This was so good! I loved how each chapter focused on a different one of the crew as they slowly came together and then pulled off the heist. I love the reveals of information kept secret from the others (and the reader). I loved how engaging every character was. I loved all of them and wanted the story to continue. I would absolutely read a follow-up adventure where the crew gets back together.

From the beginning, I was instantly reminded of Ocean's 11 (which I love). The plot is very different, obviously, but the way the story unfolds is very similar. This is definitely one of my favorite heist novels. They're so hard to pull off successfully and Schneiderhan pulls it off flawlessly.

The relationships - both romantic and family / found family - are excellent as well. I love the way they weave around the plot.

Definitely one of my favorites of the year.

The audiobook was wonderfully performed. The characters each had a unique voice that felt authentic and immersed the listener in the story immediately. It was a pleasure to listen to from the beginning.

*Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing an early copy for review.

I read this in one sitting (except for trips to the fridge for caffeine) because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Absolutely masterful storytelling. I'm still processing that ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.

A good idea for a novel, but I’ll echo other reviewers opinions that this reads more like a script.

The author is a scriptwriter by profession, so it’s not exactly surprising that this reads more like a movie, but it’s difficult to get enough out of it in this form of media when the characters are hollow and indistinguishable and the setting isn’t very well rendered.

The bones of the heist plot were decent, and I think I’d enjoy this as a movie or if it were fleshed out into a more complete novel. The pacing is fine and the story is enough to keep your attention, though in the end it’s hard to feel like this was complete as a book.

I might get to this book at some point - I have got to stop requesting books just because of pretty covers and other authors boosting them on insta...

This needs to be a movie and not a book. There were times that some characters came across more as quippy tropes than fully fleshed out characters. It needed more detail overall. I think there is great material here. It was just presented in the wrong genre.

It wasn't an easy read. The ideas were there but it felt written in monotone.
It's fast paced, full of action and it would make a great movie... not so much a great book

This was a big DNF for me. I think I made it about 10% into this book before I called it quits. It did not capture my attention or pull me into the story. Perhaps I wasn't the right audience for this, even though I typically love adventurous YA stories especially with a heist. This one just didn't hit for me and I was quite disappointed.

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan is a thrilling rollercoaster from start to finish. The novel effortlessly combines historical intrigue with modern-day suspense, delivering a story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Schneiderhan’s meticulous attention to detail brings the Renaissance-era Medici family and their art treasures vividly to life, while the contemporary heist plot is executed with precision and flair.

This YA novel is a thrilling read that captivated me from start to finish. The concept is fresh and exciting, keeping the suspense high throughout. What really impressed me were the well-developed characters; each one is relatable and adds depth to the story. Their journeys and relationships make for an engaging and emotional experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping adventure!

I love this!!!!
This is definitely a hit for a heist book. Loving the characters build, their dynamic, and their background. It's neatly written. Everyone got something on their plate and spotlight (except for Agata).

I don't mind the pace. The heist or action in it is just enough. Loving the twist and how it turned out in the end.

The love chemistry is definitely there. I love them all basically:(((

Yes, the plot is very YA and still very much enjoyable. I don't mind that also ✨🫶🏼

This is an enough YA story on found family and heist laced with historical trivias and characters. Give it a go. Thankyou for the arc in exchange of honest review.

A middle grade heist that reads as anything but middle-grade :) I would gladly gift this book to any ten that loves the National Treasure or Oceans 11 movies

A number of unexpected treats will land in your pocket when you pick up this read. First of all, put on your oldest clothes because your time period is the 1500's.

You'll get to hang out with Michelangelo, a 17-year old former citizen of Prato who is a very adept thief named Rosa, you'll meet the Pope and a Cardinal, rub shoulders with a mix of the Medicis, run gold through your fingers, face any number of grim-faced soldiers, and experience hunger, fear, pain, weather and water as you follow Rosa and her crew of merry mischief makers. There is a sense of Robin Hood righting wrongs woven throughout the tale. The tale lost me here and there, but as many others have said, this would make a GREAT movie!

My favorite take away is when Rosa asks Michelangelo what David (his thoughtful statute) is thinking:

“Master Michelangelo,” she said. “Your David statue. What is he thinking?”

The artist blinked at her. “It’s a statue. It’s not thinking anything.”

“You put your blood and sweat into it. That’s what you told me. And that’s enough to bring anything to life. So what is he thinking?”

Michelangelo’s shoulders hunched. “I suppose … he’s frightened about what he’s going to do. He’s worried that he won’t be enough. Won’t be strong enough.”

“Is that all?” Rosa asked.

“He’s frightened. And … determined.”

“Which is why he does it anyway.”

“Yes. But that’s just a story—”

“You’re right, Master Michelangelo,” Rosa said. “But it’s good to remember stories. We are not noble shepherds like David. We’re thieves. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be like David and do something right. Hurling this rock at the Medici is the right thing to do, because the alternative is allowing them to grind this city into the dust, just like they’ve done before.”

Even though I fell off the wagon a few times I found my way back for the finale which pleased me. My favorite way to end a read.

*A sincere thank you to Caitlin Schneiderhan, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

3.5/5 Stars

A group of talented misfits band together to pull off a heist against the Medici Family.

I love me a good heist book, so I was excited to pick this one up! There is a lot of info-dumping in this, which could cause the pacing to drag at times. I did like how we got to see the how and the why of everyone being picked to join the heist. I liked the found family aspect of the story, but I do think at times the characters began blending together, which made it hard to distinguish them from one another. I wish they would have been fleshed out a little bit more to allow for their personalities to shine through. I liked that we got POVs from each character, which allowed for learning the backstories of everyone. I liked that all the characters had their own side plots they were handling while participating in the bigger heist.

I do think this would make a pretty cool movie though!

fun YA debut with some fun and well-written ideas that i think will stand up well with it being out now! would recommnd this work a lot.

Readers travel to Renaissance Florence in this fascinating YA heist novel. Leading this capable and skilled, if young, team of misfits is Rosa Cellini, a teenage conwoman with a grudge against the ruling Medici family. To pull off the biggest heist of the sixteenth century, she unites Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, master of disguise Giacomo, and celebrity artist Michelangelo to carry out this operation. As the authorities, the Medicis, and other third parties catch wind of this heist and of larger social issues brewing in the city, the heist becomes more and more important so long as the team can manage to cooperate until they’ve succeeded. With several unique and distinct characters, the different perspectives in each chapter do not blend together and give readers the chance to see the heist unfold in pieces from many angles. Drawing inspiration from the classic narrative tropes of heist novels and films, this book brings historical fiction and heist action together in a fantastic blend. The characters all have compelling and engaging storylines, and the narrative unlocks their backstories as relevant to the larger plot and their personal development. A fun, exciting, and high stakes historical fiction novel, readers who want action (but not war) in their historical fiction will love this book.

I could see how it was written like a screenplay, non of the characters were really fleshed out and the scenes seemed like you can visualize what they’re doing instead of how they’re feeling. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad book though! I do wish that the characters were worked on more, you only really got to know some of them by 60ish%.
If you’re looking for a heist book then this is a good one!

This book was filled with rich history, believable characters, and an intense heist story. Totally could see this as a movie!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The pacing was off -- it took far too long to assemble the team and it was never quite clear what job was for each person on the team. I was also hoping for a found family type of story and they did become friendly by the end, but it still felt as if they barely knew each other. There was also a riot in the middle of the book that I just completely missed? It was mentioned a few times but I never once saw it happen on page. Overall, the plan was really confusing and I was never quite clear what the plan for stealing from the Medici was. In all fairness, the events weren't super clear and by the time it all went down, admittedly, I was just ready for the book to be over so I might have missed details.


I did feel there were way too many POV characters and the voice of each was never distinct enough so I ended up spending half their chapters trying to figure out which person that was supposed to be. One of the POV characters was very wooden (another character called him a "wooden effigy of a man") and his POV, in particular, was very boring to read.

The Medici weren't really essential to the plot at all. The characters could have been stealing from any rich family in the middle ages. It would have been nice to see the characters interact more with the Medici and have more of a reason/backstory for why the story is taking place at that time period in that place. They did throw in a backstory of one of the characters having their mother killed by the Medici five years prior but that was like 50% of the way through the book if not further and I just didn't care anymore. Most of my knowledge for why someone would want to steal from the Medici was based on my own knowledge of the real family and not from this book.

The two romantic subplots were so sparsely written as to be nonexistent. When the characters did interact, it was charming but since the author was so busy switching POVs to write nothing happening, I never actually cared whether any of them got together at all.

I did appreciate the effort from the author to include more diversity for the characters in terms of sexuality. Obviously, LGBT existed for as long as people have existed, but we often don't see them in history because it was covered up by whoever was writing contemporary accounts. Another thing the author did well was using names that you would have seen in Italty in the 1500s, but since I'm not super familiar with the names, it added to my confusion when the POV would change.

Historical fiction can notoriously be stuffy and not something kids want to read. However this book was a fantastical historically set piece that was a romp through 1517 Florence!

The author is clearly a screen writer and so it did feel as though there was a movie coming to help flush out characters of where the historical narration wouldn’t be so long. However, I loved the characters and the plot and wanted to follow them along on this insane journey.

In all honesty, I read this book during a not-so-great time so that might have affected my experience with this book. However, I was left feeling a little disappointed.

I was very excited by the premise of a book set in 1500s Italy, but I really just did not feel the atmosphere or vibes that I was hoping to feel. I also struggled to connect with the characters enough to be invested in their story. Finally, I felt that I didn't feel the tension I would like to feel from a heist novel, as it was more about smaller heists than building to one big epic one.

I gave this three stars as it was an average reading experience, nothing I hated but nothing that really stood out for me. I was quite distracted during my time with this book, so I would need to re-read it to develop my full thoughts.