I knew I would follow this series wherever it leads. I have to admit the ending was not at all what I expected. It was heartbreaking but I am still hooked. Review can also be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspot.com .

Reagan is growing weary of moving around so much. After her parent’s last mission goes bad she is moved once again, this time to a city she feels like she might actually belong in. As her feelings for her neighbor grow, Reagan begins to consider what it is she really wants to do with her life.

Her secret is that her parent’s are Black Angels. Super spy operatives trained in mortal combat and weaponry, they have raised Reagan to follow in her footsteps. Reagan must put her misgivings aside, however and embrace her training when the lives of those she loves are put in peril.

A fun thriller/spy read!

This debut from Kristen Orlando is a wonderful fast paced thriller that will left me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The protagonist is so well developed and just all around awesome that it made me want to doing pushups daily.

The relationships in this book are stuff ships are made of. Reagan has not had an easy life, always moving and just not able to settle anywhere. That changes when she finds a place she wants to settle down but that may not be possible. Everything in Reagan's life has to be kept a secret in order to protect those she loves the most. Please believe me when I say the tension in this book felt real. I felt the struggles and my heart broke for Reagan.

I don't want to ruin anything about this book for anyone but know this was such a nail biting thriller that I cannot wait to read what Kristen writes next. I can't wait for everyone to read this!

You Don't Know My Name was a fast paced thriller that was well written and engaging. Usually the situation that Reagan finds herself in, that of a teenager being a super spy, isn't very believable, but except for a few flaws, I thought that Kristen Orlando did a good job of weaving a world in which this wasn't such a weird occurrence and made it sound quite plausible.

I did have some issues that stuck out to me that weren't a huge problem overall, but were little things that bugged me throughout the course of the story. The first: as well as Kristen Orlando wrote about a Black Angel operative being raised from birth, I feel like there are a lot of holes that could be poked in this. Is Reagan really the first to ever question whether she actually wants to do this? She's supposed to be some kind of wunderkind, sure, but it felt a little weird that it was assumed that no child would ever rebel against CORE (the Black Angel organization).

Second: it's distinctly mentioned in the book that Reagan has a pistol concealed in the back of her jeans before leaving to get on a plane. Once she's arrived in the new location, she stills has this gun. How on Earth did she get on a commercial airliner with a pistol? There was never an indication that she had a concealed weapons permit that would allow her to do so, which I think would've been an easy enough thing to slip in considering she was already traveling as an unaccompanied minor (unless she had fake i.d. that said she was older? Again, that part's glossed over).

Third: Again, the writing was really fast paced and I think that's what kept me from truly realizing that it wasn't until about 46% of the way through that anything really happened. The main threat being introduced, etc. Most of the first part was going over Reagan and whether or not she was cutout for this line of work. It was an important discussion, but it took a lot longer than I realized and I just don't think it needed that much going over, especially with the ending being what it was.

I'm very curious to see what the next book will be like. Considering Reagan's stance on joining the Black Angel agency throughout most of the book and the ending, I think things have changed a lot for her. I'm rather sad about that because she's not being able to make the choices she wanted, but her life is being determined for her by the events that are a result of the Black Angels. Will she be able to escape her "destiny" in the future? What will happen regarding Torres, the big bad of You Don't Know My Name? There are more than a few questions I have at the end of this adventure and I can't wait to find out more.

Finally, another book that will rival the interests of those who loved Boy Nobody! All the things I loved about that book are in this one, and I can’t wait for my students to get a hold of it. I loved the way Reagan is written- her training has made her smart, sharp, and one you don’t mess with but she still manages to be a teenager at heart.

Reagan Hillis has always known what she will do in life. Her daily rigorous training includes weapons, self-defense, running, and being able to leave and become someone else at a moment's notice. Her summers have been spent learning computer hacking in China, Israel for Krav Maga, and Russian for weaponry. This has been her life since she was born- both her parents are Black Angels, a secret group of military spies and assassins who work for the United States government. Her abilities are off the charts, and she is expected to enlist as soon as she graduates. Reagan is used to living a lie when she meets new people, but her recent “new” life has led her to two amazing besties and one swoony neighbor, Luke. She hates lying to them but if she doesn’t, she puts everyone in danger. She’s ready to live a normal life, kiss the boy she likes, and just hang out with her friends. She’s even been thinking about going to college and leaving the military behind. The problem now is convincing her parents. Reagan's relationship with her parents is unique because of their jobs, but teens will see themselves in their arguments and angst.

Trained to look for inconsistencies, Reagan is beginning to get nervous about a gray van that has been in her neighborhood on more than one occasion and the weird way the new custodian at school looks at her. She knows she should tell someone, but she waves off her niggling feelings.
Unfortunately, she should have paid attention to her instincts. It’s too late to do anything by the time Reagan realizes what is happening. Not only does her life become a target, but her parents too. Reagan makes the decision to fight for her parents even though she knows she might lose her life in the process. Orlando isn’t afraid to make this a tough read at the end, and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel. A ton of action and some major suspense makes this the perfect book for those looking for adventure, and just a little romance.

Great debut YA thriller! High school student, Reagan is not your ordinary teenage girl! With no social media profile, she tries to fit in at school but because she has been trained in mortal combat her whole life and her family must pick up and move in a moment's notice, things have never been "normal" for her. Her parents, Black Angel special operatives for an elite branch of the CIA, have told her she may choose their life or an "ordinary" life when she turns 18, What will it be? Will her crush be heartbroken when she has to move again, or will she choose college and a life less threatening? The plot races along at breakneck speed to its exciting conclusion! Looking for more by this author!

Exciting adventure series for mid age teens. Not sure it would fly with the older ones. Full review on goodreads