Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society #1
Genre: YA
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion
Edition: Hardback
Blurb:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her 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's art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. 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 (very crooked) history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

I was looking for a light read and this book was the perfect match. Kat is a very conflicted character. At first all she wanted was to have a normal life, but as the novel progresses she realizes that she misses parts of being a thief, especially since she isn't seeing her family anymore. Her relationship with her dad is different from other YA's. They are close and her dad taught her how to be a thief.

The crew is formed by 5 other teens but the most important of all of them is Hale. He is a very rich kid that steals for fun. He has had a tough life, especially since his parents practically abandoned him but he found a new family with a bunch of thieves. He's mysterious at times, but mostly he has Kat's back at all times. I wish we could have learn more about his past and how he became a thief and I could say the same thing of the other characters. A little background would have been great.

Anyway, this was a very light, quick and easy read, perfect if what you want is something different from a paranormal. This is mostly an adventure book; sometimes it reminded me of the movie Oceans' 11. All in all, this was a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

Memorable Lines:

"Why'd you do it, Hale?"
"You don't belong in that place."
"Why'd you do it?" she asked again, her patience wearing thin. "I'm not joking, Hale."
"Neither am I, Kat."

Next Book:
2. Uncommon Criminals (June 21, 2011)

Rating: