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Description from the Publisher (Hyperion/Disney):

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.

Book: Hardcover (304 Pages)

Published: February 9 2010

Date Read: June 6 2010
Book Source: Library

My Thoughts:
Heist Society is the first book I have read by Ally Carter, who is most known for The Gallagher Girls series. Heist Society is the first book in a new heist/caper series. Although I normally steer more towards the paranormal genre in my reading, I picked this up due to the good word of mouth reviews.  I’m so glad I did – The Heist Society is  a breath of fresh air in the Young Adult genre!

Katarina Bishop is trying to live a normal life at boarding school when she gets pulled into a spy mission to help clear her father’s name. To help her father, she has to pull off an impossible heist with the help of her teenage crew. There is travel to exotic locales, mystery, friendship, romance and plenty of adventure in this action packed novel.

Kat is a smart, likeable, capable leader of the crew. It’s really interesting to read about the spy missions and their tools and techniques used on the heist. The book reads like a movie and is easy to visualize. There are great side characters in the book, and some mysterious ones as well who will keep you guessing.

There is a little romance in the book, but it’s not one of the main themes at all. Hale is Kat’s friend/potential love interest and he and Kat have great banter.

This was an overall very fun and refreshing,  fast-paced book.  I am looking forward to reading Heist Society 2 – the author expects it to be out Summer 2011.

4 Stars