Fast-Paced Thriller That Makes You Think!

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A Spy in the Struggle is a surprisingly multi-faceted thriller that follows FBI lawyer Yolanda Vance on her first undercover assignment to infiltrate a supposed extremist African-American organization in the town where she went to college. I loved Yolanda: her journey to discover herself and re-examine her beliefs was so well done - I couldn't put the book down because I was so invested in her story. She has always been laser focused on success, but her assignment to a group of mostly teens working to expose racial and environmental injustices forces her to reconsider what is most important in her life. She begins to question her assignment and what her bosses at the FBI are trying to cover up, and puts herself on a path to a dangerous confrontation with corrupt players.

Although this is primarily a mystery/thriller with a bit of romance thrown in, it is also an important and timely conversation about race, gender, and environmental inequalities that will make any reader stop and think about their own beliefs. My only issue with this book is that the ending felt rushed and wrapped up too quickly: there was a lot of intense build-up to the final climax, but I wish a little more time was spent explaining why what happened, happened. That said, it was a good conclusion and I really hope this is the start of a series following Yolanda on her journey. It was great as a stand-alone, but also leaves room for more and I would be here for it!