March 13, 2012; Hyperion Book CH
*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
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 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.(courtesy of Goodreads)
Review
The fifth Gallagher Girls book is a story filled with mystery, confusion, fear, tension, and sadness. The Gallagher Girls series started out as a fun, sweet romance of a young girl in spy school. With each book, the series has become more mature and the danger more visceral. It is a series of friendship and family with some romance as well.
Out of Sight, Out of Time is very confusing at first. The fourth Gallagher Girls book came out two years ago. If you haven't read the series since then, I highly recommend re-reading the books (or at least the fourth book) before picking up Out of Sight, Out of Time. I did not do this and was quite lost at the beginning of the book.
On the other hand, the feeling of being lost and confused is part of what Ally was going for in this book - at least I think so. Cammie wakes up with no memory of the past five months. She is as mixed up as the reader. The plot of the book is not only about what she did over the summer, but what caused her to forget it.
Out of Sight, Out of Time is the type of book I find most frightening - a psychological thriller. Cammie's biggest threat isn't necessarily a bullet; rather it is an unknown source that has attacked her mind. There isn't nearly as much humor in this book than in prior volumes of the series. There also isn't a lot of romance. Zach is present, which is wonderful. He is a sweet guy with a delightful hint of darkness. But his role in this book is to help Cammie rather than to build their relationship.
It wouldn't be a Gallagher Girls book without help from Bex, Liz, and Macey. Plus Zach. Cammie tries to act on her own, but she relies on the physical and emotional support of her friends. And her family. I've always loved the strong role that Cammie's mom plays in this series. It's one of the best portrayals of a mother/daughter relationship I've read in recent YA. Her aunt is also a crucial character as well. Cammie and the adults in her life get along well and work together, instead of against each other.
"Fun" isn't a word that describes Out of Sight, Out of Time well. It is so tense and scary at times that I was biting my nails in anticipation. That's not to say that it isn't good. On the contrary. I think it's the best Gallagher Girls book yet. It's grown up and disturbingly dark. Very few YA thriller books go to the level of depth that Gallagher Girls does. I can't wait to see where the series goes from here. I highly recommend Out of Sight, Out of Time and the entire Gallagher Girls series.
