After a prank to impress the boy she likes goes horribly wrong, a teenage hacker is given an ultimatum of either serving a long prison sentence, or working for a secret government agency for ten years. The kicker is her family will have no idea she is alive for the whole term & she cannot contact them under any circumstances. So Augusta Pine (not her real name) becomes a 'wraith', a shadowy secret agent/spy for the Identity Security Division with only a snarky AI spybot named Edgar for company. On a trip to Portland, proximity to her grandmother proves too much temptation & Augusta rents the apartment next door. Augusta has planned everything, she can check in on her grandmother without giving away her identity. It will be fine... Until a group of cyberterrorists take over the apartment building. With the residents at risk, Augusta has to outwit the terrorists & keep her grandmother from finding out the truth. Wow this was really good. It's pacy with twists & turns & just a hint of possible romance. It put me in mind of a YA version of TV show ‘Alias’. I liked the show but I really liked this book & there is good characterisation & I quickly grew to like Augusta, & Edgar is just adorable. I don't want to inadvertently give anything away so all I will finish with is: entertaining, pacy, & a snarky AI spybot named Edgar - what more is needed! SUMMARY: Plot: Excellent - Pacy with twists & turns & just a hint of possible romance. Writing Style: Very Good - Good characterisation as I quickly grew to like Augusta & Edgar is just adorable. Enjoyment Level: High - This put me in mind of a YA version of TV show ‘Alias’. I liked the show but I really liked this book. Entertaining, pacy, & a snarky AI spybot named Edgar - what more is needed! My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House UK Children's Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.

This is SUCH a great book!!Augusta Pine does Not Exist is an excellent book for teens, young adults and adults alike.Anyone in need of an exciting cyberpunk-esque secret agent flick has come to the right place.There's something in it for everyone; There's things in here covering grief, loss, climate change, false hope, found family, Al troubles, regrets of the past and love for the future.Lloyd Jones does a perfect job of mentioning all these things and giving them weight while still keeping the snappy language and speedy plot of Augusta's mission. Personally it made me super nostalgic for other teenager-turned-secret-agent books i read when i was younger, but there's so many throwaway liens in here about very real, very current issues it really kept me hooked.The tech and action is super cool. Edgar the spybot is both hilarious and concerning in the best way possible. The idea of biometric tattoos is handled great (weighing both pros and cons) and there are some really epic action sequences, from bus hijacking, to swinging over balconies, to undercover plumbing breaking.Many parts made me laugh while also keeping the tension high.I really enjoyed Augsta and Prefect's banter.The two of them clearly care for each other but neither would ever admit because thats not their 'job' but even so it's super clear that there is no one without the other. Learning the mysteries surrounding Project Persephone and the Vales' was so intriguing, and I couldn't work any of the twists out which is the best part!Augusta is a stubborn girl, but there's so much love and hard work in everything she does, it's very admirable.The ending was super sweet, and I would absolutely love to read more about this world.Either an adjacent sequel, or a prequel novel detailing the agency- just anything more!!

My first introduction to Lloyd-Jones was The Drowned Wood and I became a bit obsessed, one with the book and two with their writing style. Needless to say I was excited to learn there was an heist themed novel coming out and let me say I was not disappointed. Augusta Pine Does Not Exist is a pacy heist thriller with a fantastic mix of memorable and interesting characters and tightly woven plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat and just wanting to read one more chapter. I loved every second of this, the writing is electric and fits the genre well, the characters are believable and well rounded. They also aren’t cookie cutter characters but feel completely real. The pace and plot are executed perfectly to keep you hooked but not too fast that you are left with whiplash trying to keep up. In short, it's a perfect combination of all the elements. I have really enjoyed heist fiction and have to say this is easily my newest favourite.

I enjoyed this book so much more then i thought i would. Augusta pine is not dead despite what her family might think, she is very much alive and involved in some shady business. This was such a fun read. The characters are so full of personality that they instantly seemed real. The plot is so incredly well thought out, that it became one of those books that you just cant put down. The pacing of the book made for a very quick, easy, fun filled reads. Would highly recommend. I recieved this as an Arc but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 4.5 ? for me.