Bobby Sky: Boy Band or Die

by Joe Shine

Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson is out of luck. His charm and singing voice—and penchant for bursting into song at all the wrong times—can’t keep him out of trouble anymore. When he’s arrested (again), he’s given a choice: die in juvie or become a shadow—the fearless, unstoppable, and top-secret guardian of a Future Important Person, or FIP.

With nothing to lose, Hutch accepts. After two grueling years at the Future Affairs Training and Education (FATE) Center, Hutch, now 16, can barely remember the boy he once was. Ready for anything, he expects to be plunged into a battle zone.

Instead, he learns that his FIP is someone named Ryo Enomoto: the soon-to-be front man of the boy band International. Worse, Hutch has to put his old talents to use. He must join the band and change his name to Bobby Sky. Is this for real? Has he really turned himself into a lethal killing machine . . . only to become a teen pop sensation?

• ISBN10: 1616958510
• ISBN13: 9781616958510
• Publish Date: 16 April 2019 (first published 11 May 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Soho Press Inc
• Format: Hardcover (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781616958510

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Well, that was quite an action packed adventure. I don't know what it is about secret killing agencies that is so appealing, but that whole set up plus Bobby's snarky persona made this quite a fun and enjoyable read.
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This is my second kid agent type book, and I found this to be a fun, action-packed adventure.

•Pro: Bobby was hilarious! I loved his snark, and the way he recounted the story. He also had a heart of gold, and kept doing these little things, which showed that he had a lot of good in him.

•Pro: I was a fan of the format. Bobby speaking straight to the reader worked really well, as he told us about his past life as a criminal, his training with FATE, his stint in a boy band, and how he found himself trapped in this cell.

•Pro: This book had all the stuff you look for in these secret agent type book. It featured tons of gadgets and high powered machinery, in addition to lots of slick battle scenes and narrow escapes. It was like Jason Bourne meets Spy Kids.

•Con: The ending was surprising, and I wish we had a little more "real time" with Bobby, because there is zero outcome.

•Pro: The ending by no way negates all the good times I had over the course of the book.

•Pro: The boy band bits were quite amusing. The members of the band do come across as one dimensional, but I think they are meant to.

Overall: A fast-paced and amusing secret agent story, which left me receptive to another installment.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.