Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Heist society by Ally Carter

Katarina "Kat" Bishop has left her family to study at the exclusive Colgan School, a path that many young wealthy and entitled people take on their path to great lives and careers - the only thing is, Kat is not wealthy and entitled, and she is not from one of "those" families.  Kat is from a family of master thieves, and she got into the Colgan School using all the tricks of the trade so she can leave her past behind, but it is not going to be that easy.  Expelled from Colgan for a prank she didn't even commit, Kat finds herself back in the company of old friends and allies, but this time there are heavier stakes than normal.

One of the meanest bad guys around has had his paintings stolen under some exceptional circumstances, and the prime (and only) suspect is Kat's dad - although he swears he is innocent.  Kat now has two weeks to return the paintings to their owner, or her dad will be in some serious trouble, and so will Kat.  Her family won't step in to help, so Kat has to do it herself, building up a band of thieves to help her pull off the rescue of the century - or the theft of the century depending on who you ask.  It will be challenging and dangerous - but so is doing nothing.

Kat is almost the perfect anti-hero, she comes from a dodgy past and has skills that make her the kind of person that you hide family secrets from (not to mention the family jewels) - but she also has a heart of gold when it comes to her family.  Her father is almost the absent minded thief, not really connecting with Kat, but trying to sort of protect her as well.  The team that Kat assembles are smart, funny, highly skilled, and just a little bit nuts - taking on the theft of the century.  This was a pleasant afternoon read, and whenever I put it down to do something else I quickly drifted back to see what happened next.

There are few books that can blend together action, suspense, drama, and humour this well, and if the blend is maintained in future books then this will be a great series appealing to a wide audience.  Like other books in this vein there is a wider appeal than just for the girls, as there is enough action and technical details to keep the boys interested as well.

If you like this book then try:
  • Uncommon criminals by Ally Carter
  • Kitty kitty by Michele Jaffe
  • All-American girl by Meg Cabot
  • 13 little blue envelopes by Maureen Johnson
  • Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Reviewed by Brilla

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