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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
fast-paced
This was such a fun read! The blurb intrigued me because Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Eight were two of my favorite movies growing up. I also really enjoyed The Inheritance Games trilogy, and this book definitely gave off some of those vibes.
I adored all of the characters. This book gave off major found family vibes that I really enjoyed. I can’t wait to see more of this friend group in the next book! I’m also looking forward to reading more about Ross and Devroe after that insane ending! The tension between those two is going to drive me crazy.
Those heists were so much fun to read about! I couldn't put my Kindle down, I was so anxious to see what would happen next. Some of the plot was predictable, but that didn't stop me from being shocked by the plot twist at the end. It definitely made me want to immediately pick up the next book! I'm sad that I have to wait until November 12th, but know that I'll be waiting impatiently.
I adored all of the characters. This book gave off major found family vibes that I really enjoyed. I can’t wait to see more of this friend group in the next book! I’m also looking forward to reading more about Ross and Devroe after that insane ending! The tension between those two is going to drive me crazy.
Those heists were so much fun to read about! I couldn't put my Kindle down, I was so anxious to see what would happen next. Some of the plot was predictable, but that didn't stop me from being shocked by the plot twist at the end. It definitely made me want to immediately pick up the next book! I'm sad that I have to wait until November 12th, but know that I'll be waiting impatiently.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i think this book gets an even 4 stars and i will def read the sequel when it's released!
pros:
* i loved the main character, ross is so badass and i'm obsessed with her kicks collection (and the designs on the bottoms? helloo???? i need them now). i also love noelia, i'm excited for her not-so-villainous arc in the sequel.
* the plot. i used to be a sucker for any kind of spy/action books and this took me back to my Spy School days. teens who are professional thieves and enter a high-stakes thieving competition to win a wish? yes PLEASE. the plot twists were great and definitely added more the story (i think without them, the rating would have been around 3.5 or 3.75).
cons:
*devroe. he has got to be the lamest excuse for a book bf in the history of book bfs. the way he would pout and storm off every time ross rejected him was so off-putting. like, yeah, maybe she doesn't fully trust you to be in a relationship with you, that doesn't give you the right to be so PUSHY. he wasn't even charming. also, devroe SURE proved her wrong :D. pro tip, when you finallyyy convince your crush to kiss you, don't kidnap her aunt and almost murder your gf and her entire family. i know that ending was to set up a lovers-to-enemies situation for the sequel so the sequel can be enemies-to-lovers but it didn't hit as well as other lovers-to-enemies books.
imo there shouldn't have been a romance in this book. just because romance is so popular nowadays doesn't mean that every fiction book needs romance, and it was just unnecessary here. it significantly lowered my rating because the action was AWESOME but then we would switch over to "you're the only one who knows the real me *bites lip*" "devroe WHAT ARE YOU HIDING" and it would kill the vibe.
pros:
* i loved the main character, ross is so badass and i'm obsessed with her kicks collection (and the designs on the bottoms? helloo???? i need them now). i also love noelia, i'm excited for her not-so-villainous arc in the sequel.
* the plot. i used to be a sucker for any kind of spy/action books and this took me back to my Spy School days. teens who are professional thieves and enter a high-stakes thieving competition to win a wish? yes PLEASE. the plot twists were great and definitely added more the story (i think without them, the rating would have been around 3.5 or 3.75).
cons:
*devroe. he has got to be the lamest excuse for a book bf in the history of book bfs. the way he would pout and storm off every time ross rejected him was so off-putting. like, yeah, maybe she doesn't fully trust you to be in a relationship with you, that doesn't give you the right to be so PUSHY. he wasn't even charming. also, devroe SURE proved her wrong :D. pro tip, when you finallyyy convince your crush to kiss you, don't kidnap her aunt and almost murder your gf and her entire family. i know that ending was to set up a lovers-to-enemies situation for the sequel so the sequel can be enemies-to-lovers but it didn't hit as well as other lovers-to-enemies books.
imo there shouldn't have been a romance in this book. just because romance is so popular nowadays doesn't mean that every fiction book needs romance, and it was just unnecessary here. it significantly lowered my rating because the action was AWESOME but then we would switch over to "you're the only one who knows the real me *bites lip*" "devroe WHAT ARE YOU HIDING" and it would kill the vibe.
adventurous
challenging
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Plot twists were CRAZY! The ending has me itching to read the sequel. (Which I’ll start on since This edition came with a sneak peek!)
This book is great for The Inheritance Games fans! I actually may have enjoyed this one a bit more.
___
My favorite part of this book was probably the relationships, I kept highlighting the parts where Ross’ bonds with others were showcased.
This book was advertised to me as a book for The Inheritance Games fans. As one of them, I can say that this book was definitely worth the read. The vibes were similar: a book infused with puzzles, relationships, romance, and more. But in this book, I’d say non-romance, such as the puzzles and lore, outweighs the romance, which is admirable.
Oh yeah there was some modern slang in the book which was kind of weird but it’s not like there too much you know? Like I kept reading the word “sus” and I found that so funny, which is probably why I’m not a full 5 star reviewer.
THERE’S AN OFFICIAL PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY WHAAAAT?!?!?!
I agree with a lot of other reviewers, the ending was really abrupt and stressful.
As I said, I really loved the relationships Ross built throughout the book, but was saddened to see them practically get wasted away at the end when she says “Trust no one.” I know she can at least trust Kyung-soon, Mylo, and Noelia now, but I don’t think she will at least in the beginning of the sequel.
I wonder what happened to Yeriel and Taiyō and everyone else.
This book is great for The Inheritance Games fans! I actually may have enjoyed this one a bit more.
___
My favorite part of this book was probably the relationships, I kept highlighting the parts where Ross’ bonds with others were showcased.
This book was advertised to me as a book for The Inheritance Games fans. As one of them, I can say that this book was definitely worth the read. The vibes were similar: a book infused with puzzles, relationships, romance, and more. But in this book, I’d say non-romance, such as the puzzles and lore, outweighs the romance, which is admirable.
Oh yeah there was some modern slang in the book which was kind of weird but it’s not like there too much you know? Like I kept reading the word “sus” and I found that so funny, which is probably why I’m not a full 5 star reviewer.
THERE’S AN OFFICIAL PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY WHAAAAT?!?!?!
I agree with a lot of other reviewers, the ending was really abrupt and stressful.
As I said, I really loved the relationships Ross built throughout the book, but was saddened to see them practically get wasted away at the end when she says “Trust no one.” I know she can at least trust Kyung-soon, Mylo, and Noelia now, but I don’t think she will at least in the beginning of the sequel.
I wonder what happened to Yeriel and Taiyō and everyone else.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When looking at the German cover, it becomes quite obvious that Thieves’ Gambit is heavily marketed towards people that enjoyed The Inheritance Games. I still liked the book, even though this was the first time I felt too old for reading YA because some aspects were just too juvenile for me and only looked at the surface.
This book focusses on Ross who has been a thief for her whole life. After one failed mission, her mother gets kidnapped, and she takes part in the Thieves’ Gambit to save her. For this, she has to win different competitions, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups. Those competitions are nicely fast paced, and it was fun to see the different strategies the characters used. Some moments were a bit too unbelievable though, like the random kids saving Ross from the balcony . I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending as well. It’s not well explained and quite predictable that Devon is a traitor , although I liked the twist that her mom faked the kidnapping .
Furthermore, I couldn’t really connect to the writing style. It’s really juvenile/gen Z with terms like “beef”, “sociopath”, or “bad bitch”. It also annoyed me that terms like PTSD were used so insensitively. There were additionally some weird similes. The characters are quite basic as well. They are stereotypical, especially the cliché mustache-twirling villain, but still likable. Ross’ toxic mom is barely thematized; The Girls I’ve Been does this aspect of a mom forcing her daughter to do criminal acts so much better.
All in all, Thieves’ Gambit is a fun and fast-paced read in a similar vein to other recent YA mystery books. I only wished that it had more depth and was less predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes