Rating: 4/5 stars.

“The Spy Who Raised Me” is a respectable debut teenage spy graphic novel. The protagonist, Josie Black, finds her life turned upside down when she discovers that she is actually a trained secret agent, and that her life so far has been mostly a lie.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. Josie’s predicaments, while rather outlandish, echo themes and problems that many teens struggle with in their daily lives, including low self-esteem, and the need to show that they are both independent and capable of taking care of themselves. The twists are very unexpected and well-balanced. The heart-breaking moments are countered with hilariously ridiculous reveals, making it suitable for a younger teen audience, and relatable to many older children and teenagers. 

My only problem with the story is that while the main theme is redemption for the protagonist and showing the world what she is really made of, the author does not give the other characters the same treatment, nor allow them to have any real redeeming qualities. I hope these characters are given the chance for redemption in a follow-up story. I definitely want to read more about Josie and her adventures. 

I would recommend this graphic novel to those who enjoy the likes of the Alex Rider series, and are looking for something that does not take itself quite as seriously.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*

I thought the description of this graphic novel sounded very interesting & fun. But sadly this didn’t quite end up being my cup of tea.

The art was something I really enjoyed, it was fun & quirky. But the story itself lacked a bit for me. I feel like Josie’s mother’s motives for doing what she did was a bit vague and I wish we’d seen more of her father as well. The ending of the book left me with so many questions. Did she even end up staying with her father? 

If there will be a sequel I would probably pick it up anyways. Like I said I feel like some things where left unanswered and I would’ve liked to get less of an “open ending”. 

This ARC was given to me for free from Net Galley but my opinions are still mine.

⭐️ “The Spy Who Raised Me” gets 1/5 stars from me!

*I received this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of honest reivew*

The story begins with a very strange fact for the young protagonist of this story. Josie is at school with her friend and when her mother picks her up from school she has a sudden blackout and can't remember what happened to her. When she then asks her mother for explanations, she realizes that she was duped by the same mother, because she was hired as a spy for a large company. Her mother seems to block her with orders and control her but will she be able to rebel? Will she be able to unseat her mother and get rid of this thing that is robbing her of freedom and everything possible? The graphic novel in the style of the drawings is certainly not one of my favorites, nor of the best: the standard color goes from light red to dark red and remains so for the same volume but the type of drawing seems so little decided and clear. The story even worse. Let's pass the mother's abuses of subjecting her to this kind of weird and sadistic thing of turning her into a spy and hiring her for this company she doesn't remember anything about ... and I don't like that at all. But I still don't like it when the story doesn't take on something meaningful. Josie fights for her freedom and ok but the story has a really lacking and non-engaging plot. I did not particularly appreciate this reading, I admit it and I believe that a change of gear is decisive, at least in enhancing the plot of the story, which is somewhat disappointing. Two stars for this.

I just finished this book! I have always loved books that are about spies and this was another great book! My favorite character was Josie because I felt like I could relate to her.

3 Josie Black stars!

I’m always on the lookout for graphic novels, especially those with strong heroines. But I must admit that this one wasn't what I expected. I didn't really like the idea of  the story and how Josie's mother kind of ruined her life. I always look for things that would fit in one of my lessons but I don't think I can add this one to any of them. But I did enjoy it as a reader and srptill think that Jodie was a badass.

I unfortunately decided to DNF this book. I thought the concept was intriguing, but in execution it seemed extremely unrealistic, I got about a third of the way into the book and a plot point got introduced that seemed a bit ridiculous and I knew that I wouldn’t like the rest of the story if I kept reading. I also was not a big plan of the art style, I’m not sure if the art will change much from the arc to the finished copy so maybe that will be improved in the final version. 

I think younger readers would be able to suspend disbelief better and possibly enjoy the story more,

4.5/5

The Spy Who Raised Me, written by Ted Anderson and illustrated by Gianna Meola, is an action-packed graphic novel filled with agents, companies, and bad ass girls. J.B. has spent her whole life being average at everything. It isn’t until one day when her moms says things she isn’t supposed to hear, that J.B. realizes that there’s more to meets the eye about her mother and her self. On a road to self-discovery, J.B. must also battle against all that comes her way while also discovering who she really is. 

This was a really fun read! I always enjoy graphic novels and this was no different.  

The art style is great, the dialogue is excellent, and the pacing is wonderful. Truly I loved everything. 

Some graphic novels have the problem of all the panels and pages looking the same, but the dialogue is well placed throughout the book. And the panels themselves are shuffled enough that I don’t feel too much repetition in layout. 

Zoe is my favourite character. I appreciated all the slang and how the characters spoke, especially the girls. I believe Anderson has a firm grasp of how young teens talk and I’m here for it, my dude. 

The only reason I took half a star away (I’m really nitpicking here) is because of the colour pink. At first I loved the colour scheme but after a bit it was hard to look at. However! I did read this on an electronic, so once I get my hands on a physical copy, I’ll flip through it again and maybe then I’ll rethink that half star :P

For an adolescent is normal to have conflicts with parents. But this time is the parent who has conflicts with Josie: she has hidden a lot from her daughter and she is determined to uncover them!
Perhaps the story is told a bit too quickly with some details lost in the gutter between panels leaving the reader to guess too much and with a plot twist or two in excess, but in the end this is a charming and funny book to read in an afternoon.

The Spy Who Raised Me, by Ted Anderson and Gianna Meola, is about J.B. and Zoe, best friends since early childhood. They embark on a fun and exciting spy mystery adventure. J.B. is an operative, but for who? Who is controlling her and why is she learning about this only now? A fast paced graphic adventure that will delight graphic comic book readers who enjoy spy adventures and good old fashion action. Highly recommended.

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. Despite that, I didn’t see any other flaws in this book! Great for children of all ages!

The Spy Who Raised Me by Ted Anderson and Gianna Meola was a fun fast paced graphic novel about Josie aka J.B. finding out that not only is her mom a spy, but so is she. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reccomended for grade 5+ #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bowkerbooks

I need to give a quick word of explanation as to why I am reading this. My 11YO twin daughters, are--how to say this--completely besotted by this series of middle-grade books about dragons that are just God-awful, even by the standards of middle-grade books about dragons. Apparently, there is a new one of these coming out. I had happened to mention that, as a NetGalley reviewer, that I sometimes get access to books before they are published, and good Lord God, you would not <i>believe</i> the amount of whining I got asking me to see if the latest version of these horrible books were available. (They were not.)

So I was looking at the middle-grade books, you understand, and I came across THE SPY WHO RAISED ME, which I picked up for Child A to read - she's a fan of the SPY SCHOOL series, and this looked like more of the same. I scanned through it first, and it looked okay--a little bit sparse in terms of the artwork (the cover is far better than the rest of the book), but a decent story and a lot of action. 

I have to report that Child A didn't much like THE SPY WHO RAISED ME. She didn't think the characters were all that well fleshed out (true enough as far as it goes) and that the motivation of the mother didn't make much sense, and that too many improbable things were happening too quickly.

These are fair criticisms, although maybe a little beside the point. THE SPY WHO RAISED ME is really more of an allegory about teenage rebellion, and a tame one if a little creepy here and there. As such, it accomplishes what it wants to, and doesn't have time for much of anything else. Recommended for the promise it shows if nothing else.

I really wanted to like this graphic novel.  I’m always on the lookout for new graphic novels with strong female protagonists, and I love the premise.  I can’t help but feel this would have be a wonderful full-length novel with more time for exposition, description, and build up to the finale. The graphic novel format didn’t allow for detailed and nuanced storytelling. It moved too quickly through the story.
This would be a good pick for reluctant readers who need a fast-paced story to maintain engagement.

The Spy Who Raised Me is well-written and well-illustrated. It's also fun and enjoyable as a book for younger and older readers. I appreciated this original and clever story, and I loved how the author and artist used the graphic novel medium to tell it.

Ok now this was disappointing! With such an intriguing premise this one just went nowhere and just conveniently ended...

This graphic novel is a super silly and fun story of a girl who's a spy and doesn't know it. It requires a little suspension of disbelief (like any good comic). Fun twists and a loyal best friend. I assume it the first book in a series that I would definitely like to read.  Perfect for fans of comics and graphic novels and appropriate for most tweens and older. 

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

You think your parents are bad? At least your mom is probably not a spy working for a secret organization that volunteered you for a brainwashing program when you were a baby and turned you into a covert operative who is somehow STILL flunking math! I mean, probably.

an exciting story that wasn't executed that great. The plot twist didn't do it for me, and the art wasn't that pleasing, but I liked how the action was carried. I only hoped the ending wasn't executed that way.

In a world where it's not just children but teens and older that read books for the thrill of thinking themselves something they're not, we get this, of a teenager who is definitely something they're not – or something they would never think they are.  Assuming a humdrum suburban life is all Josie has in store, and regretting how sleepy she gets every time she joins her marketer mother on a trip to Europe, Josie is soon to find out a secret about herself.  For the mother is no marketer, she's a world-class spy.  And Josie?  Well, she's better – she's a spy who can be a spy without ever becoming aware of the fact, for she's been programmed, brainwashed, made easily wipeable…  But what happens when she gets just one rung up the ladder marked self-awareness as to her secret status?

I really liked the precis of this book, hence my lengthy version of it just then.  I think the writing, quickly got through, is good too.  Which must mean it was the artwork I had the most issue with, and I certainly did.  Josie (and her best friend Zoe) look so androgynously ugly I could hardly tell their gender at first look.  The pink sheen over everything marks this out, somehow – and I don't rightly know how – as a teen-only read, when it might have been available for all age ranges.  But as to the merits, I think in the end they outweigh any issues I had with it.  Often you might find this kind of story, which is rigidly designed to be A. Book. About. A. Young. Person's. Agency. And. Growing. Up. and all that kind off stuff.  Getting away from the maternal thumbscrew and being your own person is definitely a topic here, but it doesn't ever read like that is its only purpose – it reads as an entertainment first and foremost, and for that I certainly have to deem it entertaining.  It looks like it could be an opener to a series, which would be a most welcome one, but this never reads as if it's struggling to balance world-building with drama, for it's definitely a self-contained story in its own right.  Whether there is more to come or not, this is well worth a look.

The main reason for me giving this a 3-star rating is that I really, REALLY didn't like the art. The color palette just doesn't work for me and I felt like my eyes were burning from all this orange.

Apart from that, the story is kinda fun -a girl  who was "brainwashed", hypnotized into learning numerous secret agent skills by her Mom, and now finds that out and on a mission to bring the Company down.

It was a quick read and I would even like it if it was longer, the story wasn't the problem for me, it would have been fun to follow the story develop a bit slower and further even. But, again, the art and the colors just didn't work for me in this one.