originally posted at curledupkids.com

The last thing Toby Klein ever wants to be compared to is a cheerleader. She’s nothing like them – they do roundoffs and back flips; she does roundhouses and Jujitsu. Cheerleaders like skirts and body glitter, and Toby is more of a combat boots and black pants kind of a girl. So why is she getting notes in her locker from the cheerleading squad – scribbled in purple glitter ink, no less – demanding she attend a recruiting meeting after school? When Toby, against her better judgment, goes to the meeting, she finds out that the Bayport cheerleading squad is actually made up of teenage CIA agents who do local spy-work for the government. The last girl on the squad graduated last year, and the cheerleaders think Toby would make a great addition to their squad – if only she could learn how to cheer and clap at the same time...

Perfect Cover is the first installment in Barnes’ newest series and it’s chockfull of fun. Fans of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series will likely enjoy this, especially since The Squad is geared toward a slightly older audience. Toby is infinitely likeable, and readers will get caught up in her immersion into the world of cheerleader spies. Toby’s acerbic wit serves as a good foil to the perk and pep one would expect from a squad of cheerleaders. That is not to say, however, that the cheerleaders are without depth. Each girl has her own backstory and her own reasons for being a part of the squad. Readers will enjoy watching Toby learn how to not only be a cheerleader, but also how to be part of a team.

The next book in the series, Killer Spirit, was released at the same time as Perfect Cover - if you pick up both of them, you can continue Toby’s adventures without any pause!