Heist Society by Ally Carter

Pages: 287

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: crime caper

Notes for parents: Elements of criminal activity

The Back Cover

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 priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off 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.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

The cover covers it pretty well. Kat is a teenaged professional thief who gets out of the business, but is pulled back in when she’s called on to pull off a tough job in order to help her father.

What’s good?

The story has a quick pace and a great cast of characters. The plot was simple and fairly predictable, but had enough twists and turns to keep it fresh. I was particularly impressed with how well most of the characters were drawn—even minor characters like Marcus, Mr. Stein and Gregory Wainwright were interesting!

Best part: World War II art history lesson.

What’s not so good?

The main character was lacklustre. The other characters are so well-drawn and charismatic that Katarina comes up flat in comparison. Her personality was so even she seemed almost emotionless.

Worst part: Kat’s father didn’t seem like a father worth helping.

Recommendations þþþoo

I read another review that called this “Oceans Eleven for teens.” I think that’s a pretty accurate description. It’s an uncomplicated crime adventure with style and good characterization. It’s a quick, fun read.

Carter, Ally. Heist Society. New York: Disney-Hyperion, 2010.