I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Cammie is the protagonist and narrator of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You. Her code name is chameleon, and she describes herself as “the girl no one sees” (80). Throughout the book, Cammie grapples with how she feels about seeming invisible. As a spy, it is her greatest strength, and she thrives in remaining unseen in a crowd. As a girl, though, her invisibility leaves her feeling like she isn’t truly important to anyone. She knows she’s cared for, but that care doesn’t feel special until she meets Josh. Unlike everyone in the spy world, Josh doesn’t know Cammie’s backstory. He doesn’t view her through the lens of what she can do or the death of her father. In his eyes, she’s just a girl, and being so normal to someone makes Cammie feel special.

The way Cammie feels around Josh prompts her to create an entire cover story for a double life. Cammie wants to live in both the spy and “normal” worlds, something she doesn’t realize she can’t do until the end of the book. Among her classmates, Cammie is another genius in a lineup. She knows her strengths and that each girl is different, but there’s nothing that makes her stand out at school, especially since her strength is blending in.