The Squad Books in Order

The Squad series asks what would happen if the peppiest girls at school were also the country’s most unexpected secret agents. Toby Klein is a sarcastic, antisocial hacker and black belt who transfers to Bayport High and cannot imagine anything worse than joining the varsity cheer squad.

Perfect Cover turns that assumption on its head. Toby discovers that the squad is actually a cover for an elite government team made up of teenage girls, each with specialized skills ranging from languages to explosives to psychological profiling. Their perfect hair and synchronized routines are camouflage for surveillance missions, break ins, and information gathering.

At first, Toby wants nothing to do with bows, glitter, or mandatory smiles, but being part of the Squad also offers a way to use her hacking talents and stay out of trouble with the authorities. Balancing her new double life means learning choreography, navigating high school popularity, and figuring out how much she can trust her teammates.

The second book, Killer Spirit, raises the stakes. There is a new threat brewing in Bayport, and the Squad is pulled into a case that could put classmates and national security at risk. At the same time, Toby’s unexpected nomination for homecoming queen and her feelings for a charming target complicate both the mission and her place on the team.

These books play up the contrast between stereotypes and reality. The cheerleaders are funny, sharp, and capable, and the narrative has fun with gadgets disguised as makeup, secure lairs hidden under the gym, and the idea that underestimating girls like this is a serious tactical mistake.

Readers can expect a mix of action, comedy, and high school drama, with more emphasis on capers and teamwork than on romance. The Squad duology stands alone but also shares Barnes’s larger interest in characters who live two lives at once.