The Agency: A Spy in The House by Y.S. Lee

I'm always on the hunt for young adult books that do not feature enfeebled heroines so when I chanced upon The Agency: A Spy in The House by Y.S. Lee and read the synopsis, I eagerly requested it. What drew me to it? The amazing premise for one, that in the middle of the Victorian Era existed a school for female spies.

The story opens when Mary Quinn, 12 years old, is being sentenced to death for stealing, a crime she was forced to commit because of extreme poverty. At the last minute, she is rescued from a hanging by an agent for a school that educates young women and gives them the means for independence. Mary thrives in this environment and eventually becomes a teacher at that same school. At only 17, however, she is startled to be informed that the academy is a cover for an Agency of female spies masquerading as domestic servants.

"The Agency complements the Academy. Here we turn the stereotype of the meek female servant to our advantage. Because women are believed to be foolish, silly, and weak, we are in a position to observe and learn more effectively than a man in a similar position. Our clients employ us to gather information, often on highly confidential subjects. We place our agents in very sensitive situations. But while a man in such a position might be subject to suspicion, we find that women---posing as governesses or domestic servants, for example---are often totally ignored."

The heads of the Agency recruit Mary and after some training, she begins her first assignment, posing as a companion in a household whose master is suspected of smuggling. Everyone in the house seems to be harboring something dark and suspicious, and it is up to Mary to keep her head and solve the mystery of the missing cargo.

The plot is fast paced and full of twists. Not only is the true villain a surprise (one that's delightfully in keeping with the theme), but Mary herself has her own thrilling secrets to hide. Lee has a PhD in Victorian literature so it is appropriate that the book has got the period details (and even little-known facts) down, despite a very modern heroine. There is the possibility of a love interest, but the focus on the story is on the clever and resourceful Mary. The book moved so fast that I wish Lee could have lingered a little on the spy-in-training bit.

Certain threads are not resolved by the book's end (at least two sequels are on the way) and I hope one of them, Mary's secret, gets developed further. The historical details surrounding what she has to hide turned out to be the most intriguing aspect of the book for me. Also, I hope I get to find out what was in the cigar box - ahhhhh - I must find out! As you can tell, I cannot wait for the next installment of this exciting new young adult series.

One quibble - I hate scenes when the villain is unmasked and then spends precious minutes explaining the extent of their villainy instead of getting rid of a character, giving that character time to be rescued while simultaneously wrapping up loose story ends.

Other than that misstep - The Agency: A Spy in The House by Y.S. Lee is a great story, all the more so because there are no enfeebled heroines/characters at all - even if they appear to be so at first.

Release date: March 9, 2010

My gratitude to Heather at Candlewick Press for providing a copy for me to review!