Heist Society by Ally Carter
Description:
“When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie travelled 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.
But now her dad’s life is on the line, and Kat must go back to the world she tried so hard to escape…”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
** Please note: I am not the intended audience for this book (it is written for a YA readership)! **
This story is nicely written and easy to read, with plenty of action scenes to keep a younger reader (or even a reluctant reader) engaged with the story.
I enjoyed the family dynamic that accompanied the heist element, since it helped to ramp up the stakes of the story.
In terms of character, Kat is the protagonist from what I can gather – which makes her the easiest character to get to know. Since there’s a fairly large cast of characters in this story, it’s challenging for a reader to really connect with any of them. The relationship development between Kat and Hale seemed well written, with not-so-subtle hints at a romantic arc throughout. The villain does come across as a little clichéd, though I imagine that helps make it easier for a YA audience to picture them without the need for additional description or characterisation.
All of the many settings included in this novel are vibrant and tangible, which is a testament to the author’s writing skill! I also found the main heist to be cleverly written and enjoyable to read.
However, aside from the jet-setting timelines seeming unbelievable, I found the rapid-fire story events and introductions of new characters felt rushed and, at times, a little repetitive – I wonder if a slightly better exploration of the snippets of backstory as each character was introduced might’ve been beneficial, to allow the reader to enjoy a breather between action scenes/to help them feel that each character is fully fleshed-out? Occasionally, I also noted the use of an almost adult level of hindsight, which does run the risk of pulling a younger reader out of the story by creating a disconnect. The head-hopping without clear breaks might make it a little challenging for younger readers, or those with a lower reading level, to keep track of the story as well.
Anyway, I’d recommend this book to both YA and adult audiences, due to its easy-to-read writing style and fun, heist-themed plot.
Read in: June 2026
Format: eBook
Disclaimer: I paid to read this eBook via the Kobo platform. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author or publisher in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.