Saturday, October 30, 2010

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Summary:
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. (Taken from inside flap)

Review:
When Heist Society was first released in the beginning of 2010, I thought it seemed like an interesting read, but didn't really think about it again. But when I saw it in my library, I decided to give it a chance. And I'm so glad I did because I thought that Heist Society was amazing!

First, I loved the whole art thief/heist aspect of the story. I've never read a story about any type of high profile thieves, let alone a whole family of them. After reading Heist Society, I now want to become an art thief. The novel made it sound so glamorous and intesting. Kat is also one of the smartest heroines I've ever read about. She knows how to disable CIA level security systems, speak about five different languages, and con herself out of any sticky situation. She and her crew are also smart enough to break into the Henley, an art museum with the highest security in the world. Their plan was so clever, and so crazy, but it was awesome to watch everything fall into place and watch Kat perform the biggest heist ever.

Besides the art, a big part of the story is Kat's relationship with her friend Hale. He's part of their "family" and has been working with Kat for two years, though they don't really explain how they met (and I am dying to know!). Their relationship isn't quite romantic (yet) but there's definitely tension and potential for more. Plus, their banter is hilarious and super witty; I just loved reading scenes with them together. When I finished Heist Society, I needed to read more, so I looked it up online. I was delighted to discover that Ally Carter is writing a sequel! I am so excited now. It's slated to be released Summer 2011 and I don't know how I will be able to survive.

I would recommend Heist Society to those who like their heroines intelligent and stealthy, or for those who like movies like Ocean's Eleven. There's humor, action, clever plans, spying, expensive art, jet-setting, and visits to London, Paris, Las Vegas, New York City, to name a few. I loved Heist Society and think that it should get way more recognition than it already has.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: I borrowed this from my library.

2010/Disney-Hyperion/304 pages.

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