Readers, I am exhausted. I stayed up until 2 am last night reading this book ( I think it was 2 am. I woke up later with my Kindle lying on my chest and m glasses still on). When that happens, I know I'm about to give a book five stars because sleep is essential to me and so is routine and when that gets messed up by a good book, I'm not even mad.

We're thrust into Ross's world right off the bat. She comes from a family of thieves, living in the Bahamas. She wants a normal life so badly that she ignores a mysterious message about a thieving competition and jumps for joy when she's accepted into a gymnastics summer camp. But things take a turn when, on a subsequent job, her mother is kidnapped with a billion-dollar ransom on her head. The only way to get the money is to enter the Thieves' Gambit, a competition where there can only be one winner.

Ross has to win.

She also can't trust anyone

The phases of the contest take the competitors to different countries where they must work against each other or as a team to complete their missions. Ross is trying her darndest not to form bonds with the others and she's especially not trying to catch feelings for the Regé-Jean Page wannabe ( in my head, he looked exactly like him), Devroe. The tension gets higher and higher with every mission, and I could not figure out for the life of me how Ross was going to get out of her situation (thus the late night last night) There are twists and turns, A HA moments, and little details you may have missed or forgotten that come into play.

Reading this book felt like I was in the gambit, trying my best to pay close attention to each and every interaction, etc A did have a little con ( in a review full of pros, I mean...) and it's that some things felt a little too convenient (especially one particular part I won't mention in detail) but all in all, it didn't take away from the overall experience.

I fell in love with the author's work with THE HALF-CLASS, but this one solidified my loyalty. I cannot wait to see if there will be a book two!

Rosalyn (Ross) Quest is a member of one of the top thieving families in the Americas. She is highly skilled, with a particular knack for figuring out the best ways in and out of targets. However, she is also lonely, as Mama Quest has instilled in her that she cannot trust anyone but family; a lesson that was reinforced by a betrayal at age nine by the daughter, Noelia, of another thieving family, the Boscherts. Yet, at age seventeen, Ross wants to experience a more normal teenage life, even if only for a little while, and has plotted an escape to a summer gymnastics camp. Unfortunately, during the surprise job which Ross has decided to use to make her escape, the job goes "south" and Mama Quest is captured, and the captors demand $1 billion for her return -- not an amount of money the Quest family has just lying around or can easily obtain. In order to rescue her mother, Ross accepts an invitation to the Thieves Gambit, an international thieving competition which awards the victor one wish (the bounds of which are nearly limitless).

The Thieves Gambit is not for the faint of heart, and the winner gets his/her wish but is also saddled with a rather significant obligation to the organization running the contest. The competitors, which of course will include Ross' nemesis Noelia, are a very eclectic group. That is one of my favorite aspects of the book. Ross is from the Bahamas, with other competitors from the US, England, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, India, and Nicaragua. The author includes aspects of their characters that fit their homeland, but also character traits that are not origin specific, but which differentiate the characters, both in terms of thieving methods/skills and personalities. While there can ultimately only be one winner, the contest will require competitors to work together at times. This poses a challenge for Ross and her "don't trust anyone but family" mantra, especially with one particular competitor, Devroe, who very much wants Ross to trust him. Ross will discover that there are people she can trust, but also that the "don't trust anyone but family" mantra is still a good basic principle to follow. She will also discover information about her mother that will be life changing.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I loved the idea of this book, a YA heist thriller, especially with the Inheritance Games comparison.

However, I just didn't connect with me the same way and found myself glossing over much of the plot while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for sending me an ARC of Thieves' Gambit in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was a really fun read. I loved the concept of Oceans 11 meets The Inheritance Games with this high-stakes young adult thief competition. The story initially started off a little slow for me, and I had trouble buying into it right away. However, as soon as the actual competition started, I absolutely couldn’t stop reading. I loved the idea of a bunch of young expert-level thieves competing against each other as well as alongside each other. You see a lot of these storylines with adults so it was interesting to see how the teenage attitudes and mindsets came into play. I really enjoyed how diverse the cast was, and their different unique personalities. There were small hints dropped throughout that kept you on the lookout for when they might pop back up, but I loved that there were still a couple of twists that really surprised me.

What really bothered me, and the reason this rating goes all the way down to a 3.5 instead of a 4 or 4.5, was the ending. That was so frustrating. After finishing the book and seeing some other reviews, it sounds like this is going to be the beginning of a series, but even with that in mind the last 5% of the book felt incredibly rushed and lacking. The rest of the book had been so multi-layered and thought out that it was really disappointing to have so many secrets revealed in literally the last couple of pages seemingly out of nowhere.

That also ties into the romance element of the book. There was a nice little touch of romance, and it added a nice human element and a chance for Ross to go through some character development. She was able to let her guard down and learn how to safely trust other people. HOWEVER, this is where the ending makes me EXTRA mad. Because after letting her guard down, going through all this character growth, Ross is double-crossed at the last minute and immediately clams right back up and we end the book in the exact same place where we started: Trust No One. So what was the point of all that character growth?! Why did we bother to go on this entire journey with Ross in the first place if we end up right back where we started? It absolutely breaks my heart when a really great book is let down by a bad ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

If you’re looking for a YA heist story with lots of twists and turns, you won’t be disappointed by Thieves’ Gambit. I didn’t love this book as much as I hoped I would, but I definitely had fun with it at times.

What I enjoyed:
- The cover. It’s gorgeous! Such a stunning design.
- The friendships between Ross and the other characters. Her relationships with Noelia, Mylo, Kyung-soon, and even Taiyo and Yeriel were truly the highlight of the book to me.
- I was HOOKED on that last 10%. I couldn’t have put the book down if I wanted to.
- Those last few twists were sooooo good!
- The set-up for a sequel! I’d really like to see the side characters return in a sequel.

What I didn’t enjoy:
- Ross’s dynamic with Devroe. Their chemistry felt forced most of the time.
- Aside from the last 10%, the pacing felt odd and the stakes didn’t feel very high. Even while the characters were risking their lives and committing crimes, the story sometimes dragged.


If there’s a sequel, I’ll probably read it. I’m very interested in what Ross does next, and I’d really love to see the other characters again!

'The Thieves' Gambit' is full of high-stakes action and world travel, but it's also very full of urban, fashion-conscious references that made the story feel very distant and irrelevant to me. I was looking for a fun, suspenseful story, but the backstabbing drama and ultra-modern slang detracted from what could have been an enjoyable read. If not for this review, I wouldn't have made it to the middle - though the second half was better than the first. Still, I won't be continuing with the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

'Thieves' Gambit' is a fast-paced YA heist that draws readers in from the very start. Buckle up for this wild ride!

A super fun and original debut that kept me on my toes throughout the entire read! Can't wait to see more from Kayvion Lewis in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC of 'Thieves' Gambit' in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast-paced YA heist novel, full of twists & turns, danger, scheming & plotting, slow-burn romance, and a few surprises tucked up its sleeves. Personally, I wouldn't compare it to Ocean's 11 (not all heists have to be Ocean's 11!) as everyone gathered is ultimately competing against each other, which makes the partnerships and team-ups much more risky and challenging than if everyone were working for a shared goal. But there's only one prize to be won here, and the threat of betrayal makes for an exciting high-stakes adventure as the novel progresses. Be prepared for a cliffhanger ending, which will leave readers eager for book two. If you liked 'Inheritance Games', definitely add this one to your list.

This book was a bit of a letdown for me. I liked the plot and the characters seemed cool, but the writing was really lacking. Would not recommend.

This was a fun read and kept my attention during the entire book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the opportunity to read Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis in exchange for my honest review.

Teen thieves travel the globe in a “win or you’re out” competition run by a secret, unless you’re in the know, organization who have a lot of reach, endless funds, and hidden spies. What could go wrong?

Thieves’ Gambit is fast-paced, thrilling, and action-packed. It starts off on the slower side, it does pick up and that’s when things really start to get interesting. The MC Rosalyn “Ross” Quest of the infamous Quest Family desperately wants to know what it feels like to be away from her family and out in the real world, doing things people her age are doing, not being a thief.

Just a note about the writing, it’s fast-paced, and snappy is a good word for it. Witty. It also reads like a movie and it would be interesting to see this made into a movie or tv show. Some may get frustrated with Ross, as there are moments when I found her flaws to be a lot to keep up with, but in the end, Thieves’ Gambit is a fun read.

If you’re a fan of heist movies and books, you’ll enjoy Lewis’ world. There are twists and turns around every corner and while some you see coming, the reactions are really what makes this a fun read. Especially as you hit the race to the finish.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I absolutely LOVED this book and every minute that I spent reading it. Can't wait to be able to put this on my physical shelf!! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED and am ENTIRELY OBSESSED with this story! The plot execution and twists and turns were so unexpected! Our main character Ross was a bit naive but still a very strong character! I do love the relationships in this story as well. My favorite would have to be Ross and her aunt which was a surprise. Ross and her mother s realtionship is terrible but I understood the need for the strain. I feel like with people of color depending on your upbringing, parental relationships are a daily and constant struggle. I saw myself In just about every single character.

Ross Quest is trying to break free of her family of thieves and attend a summer cheerleading camp, when she finds herself having to take part in an international heist competition. If Ross wins the competition, she will be able to ask for one wish, no restrictions. She's pitted against other teen thieves from around the world, both known and unknown, and for once in her life must try and work with others despite her mom's rule of not trusting anyone. The further she gets in the competition, the more she realizes that there's something else going on with this gambit and she's trying to figure out who is involved and whether it's worth continuing for the prize. Ross is also dealing with family issues, as she realizes her mom has been isolating her from making connections with others. Overall, a fun, fast-paced book where the heists are very well written and each character brings their own specialties and strengths to the competition and it's ultimately down to who can be trusted.

I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy teen spy/thievery books. So when I read the synopsis for this book I was super excited. The book was very good. The twists and turns were out of left field a lot of the time for me. I didn't realize that this is probably going to be a series but I am there for it. I really liked the characters and the side characters.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced and thrilling read. Ross Quest comes from a long line of thieves. Her family is one of the most famous in the world. She is invited to participate in a gambit. She must compete with other teenagers from around the world. Most of the quests are far-fetched but just go with it. I could definitely see this as a movie. If you are looking for a fast-paced thrill ride, I would pick this book up.

Age rating: 12+ (not spicy, no cursing)

This is a really fun fast-paced YA mystery, and I’m excited to read the next books in the series because it left off on a big cliffhanger! I really appreciated that there was more attention and intention for diversity in the characters, since most of the previous big YA series (ex. The Hunger Games and Divergent) had little to no racial or LGBTQIA+ diversity. However, this book centers around a black main character, and the main competition includes teens from all around the world and all different races and ethnicities.

I think the whole concept was really interesting and quite different from other YA books! It took me until the actual competition started (around 20%) to really get into it, but once you do, you really fly through this! It’s super action packed and fast paced and I could see the whole thing playing out in my head as a movie! I think this would be a really great book for a film adaptation!

I also really liked the character dynamics, as Ross is trying to break away from her family’s life of crime and the struggles of finding your identity, and how breaking away from her mother’s life of crime affects her relationship with her mother. I also really liked the romance in this!

There were quite a few plot twists, some pretty unexpected, that had me shocked at the end! And the ending left on such a big cliffhanger, I need to know what happens next, I need the next book ASAP.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“I was going to save Mom’s life, but after that, I was going to get an explanation.”

This book is definitely Ocean’s 11 meets Inheritance Games. I thought I had this book all figured out, but that ending proved me wrong.

This is the story of Ross Quest, who is ready to live a run of the mill life, but when her mom gets kidnapped she enters the thieves gambit to save her. Knowing who to trust becomes Ross’ ultimate challenge. This story has many twists and turns, slow burn romance (very clean) and lots of action.

I can’t wait to read what #KayvionLewis writes next.

#PenguinTeen #ThievesGambit

The tag line for this book did not let me down. This was Oceans Eleven meets a touch of Spy Kids (in a really good way). I love love loved the plot of this book and can’t wait for the sequel. The dialogue was perfectly witty and I think this would make a great movie. I can’t wait to read more of Ross Quest’s adventures.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️