Kat Carlton’s Sealed with a Lie is the second book in the Two Lies and a Spy series.
After discovering that her parents were Russian spies, Kari and Charlie Andrews move to Paris. There, they are protected and are training at Generation Interpol, an international school for spies. Unfortunately for Kari, the school comes with many annoying problems ranging from failure to understand and communicate in French, separation from American friends, and the existence of the insufferable Evan Kincaid. When Charlie gets kidnapped, Kari must put all that aside as she races across Europe to save her brother.
Kari was a mess in this book. Being in Paris has replaced many of her old problems with new worse ones. Her nemesis and tormentor Lacey Carson is replaced by a snooty French girl named Cecily, her friends are replaced by Evan, and English is replaced with French. All of this, plus a European setting, throws Kari completely out of her comfort zone. She constantly complains about being forced to go to Paris, speak French, and learn how to be a spy (something many kids would kill for). Kari also seems comparatively weaker than she seemed in the first installment. In Two Lies and Spy, we saw Kari’s strengths in martial arts, lock picking, and decision making, while learning about her determination and bravery. In Sealed with a Lie, her martial art skills are inferior to other and her emotional side comes out. While it is understandable that she is an emotional wreck, she often loses her cool and needs someone to calm her down. Her spontaneous ideas are often turned down for more methodical and successful ones. Hopefully, in the next installment, Kari will become the amazing and fun girl we met in the first installment.
Sealed with a Lie wasn’t as much fun as Two Lies and a Spy. This doesn’t mean the book was worse, just different. Two Lies and a Spy kept a light and fun tone despite Kari’s ultimate conflict in the novel. Sealed with a Lie was much darker. Charlie was kidnapped by an unknown entity. Instructing Kari through phone calls, a mysterious voice sends Kari on treasure hunts throughout Europe in exchange for her brother. It puts her through dangerous trials all the while, letting Kari know what will happen if she doesn’t comply. With Charlie gone, Kari completely loses her cool. She reacts extremely violently and often needs someone to calm her down. Despite its much darker tone, the book manages to keep a sassy and sarcastic sense of humor. Hilarious dialogue along with awkward situations did a lot to keep the book light, despite the dark plot. The book also contains and extremely fast-paced plot that doesn’t slow down throughout the bulk of the book. Because of its short length and fast pacing, this is book is one that can be read in one sitting. There is also romance in this book, but it is extremely predictable and is often overshadowed by the plot.
I give this 244 page book 4 stars.
Two Lies and a Spy
The series follows the hijinks of Kari Andrews, the daughter of two spies. She and crew of friend insult each other while preforming heists.