Origins
A young woman in a dead end job has always dreamed of becoming a spy. And when "The Arm" hacks the agency and exposes all spies--both those working and those being recruited--the shortage creates a need. A need this determined young woman is more than happy to fill. With a potato gun, some Tae Bo videos, and a spy certificate she earned online, she applies, hoping to finally achieve the life she's always dreamed of.This short story has great voice. You get a sense of the main character, who has a very honest way of looking at things, if not a little naive. And the story itself is interesting enough. I mean, it seems preposterous that her attempts at training could get her anywhere, but she's working on a budget, and banking on the agency's desperation.
Where I had difficulty with the story is in the telling. Although it has voice, the narrative style feels a bit like listening to your coworker or friend babble on about everything they did in the last month. Rather than telling it after the event, I would have preferred to experience it through the lens of the main character, since the book is written in first person. The humor and unusual circumstances helped carry the story, but I would have been able to rate it higher if it had been more engaging.
Still, a fun read for any who have ever dreamed of becoming a spy, or wanted to watch someone wholly unqualified fail brilliantly and still succeed. :)
