Spy School Goes Wild (Spy School 12)

Spy School Goes Wild sees Ben and his teammates emerging as competent agents in training after being forged in the icy boot camp of Alaska under Cyrus Hale’s tutelage. This allows Ben to survive a harrowing solo mission of staying alive when old nemesis and the family of old nemesis collude to kidnap him and whisk him off to the wilds of Africa.
Stuart Gibbs nails a truly disgusting scene when Ben and Murray Hill are faced with the decision to use fresh elephant poop to stay hydrated. Further research shows that is a real way to survive but good luck listening or reading the description without struggling! Sprinkled throughout are interesting details about the local wildlife, poaching, diamond mines, and the dependency on tourism to fuel local economies to make this story educational as well as entertaining.
The ending is nicely wrapped up which could feel like a series ending. However, the last redacted letter and Murray Hill’s propensity to escape allow a credible possibility of another book coming. This time with a highly competent team of young spies that are more than ready to face whatever happens next.
Gibb’s blend of facts and fiction, humor, and disgusting scenarios involving poop is on point for this latest addition to the Spy School series. I highly recommend it to Middle-Grade audiences and fans of action and adventure spy stories.

What worked:
The cast of characters will be familiar to loyal readers led by Ben Ripley. Ben has no impressive spy talents other than being pretty intelligent and excellent at math. Of course, his girlfriend Erica is in stark contrast to Ben. She follows generations of spies in her family tree and she’s as talented as any adult CIA agent. Murray Hill also returns as he’s been Ben’s nemesis since the start of the series. His character has ranged from an inept student at Spy School to the filthy rich leader of an international evil organization. Max has foiled Murray in every previous book so Murray is committed to getting his revenge.
Middle-grade readers will enjoy the author’s sense of humor. While Erica is an outstanding spy, her father comes across as an incompetent exaggerator. The others can roll their eyes when he tries to regale them with his heroic deeds and then have his wife explain what really happened. Murray Hill may be a conniving, evil nemesis but his survival skills are worthless. Ben convinces Murray to quench his thirst by squeezing water from animal poop while Ben discovers a bottle of fresh water for himself moments after Murray finishes. Readers will maintain smiles on their faces as situational humor arises throughout the story.
The author allows the plot to slowly evolve as the main conflict doesn’t begin to emerge until halfway through the book. Ben and Murray become temporary allies when they escape a common threat but Ben suspects a bigger problem is developing. His friends return late in the book and help him prevent a catastrophe. The final fourth of the book is a whirlwind of action. The author includes a lot of information about African wildlife and natural resources. The animals are significant elements in the story and add humor and suspense. The mining industry is vital to the African country and the author touches on its impact on the environment.
What didn’t work as well:
Much of the book has Ben and Murray as the only main characters so readers may miss the other personalities from past books. Rest assured they return to resolve the conflict. Ben’s whiny character is a constant presence through the middle of the book which can make him annoying when he isn’t amusing.
The final verdict:
Loyal readers of the series will not be disappointed by this book and new readers can easily jump into the fun. The blend of humor and adventure will appeal to many middle-grade readers and I recommend you give it a shot.