By Emily Lloyd-Jones (author)
"A twisty, fast-paced heist thriller with a strong girl lead and mounting tension."
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August 2026 Book of the Month
Perfect for tweens and young teens looking for exciting female-lead action stories, Augusta Pine Does Not Exist has plenty of twists that will have readers racing to the end.
Main character Augusta is a complex character, officially dead, she has been recruited to work undercover for a secret, ethically-dubious government department. Flashbacks of her past deeds and missions are skilfully woven into the narrative, providing both context and further potential for action-filled thrills.
Readers might not always agree with Augusta’s actions, but they’ll enjoy getting to know her and sympathising with her current situation. In comparison, they will undoubtedly fall slightly in love with her sidekick, Edgar, a sentient AI in the form of a very cute bumblebee. However, though he might initially seem cute, Edgar’s lack of a moral compass and willingness to complete tasks by any means necessary, will surely send a shiver of fear through any reader considering the possibility of a future robot uprising.
A well-balanced hint of romance slowly builds, which will be enough to satisfy those of a romantic leaning, without alienating readers who prefer their books to be hearts and flowers free zones.
Perfect for readers who are excited by advances in technologies, Augusta Pine Does Not Exist depicts a steady stream of fresh new inventions that may be futuristic now, but feel like they will be utterly possible in the near future. I particularly enjoyed ruminating on the pros and cons of identity tattoos as a means of combatting identity fraud.
Young readers who don’t instantly trust authorities and/or those who enjoy reading about the grey areas between moral binaries, will love this book. Rather than clear cut villains and heroes, each character has a degree of ambiguity that keeps the reader guessing to the very end. And whilst that ending is entirely satisfying, there remains the potential for further books in what could be bestselling series.
I’m sure other readers will join me in eagerly awaiting August Pine’s next mission.
Everyone thinks she's dead. Turns out she went undercover.
An edge-of-your-seat reverse heist thriller about a teen spy who must outsmart a team of criminals in order to free a building full of innocent hostages . . . and herself. Masterfully weaving together the undercover secrecy and thrills of The Naturals series, the killer twists and turns of Five Survive and the futuristic setting of Cyberpunk 2077.
In the near future, to combat identity theft, paper and plastic IDs have been replaced with permanent biometric tattoos. But governments still need people to work in the shadows. These people are called wraiths.
THEN When she was fifteen, Augusta Pine (alias) hacked a car's autopilot and accidentally killed her first crush. She was given two options: 1) Spend twenty years in prison for manslaughter or 2) serve ten years in the Identity Security Division as a wraith - an undercover spy with no official existence. Augusta chose the second.
NOW Eighteen-year-old Augusta has no fixed home and all her family think she died in the car crash. Her only friends are her coolly professional handler, Prefect, and a snarky sentient Al spybot called Edgar. On a rare weekend to herself, she decides to rent a room in a smart apartment complex and makes grand plans to do nothing but relax . . . until six cyber criminals hack the building and imprison all the residents.
To save everyone, Augusta will have to rely on her wits and her own criminal skills to stay one step ahead of the killers. For the first time in her life, could it pay to not exist?
'An incredibly fun, fast-paced blend of a spy thriller mixed with speculative elements. A fantastic, immersive read.' Ravena Guron, author of This Book Kills
'A tense thrill ride of a book. Augusta Pine is the fearless anti-heroine we all need.' Benjamin Dean, author of How to Die Famous
'Clever, twisty and very funny. I absolutely inhaled the book.' Emily Barr, author of The One Memory of Flora Banks
'Fresh, futuristic and filled with suspense. A technology drenched thriller with heart and humour that has you hooked until the very last page.' Isabella Galbraith, author of The One
'Spy novels are SO back. A darkly funny, futuristic thrill.' Beth Tomlin, author of To Hell With You
Emily Lloyd-Jones is a former bookseller turned author of middle-grade and YA novels. She lives in Northern California, where she enjoys wandering in redwood forests, playing with her cats and indulging in video games.
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The best way to hide a secret agent is... to make everyone believe they've died! Full of futuristic technology and very high stakes, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat, desperate to find out who will succeed in the end.
What is the best way to hide a secret agent?... It's to make everyone believe they have died! Meet Augusta Pine (not her real name) - a problem solver and an expert hacker. She has a certain attitude and disregard for authority, but genuinely cares for people. By a strange coincidence (was it, really a coincidence?), she ends up in the right place at the right time to stop a group of ruthless eco-terrorists.... Read Full Review
Everyone thinks she's dead. Turns out she went undercover.An edge-of-your-seat reverse heist thriller about a teen spy who must outsmart a team of criminals in order to free a building full of innocent hostages . . . and herself.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Augusta Pine Does Not Exist and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist features in the following genres: Featured Books for 13+ readers, Featured Books for Young Adults, Books of the Month, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Romance / Relationship Stories, Thrillers, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Romance and love stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Speculative, dystopian and utopian fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £8.99, down from the £9.99 cover price. In Stock.
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist was written by Emily Lloyd-Jones and published by Penguin Books an imprint of Penguin Random House Children's UK
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist has 408 pages
£8.99, reduced from £9.99. In Stock.
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