Review: Heist Society (Carter)

Title: Heist Society
Author: Carter
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Thieves
Pages: 287
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Okay, a small confession...when I booktalked this title for Summer Reading in June and made it a "Top 10" title for 7th grade, I had not actually finished it.  Shhhhh!  It will be our little secret.  Having finally hit a funk in my reading, I remembered that I needed to finish this title.  So this is how I spent my Saturday night.  Time well spent, I promise!

Katarina Bishop is the daughter of a thief, from a family of thieves.  She grew up helping her father pull off some notorious heists.  But what Kat really wants is to give up the family business and become a "normal" teen.  She enrolls herself in a boarding school, lies about her past, and tries to blend in.  It takes all of three months before she's expelled and back in the family fold.

When her father is accused of stealing 5 very rare, very valuable paintings from the wrong guy, Kat has 14 days to prove he is innocent.  And the only way to do that is to figure out who did steal the paintings, where he hid them, and "return" them to their rightful owner.  Of course, the only way to return the paintings is to steal them back.  Which Kat sets out to do, with a group of teenage thieves who are also part of the "family."

The entire time I was reading, I could picture the settings and the characters in my head.  It would not be a surprise to me to see this book come to life in theaters soon.  In fact, I was casting the roles while I was reading.  Think "Ocean's 11" in Europe, with teenagers.

Kat is a great character.  Strong, smart, and witty.  You root for her the entire time.  Hale, her co-conspirator/possible love interest, is the perfect match for her (if only she would realize it).  The rest of the characters are terrific...Marcus the butler is quite possibly my favorite. 

The writing immediately draws you into the story.  There is just the right mix of details, adventure, and intrigue to keep you reading.  In fact, you will want to finish quickly in order to find out just "whodunnit."  This is anything but a typical story of thieves and heists.  Carter has added twists and turns and originality to set this story above the rest in the genre.  A thoroughly enjoyable read with an intriguing cast of characters.  There must be a sequel...One can only hope.