Heist Society

Heist Society

By Ally Carter

Disney/Hyperion, 2010. 287 pages. Realistic fiction/mystery.

ISBN: 9781423116394

Reading/Interest Level: Ages 11+

Curriculum ties: Art

Booktalk Ideas: Finding your own way: From Kat’s point of view, describe her family and why she’s trying to take a different path. End by revealing how she’s getting sucked in again.

Challenge Issues: Thievery

Challenge Response: First Defense File

Reader’s Annotation:

When she decides to forego the family business, art thievery, and tries living a normal life, Kat discovers that it’s not as easy as she’d planned. She starts to get sucked back in when her father is accused of stealing a particular painting, but it wasn’t him because he was stealing a different painting at the time!

Plot Summary:

Kat comes from a family of experienced and high class thieves. To get out of the family business, Kat cons her way into an elite boarding school where she lives like any other fifteen-year-old girl. However, the life she left won’t leave her alone.

When her friend and former partner in crime, Hale, shows up and makes it so Kat is expelled, she doesn’t have many options other than to go back home. Hale explains that Kat’s father if the main suspect of an art heist from a terrifying mobster. However, it wasn’t him! He was actually busy working on another heist at the time.

The only way to clear her father’s name is to figure out who took the paintings, and then steal them back. Easier said than done, but Kat has experience and the perfect teenage crew. If she can pull off this heist, she’ll be a legend in her family and the heist society.

Critical Evaluation:

The pacing of this book is excellent. I was excited to keep on reading, was never bored, and every piece served its purpose. Kat’s crew was reminiscent of Ocean’s Eleven, but because the crew was full of teenagers it was even more exciting. Kat’s crew could give Brad Pitt’s crew a run for their money. Everyone had their own task to complete, part to play, and the characters were clearly trained to do exactly what they needed.

The dynamics of Kat’s family were fascinating. I mean, who would take their daughter to the Louvre when she was three to case it? Or an uncle that takes his niece to Austria on her seventh birthday to steal the crown jewels? Seeing a family of thieves where the children are trained at such a young age to take part in the family business was fascinating. Despite being criminals, it was clear that there were some serious family bonds and that everyone cared about each other. In general, the characters were humorous without going overboard, and I never got sick of anyone. Carter used just the right amount of wit to keep the story light, while also being exciting.

About the Author:

Ally Carter is a writer living and working in the Midwest. She loved school so much she kept going...and going...and going...until finally she had to graduate. Now she has degrees from Oklahoma State University and Cornell University and a house and a job and other very grown-up things.

Her life is either very ordinary or the best deep-cover legend ever. She'd tell you more, but...well...you know...

-from author’s website-

Justification of Selection:

This is a fun, clean read that shows great examples of family relationships and loyalty. It’s also received high praise from major review journals.