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A review by themermaddie
To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
3.0
okay honestly adorable. this book is a lighthearted heist story about a ragtag group of young(ish) people disillusioned by the state of society, lead by simi as she tries to exonerate her best friend.
the positives!
this book had a really strong start; it's funny, it's quick-paced, it sets the scene for simi and chloe's friendship really well, and introduces jack in a fun way. the rest of the group are a lot of fun as well (although i cannot believe emma is straight apparently???), i actually really liked christian lmao, he was a wild card that just kept things interesting. i also loved simi's south asian identity; i loved her nosy family and many aunties all trying to marry her off, it was so nice to have a south asian protagonist without the culture being the main plot.
that being said, there were a lot of things here that also didn't work for me. although the start was strong, it quickly started getting a little goofy. don't get me wrong, i love a little goofy here and there, but eventually it just started to feel like all the characters were being kept from me at arms length. i kept waiting for the moment that it would click together, that i would feel like i knew any of the characters better than i did at the start. jack's single pov chapter (which was also a strange choice) was arguably the most interesting chapter in the book. it's when we actually find out more about him in an actual real way, and simi's not even around for it. it was the first time i felt like i got a glimpse of the real jack, not just the suave distant mask he always puts on for simi. maybe that's why the romance didn't convince me; they might have chemistry, but teasing banter and sexual tension does not constitute an entire i-love-you relationship, so that unfortunately fell flat. the big reveal about who set chloe up was just... scooby-do predictable.
this is a fun heist story, just don't take it too seriously.
the positives!
this book had a really strong start; it's funny, it's quick-paced, it sets the scene for simi and chloe's friendship really well, and introduces jack in a fun way. the rest of the group are a lot of fun as well (although i cannot believe emma is straight apparently???), i actually really liked christian lmao, he was a wild card that just kept things interesting. i also loved simi's south asian identity; i loved her nosy family and many aunties all trying to marry her off, it was so nice to have a south asian protagonist without the culture being the main plot.
that being said, there were a lot of things here that also didn't work for me. although the start was strong, it quickly started getting a little goofy. don't get me wrong, i love a little goofy here and there, but eventually it just started to feel like all the characters were being kept from me at arms length. i kept waiting for the moment that it would click together, that i would feel like i knew any of the characters better than i did at the start. jack's single pov chapter (which was also a strange choice) was arguably the most interesting chapter in the book. it's when we actually find out more about him in an actual real way, and simi's not even around for it. it was the first time i felt like i got a glimpse of the real jack, not just the suave distant mask he always puts on for simi. maybe that's why the romance didn't convince me; they might have chemistry, but teasing banter and sexual tension does not constitute an entire i-love-you relationship, so that unfortunately fell flat. the big reveal about who set chloe up was just... scooby-do predictable.
this is a fun heist story, just don't take it too seriously.