A more condensed version of this review originally appeared in the article “19 YA Series That Are Bursting with Emotion” for School Library Journal:
Fifteen-year-old Amani Kendall has her first assignment as a lead operative in her latest mission. With support from her operative parents, Amani has to get close to Danielle to protect the covert organization known as The Factory and its work to support people of color.
Joining Danielle’s band at an elite music camp, Amani has to stop Danielle from revealing the existence of the agency while processing grief over her father’s death. Something that becomes increasingly difficult as Danielle tries to use her song writing to process her grief and anger.
Amani needs to get Danielle to therapy before The Factory has to force Danielle to go off grid for everyone’s protection in Undisclosed (2025) by Aya de León.
Undisclosed is de Leon’s third book about the Factory and its teen operatives. The series starts with Undercover Latina and Untraceable which is a prequel novel explaining how Amani first learned about her parents’ roles within the organization. Amani has help in this installment from her best friend (and the protagonist of book one) Andréa as they navigate spycraft and band dynamics.
Amani is Black, plus size, and confident in her own skin even if she is aware not everyone else is as comfortable with her taking up space. During the band camp she ably navigates rampant racism and fatphobia from industry professionals while completing her assignment. At the same time she faces ethical qualms from befriending Danielle while trying to silence her revelations about the Factory and also content with excessively amorous attentions from a fellow band member–something she isn’t used to receiving and isn’t sure she wants at this stage.
Undisclosed is an action-packed blend of spies and music where friendship is the ultimate weapon in a spy’s toolkit; slow pacing is the only wrong note in this bopping body positive adventure.
Possible Pairings: Stay With My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan, I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu, No Filters and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado, Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu, Noteworthy by Riley Redgate, Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel, Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen
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