Today's read is one I was hoping to get to last month and just didn't make it. Which means I have something to look forward to! I do enjoy a good spy thriller, and this one should be just that. It's not a new read but has been around since last year. It has been getting great reviews and has even been nominated as a Goodreads Choice book, and I believe I heard whispers of this one turning into a movie? So, my expectations are high. Plus, tomorrow...
Yep, tomorrow!
...the second book in the series releases!!!
Let that Mission Impossible music start playing in your head because off we go!
THIEVE'S GAMBIT
by Kayvion Lewis
Nancy Paulsen Books
YA Thriller
384 pages
The Inheritance Games meets Ocean's Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world's best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother's life.
At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother's life hanging in the balance.
In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn't exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world--a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.
Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn't Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.
At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother's life hanging in the balance.
In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn't exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world--a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.
Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn't Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.
MY TIDBITS
Never a dull moment as high-stakes, twisted surprises, and secrets rush in from every side.
Ross is a master thief, one of the best of the best, and she's only seventeen. But that's not a surprise considering she comes from a line of well-known thieves and has known nothing else her entire life as her mother incorporates her into every job as long as Ross can remember. It's a fine life except that Ross has absolutely no friends. Trust isn't something anyone in the family can afford. Still, Ross has dreams at being normal...at least, a bit...and wants to attend college or something. Not that her mom will listen. When a weird email invites her to the Thieves Gambit, Ross' aunt makes it clear that this isn't a 'good' contest of thieves, and Ross listens. That is, until her mother is kidnapped and she has no choice but to enter a very dangerous game.
Anyone who enjoys high-tension tales such as Ocean's Eleven is in for a treat with this read. It's an edge-of-your-seat type of read and can be read in one go if time allows. It's very hard to put down and packs all sorts of action, dangerous situations, secrets, and more. So, action and mystery fans can find tons to enjoy in these pages.
And there's heart as well as character development. Ross is understandably ready to see more of the world and life, although she does adore her family. Her dedication and love is inspiring and wholesome as are the relationships in the family...not that they're perfect, and that makes it more enjoyable. Ross also has trust issues, which is more than understandable, and it's this aspect which creates a well-formed arc to connect with her, root for her, hurt with her, and cheer with her until the end. There's also romance, but this was a could-leave-or-take one and doesn't carry the story. It does add an extra twist and works well in the character arc, but Ross already has her hands more than full with everything else. I'm curious to see which direction this aspect takes in the rest of the series.
The author also manages to pack in more than a few very unexpected surprises, and this was a nice treat. Especially the end adds a stab to the gut out of the dark, which rings in expectations on the next book. Luckily, it's about to hit the market, too.
And here she is...
Kayvion Lewis is a young adult author of all things escapist and high-octane. A former youth services librarian, she’s been working with young readers and kidlit since she was sixteen. When she’s not writing, she’s breaking out of escape rooms, jumping out of airplanes, and occasionally running away to mountain retreats to study kung fu. Though she’s originally from Louisiana, and often visits her family in The Bahamas, these days you can find her in New York—at least until she takes off on her next adventure.
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