Vi Spy Licence to Chill

Maz Evans’ new book is a spy thriller that delivers thrills and laughs in equal measure. Violet Day is the youngest in a long line of world-saving spies but her mother, Easter Day, has given it all up so that she can keep Vi safe. When Vi’s estranged father suddenly turns up (just in time to ruin Easter’s wedding to Vi’s teacher, Mr Sprout) Vi learns that she is descended not just from an awesome, deadly secret agent, but also from a dangerous and equally deadly supervillain! 
Lethal super parents notwithstanding, Vi’s life is very ordinary: all she wants is for the cool kids to notice her, to have a phone and a little independence, and for her mum not to marry her teacher. Sadly, she faces significant challenges on all these fronts and, when she accidentally-on-purpose overhears her parents arguing about a new scary threat to the entire human race, she realises that she has a chance to prove herself as a spy and leave her normal life behind her. 
Though there are moments of genuine tension, as Vi navigates her way through the seedy world of super-villainy, this book is ultimately a comedy. Many characters are playful stereotypes (the secret agency of pensioners – whose members can triangulate the coordinates for enemy locations but can’t fathom how to video-call their grandchildren – is particularly funny) and action scenes are full of silly slapstick moments. 
Vi is a character with whom children will quickly fall in love. She is effortlessly cool and thoroughly believable. She makes mistakes and is selfish sometimes, and worries about her mum and dad in the same way that all children do. Young readers will be glad that she is making it her mission to save the world and will look forward to her next adventure.