Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication Date: February 9th 2010
Buy it from: Book Depository (free shipping worldwide!)
Gold star (4.25/5 stars)

Synopsis: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip 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 has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. 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 history-or at least her family’s (very crooked) history.

Review:
Update: I apologize for the grammatical errors, I was half awake when I typed the review.

Every time I try to write a review for this book, I can’t seem to find the right words for it. So I decided to sum up this entire I will use one word. Brilliant. Compared to the Gallagher Girls, I prefer Heist Society for numerous reasons but mostly because I liked the writing, Carter impressed me with her skillful writing in her latest novel, it was not the least bit disconnecting. The book started off a little shaky as there seemed to be a lot happening at once and it was a little hard to keep track. But I quickly understood Katarina’s situation and how her world exists and works. There was a little bit of everything, a dash of romance, suspense, mystery and moments that had me on the edge of my seat, nervously biting my nails. Once I understood the plot, the book moved at a fast-pace and I flew through the pages.

Katarina is such a likable and engaging character even though her family aren’t exactly the most honest people in the world. Katarina is one of those characters who you will almost never find yourself in the same position as her and yet you will still be able to relate to her emotions. She’s intelligent, brave, full of wit, and self-reliant. Not those hopeless female protagonists who need a knight in shining armor to rescue them. Kat is not the only shining star of the novel, she is followed by some very quirky unique secondary characters who were just as fun to read about. The dialogue and scenes between the characters were believable and not forced. Hale is… perfect. Whenever he’s in the room, he seemed to ease the tension between the characters. Even though his perfection seemed a little over-the-top to me, I still found him totally adorable and charming!

Heist Society was a whirlwind of adventure and mystery. While reading, I was simultaneously trying to figure out who was the mastermind behind this whole operation. Together with a cast of memorable characters, this is one book that will stay in your mind long after you read it. There was never a dull moment in this book! Carter left no loose ends untied, the ending resolved nicely and this is not a book which ends abruptly. I have some good news, this will be part of a series, (can you tell how excited I am?!), and there will be a sequel!

Heist Society was a splendid read, if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you go and purchase it now. Heist Society is a book that is not to be missed!

(In case you’re wondering why this review seems shorter than my other reviews, it is because I have lots of praises for this book and only one minor problem.)