Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

Pretend you live in Manhattan, across the street from a little park. Now pretend you wake up one night and the park has sunken into the ground and left a big hole. Wait, it gets weirder! Pretend you see a mud-covered creature climb up out of the hole using a rope, and it waves at you. What would you do? If you're twelve-year-old Ananka Fishbein, you sneak out of the house and climb down the hole. Once down the hole, you might find a secret room. (I say "might" because I'm not sure which park you're imagining, but for the sake of argument let's assume you live across from the same park.) In that room you would find a trap door that leads to what appears to be a never ending hallway of closed doors. This, my friends, is the Shadow City.

The Shadow City is entirely underground. No one knows how far it runs, how many rooms there are, or even where it all leads. Most people don't even know it exists, except for Ananka, and the mud-covered thing that waves like British royalty. Ananka has about a million questions about the Shadow City, the mud creature, and the new girl in school that no one has ever seen before, the one and only Kiki Strike.

Who is Kiki Strike? She's not about to tell. But she has put together an amazing assortment of girls. The Irregulars are misfits, borderline delinquent, unappreciated, Girl Scout rejects, and they've never met until Kiki came along. Ananka is curious and courageous, and has access to a vast peculiar library that her parents call home. Luz Lopez is a mechanical genius, she can design pretty much anything and make it work. DeeDee Morlock is a chemistry whiz, explosives and poisons are her specialties. Betty Bunt is a master of disguise who hasn't been seen, as herself, in four years. Oona Wong is the best hacker and forger in Manhattan. Kiki Strike is, well, Kiki; no one ever seems to get around to figuring out why or what she's masterminding. Together these girls will explore, map, and ultimately control the Shadow City.

I loved this book! After awhile, you get so wrapped up in the intrigue and adventures you forget, like the rest of the girls, to ask why all of this is happening. It's exciting, confusing, and completely absorbing. I didn't want to put it down, and my sister kept getting mad at herself for falling asleep while she was reading, even though she was completely exhausted. One of the most fun parts of this book, aside from the story itself, are the interesting and surprisingly useful lists at the end of each chapter. They include things like "How To Take Advantage of Being a Girl," "How to Catch a Lie," "How to be a Master of Disguise," and "How to Kick Some Butt." It also includes information about other underground cities, various New York City landmarks, and more. KIKI STRIKE is definitely geared towards girls, but far from too girly for a boy to appreciate.

The story, while complete in and of itself, is still a bit open-ended. I hope that means we get to see more adventures from Ananka, Kiki, and the rest of the Irregulars. Kudos to Kristen Miller, and can I join? ( )

Full of girl positive energy, charming characters, and interesting tidbits (history, tips on escaping from a kidnapping, etc.) - loved it. ( )

Six girls being tough and amazing under New York. Good YA with fun little 'how to be amazing' sections at the end of each chapter

While Kiki Strike is obviously a book aimed at teenage girls, you won’t find any lip-gloss, ‘cute boys’, or love triangles in these pages. This book is a punch in the face of everybody who thinks that girls can’t do whatever boys can do. By the end of a few chapters, every pre-teen who picks up this book will wish she were as dangerous as Kiki Strike – so it is fantastic to see that Miller has included frequent ‘how to’ sections, filled with information you won’t learn in school, from how to be a master of disguise to how to incapacitate a kidnapper. It is obvious from reading this book that Miller has put a lot of good, hard research into her writing, and it adds to the appeal of the novel immensely.

As a mystery novel, Kiki Strike scores very well. Its number-one asset is that it is delightfully unpredictable, with a plot that twists, turns and remains complex and surprising to the very end. The mistrust that Miller plants is especially appealing, forcing readers to make difficult decisions about who is lying and who is telling the truth. Anyone who can guess the ending of this intriguing novel should be very pleased with herself.

Despite her fantastic storylines, however, Miller has clearly forgotten what it was like to be twelve years old. It is very difficult for an adult to write from the perspective of a child, and, like many others before her, Miller has been unsuccessful. The narration of the book rings with a mature, controlled and elaborate style that simply does not befit a twelve-year-old girl. The social hierarchies of the bullies at Ananka’s school are reminiscent of B-grade Hollywood films – most definitely not the stuff of real life. The entire novel works a whole lot better if the reader simply discards the fact that the main characters are pre-teens, especially considering the murder, treason and grand-scale theft that Miller seems to think many young girls are capable of.

Once you ignore its unrealistic aspects, however, Kiki Strike is a unique and stimulating novel that will fascinate and surprise its readers. Recommended for pre-teen to teenage girls who want something more from their reading.

When I met Kirsten Miller I told her I wished a book like this had been published when I was a kid and I meant it. It is in my top ten of adolescent fiction that promotes "girl-power." If you have a daughter, this book must be added to her shelf. It's also a great book for those of you who just love books about New York.

PS--Miller writes the best blog in town. Check it out on the Kiki Strike website! ( )