Book Review: Spy x Family Vols. 1 and 2 by Tatsuya Endo

Spy x Family Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo

Superspy Twilight has a new assignment. He has to infiltrate a prestigious school and become close with a reclusive parent who works for a political party. For this assignment, Twilight needs two things he doesn't have: a child and a wife. He goes to a shady orphanage (which won't have good records on the kids, so easy to fake his fatherhood in the paperwork). The administrator lets him take the smartest kid they have, a six-year old girl named Anya. The girl is also the most troublesome orphan for an unusual and unknown (to the adults) reason: she's a telepath. As Twilight and Anya are shopping for fancier clothes, they run into Yor, a young lady who is getting a dress fixed because her office co-workers invited her to a party. She has a problem in that she said she'd bring a boyfriend but she has none for an unusual and unknown (to her co-workers) reason: she's an assassin. Yor almost asks Twilight to go until she sees his "daughter." She's worried about a vengeful wife, so Anya (who can read her concern) fakes that her mom is dead. Twilight agrees to go out with the co-workers as long as Yor helps with a family interview during the posh school admission process. Yor thinks having a family will be a good cover with her co-workers and for her assassin job so she agrees. They live in the same apartment with separate bedrooms. They also spend a little time together as a family to prep for the interview. When they finally get to the school, they have to run the toughest gauntlet ever--the watchful eyes and the intrusive questions of the stuffy, upper-crust faculty.

With such a ridiculous and over-the-top plot, the book is naturally a comedy. The story is light and fun with the occasional burst of violence (because of the spies and assassins). Nothing is too graphic. The tension from each character hiding their secret sets up a lot of fun situations. Their secret skills suit each other very well, even if they don't know it.

Recommended for some escapist fun.

Spy x Family Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo

The pseudo-family's adventures continue as Anya squeaks her way into Eden Academy. The life of a student there is no paradise--Anya is bullied almost immediately by, of all people, the one boy that Twilight wants her to befriend, Damien the son of Donovan Desmond (leader of a political party). Anya has had some self-defense lessons from her pseudo-mom Yor, who has plenty of assassin skills to pass on to her new daughter. Trouble is brewing too, since Yor's brother finds out about the "marriage" and wants to come celebrate with the new family.

The book has some action but the focus is still on the humor. I like the twist of the "school drama" where it's six-year olds and not the usual high school crowd. The violence is a little more graphic here, so it's not suitable for six-year olds! Otherwise this is another entertaining issue.

Recommended.