Review: Heist Society

Book: Heist Society

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion Book

Pages: 304

Date Read: 1/1/2010

From Amazon: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Yani's Analysis:

I have been an Ally Carter fan since I first read I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls). I fell in love with the kick-ass Gallagher Girls right then and there. Her books are action packed with a hint of romance. Now I must say that, for her last couple of books, the romance side of it has been staggering. Which each novel there is less and less. However, even without the physical romance, you can't help but fall in love with her male lead's simple gestures and charismatic personalities. Such as this book's male lead, Hale. SPOILER ALERT (highlight): Everything he did and said hinted his admiration/crush for Kat. Yet the only action we get is some hand holding and looks from across the room. Now this is a great build up, but it didn't leave me satisfied, so I am definitely looking forward to part 2 more for the need to see Kat and Hale together than for the action of another heist.


My issue with this book was more of the back story development. It took me a while to understand her background, who everyone was, and what was happening. Because of that, I didn't get into to book right away. However, once I started to understand, I couldn't put it down.

The main character Kat has experienced a lot in the short amount of time she has been alive. Planning the biggest heist of all time is only part of that. You can tell because of all this she is very mature. But just like any teenager, all she wants in life is to be normal and fit in. Things never seem to work out that way for her and she realizes that as long as she has family and people who love her she doesn't need anything else.

As improbable as this story is, Katarina was very real to me and I hope to read more about her in the future.


Ratings:

Plot: 3/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Uniqueness: 3/5

 

Similar Titles:

• Ally Carter
• Model Spy by Shannon Greenland

Memorable Quotes:

"Either we're a team or we aren't. Either you trust me or you don't." Hale took a step toward her. "What's it going to be, Kat?"
It is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent her life learning how to lie eventually becomes bad at telling the truth; in that moment Kat didn't have a clue what to say. I can't do this with out you sounded trite. What they were doing was to big for a simple please.
Hale I-"
You know what? Never mind. Either way, I'm in Kat." He seemed utterly resloved as he slipped on his sunglasses. "I'm all in"