I think this might be a book that just doesn't lend itself to audio form, which is entirely personally subjective. But I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for something to happen nd every time I thought I had finally gotten past the introduction to the plot there was just more and I didn't realize I was halfway into the stakes of it until I checked my progress. I think this book would be good but the generated voice sounded near unintelligible sped up and the opening was just so much that I had to dnf it at 53%

This story had me hooked I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen next. Anytime I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. The plot was consuming, and the characters felt real and unique. The story felt very unique it didn’t feel like a plot I’d read before. I was impressed by the representation shown in this book through many different ways. I will definitely be thinking about this book for a while and will be talking about it to anyone who will listen.

Seventeen year old Icarus Gallagher is a thief; he steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s forgeries. For years, one man has been the Gallaghers’ target in 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, and above all, don’t get caught. Until one night, he is caught, by their target’s mysterious son Helios. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules. As reluctance and distrust become closeness, they uncover the history that has trapped their families for years. But Icarus’s father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love.

Thank you as always to @netgalley, @harpercollins, and @k.ancrum for the ARC! This book was so good and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me so much of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which I loved, but was geared towards a younger audience and focused more on Icarus’s relationships. Icarus was such a complex character; we are introduced to him as a young adult who has hardened himself against the world as a survival mechanism, and throughout the book we see him thaw and find strength in vulnerability with his friends and Helios. His development was so moving and beautiful. Ancrum also has a beautiful way of depicting the intensity of late teenage/early adulthood emotions, where everything feels so large and final. The prose was breathtaking and I really enjoyed everything about this book. To top it all off, there was great representation and diversity among the characters. Be sure to look for Icarus in bookstores in March!

While I enjoy a well executed mythology retelling, Icarus did not hit that mark for me. I found the characters to be flat and undeveloped and the plot to be so in unrealistic that it was difficult to engage with the story.

Icarus is a lovely, sad, and exciting book. As a big fan of Aristotle and Dante, I hoped for a similar read in Icarus. The delicacy, intimacy, and sense of two boys saving each-other is similar, but in Icarus, the stakes are higher. Helios is in danger ftom his father and Icarus has been taught a life of secrets, fear, and revenge. I expect this book to be well-received and look forward to its release.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins for this advanced copy.

Such a good queer YA book. A far-removed, modern-day reimagining of the tale of Icarus.

A bit of a slow start, but ultimately I think that was important. Highlights the way that hardening our hearts to survive tough things means that we can miss out on the soft, sweet things in life. The whole book functions as a love note to the kindness and warmth young people have for those around them.

Minor suspension of disbelief required to engage, and I would also recommend reading trigger warnings if you have topics you're sensitive to.

I recommend! The final 2 chapters, one of which was the author's note, stitched the whole narrative together and made me cry!

I'm new to ARC's, so I'm not sure if it's standard in the industry to do an AI voice for the ARC and then replace it with a real voice, but if so, I don't really know what I'm supposed to review? The book, as read, I understand. However, most of the reason I continue with an audio book (when reading for pleasure, anyway) has to do with if I like the narrator, as I imagine many listeners feel in kind. As such, I found at least half of what I thought I'd be reviewing to be missing when I started this book and found an AI narrator. I gave it a shot anyway and listened through to chapter 14 before I just couldn't anymore. The AI is fine enough when it's just reading the text, but as soon as it gets to a conversation, it crashes and burns. I couldn't even follow which words where being spoken to someone and which was supporting text.


Also, with the strike going on, really? Disappointing.

From what I heard of the story, I imagine I might have quite liked it. I'll look for the physical text or maybe re-evaluate when the final copy of the audio book is release.

- book ISBN was not found on Goodreads so this will not be posted there, will check back at a later date post-publication and see if I can post then

This book was truly something. An absolutely breathtaking novel. I’ve never read a YA book quite like it. It was beautifully written and the themes were explored so well.

1: The Plot

The book centers Icarus Gallagher, a thief/high school senior. His father creates art forgeries and sends Icarus to swap them with the real thing. Their target is a Mr. Black, who played a role in the death of Icarus’s mother.

Due to his status as a thief, Icarus doesn’t let anyone get close to him. He has a few acquaintances, but isn’t as close to them as he’d like to be. Then, one night, he encounters Helios, Mr. Black’s son, currently under house arrest. Helios offers to help Icarus rob his father, in exchange for Icarus’s friendship.

2: The Small Things

First, this book is written in the third person, which is rare for YA, as it’s usually written from first person. For me, this is great, because I much prefer the third person to the first person.

Second, the chapters are short and the prose is very digestible. This book is really easy to get through. Ancrum is truly looking out for her fellow ADHD girlies.

Third, the cover is gorgeous! I believe it was done by Jenna Stempel-Lobell. I love it.

Fourth, EDS rep! I have hEDS myself, and seeing it represented accurately and meaningfully really meant something. The way Icarus thinks about how he’s in pain constantly was something I can relate to.

3: The Big Things

The novel centers parental abuse and generational trauma, and is heavily character-driven. It explores everything very well. Helios and Icarus are excellent characters, and Icarus makes a great POV character for the story.

The theme of community was beautifully executed. The way Icarus’s friends become his support system, and then Icarus becomes Helios’s. The friendships are truly amazing to behold. Someone get me Icarus’s friends ASAP.

The story reimagined the myth of Icarus beautifully. I love the way that Icarus and Helios aren’t connected by fate, but by their parents’ choices.

Ancrum is so empathetic toward teenagers. She writes without judgement, and seeks to highlight the things that make people of that age so incredible. It’s something YA authors rarely do.

4: The Audiobook

The synthesized voice was flat and awkward at times, but I do think the voice itself was a good fit for the story.

5: Conclusion

The story was stunning, an absolute masterpiece. I know it’s a title that I’ll read again and again and never tire of.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Net Galley for the audioARC!

This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, and it did not disappoint! Icarus is a young adult Greek mythology retelling in which Icarus is the son of an art thief (and forced to be a thief himself) and falls in love with Helios, whose father his own has been stealing from for years.

It is a story about parental abuse and trauma, and as is Ancrum’s specialty, it is lyrical and character-driven. Icarus and Helios are impossible not to love, and impossible not to feel for. I can’t wait to read it again.

I couldn’t get past the synthesized voice. I tried adjusting speeds etc but I just couldn’t do it. I know it is a mock-up but I hope this isn’t an indicator of future issues.

Icarus is utterly captivating. Both the novel—beautifully metaphoric with often poetic prose—and the boy—in all of his big complicated feelings about his father, and everything his father has made his life become. I can’t wait to sing this novel’s praises to everyone I know, the message it tells is more than necessary.

While I found the computer-generated voice to be often flatter than the characters would've spoken, the voice itself was rather fitting to the story, and it made for a much easier reading experience. I do hope that a fully produced audiobook is recorded for this title, I will more than happily listen to it again and again.

Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this title.