Spy Goddess by Michael Spradlin

As teenager, life is never simple to start with and Rachel Buchanan is finding it out the hard way. Her absentee parents are seldom seen and her "friends" abandoned her to be arrested for joyriding in a stolen car. Facing the judge across the courtroom, sans parents, Rachel is outspoken and full of teen attitude, which nets her a choice: either go to a private school in Pennsyvania or go to juvenile hall.

The mysterious Blakthorn Academy is run by an enigmatic puzzle called Mr. Kim, who understands Rachel better than she does herself. It is populated by geniuses, harcases and those with no place else to go. The classes are different from any curriculum Rachel has ever seen and they make her "do gym" in the form of Tae Kwon Do.

When she overhears Mr. Kim talking to an FBI agent urgently about "the Book of Seraphim," Rachel knows something is up. When the headmaster disappears and the book is stolen, Rachel roars into action. Armed with only her wits and those of three classmates, Rachel sets out to rescue Mr. Kim.

"Although the characters are not terribly complex and the plot is fairly far-fetched, the book is an entertaining page-turner. Spradlin captures the perfect teenage voice in his protagonist; she is more than just a spoiled, fashion-conscious teen from Beverly Hills–she is the Spy Goddess–witty and smart with an edge. Overall, this is an intelligent, exciting mystery that will have broad appeal," said Leigh Ann Morlock, formerly of the Veronica School District in Oregon.1

Accessed from http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Goddess-Book-One-Live/dp/0060594098/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/105-9290560-1134821?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188508517&sr=8-3 on August 30,2008.