The Nostalgia Project is my way of revisiting and rereading old favorites from my young adulthood to see if they still resonate with me. Learn more here and read old posts or reviews here!
My first successful series revisit within The Nostalgia Project has come to an end! Let’s be honest, I totally cheated with this one. I had determined last year that I was planning on rereading the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter because there were three remaining books I never managed to read. I started listening to the audiobooks back in October 2014 and steadily trucked through the series until December. I then bought books five and six to finish off my collection… and didn’t get around to reading them. I finally picked up book five to finish them off before the end of 2015.
Because I individually reviewed the previous four books, I’m going to continue that here first. Then, you’ll see my thoughts on the entire series and what I learned at the bottom.
Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter Series: Gallagher Girls #5
Genres: Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller
Published by Disney-Hyperion on March 13th 2012
Also by this author: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, My True Love Gave To Me, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Only the Good Spy Young, All Fall Down, See How They Run, Take the Key and Lock Her Up, Not If I Save You First, The Blonde Identity
Format: Paperback (294 pages) • Source: Owned
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan-an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie's summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.
Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It's a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.
This has to be one of my favorite books in the series. It’s hard to say that now, considering that all of the previous books blend together when you haven’t read them in a year, but I just feel it. I haven’t physically read a book in this series since the first few books came out and I forgot how addicting they are! It’s a totally different experience with the audiobooks.
I thought that some parts of the book were frustrating because of the memory loss, but it was otherwise very enjoyable. There were a few seemingly far-fetched aspects at first, but they settled into the story pretty well. The mystery that they’ve been trying to solve for the first five books is becoming bigger and bigger. There are more people involved, more complexities, more traitors, and more action. I loved the travel that they did in this book and the fact that they never gave up. Cammie, despite her ~issues~ in this book, is still a badass bitch.
I absolutely love this series and can’t believe my reading experience will soon be over!
United We Spy by Ally Carter Series: Gallagher Girls #6
Genres: Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller
Published by Disney-Hyperion on September 17th 2013
Also by this author: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, My True Love Gave To Me, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Only the Good Spy Young, All Fall Down, See How They Run, Take the Key and Lock Her Up, Not If I Save You First, The Blonde Identity
Format: Paperback (296 pages) • Source: Owned
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.
Sigh. I can’t believe I’ll never go back to the Gallagher Academy again. This book was fun and fast, just like the previous. Also like its predecessor, I thought some things were far-fetched. I realize that its a school for spies and all that, but the whole WWIII element seemed like a bit much? I don’t know.
Either way, this book was excellent. I loved the ending minus ONE BIG THING. View Spoiler » Broke my freakin’ heart. Aside from that, I was super happy with where they left each character. We caught a glimpse into what they’ll be doing post-graduation (even though it was just a page worth of conversation talking about it).
w are you going to burn down the Gallagher Academy?!?!?! I read A Gallagher Wedding afterwards, a short novella following the final book. It was cute but not really necessary. To be honest, it could have been tacked onto book 6 as an epilogue and I would have definitely thought that made sense.
Overall, this series is cemented as a favorite for me.
Goal: reread the series and then finish it off with the last two books I never read
When I decided to finish up the Gallagher Girls series, I knew I would have to go back and reread the books. I honestly didn’t even remember which book I left off on! I started the series when it came out in 2006 and followed (I think) the next two books as they were released. Book 4 came out when I was in college, so I’m pretty sure that’s where it ended for me at the time. I listened to the audiobooks for the first four books and then switched to the paperbacks.
I remember loving these books when I was younger. I started the series at 15, so I was pretty close in age to Cammie and the rest of the Gallagher Girls. I was hoping to refresh my memory on the series before continuing with it and finishing it off.
This series was exactly what I remembered it being and I’m so glad it held up for me. I could see myself revisiting these books in a few years again (now that I have some of the audiobooks). I need to track down my original copies of the first books in the series because I think they’re still at my parents’ house somewhere. Regardless, it’s a great feeling when you revisit something that once made you happy and see that it still does. I’ll always have a place in my heart for the Gallagher Girls, and I refuse to believe that these people don’t exist in real life.
Reviews:
I’d Tell You I Love You, But then I’d Have to Kill You
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover
Only the Good Spy Young
Out of Sight, Out of Time
United We Spy
Least favorite book: Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover
Favorite book: Out of Sight, Out of Time
Lauren, your graphics just get cuter and cuter!
I’ve never read these, and I don’t know if I ever will. I just never was into prep school books, but who knows… I might eventually read them, especially if you liked them both times around.
Thank you! I’ve always been a fan of the boarding school kinds of books, so I know that helped for me. But, the spy aspect is just TOO COOL.
Cool. Glad they held up for you over time. It’s always fun to go back and read a favorite from when you were younger. I look forward to more Nostalgia Project posts. 🙂
I actually binge read the entire Gallagher Girls series earlier this year, and I really enjoyed it! I think the concept of a school for spies is great fun. Plus, I liked the girls, and I definitely didn’t mind going along for the ride as they race into dangerous situations with high stakes and try to figure out the mystery in time to save the day!
I loved this series when I read it too, it was the right balance between girly and spies and actual tough topics and family aspects, it was super and I definitely agree, I could see myself rereading it one day too, it was that good 😀
I loved the first book!!! I need to go back and finish the series because they were really fun and as they went along they got more and more intriguing.
Yes they definitely got crazier and better as they went!
[…] the majority of this series when I was younger but then lost touch with it. I did a Nostalgia Project writeup about it as I finished it off; I really enjoyed the audiobooks too! I want to go back and […]
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