The Heist Society

The Heist Society is another series for tweens and teens by Ally Carter.  I found this series to be more engaging for an adult than the Gallagher Girls series, or maybe I just prefer theft to spying ;)

The story lines are fast-paced, with plenty of twist, turns and tight squeezes.  Kat's continual struggle between wanting to "go straight" and wanting to be loyal to her family is interesting, a con-within-the-con is the rule rather than the exception, and isn't it always fun to watch a smart, strong young female who can do anything she sets her mind to, flounder through boy-girl interactions?  As long as that female isn't your very ownself, right?

Here's a brief synopsis of each book:

In the first book, The Heist Society, we meet Katarina Bishop, our strong, smart protagonist.  Kat comes from a long line of art thieves.  To get out of the family business, she enrolls in an exclusive boarding school, but when she gets kicked out, she goes back to her old ways in order to recover (read: steal from the world's most secure museum) some paintings stolen during World War II, return them to the families of the original owners, and save her father.

The second book, Uncommon Criminals, focuses on Kat being asked to steal Cleopatra's Emerald and return it to it's rightful owner.  Unfortunately, the emerald is cursed and none of the crew's usual strategies are working.  Lots of globetrotting, suspenseful fun.

Perfect Scoundrels, the third installment in the series, turns our attention to Hale and the company he inherits from his grandmother.  When it looks like the will was altered as part of an elaborate plan to steal the company fortune, Kat and crew have their hands full fighting not only for the company, but for Hale.  This book gives us glimpses into Hale's family and life that have only been hinted at in the previous two books. If you've read the first two books, you definitely want to get to know Hale, as evidenced by the collective squeal let out by the crowd at the author event I attended when Carter merely mentioned his name.

Carter creates teen art thieves worth rooting for, while injecting some lessons in art, geography and history.  If you enjoy Carter's work, there is a crossover novella: Double Crossed;  A Spies and Thieves Story that is unofficially called HS 2.5 and GG 5.5.  I told you, Carter loves her fans!  Click the link to get it free for your Kindle now!

Ally Carter has a knack for writing characters and stories that tweens and teens can't get enough of - keep your eye on her.  Her newest book, All Fall Down, was released today along with a short prequel  to that book - click on the link to get the Kindle version FREE.

Gallagher Girls

A few years ago, my daughter Kim invited me to attend an author visit at the Provo Library.  Wanting to spend time with her, I agreed, though I had never heard of the author or her books.

If you get a chance to attend an Ally Carter event, do it - she is engaging, fun, and clearly appreciates her readers.  The signing I attended was well-organized and relaxed, but every author has to be tired after speaking for an hour or so and then sitting for at least as long to sign books and meet fans.  She was incredibly gracious, happy to answer questions, and her young fans felt her love for the GG world she created.

When we entered the ballroom, there were rows of young women wearing sunglasses.  It was evening and we were indoors, so I was curious.  My daughter then explained the premise of the Gallagher Girls.

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women seems like any other all-girls boarding school to the unsuspecting public, but the young women attending the academy are receiving a curriculum guaranteed to produce some of the world's best spies.

Cammie Morgan and her friends, like Harry Potter and his cohort, constantly find that real-life mysteries are interfering with their educational goals. Each girl already has a code name, many of them have a spy pedigree as well. And then there's Zach - a handsome young man from the Blackthorne Institute for Troubled Young Men.

The six books in the series follow Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey as they destroy the villainous Circle of Cavan, piece by piece.

Ally Carter has created a world that young adventure seekers will enjoy entering for a while.  As an adult, the story became predictable after a while and I began skimming rather than absorbing.  But young readers will undoubtedly enjoy every moment of the action.  The girls are gutsy, smart, and just rebellious enough to keep them in constant danger.  The romances take a firm backseat to the spying, which should be refreshing to parents.

Carter's website is worth visiting.  It's reader-friendly and includes deleted "scenes" that GG devotees will devour.  She has a long list of answers to FAQs, previews to her new series, and many other features that clearly demonstrate her gratitude to her fans as well as her understanding of how easy it is to become obsessed with characters, a story, and an author.

If you know a tween or early teen whose love of reading is lagging - try these books.  Have her read them all - in order!