Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City

A worthy read if ever I've met one.

There is so much to recommend this book that it is hard to know where to begin! I wanna be a girl scout! I want to be dangerous! I want to be an irregular!!! I knew almost immediately what great hands I was in; Kirsten Miller's rapid-fire and hilarious mind is stamped on every single page. But it was when I was halfway through the book (and out in the weeds as far as the mystery was concerned) when I realized I was up against a mystery as formidable as one from Agatha Christy. I love good mysteries. Don't get me wrong, I like stories where I can see the ending coming a mile away. When I first saw Star Wars, and that Death Star showed up on the screen? Yeah, it didn't take more than a few seconds to show more know exactly how THAT was going to end. But, to be midway through an entertaining read, and NOT know where the author is taking me? That is not only rare, but wonderful! And I learned all kinds of stuff I never knew! And about subjects I never thought I would learn things about! :)

Thank you, Kirsten Miller, for setting Kiki Strike loose upon the world. I will never walk the streets of New York City and look them the same way again. Now where did they hang those pirate heads? Let me get out my maps!

I can't wait to read book two (which I purchased before I even finished the first one), but now I'm off to either book 2 in the Sisters Grimm series, or Lemony Snicket's Ersatz Elevator. Somebody got a coin I can flip? show less

Like all good caper stories, this one pits a group of talented strangers against a set of unlikely obstacles and when the dust settles, your strangers have become a team. Kiki Strike and a gang of extraordinary girl scouts take on a exiled princess mean girl, a million rats, a plague-emptied underground city, kidnappers and smugglers gangs. Along with sensible bits of advice for safely navigating your own adventures.

This one was fast and fun, and I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
I'd give this to younger Allie Carter fans, and to kids who enjoyed the Mysterious Benedict Society.

Ananka is yearning for a life of excitement, but she doesn't realize it until it the morning she looks out her window to discover a sink hole in the park outside her window and the secret room that lies beneath. Before long she is discovering a secret city with Kiki Strike and a highly talented group of girls called the Irregulars. The girls seem unstoppable until an accident occurs that leaves them doubting the motives of their fearless leader and causes a split. When girls across the city begin to go missing, the Irregulars must ban together to save the day.

I picked this book up on a whim while visiting a book store in Bay St. Louis. For a book that I chose based on the cover, I couldn't have been more pleased. This adventure tale show more moved quickly and kept me entertained the whole time. I loved the strong young women and the interesting setting. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the second book in the series. show less

I've been reading a lot of mystery novels featuring strong, adventurous girls, recently, but this is a standout. The plot is creative, with a number of twists and turns and edge-of-your-seat moments. The author uses unique and quirky details to bring out the character of each girl, and these details bring the story to life. I particularly enjoyed the brief interludes addressing the reader with advice about topics like how to tell if someone is lying. The "irregulars," a band of girls chosen for their unique abilities and adventurous spirit, form a sisterhood that will be the envy of adolescent girls everywhere.

A brief caution, there are a few gruesome details that younger girls may find unsettling.

(#28 in the 2005 book challenge)

Very fun girl power fiction for the young teen set. A group of girls explore hidden tunnels deep under New York City. It's got a real graphic novel/comic book feel (but it's a regular prose book, ya know?) and it's clever and funny and has a touch of magical realism -- it's not quite realistic but the lines kind of move around in a neat way. One thing jumped out at me that I found a little odd. There's a lot of referencing of things that girls are supposed to do, or not do -- like the narrator will mention that "everybody" expects girls to be demure and "nobody" expects girls to be assertive ... maybe I'm naive, but aren't we past that? I mean, I thought we were at the point where people realize that show more girls can do math and play sports, but are still mired in that trickier zone where sexism and gender roles are still institutionalized and the pitfalls are lurking under the surface as opposed to up in your face and the danger is that some people think that the problem is over because duh, girls play sports now. Oh well, I'm probably thinking too hard on that. Unfortunately we're right back to the sequel problem because this is set up for a series of Kiki Strike adventures, all of which I will probably read.

Grade: A+
Recommended: To people looking for new, interesting YA fiction with strong female characters. It's a fairly long novel, but I think it would be an easy hook for young teens who are reluctant or picky readers. show less

This is a book I discovered not from reviews in print journals, but from my fellow kidslit bloggers who simply raved about it. And that is exactly what I am going to do too. It is the story of Ananka Fishbein, who looks out her window one day to discover a giant sinkhole in the park across the street. She decides to explore it and by doing so, changes her life. Inside the sinkhole she finds a fully decorated room and a book that leads her to understand the dirtier and darker side of New York City, including the Shadow City, a warren of connected rooms deep beneath the ground. After her adventure, she meets the strange Kiki Strike, a tiny girl who is dangerous and mysterious. Ananka then finds herself on an adventure with the Irregulars, show more a group of preteen girls who all have different talents that will enable them to explore the Shadow City. Author Miller has created a riveting book filled with twists and turns, betrayals and lifelong friendships, populated with preteen girls who have real adventures. It is an amazing triumph to create female preteen characters who care about both style and explosives. This is a girl book that rocks, that captures exactly what girls really want: to be dangerous and to have adventures, but not be boyish in the least. The writing is witty, vivacious and pure fun just like the characters. Miller has also added guides throughout the book on subjects like detecting a liar, snakebites, and following someone without being found out.

Run and get this for any brave preteen girl who has spunk and a thirst for adventure. It is books like this that make me sigh about the lack of real modern adventure books for girls. Tamora Pierce is my hero for featuring girls in her stories that are just as tough and strong as the boys, but we have needed a modern story that features great female characters as well. Kiki Strike fills that void, and does it with great style. show less

Thoroughly enjoyable. I couldn't put it down in the end. I do wish that someone would come up with a better way of letting the reader know the villain's plans without the villain standing there telling us while the hero is tied up on the floor, just before a miraculous rescue. If I'm ever a villain, I shall keep my mouth shut.

I liked how the adventure so neatly fits into ordinary life, and yet we are not subjected to long descriptions of ordinary life. In fact, a year goes by in a few pages.

This is also a great example of a mystery that isn't plain as day from page four, but neither does the solution come from left field.

All in all, totally satisfying.