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hobbithopeful's review
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
Heist books are always so fun to read and this was no exception. Every heist, plan, and sneaky thief move had my heart pounding, and was just so exciting to read.
Ross and her Mom regularly perform heists, while they are very good at it, it is a lonely life. Ross's Mom constantly hammers into her brain the importance of never trusting anyone, and as a result Ross is incredibly lonely. Her plan to get away and make some friends is quickly botched when her Mom ends up getting kidnapped. Her only solution to get one billion dollars for the ransom is to enter in a cut throat competition between thieves.
This is a really enjoyable book, and truly is such a fun read. I would never have made it past round 0, I would definitely have failed and gotten stuck in the first room. It is so fascinating to see how different characters came up with different plans and ways to steal and lie. I would never have been able to think of a quarter of what they came up with!
There is of course a bit of romance, and while it did feel a bit fast-paced, I enjoyed their chemistry. Devroe is very persistent. I almost thought there was going to be a sapphic romance between Ross and Noelia because of the chemistry the two of them had, and their past.
I absolutely adored how diverse this book is, it's so rare to see this type of genre have this set of characters. Everyone felt so fleshed out and actually read as BIPOC.
Bad parents continue to be one of my favorite elements for books to have, I love that we are getting to see more morally grey or just truly sucky parents in books. (Seriously guys, I hate the trope of parents being infallible)
At times it did read more like it was made for a movie, then if it was made for a book. (This is odd, but does this make sense) I almost think it might make certain scenes easier to follow along when watching then when reading.
The ending was a bit of a let down, it was one twist then another. With two back to back twists it was hard to be invested and still find care for how everything went down. I also was a bit confused by some of the later events in the big just plot wise, there were a few holes. (Like the fact Ross has never worn an evening dress or similar attire but can walk in heels easily) The ending definitely felt a bit abrupt, I still have tons of questions.
I can't wait for the next book, and I would definitely read more of Kayvion Lewis's writing.
Highly recommend, perfect for fans of heist books similar to Ocean's Eleven.
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
Heist books are always so fun to read and this was no exception. Every heist, plan, and sneaky thief move had my heart pounding, and was just so exciting to read.
Ross and her Mom regularly perform heists, while they are very good at it, it is a lonely life. Ross's Mom constantly hammers into her brain the importance of never trusting anyone, and as a result Ross is incredibly lonely. Her plan to get away and make some friends is quickly botched when her Mom ends up getting kidnapped. Her only solution to get one billion dollars for the ransom is to enter in a cut throat competition between thieves.
This is a really enjoyable book, and truly is such a fun read. I would never have made it past round 0, I would definitely have failed and gotten stuck in the first room. It is so fascinating to see how different characters came up with different plans and ways to steal and lie. I would never have been able to think of a quarter of what they came up with!
There is of course a bit of romance, and while it did feel a bit fast-paced, I enjoyed their chemistry. Devroe is very persistent. I almost thought there was going to be a sapphic romance between Ross and Noelia because of the chemistry the two of them had, and their past.
I absolutely adored how diverse this book is, it's so rare to see this type of genre have this set of characters. Everyone felt so fleshed out and actually read as BIPOC.
Bad parents continue to be one of my favorite elements for books to have, I love that we are getting to see more morally grey or just truly sucky parents in books. (Seriously guys, I hate the trope of parents being infallible)
At times it did read more like it was made for a movie, then if it was made for a book. (This is odd, but does this make sense) I almost think it might make certain scenes easier to follow along when watching then when reading.
The ending was a bit of a let down, it was one twist then another. With two back to back twists it was hard to be invested and still find care for how everything went down. I also was a bit confused by some of the later events in the big just plot wise, there were a few holes. (Like the fact Ross has never worn an evening dress or similar attire but can walk in heels easily) The ending definitely felt a bit abrupt, I still have tons of questions.
I can't wait for the next book, and I would definitely read more of Kayvion Lewis's writing.
Highly recommend, perfect for fans of heist books similar to Ocean's Eleven.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Kidnapping
Minor: Violence and Racism
kari_f's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love heists. Movies, novels, documentaries… if there are heists involved, I’m here for it! Thieves’ Gambit had so many of the traits I’d expect with a great heist book: strategy, thrilling twists, and questionable characters with a variety of motives.
The book was quick-paced and oh-so-fun to read, and I loved that different young thieves were set up against each other throughout the competition. This involved some excellent strategy as they all try to one-up the others, leading to some exciting twists and turns.
I quite enjoyed the book and will definitely be watching for book 2 in the future!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this advanced copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Kidnapping, Racism, and Blood
kristinv20's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this was fun! nice fast-paced ya thriller, has the old-money mystery feeling of Inheritance Games and a heist focus that would probably appeal to someone who liked Six of Crows or Little Thieves. all of these characters are noticeably young, like 16-19 age range, and the prose reads a bit younger as well - as long as you're okay with moderate (pg-13) violence, i honestly think this would be a good crossover for middle grade readers looking to get into ya. if there's a middle schooler in your life who loved the 39 Clues books, i think they'll love this.
overall i enjoyed this, it's not the best heist novel i've ever read but it's far from the worst. the stakes are high, there's a ton of tension, and all of the characters play to their archetypes really well. it feels like a very classic heist story, just with a diverse teenage cast instead of a bunch of men in their forties. i did get frustrated by the amount of miscommunication and what felt like unnecessary conflict between characters, and there's a couple switches in allegiance that felt like they came out of nowhere. this was fun though, it was a good book to kill time with (i read a good chunk of this on buses to and from the doctor and it was a nice distraction).
arc provided by Penguin Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
overall i enjoyed this, it's not the best heist novel i've ever read but it's far from the worst. the stakes are high, there's a ton of tension, and all of the characters play to their archetypes really well. it feels like a very classic heist story, just with a diverse teenage cast instead of a bunch of men in their forties. i did get frustrated by the amount of miscommunication and what felt like unnecessary conflict between characters, and there's a couple switches in allegiance that felt like they came out of nowhere. this was fun though, it was a good book to kill time with (i read a good chunk of this on buses to and from the doctor and it was a nice distraction).
arc provided by Penguin Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, and Blood
lastblossom's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Seamless combination of heist and competition with tons of tasty plot twists, and a hint of romance to round everything out.
Thoughts
Um, this book is excellent? Not that I didn't expect to love it, but I didn't expect to love it this much. Two of my favorite genres are heists, and mysterious competitions hosted by shadowy figures. So the combination of such is already right up my alley, but also Kayvion Lewis absolutely nails the execution - a perfect balance of both ideas. The showcased heist is cleverly planned and very satisfying, and I enjoyed all the twists and turns as the characters competed to outdo each other. There's also a romance subplot that took a back seat to the story kind of by necessity, but the chemistry was pretty sparking. I actually appreciated the rivalry plot with a childhood frenemy even more, with all of its serious girlboss vibes. Although it doesn't technically end on a cliffhanger, there is just enough of an open door that we might see more in the future. I'd certainly be happy if we did.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Seamless combination of heist and competition with tons of tasty plot twists, and a hint of romance to round everything out.
Thoughts
Um, this book is excellent? Not that I didn't expect to love it, but I didn't expect to love it this much. Two of my favorite genres are heists, and mysterious competitions hosted by shadowy figures. So the combination of such is already right up my alley, but also Kayvion Lewis absolutely nails the execution - a perfect balance of both ideas. The showcased heist is cleverly planned and very satisfying, and I enjoyed all the twists and turns as the characters competed to outdo each other. There's also a romance subplot that took a back seat to the story kind of by necessity, but the chemistry was pretty sparking. I actually appreciated the rivalry plot with a childhood frenemy even more, with all of its serious girlboss vibes. Although it doesn't technically end on a cliffhanger, there is just enough of an open door that we might see more in the future. I'd certainly be happy if we did.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism
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