Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter
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Series: Yes, #1 in the Heist Society series
Release date: February 9th, 2010
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Length: 287 pages
Source: purchased
Rating: Perfect plane read, perfect slump buster

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 Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a 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 her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.


So, this book is mad entertaining. I've only read one Ally Carter book, and I wasn't as enamored of it as I thought I would be, but THIS is exactly what I wanted from Carter. Whip-smart teens up to NEFARIOUS DEADS! Art heists! Twists, turns, fast pace, such goodness. I read essentially this whole book on a trans-continental plane. I couldn't put it down. I was so into Kat's heist (AND HALE!! oh, Hale).

Kat was raised in a family of high class thieves and con artists, but she's recently escaped from the life. But when her famous art thief father gets in trouble for a heist he didn't commit, she's pulled unwillingly back in--and will have to stage the greatest heist of her life to save him.

That's mostly the gist of it, beyond the total wonderfulness that is Hale (teenage billionaire, total wish fulfillment, utter delight). This book doesn't press too deep, though it hooked me totally, and I was definitely invested. This is teenage Ocean's Eleven, in all the good and meh ways. Yes, it's quick, and it's mostly light, but it's so fun. Twisty, sneaky, plotty, clever, thieving fun. The writing is smooth and delicious, bright and amusing, and suits the tale perfectly. I was totally taken with this backlist title and I'm so glad I had it with me on the plane. I was in a bit of a slump, and had trouble focusing on books at the time, but Ally Carter doesn't give you a chance not to focus. She just pull you right in from the word go, and you have no choice but to hang on for the ride.

And then there's Kat, our main character, who is quiet and determined and OH SO SMART. I loved her growth, and while I could definitely know her better, or more intimately (i know, that sounds hopelessly dirty), I still loved being in her story and watching her unwillingly genius her way back into the life. I also LOVED all the thief reality of this book. I, obviously, have no idea if Carter's world of thieves and tricksters is at all realistic, but i enjoyed the internal logic of Kat's family and the lessons she was taught growing up.

I can't wait to read book two (and for Hale and Kat to DO THINGS) (also so we can learn Hale's name) (I REALLY LOVE HALE A LOT) (and Kat because she's a genius who doesn't yet know she's a genius and just really wants to prove she's a genius) (don't know why I'm still talking in parentheses) (read Heist Society! It's fun!)

BYE