The Heist Society

I just read The Heist Society, by Ally Carter. The protagonist, Katarina Bishop (Kat),  is the fifteen year old daughter of Robert Bishop, a world-renowned thief. The Bishops and their extended family have all worked together to pull off some of the biggest heists in history. Their life is crime. In Kat's family, children knew how to pickpocket someone before they learned to tie their shoes. She was no exception. But she realized it wasn't the life she wanted. Three months previously, she managed to con her way into the best boarding school in the world. Once admitted, she left the world of thievery behind. But when Hale, a rich (and gorgeous) sixteen-year-old friend of the family, pulls Kat out of boarding school to tell her that her father is being blamed for stealing five priceless paintings residing in the private collocation of Arturo Taccone, a very wealthy, very dangerous man, she has to leave to save her father. The deadline to return Taccone's paintings to him is in two weeks. If Kat  doesn't succeed, not only does her father die, but so does Hale, as well as other members of her family. The problem is, she doesn't have the paintings. Neither does her father. She knows, however, that the reside on the opposite side of five paintings in the Henley—possibly the greatest and best protected museum in the world.

I expected this too be an okay book at best. By the time I finished it, it had pretty much risen to my Top Ten list, which most books don't even get close too. The writing was dramatic and descriptive, and kept me entertained the whole time. I also loved the wide variety of locations—the book was organized so that after each section was a page that stated the number of days until the deadline and the particular place they were in. It made the book more exciting, and allowed for a glimpse into the world of an elite class of thieves. Despite this, the story was still relatable. Kat is struggling between loyalty to her family, and doing what she wants. And all while the main plot is developing, characters and their relationships are developing, common issues are arising. The relationships are also very realistic; in other words, complicated. The author also shows the desirability of this glamorous, high-risk, high reward, and frankly unimaginable world. It is a world where normal rules and expectations don't apply, where you visit four countries in a day, unaccompanied by anyone over eighteen She also shows a world where you must be completely dependent on yourself, where you spend about ten days a year with parents bust blinds potting cameras and forging masterpieces. I loved this book; it was amazing, and unlike any I've ever seen. I highly recommend it.