This was so much fun! This was like National Treasure for teens. I loved that this book had the option to be interactive or you could just read on and find out as the main character does. This was the most fun I've had reading in a long time. I've already recommended it to my mom. Oh and this needs to get picked up as a movie, my family would love this!

Just finished Codebreaker, and wow—what a thrilling ride! Imagine National Treasure meets The Da Vinci Code, but with a Gen Z twist. Mia Hayes, a brilliant teen, teams up with hacker Logan to unravel a series of puzzles left by her fugitive father. Their quest takes them through iconic D.C. landmarks, racing against time to prevent a national catastrophe.

What sets this book apart is its interactive element—you get to solve the ciphers alongside Mia and Logan! It's like being part of the adventure, decoding clues and uncovering secrets. The pacing is spot-on, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

While the story touches on political themes, it doesn't overshadow the thrilling plot. The focus remains on the mystery, the codes, and the dynamic between the characters. It's a perfect blend of action, intellect, and a dash of romance.


If you're into fast-paced mysteries with an interactive twist, Codebreaker is a must-read. Perfect for teens and anyone who loves a good puzzle!

I liked this book, but I couldn't quite place what genre it should be. It would have been perfect for a middle grade or younger high school except for the language and if the violence had been toned down. I think it would be a real hit with the 10-15 age group if that happened. I think it's meant for the YA audience, which makes sense I guess, but I still think it would be better for younger kids. The action was more to that level as well, and the codes were not hard, they were plug and play, which lent themselves also to a younger audience. So it's hard to know who to recommend it to, because I think it's too much for the 10-15 age group, but not interesting enough for the older group. Otherwise the authors show immense promise and it is interesting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Could not put this book down! Little sad that I won't be able to get this to students right away because there are several I can think of who would want to read this right away.
Great thriller that starts off right away and keeps you hanging. Liked that there was the interactive aspect of being able to solve the codes too.

This was a fun, quick read about a girl trying to solve various clues left by her father while trying to dodge a couple of shadowy government agents. I enjoyed solving the codes, I only wish that they were harder, but this is YA so I can't complain too much. I didn't like that the FMC lost both parents within two months, and found out her dad passed an hour before she was kissing the MMC. I also thought her parents were idiots, each putting their family in danger, especially the mom. So three stars from me, serviceable but not amazing.

Mia Hayes has had an interesting childhood living with her professor father and journalist mother in different cities across the globe. She and her father share a love of codes and ciphers and have played many versions over the years culminating in an annual scavenger hunt on her birthday. Now in her last year of high school they have returned to the US and Mia plans for a summer job and college. Her world is turned on its head one summer night when government agents intrude in the home seeking a document they feel her father has. In the ensueing melee her mother is killed and her father goes on the run. Now Mia must embark on one last scavenger hunt to uncover the truth about her parents and recover the vital papers. This immersive YA thriller places the reader in the Da Vinci Code paired with National Treasure as Mia and her new ally Logan visit iconic historical sites across DC. This novel is cleverly interactive with the reader given the choice to pause and solve the codes on their own or continue to read as a novel. I chose the later option as I was eager to know what happens next. As a history buff and fan of puzzles I enjoyed the historical bread crumbs about American history and the cerebral problem solving. I understand this is a debut novel and I personally was very impressed with the intense plotting and development of tension and character. I predict a very bright career ahead. for this imaginative and talented wordsmith. The narrative addresses some issues and views that are developing in our country making it also thought provoking and timely. Recommend highly as this was a wholloping good read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc! I wish I could have given this 5 stars but my brain can’t comprehend how 2 high school students are outsmarting literal CIA agents like this is some sort of low budget Disney spoof.

This was the perfect fast paced book. I ate this book up so fast. The twists were well timed and shocking and while i was close to guessing one twist i was never close enough which makes this even better!

Although it strains the imagination to think that two teenagers (Mia and Logan) can thwart the attempts at capture by members of the CIA , this novel is an exciting, action packed thriller that I was unable to put down and read in one day.. The writing is spectacular with fantastic repartee between the teenagers. The cleverness of giving the reader the opportunity to solve the codes (I was only able to solve a few) was ingenious. The political situation portrayed could clearly be likened to what is happening today.
I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication and I anxiously await the next book by the husband and wife team writing as Jay Martel.

This was such a fun book. Fast paced thriller perfect for all ages. It was a brilliant touch that you could solve the clues along with the mc. My only critique of the book is that the love story felt forced and not a genuine connection. Other than that a great fast read.

This is a great interactive read for puzzle-loving fans of YA. There are interactive elements throughout the book that add to the narrative and make it more than just a story to be read but a code to be cracked.

Although she plans to have a quiet summer break, Mia's world is turned upside down when her mother is killed and her father is on the run after being accused of taking something that a unfriendly group desperately wants back. As a birthday tradition Mia's father always leaves her clues and codes to solve some sort of a puzzle, but now seventeen-year-old Mia and her new romantic interest Logan are in a race across Washington D.C. to solve clues that might just save the country from disaster.

In addition to the codes and puzzles, this is a fast-paced, page-turner of a book. There is plenty of intrigue and suspense, and the bad guys are suitably villainous to be taken seriously. The atmosphere is politically charged, and historical monuments and locales play important parts in the plot. All these things make this a well-rounded story.

The only drawback here is the politics. In today's world which is fraught with political unrest no matter what party you belong to or policies you agree with, this book does fall into the trap that is currently plaguing us in real life. It does not portray an unbiased view of the political landscape. I'm probably oversensitive to that fact, but I do wish that, especially in a book geared towards young adults, a bigger effort would be made in regards to politics to teach them how to come to their own conclusions without providing a clear author's viewpoint. The end result might be the same, but getting there could stand to be more shown than told.

Overall, as a fun puzzle read with plenty of suspense and characters worth rooting for, I enjoyed this book.

Action packed and intricate this novel tells the story of Mia as she breaks many codes to save the nation from destruction. Action packed and intricate this novel tells the story of Mia as she breaks many codes to save the nation from destruction.

Codebreaker is a fast paced YA thriller following Mia whose life falls apart when it becomes clear that her parents are swept up in dangerous and likely very illegal activity. Mia then has to race through DC to solve her father’s birthday present, a highly coded birthday scavenger hunt. While this is their yearly tradition, this year she is being chased by people who want to know what her father hid at the end of the trail.

This is one of those books that if you can suspend your disbelief a little bit you’re going to love. It reminds me a lot of the Inheritance Games / the Naturals in that way. However, if you can accept the somewhat wild premise, it’s a great book. It’s fast paced and provides an interesting history of coded messages and conspiracy theories that were cool to learn about.

The twists in this book were also well done and are set up really well throughout the book so they’re not just coming out of nowhere. I enjoyed how these happened and think it added a lot to the structure of the book.

My favorite part of this book was definitely its interactive nature. When Mia is solving codes, the second you have everything you need to solve it there’s a little star indicating that you should pause and attempt to get the solution. Getting to crack the codes alongside the main characters was super fun and I would definitely recommend it if you read this book.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and hope we get more like it in the future!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. From the clues we got to be apart of as readers, to the characters, to the twists I did not see coming, all of it. It’s marketed as YA but I feel like adults can find enjoyment in this one as well (I sure did). It kept me on my toes the entire time and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see how everything played out. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the ARC!

This wasn‘t my cup of tea at all, im so sad.
It was fast paced and I liked that you could solve codes with Mia but that was about it. I didn‘t like the mcs at all. The stuff that happened was really tragic but I just couldn’t connect to the story or the characters. The little romance that developed between the mcs felt so forced and just wrong in my eyes.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

This book caught me off guard! I originally clicked because the title had intrigued me. I definitely enjoyed every page of it! I love how it feels like solving a puzzle alongside the characters. However, I do agree with some of the other reviews that the book can become a bit confusing at times. I found myself flipping back a few pages and carefully re-reading when I felt confused. The plot moved quickly, which I enjoyed since it was just what I needed.

Furthermore, Mia and the other characters were quite like able and I could see myself in her personality enough that it made the book more enjoyable. Logan was also a great character as a hacker, but you’ll have to imagine that some of the things he does are truly what hackers do. Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for being an enjoyable read but slightly confusing. (I hate to admit it but I struggled to get any of the puzzles haha)

This was a fun, interesting and fast-paced read! I thought the authors did an excellent job of crafting a storyline that will keep you engaged.

The story itself is unique in the regard that as a reader you have the opportunity to solve the codes/puzzles right alongside the leading characters. It makes for a really interactive and immersive read.

It definitely had me feeling like I was reading a young adult version of National Treasure and I'll be grabbing a copy for my personal book collection after it's released.

I'd add this one to your TBR.

Thank you Jay Martel, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book and. All opinions in this review are my own.

⭐⭐💫

CODEBREAKER by Jay Martel

Mia Hayes wants nothing more than to enjoy her summer. When the government shows up unannounced, her mother is killed and her father runs. Three weeks laters, she is thrown into a matter or life and death as she trams up with Logan to figure out and decipher the clues her father left.
I'm not sure how I felt about this book. On one hand, I thought this book was interesting, and I liked trying to solve the ciphers. On the other hand, this book lost me. There were times where I was confused, and it felt like information was being thrown in left and right---like a ton of information, which made it hard to keep track of.
This book was fast-paced, but I ended up growing bored toward the second half---I can't get into it much without spoiling but (history tour). Regardless, this book had potential, I just don't think I was the right audience even though I appreciated that massive twist.

An engaging thriller that pulled me in from the first page until the last. I was as throughly hooked on finding out what every single detail about these characters and I just want everyone to read and enjoy this book as much as I did.

I love a good mystery thriller and this did not disappoint. Mia is spending the summer working when her mom is murdered by the government and dad is on the run but these events kick start a world of puzzles and codes that Mia needs to break. I found the plot original and engaging and the whole story thrilling.