∎ Libro Sekret Sekret Series Lindsay Smith 9781596438927 Books

Sekret Sekret Series Lindsay Smith 9781596438927 Books

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Sekret Sekret Series Lindsay Smith 9781596438927 Books

Sekret was a thrilling read for me. In spite of my initial reservations, I picked up this novel anyway, unable to resist the lure of Russian history. I’m so glad I did because Sekret is phenomenal! This strong debut novel from author Lindsay Smith is a compelling tale that combines Russian history and culture with a bit of science fiction. It’s beautifully done, and I’d even go so far as to say that it’s one of the best novels I’ve read so far this 2014.

Without a doubt, the story was what I liked best about Sekret. Basically, it does follow the story indicated in the summary – a girl with psychic abilities becomes part of a Russian espionage group determined to maintain the country’s independent rule. But there were also additional twists that managed to surprise me, particularly about their nemesis in this story. I will say that I did guess a major plot point pretty early on, but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story overall.

It’s a crazy set of circumstances that surround Yulia, her comrades and her country, but Smith deftly wove Yulia’s personal conflict into the tapestry of a much more prominent conflict between countries. I appreciated the fact that we still explore Yulia’s feelings and her actions (and reactions) in depth, even while also having enough room to see that there’s something much larger at play here. The combination was pretty intoxicating, and certainly kept me turning the pages after I’d started.

I also really enjoyed the setting. While I’m not too familiar with the details of Russia at this time, the way that Smith portrays it in Sekret sounds pretty spot on. The touches of Russian culture, and the dropping of Russian terms here and there definitely helped Sekret feel authentic. I find that I’m interested in further exploring this period of history now, thanks to this novel!

My only reservation really lies with the characters, particularly Yulia. I liked Yulia well enough. Her emotions and her choices were easily understood and justifiable; her memories, especially as they unraveled, were interesting too. However, there was just a lack of that something to help me fully connect with her character. Instead of experiencing the story through her eyes, it felt like I was simply watching her go through it all (and rooting for her to be safe and on the right side). I would have liked to forge a stronger connection with her, but it also didn’t take too much away from this story.

I did enjoy reading about the secondary characters. Smith does a credible job of making sure that her characters, from main to secondary to even tertiary, are written as the complex, definitely not black and white human beings. There are good things, and bad things about each and every one (Yulia included). I really appreciated that we could see why each character acted the way they did, and look forward to further learning more about them in Skandal.

On a quick side note, I don’t feel particularly strongly about the romantic subplot in Sekret. I acknowledge its existence, and feel like I could potentially be rooting for the couple in question. But at the moment, it doesn’t matter to me as much as the actual story does (and probably won’t deter any future readers from liking this book).

Sekret was definitely a hit with me! I really liked the way it was written, especially with the combination of Russian history and sci-fi into one solid read. If you’re interested in espionage with a sci-fi touch, then definitely take the time to read this book. (Actually, I’d just recommend this book to readers, period. It’s that interesting, and that fun to read!)


Tags : Sekret (Sekret Series) [Lindsay Smith] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. An empty mind is a safe mind.</i> Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program,Lindsay Smith,Sekret (Sekret Series),Roaring Brook Press,1596438924,Action & Adventure - General,Historical - Europe,KGB,Psychic ability,Psychic ability;Fiction.,Soviet Union - History - 1953-1985,Soviet Union;History;1953-1985;Fiction.,Spies,Spies;Fiction.,Spy stories,138401 Roaring Brook-RB TC,Action & Adventure General,Adventure stories (Children's Teenage),Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fiction,Fiction-Suspense,Historical - Military & Wars,Historical Europe,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Action & Adventure General,Juvenile FictionFantasy & Magic,Juvenile FictionHistorical - Europe,Juvenile FictionHistorical - Military & Wars,Juvenile FictionParanormal, Occult & Supernatural,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural,Russia,Soviet Union - History - 1953-1985,Soviet Union;History;1953-1985;Fiction.,Spies,Spies;Fiction.,Spy stories,TEEN'S FICTION FANTASY,TEEN'S FICTION HISTORICAL,TEEN'S FICTION SUSPENSE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Action & Adventure General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical Europe,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Thrillers & Suspense,teen paranormal romance; ya paranormal romance; young adult paranormal romance; secret; paranormal romance young adult; historical fiction for teens; teen action books; teen paranormal books; ya thriller; teen historical fiction; young adult historical fiction; ya historical fiction; teen spy,Action & Adventure General,Historical - Military & Wars,Historical Europe,Juvenile Fiction Action & Adventure General,Juvenile FictionFantasy & Magic,Juvenile FictionHistorical - Europe,Juvenile FictionHistorical - Military & Wars,Juvenile FictionParanormal, Occult & Supernatural,Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Action & Adventure General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical Europe,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Thrillers & Suspense,Fiction,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Adventure stories (Children's Teenage)

Sekret Sekret Series Lindsay Smith 9781596438927 Books Reviews

Sekret is an off-beat, gripping spy novel, although calling it a spy novel is probably misleading. It has elements of classic science fiction and historical fiction. The author has obviously done extensive research into 1960s Soviet-era culture. The story is rich with descriptions of food, clothing, and daily life without distracting from the plot. She creates a world that is at once completely alien and completely believable.

The story is full of twists and turns, as any good spy story should be, but she doesn't cheat the reader once all is revealed--well, almost all is revealed.
I have no idea what being an impoverished Russian teenager during the Cold War was like, but I'm certain it felt different than being a middle class teen in the United States. Too often authors rely on the same tropes and character types to make their protagonists more easily marketable and universally appealing. These characters are always bland to me because they lack cultural nuances and differences, both stark and subtle.

It's those differences, like the ones found in Yulia in Sekret, that make this protagonist off the page like a true individual instead of just another Jennifer Lawrence clone. It may take a bit of work to understand why Yulia isn't like the hundreds of other cookie cutter YA female protagonists lining the shelves, but once you make that connection, you realize that she's a fully formed product of her environment. Once I started looking at the world of Sekret through *her* eyes, instead of my own, this book went from a 4 star to 5.

The fact that it meshes Cold War superpower tensions, the space race and mutant abilities that reminded me of X-Men First Class certainly didn't hurt.
I have never reviewed a book on before, but I felt compelled after reading this novel and loving it so much.

Sekret by Lindsay Smith was a wonderful read, and as my first adventure into historical YA, an excellent pick. To begin, Smith’s love of Russian culture can be found throughout the book as she excellently details Cold War Russia. I am not well-versed in Russian history, so I was initially worried that I would be lost in some of the historical details. However, Smith combined the history and fantasy so well that I was able to enjoy the story while learning about Russia without it feeling like a history book. I have since read a few other historical YA novels, and I feel as if the historical aspects were forced into those storylines, but this is not the case for Sekret.

The story itself for Sekret is unique and wonderful. Prior to reading Sekret, I had taken a break from reading YA novels as I was often able to predict the ending fairly quickly. Sekret was not so predictable. There are twists and turns that I was not expecting, and I was delighted that I was able to read the entire book without expecting the ending. The romance in the book was also not forced, and it certainly not the focus of the novel. It was refreshing to read a YA novel without an overload of romance.

Yulia, the protagonist, is beautifully portrayed, and as another reviewer put it, you could really see the experience of Cold War Russia through her eyes. Often, YA authors portray the female lead as someone who is the most powerful or the best fighter, but this isn’t necessarily the case of Yulia. Yulia has her flaws and weaknesses, and she grows throughout the novel as she discovers more of who she is and what she stands for.

Overall, Sekret has renewed my interest in YA fiction, and I recommend this novel to anyone. I am excited for Smith’s second book and other future works, and I believe she is an author who will quickly rise to the top.
Sekret was a thrilling read for me. In spite of my initial reservations, I picked up this novel anyway, unable to resist the lure of Russian history. I’m so glad I did because Sekret is phenomenal! This strong debut novel from author Lindsay Smith is a compelling tale that combines Russian history and culture with a bit of science fiction. It’s beautifully done, and I’d even go so far as to say that it’s one of the best novels I’ve read so far this 2014.

Without a doubt, the story was what I liked best about Sekret. Basically, it does follow the story indicated in the summary – a girl with psychic abilities becomes part of a Russian espionage group determined to maintain the country’s independent rule. But there were also additional twists that managed to surprise me, particularly about their nemesis in this story. I will say that I did guess a major plot point pretty early on, but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story overall.

It’s a crazy set of circumstances that surround Yulia, her comrades and her country, but Smith deftly wove Yulia’s personal conflict into the tapestry of a much more prominent conflict between countries. I appreciated the fact that we still explore Yulia’s feelings and her actions (and reactions) in depth, even while also having enough room to see that there’s something much larger at play here. The combination was pretty intoxicating, and certainly kept me turning the pages after I’d started.

I also really enjoyed the setting. While I’m not too familiar with the details of Russia at this time, the way that Smith portrays it in Sekret sounds pretty spot on. The touches of Russian culture, and the dropping of Russian terms here and there definitely helped Sekret feel authentic. I find that I’m interested in further exploring this period of history now, thanks to this novel!

My only reservation really lies with the characters, particularly Yulia. I liked Yulia well enough. Her emotions and her choices were easily understood and justifiable; her memories, especially as they unraveled, were interesting too. However, there was just a lack of that something to help me fully connect with her character. Instead of experiencing the story through her eyes, it felt like I was simply watching her go through it all (and rooting for her to be safe and on the right side). I would have liked to forge a stronger connection with her, but it also didn’t take too much away from this story.

I did enjoy reading about the secondary characters. Smith does a credible job of making sure that her characters, from main to secondary to even tertiary, are written as the complex, definitely not black and white human beings. There are good things, and bad things about each and every one (Yulia included). I really appreciated that we could see why each character acted the way they did, and look forward to further learning more about them in Skandal.

On a quick side note, I don’t feel particularly strongly about the romantic subplot in Sekret. I acknowledge its existence, and feel like I could potentially be rooting for the couple in question. But at the moment, it doesn’t matter to me as much as the actual story does (and probably won’t deter any future readers from liking this book).

Sekret was definitely a hit with me! I really liked the way it was written, especially with the combination of Russian history and sci-fi into one solid read. If you’re interested in espionage with a sci-fi touch, then definitely take the time to read this book. (Actually, I’d just recommend this book to readers, period. It’s that interesting, and that fun to read!)