I wanted Pagan to be more in on what was going on rather than kept in the dark for so long, other than that though I don’t really have any complaints.

Even if Pagan isn’t fully involved in the spy action until closer to the end, from early on she is investigating her mom’s past, trying to figure out her man of mystery guardian Devin, there’s the constant question of will she fall off the wagon and when things do turn more action-oriented it’s very much Pagan taking the lead on that, so there is still plenty of intrigue here even if it ultimately wasn’t as much of a full on spy story as I’d anticipated going in.

The time period details lived up to my expectations without going overboard or slowing things, I especially loved the fashion and glimpses of movie-making in that era.

I enjoyed Pagan’s chemistry with Devin (he’s only three years older and not a guardian in a parental sense so it’s not creepy) yet at the same time I appreciated that a romance between them never became the primary focus of the book given that there were other aspects to the story that I felt like were more vital to the development of Pagan’s character.

I loved every messy bit of Pagan’s personality and her life, the guilt and PTSD she carries over what she did to her dad and sister were palpable and brilliantly came into play at a pivotal moment, her lingering feelings for/and scenes with the ex who abandoned her were completely absorbing, and maybe more than anything else I liked that her drinking problem is handled realistically, ever present, ever challenging for her. ( )

Pagan Jones, Hollywood star, had killed her whole family while driving drunk. Now, in juvenile detention, she finally gets a chance to be released when a guy named Devin Black offers her a role in a film. However, Devin seems extremely suspicious, and Pagan discovers many secrets as she goes back into the world with him.

Interesting book. I don't usually read historical fiction, but this one captured my attention well. It's almost like a behind-the-scenes peek into the mind of an alcoholic celebrity. Not only did Pagan have to struggle with her reintroduction to Hollywood, she had to figure out many mysteries, like why her mother had killed herself, and why Devin Black was acting so strangely. There was plenty of action and suspense, and even history from World War II.

However, the backstories and history were hard to follow sometimes. But overall, I got the gist of it. Those parts were alright.

I round my rating up to 3.5, and I do recommend it. ( )

4.5/5
Audiobook review:
The Notorious Pagan Jones was absolutely delightful! I don't know what I liked the most: Miss Jones' sarcastic drawl, the slang, the various accents brought to life by a skillful narrator, or the cloak and dagger circumstances which led to the building of Berlin wall


Pagan Jones is a talented Hollywood starlet whose name was tarnished by a huge scandal. On her sixteenth birthday she got roaring drunk and drove her car off the cliff taking life of her father and younger sister. Now she is spending her days at a reform school dreaming of escape until Universal Studios representative puts an irresistible offer on the table: Pagan agrees to replace an actress in a comedy which starts filming in three days in West Berlin, and she will be released on parole under the supervision of the court appointed guardian.



This is Pagan's chance to come back, but she is paranoid and suspicious of her so-called guardian. Mysterious, suave Devin Black is barely twenty himself, and he has a hidden agenda.



Not only Pagan is delightfully quick witted, gifted as an actress and sarcastic as hell, she has a taste for danger, which in the atmosphere of conspiracies, spies and old secrets serves her well. Instead of a pawn in men's games, she becomes a lead player and saves the day with fantastic flourish.


At the same time, Pagan doesn't feel like a cartoonish character. She is afraid and under an enormous amount of pressure to perform. She is a recovering alcoholic and suffers from flashbacks to her crash. She has ups and downs, and feels very real.



Secondary characters of Devin Black, Thomas and even Nicky Raven (Pagan's ex-flame) are multidimensional and only add to the rich flavour of this story.


Overall, I was enormously entertained and am looking forward to more books from Nina Berry. Recommended to all the fans of Ally Carter. ( )

Pagan Jones is a child star doing prison time when she is suddenly released to perform in a new movie being filmed in Berlin where she finds herself in a web of spies and danger as the Berlin Wall is being put up. ( )

Intertwined with historical events surrounding the formation of the Berlin Wall in 1961, The Notorious Pagan Jones traces the rise, fall, and recovery of former film sweetheart Pagan Jones. After Pagan kills her family in an accident, she is sentenced to juvenile detention—a rather light sentence compared to the tortuous guilt weighing on her. When the opportunity to star in a Berlin-based film presents itself, Pagan takes the chance, borne on the arm of her now “legal guardian,” Devin Black.

What Pagan slowly realizes is that her role in this film is merely superficial; her real objective is to assist Devin infiltrate the East German government, the role of a lifetime. Danger, dancing, and daring capers fill the pages of Pagan’s adventure and her climb back to stardom.

VERDICT: Fast-paced, fun, and furious, The Notorious Pagan Jones is a certain hit with those who love historical fiction, Hollywood, and redemption. Fans of Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein) and Between Shades of Grey (Ruta Sepetys) will not be disappointed with Nina Berry’s latest. ( )