Heist Society by: Ally Carter

Heist Society by: Ally Carter
Published: February 9, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Books CH
Page Count: 287
Format: ebook
Series: Heist Society #1
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

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 Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a 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 her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

My Review:

    I am always on the  hunt for books that involve some type of edgy female heroine. This one came highly recommended, as Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series is still going strong and amazing.
   Katarina was so amazingly skilled in the art of thievery. She knew what to look for and when something was out of place. Being at a boarding school set her back a bit in the business and now she is kind of out of the loop.
   W.W. Hale the Fifth, Hale for short, bails her out of the school. The reason? Several extremely valuable paintings were stolen from the big bad Arturo Taccone and he wants them back, ASAP. Kat's father is who he suspects is behind the theft, putting him in danger.
   Kat and Hale have such great chemistry. It was humorous and contridictory to read. Kat seemed reluctant to ignite any flame between the two of them, but at the same time, I knew she longed to. Her determination was flawless, she knew what had to be done and wouldn't distract herself. This was her dad's life they were fighting for.
   The gang of thieves all either still in their teens, younger, or early adults, are a really talented and exciting bunch of kids. They all know eachother well, as they have been on missions and training with eachother over the years.
   A plan is formulated by Kat and Hale and the others that they need to follow through and complete in order to clear Kat's father's name. It is an intricate plan, only successful if everyone plays their part correctly. I must say, this was my favorite part of the book, them acting out the plan. It was so great to concentrate on and suspenseful at the same time.
   A romance slowly begins to develop between Kat and Hale, and I think they are perfect for eachother. He is very protective of her, which I think she probably hates because she can take care of herself. And she would never let anything happen to him either.
   This all mashed up together made for an al-fantastic, suspenseful, edgy, and all-out fantastic read!