Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Little Thieves

This book was super intense but honestly? By far one of the best books I’ve read this year and possibly ever read
The main character was such a morally grey little shit and I love her so much
I would actually do almost anything for the sequel cause I can’t believe it comes out in almost a year and I can’t get it till then 😭😭 I’m literally considering trying to become a book influencer so I can get the ARC sooner lol

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tinysierra's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“To the gremlin girls,
I would like to tell you something inspiring, but the truth is, when life closes a door for us, it doesn’t always open a window. The good news is: That’s what bricks are for.”

Little Thieves is a work of art. From the gorgeous cover, to the illustrations inside, to the way the story is broken up into 7 tales, to the writing itself. I love how even the Author’s Note is written with care. Be sure to check the trigger warnings! Hanging is mentioned a lot as well as sexual assault/harassment.

This book was confusing to get into at first. In this aspect, it reminds me of how it felt starting Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology without knowing anything about the Grishaverse.

Little Thieves was hard to slug through in the beginning, but it did pick up and then I didn’t want to put the book down.

I loved the writing style with the way Vanja told the story like a fairy tale.

I love the humor and wit.

You get to really see Vanja’s insecurities and growth through her narrative. You can see how her trauma affects her perceptions of the situations she goes through.

I loved all the characters, even the side ones!

The romance was amazing, too.
I don’t think the word demisexual is said on page but both the main characters are demi <3

“I’ve read fairy tales, of course, and listened to plaintive love songs, but I never understood why anyone would wake up after a hundred years and marry the prince who broke into their bedroom for a kiss. Or dance with a stranger once and decide to spend the rest of their lives together.”

There’s also wlw and some other LGBTQ+ rep that’s normal in this world. There is lesbophobia but in more of a “the princess is supposed to produce an heir” kind of way.

I love Vanja and Emeric so much <333 a cat and mouse chase… yes please!!

Update ~ 07-14-2023

Reread before I get into Painted Devils. I definitely found it less confusing and easier to breeze through the second time around.

Update ~ 03-13-2024

If you’re a big fan of Vanja and Emeric’s relationship, read Painted Devils immediately!!! I swear it doesn’t suffer from “second book syndrome.” It’s so amazing.

And check out Margaret Owen’s instagram account (@what_eats_owls) for more art and memes of the characters!!

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joreliz12's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is so fantastic!!! It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book with so much plot (a serious page turner, so much was going on), so much heart (the story revolves around Vanja’s sense of self and her overcoming the abuse she’s faced, and it’s heart wrenching and hopeful at the same time. She’s the “villain” but there’s an aha moment where you realize why she did what she did and everything makes sense, she’s such a powerful character), and so much humor (Vanja’s voice is so hilariously irreverent, I was laughing the whole way through). Please read it you won’t be disappointed. I checked this out from the library but I think I’m going to buy a copy so I can reread it.

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