Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter

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.

Review:

Heist Society was an intriguing, original, action packed read that had me at the edge of my seat. Kat was an amazing main character, she was witty, smart, kind, and most of all- a thief. I loved Carter's Gallagher Girls books and was very excited to dive into Heist Society. It was as good, if not better, than the Gallagher Girl books. Mysteries/suspense novels are few and far between in YA literature of late, and Heist Society was a refreshing and fun read that you can finish in a couple of days.

All the characters were excellent and well developed, I could picture them all and her fellow team of thieves were one of my favorite cast of characters in a YA book. Gabrielle, Angus, Hamish, Simon, and Hale were original, unique, and fun. They each had terrific personalities and added a lot to the book. Everyone had a place in this novel. Hale was amazing, I loved him, and he's perfect for Kat! The "bad guys" were easy to dislike and they got what they deserved, which made me happy.

The whole plot was building up to the last few chapters, which definitely had me on the edge of my seat. Of course, throughout the novel I was excitedly reading, there was never a slow moment, and I'm hoping for another adventure involving Kat and the gang soon!

The plot was fantastic- one of the most original and well-orchestrated I've read in a long time. Carter's writing style is great and she has a way of really connecting the reader to what's happening. Even though this novel was in third person I could understand Kat and what she was dealing with. This is a novel for everyone and is appropriate for any age. 5 stars!

In addition, there were a lot of twists in the plot that kept you guessing. Who was Visily Romani? What happened to the paintings? Everything was a mystery and the ending tied everything together perfectly. There are times when you want to laugh out loud and others when you're biting your nails with anxiety, but overall this was a fun read that has reinstated my love for books about spies (why are there so few in YA lit?) as well as for Ally Carter and her terrific writing. You'll fall in love with the characters, as I did, and the plot will easily engage you. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and the cover's gorgeous as well, so it's a win-win! Heist Society is out now, this is one definitely worth buying in hardcover!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

February 9, 2010/Disney*Hyperion/287 Pages/Young Adult/Book One

Source: Publisher (AC)

Other books in the series: Uncommon Criminals