Heist Society - Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Narrator: Angela Dawe

About the book: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way. (Taken from the inside cover)

Review: Heist Society is a fantastic read about teenage art thieves. It's a fun story that can easily be pictured as a movie. Dawe narrates the story flawlessly as each character can be distinctly recognized without an introduction. Carter spins a great plot and created a likable main character with Kat. She's trying hard to be a typical teenage girl, but when her father finds himself in trouble, she has no choice but to return to the family business in order to save him.

The relationship between Kat and Hale is endearing. The reader can tell the direction their friendship is headed, but it's not forced in any way. Carter's pace along with Kat and Hale's back and forth banter makes the anticipation worth it.

Although Heist Society is young adult fiction, adult fans of The Italian Job or Ocean's Eleven will also enjoy this book. I'm definitely looking forward to book two, Uncommon Criminals, in June.

Length: 6 hrs, 10 min

Source: Library

This review can also be found at Audiobook Jukebox.