Stealing Heaven

Reader reviewed by Sara

From inside cover:
"My name is Danielle. I'm eighteen. I've been stealing things for as long as I can remember.
Dani has been trained as a thief by the best - her mother. Together, they move from town to town, targeting wealthy homes and making a living by stealing antique silver. They never stay in one place long enough to make real connections, real friends - a real life.
In the beach town of Heaven, though, everything changes. For the first time, Dani starts to feel at home. She's making friends and has even met a guy. But these people can never know the real Dani - because of who she is. When it turns out that her new friend lives in the house they've targeted for thier next job and the cute guy is a cop, Dani must question where her loyalties like: with the life she's always known - or the one she's always wanted."

When I saw that Elizabeth Scott read this book I expected to love it, and I wasn't disappointed! Dani is a character that is easy to love and root for! I really liked Greg... my head I have always picture him kind of like Leo from Veronica Mars. This book not only was insightful, it was also romantic and funny. I can't wait for more book by Scott... she hasn't let me down yet! 10 out of 10 stars for Stealing Heaven

Reader reviewed by thea

Dani grows up stealing. Her whole
life revolves around silver. She never went to high school and has a
new name everywhere her and her mom go. Nothing is consistent and she
longs to own something permanent. Dani's mother is hesitant to love
after her husband left. Her motto is: "I believe in what I can hold in
my hand." Throughout the novel, it explores the differences between
Dani and her mother. She also meets a cop(a cute one) which completely
clashes with her lifestyle. I laughed out loud while reading this book!
The dialog was great between Dani and the cute cop. My only complaint
is that it was a bit predictable.
Overall,
I loved the plot and the chance to go inside a criminals mind. Turns
out, not everything's black and white. Criminals are not pure evil.
They have reasons for who they are and why they do what they do. Even
Hitler was abused by his father and was self-conscious of his
appearance. It does not forgive what they do, because they have a
choice. They control their actions. Yet, criminals and evil people are
human too.
The ending
was great and it was a quick short read. I find that every single book
by Elizabeth Scott I end up loving. Perfect You was another of her
great ones-check it out!

Reader reviewed by cosmicdustbella

My name is Danielle. I'm eighteen. I've been stealing things for as long as I can remember.

Dani has been trained as a thief by the best--her mother. Together, they move from town to town, targeting wealthy homes and making a living by stealing antique silver. They never stay in one place long enough to make real connections, real friends--a real life

In the beach town of Heaven, though, everything changes. For the first time, Dani starts to feel at home. She's making friends and has even met a guy. But these people can never know the real Dani--because of who she is. When it turns out that her new friend lives in the house they've targeted for their next job and the cute guy is a cop, Dani must question where her loyalties lie: with the life she's always known--or the one she's always wanted.

Elizabeth Scott tells the surprising story of a mature teen who longs to be on the strait and narrow even though all her life crime is all she knew and all she was taught. Dani has never spent long in one place, and nobody ever really noticed her, until now. As she makes her struggle trying to decifer what she should do, you find yourself rooting for the troubled teen and hoping for her to make the right choice. With a shocking end that you will not see coming, you will not be able to put this book down until you have finished it.

Reader reviewed by c-alexis

If you like short reviews.. this is it: I LOVED IT.
However, for those of you who like to know more...
When I first read the description.. I thought of a couple of movies... Hearbreakers (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Lies My Mother Told Me (Hayden Panettiere). Movies and storylines that involve complex mother-daughter relationships where the mother decides to steal and shoplift as a way to support themselves. Like the two movies mentioned, I loved the novel. While touching upon the complexities of Danielle and her mother's relationship, it was also fun and witty. It teaches that sometimes doing the right thing may not be what we're taught to do our whole lives... but still.. there is that sense of loyalty to family. I found myself rooting for Danielle as she struggles with her own conscience and her wants in life.
Elizabeth Scott is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors; can't wait to read another one of her novels.

Reprinted here with author's permission.

Reader reviewed by graceface

All Dani has ever known was stealing. In fact, her first memory was in someone else's house, where Dani was bravely trying to be "extra super quiet." Dani never really thought she could live a life without her mom, and moving from place to place, stealing silver from the rich.
That is, until she came to Heaven, a small beachside town with lots of wealthy looking homes with lots and lots of silver.
At Heaven, Dani is known as Sydney. She befriends a girl named Allison Donaldson and Greg, a cute but intriguing guy who is, unfortunately, a cop. But when Dani's mom decides to hit the Donaldson house next, Dani must search deep inside her heart and decide between right and wrong and what she really wants.
This book kind of slowed down way too much at the end for me, but overall it was a great book. 5 stars!

Reader reviewed by Tasha

Danielle is a girl of many names. Depending on the town she and her mom are in the name changes. Why is it that Danielle doesnt want anyone to know her identity? Its simple really; she and her mom are thieves. They go from town to town pilfering silver from the rich families in the area. As soon as one job is done they are planning the next one. When they arrive in a little coastal town called Heaven Danielle immediately knows that this place is different. While her mother has always told her the only things to believe in are silver and things you can hold, Danielle begins to realize that there really is more to life than just stealing. While Danielle is scouting the town for her mother one day, she ends up meeting Allison and Greg. While it is common for Danielle to meet people from town to town, she has never really had a friend let alone a boyfriend. Allison seems to be one of the nicest girls Danielle has ever met and while she knows it wouldnt be a good thing for them to be friends; she cant help but love Allisons bubbly personality. Then theres Greg. Greg is cute, interested in Danielle, and a cop! Danielle knows he is totally off limits, but she cant help being attracted to him. They forge such a special relationship that Danielle cant help but tell him everything, even her name. When Danielle and her mom run into conflict, she will be tested to make the most important decision of her life; to follow what she has always known, or to walk out onto a branch and try something new.

WOW!! This is what was going through my head as I finished the book. It was amazing in every sense and Elizabeth Scott has out done herself yet again. Im really not sure how its possible, but her novels just get better and better as they come out! This is by far my favorite of her novels, though they are all excellent. The story was completely original and was beautifully written. There were no hitches between paragraphs where I felt myself wondering what was going on, everything just flowed. Danielles character was also one of a kind. She had so many emotions that she thrust upon the reader that I truly felt like she was telling me her story I wasnt just reading it. Also Elizabeth Scott has once again shared an important lesson, not accepting the life your parents had as your own, and made it clear to the readers in a fun way. I was really intrigued to read about how Danielle struggled deciding what kind of life she wanted to live, not just the life she was always used to. I think this is definitely a prominent issue with teens today and like I said before, Elizabeth made thinking about the importance of this decision very real and significant. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by Elizabeth Scott as she is truly a gifted, wonderful, and fabulous author.

Reader reviewed by ambeen

Stealing Heaven is a beautifully crafted novel. I loved it from the beginning and had trouble putting it down even when I had to.

The isolation and feelings of being trapped that Danielle experiences are very well written and seem so real. It's hard to say I've been in her exact position, but I could really relate to her feelings out helplessness and feeling as if nothing can change and you couldn't make it change if you wanted.

I love Elizabeth's style of writing as well. It is similar to Sarah Dessen but different at the same time. I really love it and can't wait to read more from this amazing author.

Reader reviewed by the book muncher

Danielle has been stealing things for as long as she can remember. She travels from town to town with her mother, robbing the rich of their valuable silver. Thats how she ends up in Heaven, a beautiful beach town where many rich people vacation. But theres something different about this city. Danielle cant seem to keep a low profile. She becomes friendly with a talkative girl named Allison and starts falling for a cute guy named Greg.

But the job isnt as easy as all the other jobs Danielle has done. She has to steal silver from the Donaldsons, but that would mean stealing from Allison, the first person Danielle has ever called a friend. And Greg turns out to be a cop. Danielle is torn between her loyalty for her mother and her yearning for a normal life.

Stealing Heaven was an amazingly well-written novel. I got the sense that I really got to know all the main characters, and I felt a connection to Danielle, even though Thievery is not my life. But there is some much more to Dani than just being a thief. She is clever, careful, and above all things loyal. She often sacrifices for her mom, and although her loyalty to her mother sometimes gets in the way, I loved how at the end, Dani finally gets what she wants.

I loved how the ending was neatly wrapped up and made me feel hopeful. I also like how most elements of this book can be applied to anyone who feels out of the ordinary sometimes. I can honestly say that I fell in love with this book. I definitely look forward to reading more of Elizabeth Scotts novels, and I highly recommend you pre-order Stealing Heaven now or buy it when its published at the end of May.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/