Have you ever found yourself on the losing side of a political civil war? Does your team need a bit of a leg-up on the competition in an actual war? Are you a princess, in need of redeeming your conquered kingdom? Or perhaps you’re a poverty-stricken citizen being oppressed by a selfish and volatile ruling class?

It sounds like you might benefit from a little espionage, deploying a spy or two behind enemy lines to relay useful and possibly war-ending (or starting!) information to your allies. Maybe you can be that spy! Or at least you can live vicariously through some fictional spy characters! Want by Cindy Pon is a perfect example AND you can even read an extended excerpt right now (but only until July 3rd)!

Whether you’re actually looking into becoming a spy or need to shake up your life, here are some real fictional YA heroes who have infiltrated the enemy and lived to tell the tale (maybe).

Beware, though—some of these short book descriptions may include spoilers!