I, Q: The White House by Roland Smith

I, Q: The White House

Author: Roland Smith

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

3½ out of 5 stars

Note: This review assumes that you  have already read the first book in this series, I, Q: Independence Hall.  If you have not yet read I, Q: Independence Hall then you may not want to read this review, as it will reveal key points from the first book.  You can find my review of I, Q: Independence Hall here.

Angela and Q are really getting used to this new life. The fact that their parents’ band, Match, is now a hit sensation, and that they have been invited to the White House definitely helps! They have only been on tour for less than a month, but Angela and Q are moving right through life. Including being involved in an independent spy group that is trying to prevent a ghost cell from launching a terrorist attack on the United States. Whoa, hold up! Did you just say that these two kids are part of a spy group and are trying to stop a terrorist attack? Yes, I did, and it’s all in a day’s work for the stepbrother and stepsister duo, Angela and Quest. 

Now that fifteen-year-old Angela and thirteen-year-old Q know that they can trust their roadie, Tyler Boone, things have gotten even more complicated. Boone’s independent spy group, SOS, is trying to track down a ghost cell that is on the verge of commencing a terrorist attack. However, they aren’t sure where or when the bomb will be placed. SOS does have an inside source though. Malak Tucker, also known as the Leopard. Malak is Angela’s mom, and used to be Roger’s wife. She left both of them when her secret agent twin sister, Anmar, the original Leopard, died. She has committed herself to infiltrating the terrorist ghost cell and stopping their plans, before it’s too late.

On top of all this, Angela and Q have been invited to the White House along with their parents. Roger and Blaze are to perform a concert for the president, as their new single has gone platinum. But Angela and Q must stay inconspicuous and be wary of who they trust, as there are many spies in the White House. The two of them must watch their back and deal with the ghost cell situation, while at the same time hide all of this from their parents and everyone else in the White House. Will Angela and Q sort out their enemies from their friends, or will they trust the wrong person? And how is the ghost cell planning to make this a day that no one will ever forget? All is revealed in Roland Smith’s undercover account, I, Q: The White House!

So here we are again with Angela and Q as they work as undercover kid spies. I was so glad to go through another adventure with the two siblings, and the rest of the gang. I have become accustomed to the spy group and its members, and was excited to hear about them again! This book is not one to miss out on, and is great for kids and teens alike.

What I really liked about this sequel to I, Q: Independence Hall was the setting in which the story took place. How cool is it to get to read about Angela and Q exploring the White House? I was very excited about this change of scene. Instead of being on tour, going from place to place, the two of them were at one destination for once. Also, Roland Smith writes with such authority that it really does make it feel like he has so much knowledge of not only the secret service and agents, but the White House too! This is one aspect from the first book that has carried over into the series.

I was also intrigued at how throughout this book I got to see deeper into the ghost cell’s workings. Instead of just hearing vague theories and guesses about this terrorist group, I actually got to know what it was like. I especially got to read more about it when Malak was performing missions for them. These short excerpts mostly appeared at the end or beginning of numerous chapters. However, this was nice as it was a change of view and let me know what was going on with some of the other characters.

In this book I also enjoyed the many new characters introduced. Such as the president, J.R. Culepepper, and his son Willingham Culepepper (A.K.A.: P.K. or President’s Kid), Agent Charlie Norton, and Agent Pat Callaghan. It was nice to see some new faces and even nicer to have their unique personalities become more permanent fixtures in the storyline.

Although there were many aspects of I, Q: The White House that I enjoyed, it felt like it didn’t have the same amount of action as there was in the first book, I, Q: Independence Hall. Especially, since now I knew Malak and many of the characters better there weren’t as many surprises around the corner. I guess that some parts seemed a bit predictable. That’s not saying that there weren’t any unexpected developments however.

In the end, this was an exciting tale full of lies, deceit, and espionage. Bonds between old friends are tested in this undercover world of spies. Join Angela, Q, Malak, and the gang as they discover the plans of the ghost cell, and stop them before it goes too far in, I, Q: The White House!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…

Until Next Time, Keep Reading!

Check out the I, Q: The White House website at http://www.iqtheseries.com/.

I, Q: The White House is available form Amazon here.