Review Detail

Heist Society is a book written for readers in search of a good time. This novel about teenage thieves and their global adventures is far from serious—and far from realistic. Author Ally Carter writes in a style that’s appropriate for younger audiences, in the vein of the Spy Kids films. At times, I found this book to be hilarious and endearing. At other times, I found it to be a bit stiff and dull. Altogether, however, I found Heist Society to be a quick and enjoyable read, if an imperfect one.

The book opens with fifteen-year-old Kat Bishop getting expelled from a prestigious prep school—her one shot at a “normal” life. When it turns out that her friend Hale (also known as W.W. Hale the Fifth, billionaire and wannabe con-man) was the reason for her expulsion, and that Hale needs her help clearing her father’s name, Kat rushes off to Europe. Her goal: to outsmart the greatest thief the world’s ever known. With a motley group of kid-geniuses at her side, Kat will stop at nothing to save her father’s life, even at the cost of losing Hale’s trust.

Obviously, Heist Society doesn’t have the most original plotline in the world. I can’t say that I was truly surprised by any of the twists Carter threw at the reader. However, it was very simplistic and easy to follow, and made for a fairly good time. I flipped pages quickly and there was definitely never a dull moment. All good things in an escapist read like this one!

Kat, Hale, and the rest of the cast were fun and quirky bunch, if slightly reliant on tropes and also a tad bit shallow. I thought Hale’s obvious crush on Kat was cute, as was her independent, “so what?” attitude. I thought the two bantering Bagshaw brothers provided nice comedic relief at opportune moments. Nothing to stop the presses for, really, but still fun.

Basically, if you’re looking for a light read that won’t require too much mental effort but is still worthwhile, Heist Society is a book you need to check out. Carter’s simple yet effective writing kept me interested, even if it wasn’t quite as remarkable as I wished. This is a good book.