Customer Reviews

Heist Society [With Headphones] (Playaway Children)

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I always love Ally's books, and this was no exception. Heist Society has it all-suspense, adventure, travel, a smidgen of romance, a boarding school, a crazy family with a history that matches, and an all teenage crew of thieves. Katarina Bishop is a smart girl who just wants out of the family biz and be normal, but doesn't realize all she's left behind. Kat and her delicious billionaire friend, Hale, round up a merry band of thieves that are their best friends to help get Kat's father out of a tight spot. If they don't return what a seriously evil guy thinks her father stole, there will be some serious consequences. Kat and the team scramble to perform one of the most difficult and risky heists anyone in her family have ever attempted, before time runs out. If that doesn't reel you in I don't know what will. This was a seriously good and fast- paced book, pretty much impossible to put down. Take my advice, and read it ;)

I can, I guess, see why Ally Carter's HEIST SOCIETY draws in the teen girl crowd; this book, after all, is tailored for them. The premise is certainly attention-catching, especially if you're into heist and caper stories. HEIST SOCIETY affects the off-handed elan and cool of, say, OCEAN'S ELEVEN and succeeds at certain levels. To me, that book cover suggests a sort of callback to Audrey Hepburn circa BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S. HEIST SOCIETY is a brisk and breezy read, and pretty good. But there are some issues.

I don't know that there are other books out there that feature teens more worldly and self-possessed than 15-year-old Katarina Bishop and the young crew she establishes. Kat, a larcenous prodigy, comes from a family of elite professional thieves, except that three months ago she abandoned that life of crime, her final con (or so she thought) that of enrolling herself into the prestigious Colgan boarding school. But - as they say - just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in...

Kat is lured back to the family business when her master thief of a dad becomes the primary suspect for the audacious theft of a private collection of paintings. Or Kat's family thinks so, as well as several Interpol agents. Kat's father denies having done the caper, but what really galvanizes Kat into action is that the seriously sinister hombre Arturo Taccone also believes her father to be the culprit. Taccone gives Kat a two week deadline to recover the paintings or dot dot dot... Two meager weeks for Kat not only to learn where the vanished paintings have gotten to but also to gather her own thieving crew to break in and steal them. There's no question that this is by far her most ambitious heist, and this with three months of rust on her.

There's, naturally, a fun, sophisticated element in Kat's jet-setting and globe-gallivanting ways, and it doesn't hurt that her former and once again teen partner-in-crime, Hale, is rich as Croesus. I also enjoyed the thieves' mythos which Ally Carter constructs around Katarina, and I particularly love the notion of legendary aliases which had been floating around forever in the thieves' world, aliases that ambitious thieves assume when they take on an epic caper. I will say that Carter maybe could have better developed her characters. Pretty much all the roles in the book are likable but feel straight out of stock casting. One particular character shows up late in the game, and Carter writes him in such a way that he seems only to serve as a foil for Hale and to introduce an added element of mystery. Out of all of Kat's interactions, the most fascinating for me is her dealings with the shady mobster Arturo Taccone. Speaking as a dude, I'm not so into Kat's teen romantic complications. I don't particularly find Hale dreamy or swoony or dashing. But the girls are eating up that aspect, so mission accomplished for the writer. At least, it's not as despicably icky as what's been going down in Twilight.

Ally Carter has also written the Gallagher Girls spy series, and HEIST SOCIETY was a fun enough read that I'm planning on checking out those other books. Thieves and con men are some of my favorite characters to read about or see films about, and so this book was never gonna get the bum's rush from me. There's also a bit of a history lesson as Carter instructs the reader on a point of artistic atrocity committed by the Nazi regime during World War II. Some things about the book bugged me, like the shallow characterization, as mentioned, but also that not enough time is spent on the big heist itself. And maybe security at London's imposing Henley museum isn't quite as impregnable as first made out to be. Kat herself, for a gifted thief and mastermind, doesn't do enough on page except rack up flying mileage, not with a deus ex machina like Hale hanging around. I will say that when the heist finally goes down, boy, there are some taut moments. But they don't really achieve the suspense and sudden reverses of OCEAN'S ELEVEN or THE ITALIAN JOB, if that's what you're comparing this to. Also, I thought there would be some sort of payoff with Uncle Eddie who had ordered Kat not to meddle, but there was nothing there.

We never do learn the identity of the mysterious Visily Romani, and maybe that could lead into the sequel (and I'm guessing there will be a sequel). HEIST SOCIETY isn't shabby at all, a fun, lightweight caper novel. Perfect for a day at the beach or a lazy Sunday spent on the porch. Give it a try, grab some iced tea, go prop your feet up, maybe on a Twilight book.

When I first heard that Ally Carter was coming out with a new series I was both excited and wary. Excited because I really enjoyed her Gallagher Girls books and wary because I wasn't sure if a new series would live up. Well, I shouldn't have worried because not only did Heist Society live up to the goodness of Gallagher Girls it surpassed it. I really enjoyed this book. To get an idea of what its like think about if the characters in Ocean's 11 or on the tv show Leverage had children who grew up in their world....these are the teens that you find in Heist Society they live on the edge of the law and stealing and pulling cons is as easy for them as breathing air is for us.

I loved the cast of characters in this book. They were all just so much fun! And where Cammie Morgan can sometimes get annoying and repetitive Kat does not. She is smart and feisty and she tries to leave the life she's always known to be a normal teen. But normal isn't what its cracked up to be and its hard to turn your back when your family needs your help. So she's pulled back into the life of cons and we are taken along for the ride across the US and Europe. Heist Society was a well told story, it was fast paced and filled with enough witty lines that had me laughing aloud as I read the book. I couldn't put this one down and I hated for it to end. There wasn't anything that I can say that I disliked in this book it just seemed to have it all. Adventure, strong characters, strong plot, romance, etc etc etc. I can't wait for Carter to come out with a sequel for this book. If you decide to only read one series of Ally Carter, then choose this one....its worth the trip.

As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere

Ally Carter writes fantastic little stories for young teens. I'm hooked on her "spy girl" series. Her stories are lighthearted adventures that explore the questions of youth, and as a mom, I never worry that my kids are getting depraved messages. This one is cute and fun, but the writing isn't quite as clear as usual. Several times I had to re-read passages to "get it" and my kid said the exact same thing (without any clue as to my thoughts.)

It's a great, quick read, especially if you're an Ally Carter fan. Still well worth your time and money.

I hope she does a sequal to this one, but next time I hope her editor will slow her down a bit to make sure the writing is a little more defined.

Every now and then there's a story you sit down to read where the pages just come to life. The plot flows perfectly, the history makes the story believable, the characters are ones you'd like to hang out with in real life, and the setting leaves you feeling like you've traveled to those places, even though you haven't left your home. The Heist Society is one of those books.

Kat walked away from her family and their world she grew up having a natural talent for, but even a con artist doesn't stray far like she wants to, especially when someone close to you is being framed for something they didn't do and those you love are threatened. Kat has a family who never turns their backs on each other and will do anything to help each other, even when the next con job is next to impossible to pull off. What I love about Kat's family is your considered family, whether by blood relation or from knowing this close knit family for years. I enjoyed getting to be apart of this family, though I would never want to know the person who crosses them.

Take intelligence, mix in down to earth and add in beauty, and you've got Kat. She is such a fabulous character to get to know. Kat isn't some young teen girl who doesn't know what she's getting into you. She's fully aware of the costs, and she isn't alone. She has her beautiful bombshell cousin, Gabrielle who has the brains to match her beauty. The Bagshaw Brother's, and the Hale, the fantastic love interest who has a complicated history with Kat.

Kat and Hale have this chemistry that just screams brilliance. Their scenes are sizzling and their lines together make me laugh out loud. It's not hard to see why they've quickly made their way onto my favorite's couple list. I love that they are evenly matched for the job that Kat is about to take, or should I say that Hale in one way or other another makes it close to impossible for Kat to say no to.

Ally's writing is addicting. It's not just the characters that I completely loved getting to know, but her plot flows perfectly, the history makes the story believable, the settings make you feel like you've traveled with the characters from the US, to London, Paris and Italy and the characters make you feel like you've just helped them plan the biggest con ever. Who ever thought being apart of a con artist world could be so enjoyable. Heist Society felt completely real and I love it when a story completely engages me like that.

Heist Society has a little bit of everything, which is why this has become an all time favorite book of mine. The only compliant I have is that the story had to end. I am anxiously awaiting to dive back into Kat's world with Uncommon Criminals releases this summer. I highly recommend picking up Heist Society!

Gold Star Award Winner!

Kat used to lead a life of danger before she pulled her biggest con ever and walked away from a life of thievery to attend boarding school. Her enrollment lasts a few months before her old life comes crashing in on her and her plans.

She's framed for a prank she didn't commit, but that will nonetheless result in her expulsion from school. Quickly she realizes this dismissal is the work of an old family friend. He's here to tell her that her master thief father needs her help.

Turns out her father's been set up, too. Only the consequences are nowhere near as soft as being kicked out of boarding school.

Kat secretly meets her father's deadly enemy and works out a deal. She has two weeks to find the paintings and steal them back. If successful, it will be the biggest job she'll ever pull off - and also the most dangerous. Can she do it?

I adore THE GALLAGHER GIRLS series, but this new series may be even better. HEIST SOCIETY is my new favorite book. The combination of finding the art, the major heist, saving a relative, and going against the family makes for a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat read.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

It comes as no surprise to many of my friends when I say, " I loved HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter." I mean, really who can't? Carter tells a fun and energetic story of a teen who despite her unwavering determination to escape her family's `business' after running away to a normal school gets pulled back into her family's web.

I was incredibly excited to read this book after the many raves from friends on Carter's previous Gallagher series. And no wonder. Kat Bishop is a character everyone will love. She's filled with heart and determination and uncanny wit. She's funny and smart -a great role model for teens. (Minus the thievery, of course.) But not only is Kat a character worth falling in love with but the whole cast is one filled with charm and charisma.

Ally Carter's story pacing is nothing but wonderful. It is fast and exciting at the right moments and slower, and sadder even, when needed. But best of all I never saw anything coming. The book was smart and fun and has compelled me to read her other series as well. I just can't get enough!

I read this for a young-adult book club. A fast-paced globetrotting adventure, Heist Society is good page-turning fun. It's a bit like an Ocean's Eleven (or seven, in this case) for teens.

Katarina Bishop is your typical young-adult heroine, i.e. she's atypically smart, observant, witty, and a babe who doesn't yet think she is attractive. She's surrounded by a motley crew of other young thieves--lifelong friend Hale, her busty cousin Gabrielle, a pair of brothers, a computer expert, and a hot young newcomer whom she might have reason not to trust.

The story itself is fairly straightforward. Tidy prose makes the pages flip by. There's some good humor in here too. While the plot may be fairly simple, the heist isn't, and there are some neat twists and tricks along the way.

As an adult reader, I knew everything would turn out okay in the end. And it does, wrapped up in a tidy package. The danger the kids face along the way is never quite dangerous. Everything feels safe, slick and polished. It's a fun ride while it lasts, though.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was reading a teen version of Ocean's 11. (which is one of my favorite movies) This book was really cute and very fast paced. There were no slow parts or parts where I was bored.

I liked all the characters too. Kat was very likable. She was strong and smart and she managed to pull off being a thief while still being a good person. I just wanted to push her into Hale's arms the entire book. I kept reading and thinking, "on the next page something is going to happen between Hale and Kat" and then most of time nothing happened.

So I am hoping in the next book more happens between the two of them.

I am also a big sucker for art and museums, so I loved hearing all the descriptions of the paintings and the Henley. All of the heist planning was really interesting for me too. It got me thinking and had me trying to piece together their plot. That kept me really engaged in the storyline. A few times, however; a lot was going on at once and I found myself having to re-read a paragraph to keep from getting confused. But that's only because there were a lot of high action scenes in this book.

Great book! I look forward to seeing what will happen next, and I can only hope to see more Hale/Kat interaction.

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HEIST SOCIETY is listed by my public library as a "young adult" novel, so when my 12-year-old picked it out based on a teacher recommendation, I knew I needed to preread it for her. (You may be surprised to know how sleazy most of the YA novels are these days.) I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was clean (other than a couple of funny references to "boobs"), suspenseful, and witty. It's a definite recommendation for my daughter and any young teen or pre-teen readers. Thank you, Ally, for writing a book this age of reader can enjoy and that moms can approve of!