Book Review: "Spooky" by Crystal Mazzuca

"You have no identity. Legally, you don't exist. On paper, your parents died seven years before you were born. They joined the CIA and gave up their identities--their lives. And you were born into that. But that's not you anymore. You have to be somebody now."
She looked back, speaking through clenched teeth, "I was somebody."
"No," he whispered. "You weren't. Now you are."
 

Stephanie Pookay isn't her real name. In fact, according to the government, she doesn't even exist. She's a "spook." That all changes when a CIA mission goes awry and Stephanie, or whoever she is, suddenly finds herself orphaned and stranded by the CIA at a fancy boarding school. All her life, Stephanie, or as her new--maybe goth, maybe not--roommate dubs her, "Spooky" has been told who to be and what to do. Now Spooky has to figure out exactly who she is.

Finding something to do, however, won't be a problem. There's something not quite right about Chambers Academy. There's a mysterious janitor roaming the halls, hidden rooms, cameras in strange places, and a school club labeled the "Icarus Project" that doesn't seem to fit the standard after-school extracurricular activity. Spooky is determined to do some snooping around, but without the CIA's help, will she find herself in over her head?

Crystal Mazzuca's Spooky is a light and fun read with quirky characters I loved and felt for. Full of laughs, intrigue, and tender moments, this story ends satisfactorily with plenty of mystery left at the end to dive into another adventure.

Genre: YA/Mystery
Ages: 12 and up
Pages: 231
Publication Date: 2011