Adriana Mather's is an unbelievably lovely person. I've had the pleasure of meeting her once and I follow her on Facebook. That being said, I always wondered how her books were. I won a copy of Killing November in a giveaway she was hosting, so when I was lucky enough to get a copy of Hunting November, I was ecstatic.

Hunting November was phenomenal, I was really worried that it would fall under the second book syndrome, but it didn't.

It was as fast paced as Killing November and it was a mix between Mission Impossible and Bourne Identity an was so good!

I recommend this book to anyone who asks me about Mather's!

I hate to say it but I was disappointed with Hunting November, the sequel to Killing November. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, the follow-up just didn't live up to the expectations set by its predecessor (which is a pretty common phenomenon among sequels in YA series, at least in my reading experience). In my opinion, Killing November is a four-star read, while Hunting November is only a three-star read at best. It's not bad by any standard, but it's also not especially notable or memorable.

What I liked so much about the first book was the intrigue and world-building that came along with a story set at a top-secret spy school. It was like a darker and deadlier Gallagher Girls series, made for a more grown-up audience. And I don't think I'm alone in that. In fact, when you look at a sample of the most successful series out there (including adult, YA, and children's series), an element that many of them have in common is the existence, in some form or another, of a school, training program, or shared living quarters that specializes in some fantastical discipline. Here's just a few off the top of my head: Harry Potter, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Vampire Academy, The Magicians, The Poppy War, Red Sister, Book of the Ancestor, Codex Alera, Name of the Wind, and Gallagher Girls.

By largely removing the top-secret spy school from the story, the second book lost the one element that drew me to the series in the first place. And then, as the icing on the cake, it went all Mission: Impossible - Spy Kids International on me, in a move that can only be described as Hollywood-esque. As someone who reads a fair number of memoirs and espionage thrillers written by people with a background in the intelligence community, I have a pretty low tolerance for the blockbuster depictions of being a spy. And, in that respect, Hunting November came close to venturing into dangerous plot territory for me, but it somehow managed to walk the fine line between entertaining me and pissing me off with its ridiculousness--mainly because the story never tried to pass itself off as something more than what it was. In owning its absurdity, I was able to look past it.

Nevertheless, the plot of the second installment was simply, for lack of better words, less intriguing and weaker overall than that of the first installment. With that in mind, I don't think I would read a third installment in the series, especially with the shift away from the school that the second installment took which I can easily see becoming permanent in future installments. Don't get me wrong: I liked Hunting November enough to finish it, but not enough to read future books in the series.

Lives up to its predecessor! I was hooked. I was desperate to know what had happened after we’d last seen November.

This is just one of those fun stories, that while unbelievable at times, is also how you wish you’d lived.

I loved the first book in this series and this second installment certainly did not disappoint. I love this realistic albeit violent world that November has managed to stumble into. November is a complex character that I was so invested in I could not put this book down. Now that November fully understands the complex world and dangers she was born into she has to leave the Academy to find her father and ensure his safety and success. November and Ash leave to try to track him down but what kind of odds do two not fully trained teenagers have against the leader of a secret society? That question kept me glued to the digital pages. I highly hope there are more volumes set in this world to come.

“Hunting November” is the follow-up to “ Killing November” by Adriana Mather. This book was action packed and had a good cast of characters. I was not a huge fan of the romance aspects. There were some moments that I felt the story was dragging a bit. Overall, this was an ok sequel

I'f you enjoyed killing November you will like the second book.
It was interesting so see November and her companions use there skills in a real world setting. Which was filled with close calls and heart pounding moments! I liked seeing them come together to fight a common cause !
The 1st book would definitely be my favorite of the 2 tho!

This book was an excellent sequel to the author's previous book, Killing November. This book was action-packed and exciting, and definitely needs to be read following the first book in the series. I would love to see more books with these characters, and enjoyed this fast-paced exciting read. I received a copy of this ebook from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This one was just ok for me. Hunting November was fast paced and I was excited to read a little more romance in this one. But I just didn't care all that much for the side characters, or the plot. The mystery that I loved from the first one just wasn't there.

First sentence: When I was a little kid and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I gave them all sorts of wild answers. I told a teacher I wanted to be a couch potato so I could spend my days snuggled up under blankets in the living room. I told my best friend Emily’s mom I wanted to be a cookie taste-tester because that’s what Emily wanted to be. And I told my dad I wanted to be a knife so I could cut my grilled cheese sandwiches in two perfect triangles instead of the four dinky squares he always prepared. Of course this answer earned me raised eyebrows and an explanation about how a girl is a living, breathing thing that can be cut; and a knife is a sharp piece of steel that does the cutting. But now that I’ve discovered most of my childhood was a lie, I’m starting to think my younger self was onto something with the knife answer. Because in the past few weeks at Academy Absconditi, I’ve come as close to being a knife, or being stabbed by one, as anyone can get.

Premise/plot: Hunting November is the second book in the series. (Will there be a third? Or did this second one end tied up with a pretty bow? I haven't decided if there's a *need* for further adventures in this world...or not.)

November Adley has left the boarding school and has teamed up with Ash, her not-really-official boyfriend. Other former classmates may make an appearance as their quest--yes, QUEST continues. They are looking to find her father and get some answers. What they find...well...that's something else indeed.

There are plenty of twists in turns in term of plot. If by twists and turns you mean the characters are always on the move and finding themselves in intense situations. I don't know that readers will be on the edge of their seats. I'm not sure that "twists and turns" equal complete and total surprises for the reader.

My thoughts: I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I wasn't bored. I wasn't thrilled. I read this one in one or two days. That's something, right?! It wasn't so much that I HAD to keep reading because I just had to know what happened next. But I was determined to read it since I'd just finished the first book in the series. It's so rare that I pick up a second book and actually actually remember all the characters and exactly what is going on. I wasn't going to let that opportunity pass me by.

I could see this type of book being adapted into a television series for the CW. I could. Especially if the focus is on the boarding school aspect of it. I think that is where this series shines best. But I didn't regret the wider, global setting.

My biggest issue with the books are the flashback scenes. They are convenient for info dump, no doubt about that. But they feel a bit off from the actual action.

I loved the first book in this series so much that I sat down and read it in a single day. The second book started off a little slow for my preference, but it really picked up in the second half and I found myself enjoying the book nearly as much as I had enjoyed the first one.

This books takes us from November's school, to her hometown, and then to Europe, where the characters are led on a thrilling high-stakes adventure as November tries to find her dad. They confront and escape several powerful assassins along the way. This was a bit unbelievable, but suspending that notion, overall the book was highly enjoyable.

If you're looking for a fast fun read, I recommend this book.

I'm so impressed by this little duo - it's such a fascinating world! I don't want to get too much into spoiler territory, but don't read this review if you haven't read book one.

When November learns what the Academy really is and all about the Strategia (very fancy families called Lion, Fox, Jaguar, and Bear), she is off on a quest to save her dad and remove the ~evil leader~ from power. Her family was in hiding forever because a Lion married a Bear (something very much not allowed in the Strategia) and her mom's car accident death was really no accident at all.

This book had them heading to her hometown in Connecticut to start, which I obviously loved. There were definitely some incorrect Connecticut facts about Hartford, the capital, but I don't think anyone will care about that but me lol). Their journey took them to Europe next and I don't really want to say more.

Like I said in my review of the first book, it's fascinating to me that Mather came up with all of this. There were so many deep strategic moves and philosophies - how did she research all of this?! I would absolutely love to read more books in this world somehow, even just following another character at the Academy to spend more time there.

I was struggling to read this month and my one complaint about this book is that it didn't fully grab me and keep me reading. I do think this is more about MY reading slump and issues with the quarantine like many others, but I can't give this one a higher rating because I have been able to read other addicting books quickly during this time, if that makes sense? I do highly recommend checking these books out if the synopses intrigued you because honestly they were so fun and fascinating!

I was really excited for Hunting November and I must say that I was not disappointed. The writing stayed the same as in Killing November, so I was very grateful for that.

Hunting November takes place as November surviving a death attack at the academy that her dad had sent her to keep her safe. She finds that her father is alive and is on the run and she needs to find him in order to save him. With help from her beloved new boyfriend they set out on the most dangerous and risky mission ever, to find her father and take out JAG, but no one has ever attempted to take on the head lion and consequences are gravely, how can two kids pull something so dangerous and let’s face it a death mission when adults more skilled never could do?

I enjoyed the character developments and love how November is so much like her mother, even when you aren’t given specifics in the book. Not once did I see “and just like her mom.” Or “that’s what your mom did.” Instead of directing you to see the resemblance between the two, the author let you read it and come up with your own conclusions. I also enjoyed the teen drinking scene (hehe), we’ve all been there. However I found only two flaws in this book that didn’t really ruin the book for me as a whole.

The first issue was how some students were able to leave the academy in the first place without parents being aware of it?
And second was that we didn’t get enough character build on November as I would of hoped, by this time I would of expected a little more smarts and more stratagia attitude then what we actually got. Again, these didn’t break the book for me, just my preference.

I look forward to more books from Adriana Mather.

Hunting November takes us deeper into the world of the Strategia. November Adley's life changed when she was sent to Academy Absconditi and was thrown head first into a world filled with rivalries, espionage, and danger. Now she must leave the relative safety of the school and go into Lion territory to find her father before her family does. Together with Ash, November embarks on a journey to find her father. Soon she finds out just how dangerous the world her father kept from her truly is, and that there is a greater scheme afoot that threatens to upend not just the Strategia, but could create chaos for the entire world.
Adriana Mather is one of my favorite authors for the way she weaves history and political intrigues into her stories, and Hunting November is no exception. Hunting November was a thrilling sequel that ups the stakes and takes us on a thrilling journey across continents and into the intriguing world of the Strategia, a world that exists secretly yet in plain sight. Loyalties are tested, new friendships are forged, and betrayal abounds. I loved seeing more of this world and the politics of the Strategia Families in action. The character of November has had really good character development throughout this series as she accepts who she is in this world and owns it. I thought her romance with Ash was really sweet as well. I adored watching November grow closer to her classmates and seeing the friendship that develops between all of them. I also loved the twist towards the end regarding her father. That was a really interesting plot device and it made this book really satisfying. Filled to the brim with intrigue and thrilling action, Hunting November is about embracing who you really are, as well as the people who support you, even in a world filled with such distrust.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

November scarcely survived the Academy, but now she must embark on a mission to find her father. Will November find him in time, or will they both meet their end?



Killing November was a rock solid hit for me, and I couldn't wait to get back into this world. The sequel was just as jam packed with rapid fire action as its predecessor, but it also took me deeper into the world of the Strategia. I had previously learned a bit about these families, but now I found myself fully immersed in their world. As the plot thickened, November found herself taking a deep dive into it all, and I became more and more engrossed by the ways of the Strategia. I devoured every morsel of information Mather fed me about them, and loved trying to put it all together.

In the last book, I saw November honing her skills. Here, I watched as she used her skills to accomplish an important mission. It was interesting seeing her and her companions in a "real" world setting, which was filled with many close calls and heart pounding moments.

Speaking of her companions, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the developments with respect to November's allies. Some were very unexpected, while others stepped up in big ways. It was fantastic seeing them all come together to fight for a common cause. There were some really HUGE reveals towards the end, and even an actual gasp worthy moment. Seriously, I gasped aloud as I read this one part. It was fantastic!

Sequels are always hard to review, because you never want to reveal too much. What I will say is that I loved getting to know November and the rest of the families on a different level, and this book kept me captivated from beginning to end. I am sort of sad this series turned out to only be a duet, because I feel like November has more stories to tell, but I am extremely happy with the ending Mather gave her.

Oh gosh I really enjoyed this book!!! I adored the first one and missed the school dynamics and of course missed Layla, however I really loved the dynamic between the group outside of school. I enjoyed the story arc and the relationship between Ash and November. The ending was a bit rushed but I liked the overall ending! It was a great read and I wouldn’t mind expanding further on the adventures of November!
*thank you netgalley for sending me an arc*

I somehow didnt know this was a second book to a series so I am.going to go back and read the first!

I loved the first book of this series! I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the first and then this one from netgalley.

I was excited to find that this one picked up right where the last one left off. Reviewing it is difficult without giving things away but here we go.

I enjoyed getting to see our side characters more and learn about them this time around. We also got to see them outside of the school and back in the real world. I did however miss the school aspect a little bit.

This book was a wild ride and I enjoyed it so much! It did drag for a few chapters towards the end. The last 10% picked back up and I was riveted. That being said the very end felt rushed. I wanted to know to more of what was to happen next and I wanted to see the grief of the things lost.

All in all I still really enjoyed the story and recommend the series to everyone! This book is a steady four stars!!

Just as good as the 1st in the series. This will be an easy hand sell title. It is dark but not too dark for sensitive readers. I love the spy aspects. A very strong female. Love it.

A must read for anyone who loves boarding schools or spies. Hunting November is a breathtaking sequel to Killing November with more secrets and lies than ever.

What a fantastic ride! Just when I think it can't get better, it totally does!

November Adley is now having to go back to her world but also not her world that she used to know because now she has to look at it through a different perspective. And even though I've read the first and picked up things when she was at school, I'm still getting surprised and not always able to predict the twists which I really like.

There are a couple of moments where things get tedious but overall, I could barely put this book down. If you're looking for action, some romance, and even some political undertones, this is a great choice. But to get the full effect of it, definitely read it with its predecessor, Killing November.

Get ready for a ride you didn't know you wanted to take.