I was intrigued by this novel because I've read the first three books in Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, all about teenage girls attending a school for spies, and Heist lies on the opposite side of the law, which I thought would be an interesting change. Well, it's definitely more than interesting. Not only is it about twice the length of a Gallagher Girl novel, but it's also twice as good. Don't get me wrong, teen spies saving their friends' lives in each installment is a fun read, but this book was so much better. There was more detail, the dialogue was improved, and I found the characters more interesting. Not to mention that the book takes you on a two-week tour of the world with stops in Italy, Poland, England, and the USA.

If you're interested in a point of comparison, I honestly don't know what to tell you. The best I can offer is that this novel is like Ocean's 11 for the teenage set. The job Kat has to do is nearly impossible. Her team is made up of people she considers family, the only people in the world in her age group who really know her. And the thieving itself is more conning than simply stealing, complete with costumes and role playing. And, of course, there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way. Well, maybe they aren't all unexpected, but they do add nicely to the story.

While I'm not suggesting that breaking the law is in any way a good idea, when given the choice between Ally Carter's spies-in-training or her family of thieves in the future, I'm going to go with the thieves. I really hope that she plans to continue using these characters, giving Kat and her family their own set of novels. If not, well, I guess I'll just have to read Heist Society again and again.