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tkolsen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Beautiful setting, funny characters, and high-stakes action. This has everything I love about Ally Carter, plus the adorable swoon-worthy love interest. In a way I like this story better than first in the series even though it has several issues that bothered me upon re-reading as an adult.
But as far as the pros I think this story has one of Carter's more interesting villains in Maggie the con artist. The mobster (Taccone) in Heist Society is a very black and white bad guy, who feels like a stock character at times. Maggie on the other hand is more insidious and mysterious. None of the main characters understand where she is from or what she is capable of for the majority of the story. And while Taccone represented all that was dark and evil about the criminal world Kat tried to run away from before the events of the first book, Maggie is a mirror and represents all the good and bad Kat could become.
As far as cons, a lot of my issues with this lie with the series overall and Kat's development in the books. While this first book focuses on Kat wanting to live a normal life because she's had a crisis of conscience with the family business. It's never addressed what exactly drove her to that point after committing crimes herself for years with no issue, including conning her way into the "normal life" she aspires to. Eventually over the course of Heist Society she decides that stealing for the right reasons is acceptable, and at the beginning of Uncommon Criminals she has pulled multiple heists on her own continuing to avoid her family. Again the root of why Kat has issues with stealing and avoids everyone from her past is not addressed directly, beyond her cousin suggesting that she has gotten overconfident in her success and finds it easier not to deal with her budding romantic relationship. The Whys? in these books are almost never addressed though the character always reaches a moment where she learns that she is better off working with others than on her own, both as a thief and a person.
If the author ever chose to revisit this series (even though it has been 10+ years since book 3 was released) I'd love to see Kat address the root of her issues with her family, even if only in an inner monologue.
But as far as the pros I think this story has one of Carter's more interesting villains in Maggie the con artist. The mobster (Taccone) in Heist Society is a very black and white bad guy, who feels like a stock character at times. Maggie on the other hand is more insidious and mysterious. None of the main characters understand where she is from or what she is capable of for the majority of the story. And while Taccone represented all that was dark and evil about the criminal world Kat tried to run away from before the events of the first book, Maggie is a mirror and represents all the good and bad Kat could become.
As far as cons, a lot of my issues with this lie with the series overall and Kat's development in the books. While this first book focuses on Kat wanting to live a normal life because she's had a crisis of conscience with the family business. It's never addressed what exactly drove her to that point after committing crimes herself for years with no issue, including conning her way into the "normal life" she aspires to. Eventually over the course of Heist Society she decides that stealing for the right reasons is acceptable, and at the beginning of Uncommon Criminals she has pulled multiple heists on her own continuing to avoid her family. Again the root of why Kat has issues with stealing and avoids everyone from her past is not addressed directly, beyond her cousin suggesting that she has gotten overconfident in her success and finds it easier not to deal with her budding romantic relationship. The Whys? in these books are almost never addressed though the character always reaches a moment where she learns that she is better off working with others than on her own, both as a thief and a person.
If the author ever chose to revisit this series (even though it has been 10+ years since book 3 was released) I'd love to see Kat address the root of her issues with her family, even if only in an inner monologue.
hannahnana73's review against another edition
4.0
Ok... so no 5 stars this time...
I kinda wanted something to HAPPEN (between Hale and Kat) I mean plssssss stop just continuing it to the next book - when are they going to get together?? Idk
Hmm... we never find out who earlier used Visily Romani... maybe in the coming books? idk
Yeah well... I loved the writing as usual - but the plot was a little confusing at times... ok so a lot confusing at times!
Also, was it significant that Kat kept forgetting Paraguay was Paraguay?! Coz repeating that so many times just got on my nerves...
But anyway....
this is actually 3.5 rounded up *gasp* the lowest I've ever rated an Ally Carter book
oh well.
I kinda wanted something to HAPPEN (between Hale and Kat) I mean plssssss stop just continuing it to the next book - when are they going to get together?? Idk
Hmm... we never find out who earlier used Visily Romani... maybe in the coming books? idk
Yeah well... I loved the writing as usual - but the plot was a little confusing at times... ok so a lot confusing at times!
Also, was it significant that Kat kept forgetting Paraguay was Paraguay?! Coz repeating that so many times just got on my nerves...
But anyway....
this is actually 3.5 rounded up *gasp* the lowest I've ever rated an Ally Carter book
oh well.
sumayyaha's review against another edition
2.0
Rating - 2 Stars (Read with Clean YA Book Club)
____________________________________
As Goodreads suggests, it was ok.
I was really hoping for a change in character from Kat in this book but instead, her character seemed to get all muffled and confused. I really couldn't understand her qualm about wanting her crew to not get hurt because of her plans. In my opinion, a heist crew like theirs that the author loves to stress has been in the 'family business' for years, must be willing to take risks. How can they not be prepared to get hurt, jailed, or otherwise? I thought it was irrational of Kat to insist on keeping them safe. It made it seem like she thought she was the best at the job, giving her the 'I can't let you guys in or you'll get hurt' trope. It was just plain annoying.
Not only that, but she also seemed to have the idea that she couldn't pull off this heist, meanwhile the author has boastful writing about Kat being able to do anything. It was very contradictory and I couldn't tell where her monologue was going, what was the point? I was frustrated along with her crew. The whole time my head was just going 'Trust them for goodness sakes!' I mean, come on, she's done missions with them for years, why can't she trust them to not get hurt? I feel like that should be a given in a heist crew.
Next, there's the ever boastful writing style of the author. It peeved me, a whole lot. I get that this writing style was supposed to be crafty and sly to showcase the personality of a thief but... It just didn't fit. It was mostly talk and no show, especially in the case of Kat. I put up with it though because sometimes it was cool, sometimes it had a ring to it.
However, her writing was also full of stereotypes. I would not be at all surprised if I was reading the script for a 2010 movie. Every character said just the right thing and made just the wrong move to look comedic or dramatic. Reading that two characters were doing something mischevious such as launching grappling hooks off a deck while everyone else was trying to have a serious conversation was just annoying to read. It was like the author was shoving it in my face, "Laugh! You have to laugh." Well news flash, it's not funny, at least not to me.
And then there were the really weird chapter endings. Every single one ended dramatically like the author was begging me to read on. It was good a few times, but why is it that every chapter had to end with the characters saying something dramatic? When I think about it, someone closing the chapter with 'Then we have to get it back.' is kind of strange. More so because there's always a time skip afterwards which makes me cringe at the thought of the characters just staring at each other after that and being like 'Ok.'
Then, there was the author's weird obsession with bringing up how Kat wasn't like other girls because she wasn't really a girl was she? *flashback to book 1* And of course Gabrielle's feminine charms always being brought up, and for some reason negatively.
Lastly, there was the ending. Without spoiling it, I will say that it was confusing. The characters were constantly bouncing from 'Yes, we have a plan.' to 'Yikes, none of our plans will work.' I was so confused with which avenue they were at that I just read the words till I got to the actual plan. I still can't tell if the author was trying to be misleading on purpose so there would be an awe factor when the plan was set in motion or it was just bad execution. Either way, there's something positive I have to say about this book. And that is the ending. I know, now I'm being the contradictory one, but seriously the actual con plan was pretty good. I didn't even think of that solution. Although the main antagonist of this story was... stereotypical, the ending was somewhat worth the pain I had to get through while reading.
So, all of this is to say, I won't be continuing on in this series. I think this book left off at a good place and I'd rather not read another mediocre heist book if I can help it. At the very least, I have found a new genre that I might enjoy.
____________________________________
As Goodreads suggests, it was ok.
I was really hoping for a change in character from Kat in this book but instead, her character seemed to get all muffled and confused. I really couldn't understand her qualm about wanting her crew to not get hurt because of her plans. In my opinion, a heist crew like theirs that the author loves to stress has been in the 'family business' for years, must be willing to take risks. How can they not be prepared to get hurt, jailed, or otherwise? I thought it was irrational of Kat to insist on keeping them safe. It made it seem like she thought she was the best at the job, giving her the 'I can't let you guys in or you'll get hurt' trope. It was just plain annoying.
Not only that, but she also seemed to have the idea that she couldn't pull off this heist, meanwhile the author has boastful writing about Kat being able to do anything. It was very contradictory and I couldn't tell where her monologue was going, what was the point? I was frustrated along with her crew. The whole time my head was just going 'Trust them for goodness sakes!' I mean, come on, she's done missions with them for years, why can't she trust them to not get hurt? I feel like that should be a given in a heist crew.
Next, there's the ever boastful writing style of the author. It peeved me, a whole lot. I get that this writing style was supposed to be crafty and sly to showcase the personality of a thief but... It just didn't fit. It was mostly talk and no show, especially in the case of Kat. I put up with it though because sometimes it was cool, sometimes it had a ring to it.
However, her writing was also full of stereotypes. I would not be at all surprised if I was reading the script for a 2010 movie. Every character said just the right thing and made just the wrong move to look comedic or dramatic. Reading that two characters were doing something mischevious such as launching grappling hooks off a deck while everyone else was trying to have a serious conversation was just annoying to read. It was like the author was shoving it in my face, "Laugh! You have to laugh." Well news flash, it's not funny, at least not to me.
And then there were the really weird chapter endings. Every single one ended dramatically like the author was begging me to read on. It was good a few times, but why is it that every chapter had to end with the characters saying something dramatic? When I think about it, someone closing the chapter with 'Then we have to get it back.' is kind of strange. More so because there's always a time skip afterwards which makes me cringe at the thought of the characters just staring at each other after that and being like 'Ok.'
Then, there was the author's weird obsession with bringing up how Kat wasn't like other girls because she wasn't really a girl was she? *flashback to book 1* And of course Gabrielle's feminine charms always being brought up, and for some reason negatively.
Lastly, there was the ending. Without spoiling it, I will say that it was confusing. The characters were constantly bouncing from 'Yes, we have a plan.' to 'Yikes, none of our plans will work.' I was so confused with which avenue they were at that I just read the words till I got to the actual plan. I still can't tell if the author was trying to be misleading on purpose so there would be an awe factor when the plan was set in motion or it was just bad execution. Either way, there's something positive I have to say about this book. And that is the ending. I know, now I'm being the contradictory one, but seriously the actual con plan was pretty good. I didn't even think of that solution. Although the main antagonist of this story was... stereotypical, the ending was somewhat worth the pain I had to get through while reading.
So, all of this is to say, I won't be continuing on in this series. I think this book left off at a good place and I'd rather not read another mediocre heist book if I can help it. At the very least, I have found a new genre that I might enjoy.
dunder_mifflin's review against another edition
4.0
I honestly love this series so much: kid thieves? Count me in.
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 4.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this sequel more than the first book. It was entertaining, fun and full of action. It’s full of suspense and twists and turns that I did not see coming at all. Thankfully, there’s more background information on the character’s and their family’s lives of thieving. This book focuses a lot on family and friendship but it has more of a romance as well.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style is funny, simple and really easy to read. Honestly, I always fly through Ally’s books because they’re so entertaining and fun and sometimes even intense that I always want to know what’s going to happen next. It’s detailed, descriptive and fast paced. It has a third person POV most of the time from the main character but with also extra chapter with different character’s POVs which bring new and extra details to the story.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
This improved so much more in this second book. One of my biggest complaints for the first book was the fact that we didn’t get enough background information on the character’s and their family and that is totally rectified in this book thanks to the plot. I definitely found myself connecting a bit more with all the different characters in part because I got to know them more through their relationships. It was just what I needed. Kat has grown from the first book but not necessarily in the best way. She’s gotten over confident and extremely independent. She’s stubborn and it causes a rift between her and the rest of her family… again. I’m glad she grew in this book as well toward a more humble attitude which aligns with her determination and makes this a great book to read. I was kind of upset with Hale in this book though I totally understood where he was coming from. He’s hurt and angry and he feels vulnerable. It was nice to see a more emotional side of him even if he still carries on with his charming and protective self. I feel like the side characters in this book didn’t have as much exposure as they did in the first book but again, there was a lot more family background information so I guess I can live with it.
Emotionally
The plot is entertaining. It’s two months after the events of the first book and Kat has been traveling around the world pulling cons and heists on her own for a noble purpose. But she’s approached by an older woman and implored to steal one of the biggest gems in the world, even though it is cursed. But things don’t really turn out the way she wants them to. This book was a lot ore exciting and suspenseful than the first. The stakes are higher and the job is much harder than ones they have encountered before. It’s almost like a surreal setting and you want nothing more than for the characters to pull it off but every single facet is against them and what they’re trying to accomplish. There were quite a few twists and turns that I did not see coming at all which I really appreciated. Sometimes with these books, in this particular genre, things happen way too quickly or too conveniently to be believed (beyond the fact that teenagers are pulling off heists) and I loved that this book turned things on its head and left me floundering to see how they were actually going to get their shit together and pull off what they needed to do. These obstacles challenged the characters, specially Kat. They had to think outside the box and grow and learn together which made the story much richer. I loved getting to know more about the adults in the family and the way they’ve shaped the legacy the kids are now carrying on. Their history is so complex and intriguing so yes, I still want more and more about them and the main characters’ childhoods. Just everything about this group!
Kat goes through a lot in this book. She’s become really independent. She’s spent the last few months pulling off cons and heists on her own which gives her a sense of superiority. She feels like she’s better than her family and not only that, that her reasons for doing what they do are also better. She’s cocky and a little bit self-righteous and that turned me off a bit though I can see how it would be a natural progression for her character. But luckily, she gets a really nasty dose of reality and begins to grow and change from that outlook. I’m glad it wasn’t something that happens overnight, old habits die hard and being independent for Kat is really hard to break. But she slowly begins to put more of her faith and trust in her family and what they can do together and it was really great to see.
The side characters in this series are some of my favorite though they definitely took more of a backseat in this particular book. Hale is still my overprotective sweetheart. I’m really happy that we got to see more vulnerability and emotion from him. In the first book, he kind of got by on his charms and his jokes and while I love that, he needed more depth and it was obviously appreciated. Gabby is getting to me. Honestly, she has that kind of personality that generally annoys other girls because that’s just how we are. But we also get to see a different side of her in this series because of certain circumstances and she’s actually quite funny. The rest of the characters have their unique quirks and oddities and we also managed to see some other side to them which now that I think about is a direct effect of the plot and what it’s all about but I still really enjoyed it.
Overall, I liked this book much better than the first one, the books are definitely getting better each time. The plot is exciting, entertaining and intense. It’s fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. There’s a lot of character development for the main character and I loved her growth from the first to the second book. We finally get some background information on her family and we get to see different sides to the other characters in the crew which was awesome.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this sequel more than the first book. It was entertaining, fun and full of action. It’s full of suspense and twists and turns that I did not see coming at all. Thankfully, there’s more background information on the character’s and their family’s lives of thieving. This book focuses a lot on family and friendship but it has more of a romance as well.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style is funny, simple and really easy to read. Honestly, I always fly through Ally’s books because they’re so entertaining and fun and sometimes even intense that I always want to know what’s going to happen next. It’s detailed, descriptive and fast paced. It has a third person POV most of the time from the main character but with also extra chapter with different character’s POVs which bring new and extra details to the story.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
This improved so much more in this second book. One of my biggest complaints for the first book was the fact that we didn’t get enough background information on the character’s and their family and that is totally rectified in this book thanks to the plot. I definitely found myself connecting a bit more with all the different characters in part because I got to know them more through their relationships. It was just what I needed. Kat has grown from the first book but not necessarily in the best way. She’s gotten over confident and extremely independent. She’s stubborn and it causes a rift between her and the rest of her family… again. I’m glad she grew in this book as well toward a more humble attitude which aligns with her determination and makes this a great book to read. I was kind of upset with Hale in this book though I totally understood where he was coming from. He’s hurt and angry and he feels vulnerable. It was nice to see a more emotional side of him even if he still carries on with his charming and protective self. I feel like the side characters in this book didn’t have as much exposure as they did in the first book but again, there was a lot more family background information so I guess I can live with it.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book and I’m slowly but surely falling in love with this cast of characters.The plot is entertaining. It’s two months after the events of the first book and Kat has been traveling around the world pulling cons and heists on her own for a noble purpose. But she’s approached by an older woman and implored to steal one of the biggest gems in the world, even though it is cursed. But things don’t really turn out the way she wants them to. This book was a lot ore exciting and suspenseful than the first. The stakes are higher and the job is much harder than ones they have encountered before. It’s almost like a surreal setting and you want nothing more than for the characters to pull it off but every single facet is against them and what they’re trying to accomplish. There were quite a few twists and turns that I did not see coming at all which I really appreciated. Sometimes with these books, in this particular genre, things happen way too quickly or too conveniently to be believed (beyond the fact that teenagers are pulling off heists) and I loved that this book turned things on its head and left me floundering to see how they were actually going to get their shit together and pull off what they needed to do. These obstacles challenged the characters, specially Kat. They had to think outside the box and grow and learn together which made the story much richer. I loved getting to know more about the adults in the family and the way they’ve shaped the legacy the kids are now carrying on. Their history is so complex and intriguing so yes, I still want more and more about them and the main characters’ childhoods. Just everything about this group!
Kat goes through a lot in this book. She’s become really independent. She’s spent the last few months pulling off cons and heists on her own which gives her a sense of superiority. She feels like she’s better than her family and not only that, that her reasons for doing what they do are also better. She’s cocky and a little bit self-righteous and that turned me off a bit though I can see how it would be a natural progression for her character. But luckily, she gets a really nasty dose of reality and begins to grow and change from that outlook. I’m glad it wasn’t something that happens overnight, old habits die hard and being independent for Kat is really hard to break. But she slowly begins to put more of her faith and trust in her family and what they can do together and it was really great to see.
The side characters in this series are some of my favorite though they definitely took more of a backseat in this particular book. Hale is still my overprotective sweetheart. I’m really happy that we got to see more vulnerability and emotion from him. In the first book, he kind of got by on his charms and his jokes and while I love that, he needed more depth and it was obviously appreciated. Gabby is getting to me. Honestly, she has that kind of personality that generally annoys other girls because that’s just how we are. But we also get to see a different side of her in this series because of certain circumstances and she’s actually quite funny. The rest of the characters have their unique quirks and oddities and we also managed to see some other side to them which now that I think about is a direct effect of the plot and what it’s all about but I still really enjoyed it.
Overall, I liked this book much better than the first one, the books are definitely getting better each time. The plot is exciting, entertaining and intense. It’s fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. There’s a lot of character development for the main character and I loved her growth from the first to the second book. We finally get some background information on her family and we get to see different sides to the other characters in the crew which was awesome.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Audiobook performed by Angela Dawe
2.5**
Katarina Bishop is back with her crew of teen-aged thieves. In this second outing they are after the Cleopatra emerald, despite legend that it carries a curse.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this plot, and more than one intricate theft taking place. Not to mention cons and contra-cons. The relationship between Kat and Hale is on a continued slow-burn, but she seems disinterested for most of the book. Or perhaps she’s just so focused on her mission to … well, that would be spoiling the plot. Kat’s crew includes her cousin, the fabulously beautiful Gabrielle, as well as computer whiz Simon, and the Scots Hamish and Angus. And, of course, there are private jets, private yachts and the palace at Monaco to add color and interest.
It's a fast read, and I like a lead female who is smart, determined and generally self-sufficient. But I didn't think it was as good as the first book, [b:Heist Society|6574102|Heist Society (Heist Society, #1)|Ally Carter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359254479l/6574102._SY75_.jpg|6767235]. Still, I see the appeal for the target YA audience.
Angela Dawe does a fine job performing the audio. She sets a good pace and clearly differentiates the many characters. I love how she voices Simon, who is suffering from a cold!
2.5**
Katarina Bishop is back with her crew of teen-aged thieves. In this second outing they are after the Cleopatra emerald, despite legend that it carries a curse.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this plot, and more than one intricate theft taking place. Not to mention cons and contra-cons. The relationship between Kat and Hale is on a continued slow-burn, but she seems disinterested for most of the book. Or perhaps she’s just so focused on her mission to … well, that would be spoiling the plot. Kat’s crew includes her cousin, the fabulously beautiful Gabrielle, as well as computer whiz Simon, and the Scots Hamish and Angus. And, of course, there are private jets, private yachts and the palace at Monaco to add color and interest.
It's a fast read, and I like a lead female who is smart, determined and generally self-sufficient. But I didn't think it was as good as the first book, [b:Heist Society|6574102|Heist Society (Heist Society, #1)|Ally Carter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359254479l/6574102._SY75_.jpg|6767235]. Still, I see the appeal for the target YA audience.
Angela Dawe does a fine job performing the audio. She sets a good pace and clearly differentiates the many characters. I love how she voices Simon, who is suffering from a cold!
alidottie's review against another edition
4.0
Perfect light YA reading to lighten my mood and just enjoy. It's the sequel to Heist Society which I enjoyed as well.
captainfivebyfive's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shhchar's review against another edition
5.0
This is the sequel to Heist Society. It's a few months after the first book ends, and Kat has been traveling around alone doing pro-bono heists. She comes home, and sort of gets herself into the biggest theft of her life. If you thought the Henley was something, this is 10 times more tricky!
I adored Heist Society. And this book was no different. There were a few things lacking in this book, but I'd like to take a moment and appreciate what was there!
-Amazing writing style. I don't know how Ally Carter keeps all the details in HER head, let alone write about them? I loved the mysterious little parts that were used 'the man' and were just vague. It wasn't too repetitive or annoying, it added to the theme.
-Kat is one of my favorite characters. Even if she did repeat herself several times in this book, I still love her! Hale too.
The ending was satisfying. Not completely satisfying, but that's expected. IS there another book to it? That's my question. I didn't see one on Goodreads confirmed, but I might be looking in the wrong place. IF there is another book then the ending will be fine. But if this is the last one, then umm that's not okay with me. From Ally Carter's blog:
WILL THERE BE A HEIST SOCIETY 3?
Maybe.
So I'm holding up some hope! :)
Now I must get onto the not-so-fun stuff. I didn't like how there was barely any character development in this book. I felt like Kat changed through the course of the book, but not very much. Hale on the other hand pleased me, they all did. The big thing was just Kat. Still love her though!
Characters=8/10
Plotline=10/10
Writing=10/10
Ending=7/10
I adored Heist Society. And this book was no different. There were a few things lacking in this book, but I'd like to take a moment and appreciate what was there!
-Amazing writing style. I don't know how Ally Carter keeps all the details in HER head, let alone write about them? I loved the mysterious little parts that were used 'the man' and were just vague. It wasn't too repetitive or annoying, it added to the theme.
-Kat is one of my favorite characters. Even if she did repeat herself several times in this book, I still love her! Hale too.
The ending was satisfying. Not completely satisfying, but that's expected. IS there another book to it? That's my question. I didn't see one on Goodreads confirmed, but I might be looking in the wrong place. IF there is another book then the ending will be fine. But if this is the last one, then umm that's not okay with me. From Ally Carter's blog:
WILL THERE BE A HEIST SOCIETY 3?
Maybe.
So I'm holding up some hope! :)
Now I must get onto the not-so-fun stuff. I didn't like how there was barely any character development in this book. I felt like Kat changed through the course of the book, but not very much. Hale on the other hand pleased me, they all did. The big thing was just Kat. Still love her though!
Characters=8/10
Plotline=10/10
Writing=10/10
Ending=7/10