I loved it!!! This book is so much fun.

I think this would be epic on-screen.

It’s filled with mostly likable characters. I can’t lie, some aspects of the plot were over the top and hard to believe, but I was willing to overlook it since the story itself was so good.

All the twists at the end made me wonder if we’d get a sequel…

3.5
The author very clearly is new to writing with the juvenile feeling of her prose, but damn can she create a story thats fun as hell. Mixed with twists and turns that at times felt predictable such as the big reveal at the end, it led to an exciting story that I haven’t had as much fun reading since The 39 Clues, with a much more diverse and interesting cast. You can tell while reading the main character was built from the authors own experiences of controlling families as well as how being a black teen has effected how she thinks and reacts, cleverly shown in how one thinks if they are undercover. Would have loved to see more from the different characters aside from Quest, but the sequel definitely has left room open for returns. Definitely going to be picking up the sequel, since there has to be one after that cliffhanger ending.

This will be a book I would recommend to high schoolers. It was fast paced and well developed.

I loved our main character Ross and her growth during the series. She is very relatable. In fact probably too much so at points. All her stress with her family I felt that.

The author did a great job of getting us to be emotional about the characters. The mystery elements were a little predictable at spots but I actually really enjoyed that.

Ross Quest is only seventeen-years-old, but she's been in the family business of thieving since she was young. The Quest family is known for being master thieves, but Ross longs for a more normal life. Ross musters up the courage to break away from her family, but when a job goes wrong and her mother gets captured, all her plans go out the window. To get the money to save her mother, Ross must join the mysterious Thieves' Gambit, a competition that pits swindler against swindler in a series of daring international heists. The Quest family motto is to trust no one, but with the stakes this high, Ross will have to turn to her fellow competitors--including her childhood nemesis and a charming smooth-talker--if she hopes to save her mother before time runs out.

I love a good heist story, so I was excited to pick this up. I loved the idea of a bunch of master thieves who are all barely out of their teens going up against each other. They all have such different personalities and ways they go about things. Some are more cut-throat, while others have a more nuanced flair. I liked following Ross and thought she was intelligent and cunning. It was fun seeing how her mind worked and how she went about all the heists. I did have a few issues with this, though. One was the romantic aspect between Ross and Devroe. It felt so unnecessary. The other was that the ending went a bit off the rails. It was like a whiplash of betrayal and plot twists. Aside from that, I did find it entertaining, and the ending leaves it open for potentially more books, which I may pick up. If you're looking for a fast-paced story, I recommend checking it out.

3.5*
Thank you to Netgalley and the Penguin group for a free arc copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I found myself going back and forth on this book. Some parts like the action scenes were really engaging and entertaining, other parts were either too slow or too fast. The strongest part of this book were the action scenes, the heists. I was digitally gripping the page, holding on to every word to see what would happen. There was also a bunch of twists, some worked well, others not so much, but at least they were there. The weakest part of this book was the romance between Ross and Devroe. It felt very forced and unnecessary, yet sometimes the plot hinged on it. I found myself loving Mylo and Kyung-soon more than I liked Ross and Devroe as characters.

I also wanted to point out something that another reviewer noted. An action scene in the second half of the book where Ross knows something is happening, but us as the audience doesn't know about it until it is convenient for us to know, despite the fact that we're in Ross's head and should already know. This was done just for a fun twist, which would have worked if this pov issue wasn't a problem. Sometimes you have to kill your darlings, or have made it a different character than Ross, because ultimately it just killed the tension when we find out the twist.

I didn't really like the ending because it felt like all of Ross's character growth went back to zero and will start over in book two. All of her power was kind of stripped away from her. I may read the sequel, I haven't decided yet.

I was really intrigued by the concept but I just couldn't get into this one. I'm not exactly sure why, but I never connected to the characters and despite loving the blurb just couldn't find my way into the story. It felt younger than YA in the dialogue and interactions at times, and it just wasn't for me.

Ross Quest is in the competition of a lifetime where the stakes have never been higher and failure is not an option as winning will let her save her mother's life.
At the start of the game the family rules seem easy, trust no one, but as the game progresses that line begins to blur and shaky alliances become something stronger, could this be the start of something new or will Ross discover that not everyone is as they seem?
This is a great pace and amazing cast of characters that are fully fleshed out.

I really enjoyed this read it gives when you need it to. I can’t wait to experience the next read and other books by this author.

📚 BOOK REVIEW ✨

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

⭐️ rating: 5
📖 genre: YA mystery & adventure
🖨 publisher: Penguin Random House
📍setting: International (including the Bahamas, Cairo, and France)

🔲 REVIEW:

Ocean’s Eleven + Hunger Games + Portrait of a Thief.

Cons, art heist, unsupervised teens behaving badly. This book has everything I love!

I can see why this book already has a buzz. The plot is quick and smart, and the character development is smooth. The female protagonist, Ross, is relatable and authentic. Her complex relationships with her former best friend, Noelia, and her crush, Devroe, add depth to the story.

This is the first book of a duology, so as expected, the ending is a bit of a cliff hanger (which is somewhat frustrating.) Guess that means I’ll have to pick up the next book!

I enjoyed:
-the unique con skills and tools of each teenager
-the friendships forged during the competition, and
-the quick pace.

If you liked this book about teens on a mystery adventure, here are a few others your may enjoy:
-The Heist Society (series) by Ally Carter
-All Fall Down (The Embassy Row series) by Ally Carter
-The Conspiracy of Us (series) by Maggie Hall
-The Inheritance Games (series) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🔎 SUMMARY:

“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.”

🔲 Have you read this book? What did you think?

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This fast paced, cinematic heist story is due to be a fun, quick read for those willing to suspend their disbelief and go for a ride. When Ross is invited to join a thieving competition, she realizes this might be the only way to save her mother from her kidnappers. She will have to put her thieving skills to the test and maybe even realize that she can trust people outside of her family.

This book would be a fun addition to a middle or high school classroom library. It does require the reader to suspend some disbelief, but will be sure to be a fast paced read for the right reader.

This book was everything and more. I felt like I was apart of all the action, This was such a fun and fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for letting me read an ARC of this book. The plot? WOW... I didn't think the ending was going to be the way it was. The trials were so interesting and well thought out. I had a lot of fun reading this book. The only reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of the writing; even though I know this book takes place in our moderns times, the slang that was thrown in the book, was a little bit too cringy for me, but I know this is a YA book, so it's not that big of a deal. 4.5/5 stars!

I loved this! The characters were really compelling and really interesting. I loved the synopsis and was glad to see that the execution was stellar--really well paced and super interesting. I flew through this and I absolutely need more from this author and more in this world. Super great read and I also really like the cover. As someone who loves a good, super interesting YA thriller without the romantic twist, this was a great read!

Wow - this was really fun! The blurb is spot on re: The Inheritance Games meets Ocean's 11. Ross Quest is a teen master thief, the daughter of a world renown thief. When her mom is captured during a routine job, Ross decides to join The Thieves' Gambit in the hopes that she will win the main prize: to have a wish granted. Ross finds herself up against other young thieves with the same goal: complete the heists and win the wish. The Thieves' Gambit was a fun romp and I hope there is a sequel.

Was able to get an ARC from NetGalley!! So happy I did!!!

Yes! Yes!!! I was hooked from the beginning!! Super fast read!! Swallowed me up!!
I fell in love with the characters! The plot! The twists! The suspense! I loved it all!!! I’m hoping the ending is leaving room for a second book!
I could not put this book down. I needed to know what was gonna happen, who when and why everything was going down!!!!
Woo!! Yes!

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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“Thieves’ Gambit” by Kayvion Lewis follows the story of Ross Quest & her thieving con artist family. The jobs she and her mom go on have made them millions. But Ross wants to break away and lead a different life. But when her plans go awry and her mom is kidnapped, Ross’ only chance to get her back is by entering the Thieves’ Gambit — a deadly competition for only the world’s best thieves. The prize? One wish.
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I really enjoyed this one! It’s billed as a YA and certainly offered no spice and all twists! I should’ve anticipated the ending but I did not. And the set up for book 2? You bet I’ll be reading it!
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Definitely keep an eye out for this one! “Thieves’ Gambit” by Kayvion Lewis is set to be published on September 26, 2023! Mark your calendars!
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#netgalley #thievesgambit #advancedreaderscopy #kayvionlewis

I really enjoyed this book. It showed a world where a person is in the fold, but not really. Ross' mother immerses her in this family lifestyle, but you can tell from the beginning that she isn't giving her all the information and all the pieces. That coupled with the only part of her family that is around being her aunt and the way all contacts deny them aid it really has you questioning what's going on and why a woman who seems to be on the outs of potential allies and people you'd think would care for her, isn't seeing how her actions drive away her daughter. Seeing Ross get a better glimpse into their world of thieves compels you to keep reading, along with seeing how she'll save her mother and the answers that await her.

I absolutely loved this fast-paced adventure with beautiful writing, unexpected twists, and a sizzling romance! Kayvion created wonderful characters and an exciting gambit with high stakes. I couldn't put this down and am so happy I was able to read it early. A wonderful escape and sure to be a favorite among readers this fall. I can't wait to read what Kayvion Lewis writes next!

Love a good heist story! This was fast paced and just plain fun. I can see why it has been picked up for adaptation. Bring on more thieves!

4/5

If you read The 39 Clues as a kid and enjoyed it, this is the YA book of your dreams!
Fun, fast paced, and a recommend from me! Ross is a good main character, and the side characters are interesting. I could definitely see this as a movie adaptation, so the fact that the film rights were bought by Liongate doesn't surprise me.