I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
| I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You | |
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 US Hardback cover |
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| Author(s) | Ally Carter |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Gallagher Girls |
| Publisher | Hyperion Books for Children |
| Publication date | April 1, 2006 Australia and New Zealand 2008 United Kingdom 2010 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback and Hardback) |
| Pages | 284 |
| ISBN | 9781423100034 |
| OCLC Number | 62536023 |
| Followed by | Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy |
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (2006) is a young-adult fiction novel written by Ally Carter and is the first book in the Gallagher Girls series. In October 2007, a sequel was released titled Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The story follows 15-year-old Cameron (Cammie) Ann Morgan, a sophomore at Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women, a school for "very gifted girls," but actually a school for espionage spies in training. She faces her third year of real spy training.
While on her first mission required for her Covert Operations class, she meets a "normal" boy called Josh, he notices her despite her reputation as a "pavement artist" and that she is trying to be invisible. No one sees Cammie when she doesn't want to be seen, which is one of the things she likes about him. She does not tell him who she really is though, or where she goes to school, due to Gallagher's reputation of being a school for snooty heiresses. Soon Josh and Cammie develop a steady relationship, with Cammie always sneaking out of the school, with the help of her best friends and roommates Liz Sutton and Bex Baxter. Macey McHenry, an authentic heiress and senator's daughter, also becomes her friend despite a rocky start at Gallagher. Cammie lies to Josh many times to keep her cover, claiming that she is home schooled, has a cat and has lived in exotic places, but her true identity is revealed after Josh's friend, Dillon, sees Cammie walking toward the academy with the rest of the girls and attempts to break into Gallagher Academy to prove that it is Cammie's real school. After a heated confrontation, Cammie tells Josh the truth—besides information about being a spy—and then they break up.
Once Josh walks away, Cammie is "kidnapped" by Mr. Solomon for her Cove Ops final. The Gallagher Girls have to rescue Cammie; Josh attempts, unsuccessfully, to save her, thinking it was a real kidnapping, and is let in on the secret of the Gallagher Girls. But as he is leaving he tells Cammie, "Oh, tell your mom thanks for the tea," leaving the possibility open as to whether Cammie's mom gave him a special kind of tea to wipe his memory, or just regular tea.
[edit] Reception
Critical reception to I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You was mixed to positive, with two reviewers for the School Library Journal giving differing opinions. One stated that the book "lacks the warmth and appeal of other teen books ... such as Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries"[1] while the other reviewer praised the book's unique voices, calling it an "excellent choice for young teens".[2]Publishers Weekly praised the book's tension while stating that they wished the character of Matty had been more fully developed.[3] Commonsensemedia wrote that the book was a "fun debut" without much controversial material.[4]
[edit] Movie adaptation
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You was initially optioned for film by Disney, with the option later being sold to Walden Media.[1] In June 2009 the movie option expired.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Grades 5 & Up School Library Journal
- ^ Audio Pick: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You School Library Journal
- ^ Children's review: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You Publishers Weekly
- ^ I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You Commonsensemedia
| Preceded by None |
Gallagher Girls Series Book 1 |
Succeeded by Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy |
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