When I read The Wicker King, I thought about it for days after finishing it. This one is going to be stuck for months. Icarus is a seventeen-year-old boy who lives for his father’s revenge. He steals the art from Mr Black’s house for a vendetta that goes long back to when Icarus was a baby. He isn’t allowed to have friends, or invite them over; he lives in a closet room and has friends for each class. It’s a carefully made move since they don’t know each other so they won’t want to mingle together and want to hang out. He is always tired in the morning, sleeping in class, not being able to pay attention. Icarus is so sure that no one will notice if he remains average.

I loved how Icarus is all about relationships, romantic and platonic. And especially for teenagers, where most people don’t take things seriously when it comes to them but the truth is they notice the little things about each other. Sometimes one of them can take it upon themselves to get you coffee or a beverage that will help you get through class and pay attention. Sometimes they will let you nap with you because you look like you are ready to pass out. Those are the little things Icarus’s classmate did for him and he slowly starts to open up to the idea that he can have friends and he isn’t alone.

And then there is the boy that Icarus meets sometimes at night when he can visit him. Helios is the son of the man Icarus has been stealing from since he was 12. When Helios catches Icarus one night, all he asks for is his friendship, since he has no one to talk to because he is placed on house arrest. Icarus understands loneliness and what develops from there is a beautiful relationship between two boys. This book would have been a straight 5-star read but the first half was a little boring, I wanted more scenes of Helios and he was not really there leaving 3-4 scenes that make sense since he wasn’t allowed to be out of his house but that sort of made some of the chapters boring and dragged. The good thing with a K. Ancrum book is the chapters are super short (at least for the two books I have read till now) and so they are so much easier to read and get through.

Icarus’s relationship with his father looks troubled since the beginning but in the second half, it starts looking a little abusive and manipulative with all the cooking and other. When he says “Understanding you has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do”, it is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book.

“We’ll take care of each other. We’re going to figure out how to be happy.” Two teenagers who were subjected to a lot of mental trauma get to heal and have a happy life, that’s why we love stories.

The author note is a must read. “There are so many books written about the weak learning to be strong and not many about the strong opening themselves up to weakness and vulnerability.”

Icarus Gallagher is a thief.

In K. Ancrum’s reimagining of the Greek myth, we follow Icarus as he steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man — the wealthy Mr. Black — has been their target, revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.

Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black, but by his mysterious son, Helios.

☀️ From the first page, I got sucked into Kayla’s prose (+ short chapters!) and the wild ride that is Icarus’ life. The book first came across my radar because a) K. Ancrum b) stealing art and c) an Icarus reimagining, but I honestly recommend going in knowing little more than this! ICARUS is for sure very character driven, and each character — and how whole they feel — is what personally kept me glued to my Kindle the last few days. Kayla has a way of capturing a character without solely relying on what they look like. Instead, she relies on the senses and the little details. It really draws readers even further into the story because we then care even more deeply about the characters — like Icarus and Helios.

❤️ If you love…
Complicated family relationships
Art!
Unexpected friendships and people who know you’re more than what you want others to see
Stories that softly knock on a person’s tough exterior to reveal just how much they’re trying to keep it from all falling apart

Then, take a dive (👀) into ICARUS!

This was my first K Ancrum novel and it certainly won’t be my last. The writing had me hooked from the very first page - short chapters of such beautifully poetic writing that had me flying through the story. But where this novel shines is in its characters — our main characters, Icarus and Helios, yes, but also in the supporting characters. The family that Icarus makes for himself as he learns to love and be loved. The last 30% of the book had me stressed (actual photo of me reading —> 🫣😰) but wrapped up in a way that had me holding back tears. This was a gem and a joy of a story to read and I would absolutely recommend.

This was so good, i absolutely loved the short, sharp chapters that gave the book an almost choppy feel but worked perfectly for this book. I loved the concept and though it was a really interesting storyline. Icarus was a really great main protagonist and I also though Helios was an interesting love interest with a complex storyline of this own.
I absolutely flew through it and I loved the found family element that was created by Icarus and his mishmash of casual acquaintances turned best friends. Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed Icarus. I loved the writing and the characters (main and side both). The story was intriguing and kept me on my toes as I read as well!

Icarus is in high school. He is social, athletic, and all-around well liked, but he has a secret that keeps him from truly ever becoming close with anyone. He has been stealing priceless art from his neighbor, Mr. Black, and replacing them with his father's impeccable forgeries for years. We follow Icarus as he struggles with being the dutiful son to his distant, grieving father and what he truly wants: freedom. But Icarus has a plan: Turn 18, take all the cash he has saved, and run. Helios demolishes all these plans. Helios, the mysterious son of Mr. Black, with his sienna hair and puppy dog eyes. Who dances like an angel, and may truly be one for all Icarus knows. A thief and a prisoner learn to lean on one another and support each other. Icarus can't leave Helios behind, but is this new, tender romance worth risking everything he has ever dreamed of? Or will he choose to risk it all just to fall?

Icarus is a heartwarming, YA story. You feel for Icarus and his struggles and you feel anger an Helios' behalf. They are two products of broken men, but perhaps together they can finally put all their pieces together and become whole. I highly recommend Icarus to fans of YA and LGBTQIA+ stories. I look forward to what K. Ancrus writes next!

Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for early access to this title!

Previous to this, my only K. Ancrum title was The Wicker King, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and so I was really looking forward to Icarus when I heard about it! Reader, it took me over five weeks to finish. And in fairness, I had class and other things to read for work and projects, but still, a 400 YA book should never take me (or really anyone) that long to read. I got through the first 25-40% in short order, and then any time I had the option to pick it up, I just... didn't.

The prose was phenomenal, no doubt about that, and I was initially invested in Icarus and his breaking into the Black house, and then I just found myself caring less and less as I continued reading? Characterizations felt like they were jumping around a lot, and while the people Icarus interacted with at school were important as a foil to him and his actions and home life, ultimately, almost none of them mattered or had any real resolution? To that end, it felt as if the book could maybe have been cut by around 50 to 100 pages and the pacing might have been tighter.

Relatedly, the short chapters made me feel as if I was flying (ha, get it?) through the book at first, but then the more I read, the more I wanted to be done starting a new chapter every other page. Chapter titles probably had deep meaning for the page they were on, but it got to the point where quantity did not make up for quality.

Will I pick up more from this author? Almost certainly, but unfortunately this wasn't quite what I had been hoping for from this title.

Teenage Icarus has been stealing art and replacing it with his dad's forgeries for years. However, that changed when he discovered Helios, the son of the man he had been stealing from. Helios has been kept prisoner in his home and every night Icarus returns to him as they strike up a relationship. Icarus sees how wrong their parents are and decides to break Helios out and both of them will start fresh elsewhere. Overall, a poetic take on the myth of Icarus. The plot itself was a bit discombobulated at times, but the writing was well done and the short chapters made it a quick read. The author's note at the end really helped tie the theme together and highlight the issue of teens who have to deal with familial situations that can become a burden.

This was such a fascinating contemporary take on the Icarus myth.

I’ll admit I found it quite a strange read, but not in a bad way. It doesn’t read like a typical young adult romance story and I really appreciated that it’s a bit different.

The style was unusual - easy to read, but also quite poetic. It almost had a literary feel at times. The story is somewhat farfetched, however I think that perfectly reflects the essence of classical myths - using exaggerated allegorical stories to illustrate and highlight human nature and morality.

Was great to read a young adult story that portrayed teenagers in such a loving caring way. I like YA books, but sometimes struggle with the level of teen drama and angst. The young characters in this book are strong, notice when someone is struggling and look out for each other. I loved that and I want to see more like it.

The friendships were my favourite, but the love story is also stunningly beautiful. Seeing both Icarus and Helios learn to open up, be vulnerable and allow someone else to take care of them was so heartwarming.

…and their dads’? Well they can just take a running jump.

Fascinating read and one of the more original approaches to a Greek myth retelling that I’ve come across.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Icarus by K. Ancrum was probably the most unique book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. From the poetic writing style to the one page chapters, this book was unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Icarus is a 17-year-old high school student and part time art thief. Trained by his dad, his thievery skills are unmatched. That is, until he gets caught by the son of the person he’s stealing from.

Helios Black is also a teenager, but has essentially been imprisoned in his home by his father, Mr. Black, due to past struggles with substance abuse. Mr. Black is a cruel and abusive man who has a cynical history with Icarus’ family. As Icarus and Helios spend more time together, it becomes clear that Helios’ life is in danger. And Icarus will do everything in his power to save him.

This book is about letting your guard down and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. It’s about forgetting everything you’ve been trained to feel. It’s about chipping away at your Suit of Armor and trusting others. It’s about ✨feeling✨ and embracing human emotions. I loved watched Icarus’ journey unfold and the author’s incredible rep, which included a character with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as well as an intersex character.

Also, if you’re not someone who regularly reads the author notes in books, you’ll want to with Icarus 🥹

Thank you to Epic Reads and NetGalley for the chance to review this book!

A tragic story of two boys named for each other. A love story written in the stars that they flew to close to on wax wings. This book will rip you into a thousand little pieces, piece you back together, and leave filled with tears and love.

I was sent this eARC by HarperCollins. I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book. The prose was lovely and the quick, short nature of the chapters really lent an almost poetic feeling to the story. I knew this book would be interesting, but was not expecting such a powerful story about friendship and rising from abuse and toxicity. This was absolutely stellar and I highly recommend it.

Rep: Ehler's Danlos Syndrome, Addiction, MLM relationship

thank you so much to netgalley and colored pages blog tours for gifting me an early copy in exchange for an honest review!!

i finally read a kayla ancrum book and OMG, ARE ALL HER BOOKS LIKE THIS??? BECAUSE I'M 😱😱😱
i wasn't expecting this complex story about a strong boy who wants to help someone he just met, and in the meantime he finds our more about himself. i think what settled it for me was the author's note because it's true: when we are younger we wanna help everyone and save the world in a small capacity. and i could really see that in the way the MC was able to open himself slowly to other people, how he started to understand himself and how it's not a bad thing to trust in other people. his relationship with Helios was soooo interesting, at times i thought it was going too fast but then i got used to it. the rep is just amazing, i loved reading and finding out more about everything.
overall, it was really good and fast paced, the short chapters made it easy to read and i even learned more about art and restoring it. i enjoyed it a lot, and i need to read more from the author 💜

Icarus by K. Ancrum was such an enjoyable and entertaining story.
I loved the writing! It was engaging and compelling. Held my attention from beginning to end.
This retelling was done so well. And I can’t wait to read more of this authors work in the future.

Thank You NetGalley and HarperTeen for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is going to the top of my fave reads shelf! Once I started reading Icarus, I couldn't stop. The short chapters and engaging narration hooked me in, and as the story unfurled and the stakes got higher, I got completely sucked into the book. Icarus is a great character to spend time with - he's exceptionally talented but is fettered by a life of intense secrecy and crime. He goes through his school days trying to stay off everyone's radar but isn't as successful as he thinks he is. I love that his classmates all care about him and show their care in different, meaningful ways. Icarus find himself relaxing his guard and letting people in - first is Helios, the son of his father's enemy. Though Icarus doesn't want to trust him, he realizes that Helios is also trapped by his circumstances, and he begins to plan an escape for both of them. This story got to my feels in a big way. It's beautifully told and full of yearning, aching loneliness, desire and survival, unexpected kindness, hiding and secrets, heartbreak and hope. I can't wait to read it again and again.

Unfortunately, this title wasn't for me. However, this is a case of user error because I didn't realize it was YA which isn't my typical read. We got it in for the our store, and I'm always glad to bolster our queer YA book collection.

This book was a like not a love but also that Author’s Note kind of wrecked me. The short chapters kept things moving quickly even when the plot stalled out (which it did in the middle - because we were getting lots of information and character building but not much direction). I also felt like there were a lot of loose threads left dangling (Aspen? Helios’s mom? Sorrel?) but I really feel like the author’s note is what tied the whole story together and without it, the book wouldn’t have felt entirely whole.

Ancrum’s prose is always good, as is her ability to bring the cores of messy people together and show glimpses of anger, light, sorrow, and more with only a few words. To be able to craft such a story with such short chapters is a true sign of mastery.

Icarus by K. Ancrum was a quick read about a young man stuck in a life created by his father of stealing art from a wealthy family. (I read this book in 5 hours, I could not put it down.) During one of his heists Icarus discovers the wealthy man’s son, Helios, who is held captive by his own father. Icarus decides to find a way to free Helios.

Icarus was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and I was so excited to get to read it early. The book was off to a bit of a rocky start for me, though. The sentences were largely very short, and the chapters were as well, which made the writing initially feel a little choppy and took some getting used to. This got a lot better once Icarus and Helios, the love interest, started building a connection.

I do love the way this book pulled from Greek mythology in a contemporary novel. It's such a strange book, with main characters who are really struggling but are finding support in each other. This was very touching and I did really like the romance. I started enjoying the writing more the longer the book went on as well. I also loved seeing disability rep (Icarus has EDS) as well as intersex rep (Helios is intersex!).

This book is most like The Wicker King compared to everything else K. Ancrum has written, which is, I think, the main reason why this didn't work for me as well as I'd have liked. The Wicker King has such a soft spot in my heart, so I think I had some unfair expectations of this book being as good or better. And at this time, I simply didn't feel the same level of emotional investment. I do think I might enjoy this more on a reread because I'll have managed my expectations.

This was a slow read for me even though the short sections should have made it go quickly. I liked the overall vibe and the relationships, but there was a disconnect between me and the writing that made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. This would be a good read for people who like troubled characters and complicated relationships.

In theory, I should be giving this four stars rather than five. Because the premise is, holy cats, quite a stretch: Icarus's father, Angus, has raised him to become a burglar. At Angus's behest, Icarus steals artworks from Stuart Black's mansion (he gets in by climbing up the outer wall) and replaces them with forgeries made by Angus. He's been at this since middle school. Angus's reasons are worthy of a Jacobean revenge play, which isn't a complaint but does give you an idea of the OTT-ness of it all. The really, truly, super weird version of Catholicism practiced by Angus and Icarus, ditto. They pray in Latin, for Pete's sake.

It turns out that Mr. Black has a son, whom he's keeping prisoner for reasons that are explained but that don't necessarily make, you know, all the legal sense in the world. The prince in the tower is named Helios. Is this seeming a little on the nose? Just wait till you get to the climactic events.

Besides all this there's the disjuncture between Icarus's life as a burglar and his life as a senior in high school, where he is, for the first time in his life, beginning to make friends, something that his father has forbidden him because of the need to keep their life of crime a secret. But Icarus is, among other things, a teenager, and he's begun to resent his father's control over his life.

This is bonkers, right? But here's the thing: Icarus is one of the most endearing characters I've read about in some time. He's smart, generous, lonely, unfailingly kind, brave, and hungry for human connection; all the OTT trappings are ultimately in service of the book's heart, which is the story of how Icarus begins to form those connections apart from his father and to nourish friendship and community. And, of course, to rescue the prince in the tower.

A strange, wonderful book that might remind you of a sweeter-natured sibling of Daniel May's books -- some of the dialogue, in particular, reminded me of May. File under Not for Everybody, but lucky you if it's for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC.