Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City

Inside the Shadow City has ratings and reviews. Jennifer said: Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for leondumoulin.nltend you live in Manhattan.
Table of contents

Kiki Strike Trailer

I buy juice cartons I wouldn't normally buy just so I can make a periscope. What can I say? I was born a dreamer and it hasn't been beaten out of me just yet.


  1. Frequently bought together.
  2. leondumoulin.nl: Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City (): Kirsten Miller: Books!
  3. Inside the Shadow City (Kiki Strike,#1) by Kirsten Miller (4 star ratings).
  4. Digital version – browse, print or download.

I mean, it's the story of a seemingly regular girl named Ananka befriending the mysterious Kiki Strike, who seems to have no past. They then, assemble a super-sluth group of girls: DeeDee the chemist, Luz the engineer, Betty the master of disguise, and Oona the document forger and lock picking expert, and call themselves "The Irregulars. And boy, oh, boy, you won't be able to predict the outcomes of this adventure. Well, maybe the middle, but definitely not the end.

And all of the important characters in this book were female as well, and that makes me so excited! Because they were brilliant and active in the adventure, and weren't the stupid, one-dimensional kind you sometimes get in YA and children's literature where the girl is either sweet, lovable in a traditional sense and somewhat passive, or super-pushy and cold and kick-ass.

The Irregulars all had a back story, and while some of their stories weren't revealed, I'm sure I'll continue to learn about each member of the Irregulars in the next book of the series, The Empress's Tomb. I loved that Inside the Shadow City doubled as a non-traditional tour guide for the historian interested in strange happenstance and dark pasts in all of us well, me at least, but I may have an unhealthy fascination with Manananggals , hobo signs , Alcatraz, headhunters, cannibalism, and secrets that some of you may not delight in.

Author Kirstin Miller gives the reader a bit about the historically criminal underworld of New York City. But I won't go into that. Too much to say. I'll be posting on those tasty bits, as well as the author she is interesting , within the next week. I mean, this is valuable information that Kirsten Miller is giving us, people! Isn't it wonderful that books egg us on to dream and imagine things?

I love a book like that and Inside the Shadow City will get you to do exactly that. For some of you, this book will remind you of that feeling in a nostalgic way. For those of you like me who are older but haven't outgrown the phase, be prepared to feel the sudden urge to go on an adventure. View all 3 comments. Mar 10, Karen Syed rated it it was amazing Recommended to Karen by: Found it on library shelf. The Shadow City has lay beneath the streets of Manhattan for quite some time, virtually forgotten by all--well, almost all.

Kiki Strike, has a secret, and a mission, actually, it's a secret mission and she needs the help of a very select few. This is when she hits the local Girl Scout troops to recruit her genius band of "Irregulars. With espionage in her blood and an overload of courage, Kiki leads this group of gi The Shadow City has lay beneath the streets of Manhattan for quite some time, virtually forgotten by all--well, almost all. With espionage in her blood and an overload of courage, Kiki leads this group of girls into the Shadow City, a former have for thieves, pirates, and all kinds of undesirables.

But there is much more to Kiki strike than meets the eye. This story gets you from the very begging and doesn't let you go Days later I am still sitting around thinking about the interesting mix of characters and how Kirsten Miller weaves them into this cohesive band of "sister. Miller makes no bones about using her words to tell girls all over the world that they don't have to sit back and take it Plenty of action, intrigue, and deception make this a book well worth the time invested for readers of any age.

Kiki Strike: Inside The Shadow City by Kirsten Miller | Scholastic

And don't be fooled, it's not just for girls. Boys, you can read it too Sep 07, Miriam rated it it was ok Recommends it for: I am not in the intended demographic for this book, but I don't think I would have liked it even when I was younger. First of all, it takes too long over pages before any real adventures start happening, and when they do they are underwhelming. I am perfectly willing to hang in for the long haul if the author is using the space as needed to develop characters, world-build, or set up a complicated plot -- none of which happens here.

The characters are fairly two dimensional: I didn't find t I am not in the intended demographic for this book, but I don't think I would have liked it even when I was younger. I didn't find them sympathetic or their genius abilities believable -- the only way in which they seemed realistic to me is that they are indeed bitchy and mean like I recall middle school girls being.

Everything happened too easily: And if Miller didn't care about realism, fine, but then don't waste the reader's time by going into pages of detail about it. Basically, this book would have been okay at half the length, but as it stands is too big a waste of time for very little gratification. Feb 09, Rebecca McNutt rated it it was amazing. This book is so cool, it starts off slightly boring but it's sort of if Coraline were mixed with that animated film 'Flushed Away', featuring an underworld of New York City and mysterious, unique characters.

The cover illustration and inside map of the city was really great, too. Nov 11, Ellen rated it it was amazing. Delinquent Girl Scouts, spy stuff, adventure, espionage, readers, This book hit all my interests! There is now a need for way more than the one copy I have as all my Girl Scouts want to read it and all my students want to read it.

Kiki Strike:Inside the Shadow City

Special thanks to the person who put it in the Little Free Library in Leander. Feb 24, Melissa ownsbey rated it it was amazing. Smart, fearless, resourceful and just all around cool! The narrator Ananka is amazing and makes me smile--reminds me of how much fun being a curious and daredevil girl can be.

It's been so refreshing to read about an angst-free kick-butt heroine and real girl friendships. What I really love about this book is that author Kristin Miller actually understands the basic fact that setting a novel in a cosmopolitan and diverse ci Kiki Strike is the just the type of MOXIE heroine I'm always looking for. What I really love about this book is that author Kristin Miller actually understands the basic fact that setting a novel in a cosmopolitan and diverse city like New York means that the characters should reflect that diversity.

Kiki's cohorts, a group of disaffected Girl Scouts--The Irregulars--are girls from various backgrounds with some very interesting "hobbies". There's danger, a horrid private school with its own snobby princess who is more than she seems, loyalty, lots of comedy and some really good advice for planning escape routes and even how to foil a kidnapping and the advice is serious. Kiki is a mystery and all The Irregulars have pasts and presents that make them real and sympathetic while cheering them on. And though this is a series for YA, I know a lot of us adults would enjoy the world of Kiki Strike and wish we had friends as awesomely cool as The Irregulars.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked the beginning of this book--it got me hooked pretty quickly. I like the author's style of writing; it really kept things moving along. If possible, I would have rated this book a 3. There were 2 things that kept me from rating it higher. First, I didn't feel like the book spent enough time actually "inside the Shadow City. Second, and I may be sensitive, was the completely negative attitude toward anything school related in this book. Not one teacher could have recognized the talents of one of these girls and fostered them?

Not one class that taught one of them something necessary for their adventures? Not one book in the library? Not one weird janitor who knew something about the seedy history of NYC? If Kiki is allergic to pretty much everything, how is it she can live off of cafe au laits? One of the main ingredients is milk, which which seem like it would be dangerous to someone with multiple food allergies. Maybe they were soy. I definitely felt like this book was a love letter to NYC, and it made me think fondly of the Underground Seattle tour.

Aug 06, Jesica rated it really liked it. Staying at a friend's house, my daughter borrowed this from my friend's daughter, who really liked it. Turns out my friend, the mom, had read it too.

Well, after my daughter read it, she sweetly asked me to read it so we could talk about it. And I really, really liked it, too and not only for the mother-daughter bonding it created. Kiki Strike lives out every girl's fantasy, if every girl is a native New Yorker who is dazzled by her own city's mystery and elegance. When I was a little girl, I had Staying at a friend's house, my daughter borrowed this from my friend's daughter, who really liked it.

When I was a little girl, I had a recurring dream that there was an elegant ballroom, decked out in cream and blue, with a cream grand piano, underneath the staircase of my New York City public school. This book speaks directly to that dream - that there is a beautiful mysterious world underneath the world we know and that, as twelve year old girls, it belongs exclusively to us.

Yes, the adventures are entirely improbably for twelve and fourteen year olds and they drink enough coffee to give any adult heart palpitations. But that's part of the fun. Imagining oneself as a hero at an improbably young age and knowing way way more than any of the adults about what's REALLY going on.

Like Harry Potter if you're an urban, bookish, proto-hipster girl. Or want to be. Or used to be. 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 begi 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.

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. For a book that I chose based on the cover, I couldn't have been more pleased. This adventure tale 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.

Apr 22, Samara rated it it was amazing. This book for me, was a different genre- so it was interesting reading it. Ananka Fishbein- a high school student at an all girls school in New York city lived what some people might call a rather boring life. Until she meets Kiki Strike. A rebellious girl who befriends Ananka and other girls. They lead a more exciting life. I'm trying not to spoil anything: D I found the begining a bit boring,and I really wanted to get past it.

Being persistent, I kept reading it. I got torwards the middle, a This book for me, was a different genre- so it was interesting reading it. I got torwards the middle, and began to fall in love with the book. It was great, and it seemed very exciting and I found myself saying in my head, "I wanna do that it sounds fun! Torwards the middle of the story I was like, "Oh this is getting pretty good I was like, "Oh wow Nov 16, Melliott rated it really liked it Recommends it for: I almost gave it four stars.

I enjoyed the history, and the cleverness, and the camaraderie of the girls, but the plausibility factor, or should it be the implausibility factor, tripped me up a few times. It's a fun read for the age range which I would put at The end-of-chapter instructions by Ananka on how to be and do stuff were what almost put it up to a four-star rating. The test for me is, if there are seque I almost gave it four stars. On this one, I'm sure they are equally as cute, funny and clever, but I probably won't seek them out.

But I would definitely recommend this book to a middle-schooler! Update after a second read, three years later: I upped it to four stars. I still feel pretty much the same about it, but I don't think I sufficiently appreciated, first time around, what progressive advice Ananka is giving to her readers.

Jul 12, Boatgirl rated it really liked it Recommends it for: I wish this book had been written sooner.

See a Problem?

If it had been available when I was younger, the path of my life might have been completely different. Kiki is a modern heroine for any girl who feels a little hampered by the ordinary. Part story, part how-to guide, for anyone interested in being a spy, getting away with the unthinkable, and making the most of what you've got. From now on, it will be a book I give to girls of my acquaintance so they will grow up with good role models. The very concept was I wish this book had been written sooner.

The very concept was fascinating a hidden system of Victorian-era tunnels under New York City and the modern girls who rediscover them and artfully described. If you're interested in the idea of urban exploring, it'll suck you in. Plus, if you've ever been a teenage girl, the very real bitchiness of the villains will strike a nerve. I'd love to read a sequel. Mar 29, Flora rated it liked it Shelves: This could have been so, so, so great. A group of girls venture into the "Shadow City" underneath New York City, discovering secret abandoned speakeasies, dancehalls, catacombs, and tunnels -- a dream come true for passionate urban explorers like me.

Unfortunately, the author loses faith in the intrinsic interestingness of the concept and whips up an unsatisfying -- and unevenly written -- scenario involving espionage, ransom kidnappings, and secret royalty. It would have been perfectly sublime This could have been so, so, so great. It would have been perfectly sublime to read about these five twelve-year-old girls wandering plotlessly underground. Five stars for the idea, definitely. So, I might be willing to give this a 2.

The idea behind this book is great! A secret underground city in New York explored by independent, quirky young girls? Could be really cool, but I think Miller fell short. Her characters were pretty flat, unlikeable, and stereotypical. I was disappointed by the description and depth of exploration in the Shadow City. I also think the underlying story with Kiki was not even close to developed enough. I was So, I might be willing to give this a 2. I was not invested in her or the narrator.

The story ended up being too much like the description of Kiki Nov 20, MJ rated it it was amazing. This review for both this book and Kiki Strike: Ooooo I like these mysteries for some reason. Ananka herself expl This review for both this book and Kiki Strike: Ananka herself explores the hole and discovers an empty except for rats underground city. Mystery and new friends follow. There were a few things that bothered me. I knocked one star off because of the stunning amount of use of 'the Princess. It was okay at first, but then it was getting more and more frequent.

She has a name, it was was Sidonia, use it. I would hate it if someone called me 'Blondie' repeatedly. On the topic of 'Blondie,' there was the frequent changes of blond to blonde too. Blond is for boys and blonde it for girls. Spea There were a few things that bothered me. Speaking of girls, the fact that the narrator said that people undermine girls, which I snorted at.

I get it, girls need empowerment. The thing is, I never felt like people undermined me because I'm female or ignored me because of my gender. I'm sure more people are liable to take the females' side in things. The thought of a guy getting hit by a woman, she claims that she got hit, and the police automatically taking the females' side springs to mind. A man says that he got raped by women and get brushed off because he's a man springs to mind too.

There was a part in the book about a boy getting searched for instead of the kidnapped girls made me roll my eyes. I'm sure that most police would search for girls is the threat of getting raped and sold into slavery is more a higher risk than a boy. We all need to be treated equally no matter what gender we are. Everyone worries about girls because of the stereotype of women being 'delicate fragile creatures that needs to be protected.

I mean when you think of a kidnapping, what's your first thought? A girl or a boy? When you think of abuse, what's your first thought? A man abusing a woman or a woman abusing a man? It just bugs me. Everyone says that they want gender equality, but I think gender equality is when a woman hits a man for no reason, no one laughs at it like, "dude, you got beat up by a girl" or when a guy hit a woman in self defense no one goes, "what the fuck is the matter with you?

Sometimes they hit back. It would've been bad-ass if Ananka had fought him if he undermined her, by going "you're just a female, you can't kick my ass because you're not strong enough. I can't use my gender to be ignored when I'm walking down an aisle at a store. Guys or girls, will probably notice me. If you're wearing clothes that show to much skin or attractive enough, people will notice you, regardless. I'm not saying that you can't have this book be empowering, you can, but you have to everyone be on an equal footing.

Have some guys be like, "You're a girl," and then change his mind later or something. Don't hand me a book and say that it's empowering women, then I read it and see that characters say that women are ignored in favor of boys or that women aren't taken as seriously when in real life it seems that it's the other way instead. I might be wrong with my views, but it's my opinion. I will not fight you over which is which. If you have different views then that's okay. Different experiences where females got undermined by boys, then okay. It happened and the book is right by stating that females get ignored by society.

I will read the other two books despite what the narrator is saying about society. Some things are just too weird and require further investigation. Ananka, leaving no time for further contemplation, threw on a coat over her pajamas and went to check out the crater herself. Little did she know that she was launching an adventure that would span years and be both dangerous and lucrative.

Inside the crater was a long lost secret entrance to the Shadow City, a vast connection of tunnels and rooms built by the wealthy society members many years ago. It seems that Kiki has a penchant for danger and adventure and she needs Ananka for her next big plan. For this plan, the duo is not enough.

Kiki and Ananka hop from one Girl Scout Troop to another, looking for the missing members of their team of Irregulars. They recruit an eccentric and sometimes accident-prone chemist, a top-ranked forger, a technical genius, and a master of disguise. Once the group is together, Kiki unveils the ultimate goal of the Irregulars is to scout out the elusive Shadow City. Now the remaining Irregulars are left not knowing the truth behind the mysterious girl and are soon deeply involved in a string of kidnappings, one being a princess.

If Kiki does return to them, will it be a blessing or a curse? Inside the Shadow City is the beginning of an unstoppable comedic action series featuring intelligent, strong teenage girls. The twists and turns delivered by Miller will keep you second-guessing until the final page. Well, this book made me want to visit New York again!!!! I obviously didn't utilize my last visit to it's potential, or the two times before that. This book was good, but it is juvenile fiction, so you have to just go along at some points, if you know what I mean.

When I finish my education and have attained my degree, I want to move to the Big Apple and work for a publishing company. Okay, right now I am watching Supernatural and writing this, so life is good today. I r Well, this book made me want to visit New York again!!!! I really liked the informational blerps at the end of the chapters, about the best strategies for kidnapper evasion or how tail people correctly. It was cute and useful.

It was my favorite part. Ananka was nice enough, but like all adventure stories, not really super deep. Kiki was okay, and I like the ending. It was kid-bookish, but that's the key audience, and I'm much older then the age group it was geared to, so if your my age, you need to accept it for what it is and enjoy it, which was easy to do, since it was a great book.

I still don't understand the fear of all the rats I'm from the West Coast, so I guess I just don't have that East-Coaster rodent fear, pick it up by the tail, toss it in a jar, and then release it into a park or something. Then get a rabies shot just in case. I really doubt that a herd of rats would kill four armed gangsters.

I couldn't predict what would happen next in the book and if Kiki Strike was evil or not, though since the series is called Kiki Strike, I was guessing good. In the beginning, I have trouble telling all of the new girls apart, but later it got easier, and I hope they will have more distinctive personalities in the future books. So things were unbelievable, but I just went with it.

There's no way people wouldn't have noticed underground tunnels in NYC, my guess is any tunnels have been mapped out. In all honesty, it took me a long time to finish this book, and the library's been on my ass for it being late correction: Some parts of the book lost momentum, and I got distracted by other stuff. It was pretty slow going until the last couple of chapters.

However, if I could give this book a 3. Dituturkan dari sudut pandang Ananka Fishbein, novel ini bercerita tentang kelompok Irregular, kelompok berisi enam anak yang kira-kira berumur dua belas tahun yang semuanya extraordinary. Betty yang jenius dalam penyamaran, Luz yang ahli di bidang mekanik, Dee Dee yang pernah meledakkan laboratorium pribadinya dalam percobaan kimianya, Oona sang pemalsu ulung, Ananka yang memiliki perpustakaan terlengkap di New York, dan Kiki Strike, pemimpin mereka, pembentuk Irregular, sekaligus Bagus banget!

Betty yang jenius dalam penyamaran, Luz yang ahli di bidang mekanik, Dee Dee yang pernah meledakkan laboratorium pribadinya dalam percobaan kimianya, Oona sang pemalsu ulung, Ananka yang memiliki perpustakaan terlengkap di New York, dan Kiki Strike, pemimpin mereka, pembentuk Irregular, sekaligus orang paling misterius di Irregular.

Konspirasi dalam cerita ini tersusun rapi dan detail. Enggak menyangka kalau orang yang dipikir enggak bakal muncul lagi bakal muncul lagi pada akhirnya. Lebih enggak menyangka apalagi kalau tokoh antagonis awal di cerita ini, Sidonia sang putri dari negara Pokrovia, ternyata punya keterlibatan dengan konflik. Cerita bermula dengan Kiki membentuk kelompok Irregular, dengan tujuan memetakan seluruh bagian kota bayangan, kota tersembunyi para kriminal zaman dulu yang berada jauuuh Awalnya semua berjalan lancar, dengan seluruh keahlian luar biasa para anggota Irregular, mereka cukup berhasil melewati semua rintangan seperti kawanan tikus haus darah sebesar anjing atau bahaya adanya pipa gas dalam ledakan.

Review: Kiki Strike Inside the Shadow City

Tapi lama-lama, Ananka mulai menyadari, kalau ada sesuatu yang diinginkan Kiki, dan itu enggak ada hubungannya dengan memetakan kota bayangan. Apalagi ketika Kiki menghilang secara misterius, dan cerita pun dilompati dua tahun kemudian, ketika mereka berumur empat belas tahun Translatingnya juga bagus banget, dan karakter-karakter dalam buku ini cewek-cewek yang berani.

Adegan pertarungannya dan rahasia yang terbuka pelan-pelan di buku ini juga menarik untuk dibaca. View all 3 comments. She is accompanied by four other friends on her journey. So one day Ananka decides to follow her around the city and Ananka discovers a lot of new things about Kiki Strike. After a mysterious g KiKi Strike, by Kirsten Miller is a book about a girl named Ananka Fishbein, who uncoincidentally finds a city hidden under Manhattan.

After following Kiki Strike, she finds out that Kiki goes to strange places, is usually very hidden from everything, and also she keeps on disappearing every time Ananka follows her. After a while of following her Kiki finally responds to her. I also like how the character changes throughout the story, they become braver and stronger. I think the author could improve this story by adding more male characters, because there are literally no male characters in the story. I would recommend this book to people who like action fighting, kung fu, murder and are interested in mysteries secrets, betrayal.

I would recommend this book to middle schoolers and above because there is some violence, murder, and drugs mentioned in the book. One day Anaka Fishbein notices out her bedroom window a giant sinkhole in Central Park. Being a curious year-old girl she decides to check it out. She climbs in and finds out that it is an underground apartment. This event also causes her to catch the eye of a girl named Kiki Strike.

When Kiki Strike calls upon Anaka for a top secret mission, Anaka agrees. As their story progresses, with rats and Girl Scouts and lots of secrets and mistrust, Anaka has to decide what she is going to do and who One day Anaka Fishbein notices out her bedroom window a giant sinkhole in Central Park. As their story progresses, with rats and Girl Scouts and lots of secrets and mistrust, Anaka has to decide what she is going to do and who is really her friend.

This book was so exciting! A definite girl-power novel, full of action and espionage! I loved the concept of an underground world that no one really knows about. Kirsten Miller brings out the darker side of her New York quite marvelously. I wish I had friends like these, never a dull moment. Just when you thought that you had something figured out something else would happen and you would be left wondering if it's true or not. This is a definite must read with stronger appeal to the younger end of YA, but a treat to all ages.

This book is so full of adventure that you will wish you could go on at lest one trek with The Irregulars. I am so looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of the sequel. This book was hard to put down but why would you want to? By taking the time to open this book, you've become a member of a very elite group: The moment after it happens, she spots a person climbing out of the hole, and she is instantly curious.

Why did they climb out of the hole? Eventually she meets Kiki Strike, the person she saw climbing out of the hole, and the two agree to explore the entire Shadow City. Kiki creates a team of girls to help and they call themselves The Irregulars. But is Kiki who she says she is? Just a girl wanting to protect the city? The rest of the Irregulars start to question what really is happening, especially when they uncover a plot to kidnap the Princess This is an intriguing story with several different plots all weaving together to make sense in the end. The characters are all unique and the plan to pull them together and use their individual talents is fun to watch unfold.

Almost every chapter ends with some sort of tip—how to create a disguise, how to tell if a diamond is real, etc. Some of the action felt forced and the conclusion wrapped up a little too quickly, though there is room for a sequel. Soon, she hears about an old system of rooms accessible through the basements of some buildings around town that have been there since they were bolt-holes for nineteenth-century criminals, known as the Shadow City.

Ananka, however, isn't totally convinced that Kiki doesn't have a hidden motive for doing this Children's fiction doesn't get much better than this. I don't know why, but even today, as I near the age of 20 nooooo , I always regard this novel as some form of feminist bible. It truly is a gift to young girls everywhere. What can I say? It's about a diverse group of girls who discover a shadow city, use their gifts to infiltrate a political conspiracy, all without sacrificing their true selves.

For Netgalle "When I grow up, I'd like to be dangerous. For Netgalley, I read a lot of books about fickle, vacuous children that aren't anything like the kids I've known in real life. The truth is, children are wise and observant, strong and intelligent. In my time spent as a teacher's assistant in both public academic education and theological education, I have noticed that kids need books like this- that reaffirm their right to knowledge, to discover things about the world they live in without a filter.

Create a List

Kirsten Miller is a genius to construct a story in which young female children are able to shine their brightest despite their young years. Which part did I violate? In my opinion, nothing could be less American than distorting other people's gardens. My only gripe is that is just too short for my tastes. But fear not, it's sequel, The Empress's Tomb definitely fixes this issue. Every city should have an Ananka Fishbein. Daughter of bookish parents, outsider at school and full of curiosity, Ananka reads. And reads and reads.

So who better to investigate the underground city beneath New York than one of its best-informed inhabitants? Kiki Strike, tiny albino dynamo, is on a mission and needs help. With great care and good judgement, she selects an explosives expert, master forger, queen of disguise and a mechanical genius. The only thing missing is extensive historical a Every city should have an Ananka Fishbein. The only thing missing is extensive historical and geographical knowledge of New York.

Which is where Ananka comes in. The multicultural identity of New York, its shadows and skeletons, and a heroine whose undervalued strengths become essential all combine to create a dark, believable fiction in which intelligence, skill and wit are hard currency. My only criticisms would be that the book seems rather stretched both in length and timescale. I feel it could have had greater impact by being more condensed. For example, when taken hostage: Yet the premise of another world beneath our feet and the significance of history, couple with the promotion of determined, smart girls as a force to be reckoned with gets my vote.

I would have loved these books when I was a kid. I'm so glad that I had my middle school book group read this one, because it gave me a chance to read it as well. I can't believe I put it off for so long! This was an utterly delightful read with interesting characters and tons of twists and turns. Ananka meets a strange, pale girl at school who seems to appear and vanish at will. Shortly before this new girl arrived on the scene, Ananka was witness to a giant sinkhole that revealed an entrance to an underground city, though the sinkhole got fi I'm so glad that I had my middle school book group read this one, because it gave me a chance to read it as well.

Shortly before this new girl arrived on the scene, Ananka was witness to a giant sinkhole that revealed an entrance to an underground city, though the sinkhole got filled in and Ananka was left wondering if she'd ever be able to find out more about it. After trailing the mysterious pale girl, she finally meets her face to face and it turns out to be Kiki Strike.

Together, they round up rogue girl scouts with nearly criminal talents and form the Irregulars. And the Irregulars are about to go exploring and mapping the Shadow City, which appears to stretch all the way along Manhattan roughly 40 feet underground. Things quickly go wrong and Kiki disappears.

The Irregulars are left to wonder just who this Kiki girl really is, aside from a brilliant mastermind. The plot clips along at a brisk pace, even though the story takes place over 2 years. I have issues with the ending, but I'll let that go in light of a portrayal of some very, very clever girls who have a fantastic sense of adventure. I wish I had been able to read this when I was Definitely recommended for smart girls with a rebellious streak.

I was hooked the minute I read the little quip on the back of the book: Inside the Shadow City is a story of a girl named Ananka and her adventures with the mysterious Kiki Strike and three other girls who have outgrown the Girl Scouts. Together they explore a secret I was hooked the minute I read the little quip on the back of the book: Together they explore a secret underground city and ultimately must also work together to save their classmates and New York City.

Kiki Strike is a clever and witty novel which is mostly mystery, part action and zero love story. But Ananka, Kiki, and the others are confident and interesting and never talk about boys though they drink a lot of coffee. Together they are an intriguing and dangerous bunch. I continue my research into the young adult genre, with great enjoyment.

This one will definitely get referred to my 13 year old reading-maniac neice.