Codebreaker is a fast-paced, high-stakes YA thriller that combines cryptic puzzles, government conspiracies, and a dash of romance into an action-packed adventure. From the very first chapter, Jay Martel plunges readers into Mia Hayes’s world just as it unravels—one shocking night that leaves her mother dead, her father on the run, and her life forever changed.

What makes Codebreaker stand out is its clever use of codes and puzzles that readers can try to solve right alongside Mia. The interactive element adds an immersive twist, making the reading experience feel more hands-on and urgent as Mia and her hacker ally, Logan, race through Washington, D.C.’s most iconic landmarks in search of answers.

Mia is a strong, relatable protagonist whose grief, confusion, and growing determination make her easy to root for. Logan adds charm and a touch of rebellion, and their chemistry feels natural without overtaking the plot. Their partnership—full of witty banter and shared purpose—helps balance the darker themes of betrayal, loss, and political manipulation.

The pacing is tight, with each clue leading smoothly into the next adrenaline-fueled discovery. While some twists are more predictable than others, and a few plot moments stretch believability, the sheer energy and cleverness of the narrative keep it moving.

Codebreaker is a fun, compelling read for fans of contemporary thrillers with a historical edge. It's ideal for readers who enjoy decoding clues, outsmarting shadowy organizations, and rooting for characters who are just as smart as they are brave.

Fans of books like Mysterious Benedict Society will definitely love this one. I have always loved puzzle-style books, but always struggled with how almost all of them seemed to be written for middle grades. This had the same feel as those types of books, but the characters are older (and authentically speak/act like 17 and 18 year olds). The book has high stakes and the problems feel geared more toward YA readers as opposed to middle grade readers. There is a lot of action and kids who are interested in history will especially love this. This is the perfect book for my 8th grade classroom library and I am really looking forward to getting a physical copy to recommend to my students.

Good characters and story. I enjoyed the puzzle solving aspect of yhe book.. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Codebreaker throws readers right into the action from the first page. Mia is about to turn 17. Each year her father gives her a puzzle to solve sending her on a chase for her gift. This year, her excitement is interrupted by an invasion of her home by men in suits. Things quickly go awry and her mother ends up dead and her father on the run. She quickly learns that something isn't quite right and it has to do primarily with her father.

The book is fast paced and interactive. Mia is provided with clues and codes to break while readers are given a symbol and the opportunity to solve them along side her. This is a really fun adventure read. I think fans of movies like National Treasure would like a lot of the elements.

LOVED this book! So fast-paced and catchy. I learned so much about cryptography, the world-building was excellent and the relationships and dialogue felt realistic and drew me into the story and the characters. I also loved the interactive element. I finished the whole book in less than 24 hours. Bravo!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Wednesday Books for the pre-release copy of Codebreaker by Jay Martel. Below is my honest review.

If you loved National Treasure (I did), this book is for you. If you love secret codes and treasure hunts (I do), this book is for you. If you're a fan of YA (I am), this book is for you.

What's the fuss? This one is an absolute thrill ride of fun. Secret codes galore, danger around every corner, twists and turns and plot twists, a road trip of museums and libraries and monuments, and so much more are mixed into the pot for Codebreaker and I loved it!

Highly recommended (with the caveat that it does include parents dying, so trigger warning!).

This YA book follows Mia who is on a scavenger hunt from her father, a famous codebreaker. It had a lot of action and twists making it enjoyable to read. The formatting was really unique and fun. I loved stopping and decoding while reading. I thought the information weaved into the story about codebreaking was really well-placed and made reading the book more fun. I did guess a lot of the twists though.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book. If you're looking for a grabbing thriller this book is perfect for you! It kept me hooked the whole time. I'm hoping to read more from this author.

This was very interesting! I’ve never read a book quite like it. And I plan on buying a physical copy. I didn’t expect to like this so much!

I thought the concept of this one was really fun, but it just felt way too young for my liking. It felt much more YA than it was intended to be. Some things just developed way too quickly and I felt things were missing. It's not a bad book, just not my favorite.

4.5⭐️
Wow, this was such an awesome YA read! I love books that have a different spin on them and while it was a bit predictable in certain ways it was so much fun to read that it didn’t matter. The best part was there were “stops” in the book by using symbols so the reader could figure out the different ciphers along the way ahead of reading the “answer”. It was such an inventive interactive way to get fully engaged in the book.

I knew nothing of the author but was thrown by a seemingly stereotypical male name as the writing had a very feminine feel to it at times. Well my curiosity was sated at the end when it showed who the authors (plural) are with a husband and wife team. They did a great job as a team as the book is fast paced and well written.

It is YA but as long as a young person was mature enough to handle parental death it could easily be read by middle grade readers and be appropriate as it reads on the younger side of the genre

This book comes out on July 22nd 2025 making it perfect for some summer reading!

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Wednesday Books through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.


My rating system for young YA, Middle Grade, and children’s books

⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but it has some value for young readers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! I would recommend for the age or reading level appropriate for the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs as a wide spread reading opportunity.

Written by a wife and husband team under the name Jay Martel, this is a well-written debut novel. The plot follows Mia, a 17 yo girl, as she scrambles across Washington DC trying to solve a mystery left by her murdered parents.
The story pretty seamlessly flashes between current day and memories as Mia and the MMC, Logan, race against the clock and face imminent danger.
The pace and writing style make this a quick read, and even though it is YA, there is a little bit of something for all ages. If I were being nit-picky, I would say minus the blood/death and a few kisses, this reads a bit on the younger side of YA.
I liked the interactive inclusion of readers getting the option to use the clues to decipher the codes themselves or simply read ahead in the story.
Overall, if you like light thrillers, codes and puzzles, and a fast-paced entertaining story, then this book is one you should check out.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts are completely my own.

Codebreaker was a fast-paced, high-stakes story full of puzzles, conspiracies, action, and excitement. I thought the book was a lot of fun to read. It’s full of puzzles and codes, and one thing that I especially liked was the inclusion of a symbol indicating when you could stop reading and attempt to solve the puzzle yourself. There was usually enough information that it wasn’t too difficult, and I had fun working out some of the puzzles on my own. The story also breaks it down with the characters solving the puzzle, so reader puzzle-solving isn’t a requirement, just a fun perk. I’ll admit, many of the scenarios in the story were a bit unbelievable, and the main character tended to solve the puzzles remarkably quickly, but there was plenty going on throughout the story that kept me invested and wanting to keep reading. I was pretty surprised with the directions things went a few times, so it kept me on my toes. I liked both of the main characters and their interactions with each other. I thought Logan provided great comic relief that lightened up some of the more intense scenes. I’ve seen some comparisons of this book to National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code, and I definitely got that vibe as well.

This was such a quick and fun read! I devoured this book rather quickly and absolutely loved it! I’m a huge fan of puzzles, so there’s no surprise that this book was perfect for me. It had me hooked right from the start and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I truly could not put the book down until I finished.

It definitely gave me National Treasure vibes with a little more emotional impact. Both Mia and Logan trauma bonded over the death of their parents. Mia’s flashbacks tied perfectly into the present story and really had me crying a few times. She definitely went through a lot in such a short period of time, but I’m glad she had Logan by her side.

I did not see any of the plot twists comings and I was completely shocked when I read them. Overall, for a debut novel, this was amazing!

If you love puzzles, thrillers, and edge-of-your-seat action, then definitely check this book out! Codebreaker releases on July 22!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for providing the copy of Codebreaker by Jay Martel. What a fun and amazing debut! This book kept me glued to the pages as Mia discovers and solves coded messages on a scavenger hunt that turns into a race to outrun federal agents. The story was rich with US history and fun facts about well known locations. There are plenty of coded messages you can try your hand at breaking! I don’t want to give too much away, but get this book if you like cryptography and puzzles! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

DNF at 19%

I tried reading this with my kid, and it was more violent than we were expecting. The ability to try to crack the codes before the main character was neat but not enough for us to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a bit of a mess, honestly, but it was still a fun read. The plot was somehow always too convenient. But it was fun to read through the codes and see Mia come up with the solutions.

** Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!**

I loved this book! Does it have a few minor writing issues? Yes. The plot is a little convenient and the writing is repetitive. Mia was presented a challenge, she struggled for two seconds, and then Logan would say something to trigger some memory and cue the flashback scene. It was repetitive and got slightly annoying, but I still really enjoyed this book.

The plot was really interesting, though slightly unbelievable. The characters were well-written and had some growth. They were really fun to read about!

This is a really fun read!

As others have said, this fast paced novel is great for fans of National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code. I think my teen will love this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun read about code breaking, codes along with some history thrown in. It was fun seeing all the different codes along with a bit of history about John Wilkes Booth and the other co- conspirators who wanted to see Lincoln’s downfall. It also shows what lengths people will go to.