Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

 

The Inheritance Games meets Ocean's Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world's best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother's life.

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother's life hanging in the balance.

In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn't exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world--a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.

Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn't Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.

Title: Thieve's Gambit

Author: Kayvion Lewis
Publisher: Penguin Books Nancy Paulsen Books

Expected Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give an honest review.

When I read the synopsis of this book, my mind immediately went to Ocean's 11. The idea of teenage thieves competing against one another was very intriguing. And I will admit, fun!

The plot: teen girl goes on a mission, fails, and needs to make it right. Why? Because her mother's life is on the line. So she signs up for a competition to help her win the money she needs for the ransom. Ross is well thought out. All her life thieving for her family name. She wants out, though. She wants to be more normal. But that's not in the cards for her. She enters a competition where you should trust no one, but makes the mistake of trusting someone. You can guess that backfires a bit for her. Of course the plot is a little outrageous, and the teens get away with much more than you would think possible. But isn't that the point?

The characters: just ok. I like that the author chose to have kids from all over the world. this made for a more interesting feel. Though I do feel like she could have show cased their heritage a bit more. This may have made for a more interesting competition. I like Ross. She spunky and smart. She thinks outside the box. I like her rivalry with childhood bestie. Of course there''s romance, though I just didn't quite feel the connection (but I could see the con a mile away). 

The pacing: fast. It did keep me reading. I wanted to be in the action and see where it took me. 

Overall this was a fun read and I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a good heist and a little mystery. 

Kayvion Lewis is a young adult author of all things escapist and high-octane. A former youth services librarian, she’s been working with young readers and kidlit since she was sixteen. When she’s not writing, she’s breaking out of escape rooms, jumping out of airplanes, and occasionally running away to mountain retreats to study kung fu. Though she’s originally from Louisiana, and often visits her family in The Bahamas, these days you can find her in New York—at least until she takes off on her next adventure.

Her next book, THIEVES’ GAMBIT, releases with Nancy Paulsen (Penguin) in Fall 2023. Film rights have been bought by Lionsgate.