Oceans 11 meets Michelangelo. The heist of the century but it’s more than just money on the line. Rosa has a bone to pick with the new Medici Pope, Leo X. She finds the best crew to help her pull off a job that will set them up for the rest of their lives.
Is the biggest problem that the gold is held in the most protected place in Florence? Or the fact that her whole crew has secrets of their own?

Absolutely loved this! The characters were full of life and each has their own part to play in the heist but also in the bigger picture of the plot. I loved the plot it has so much to offer with intrigue and pyrotechnics.

A big thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan is a classic heist story with a cast of very colourful characters.

The plot follows a rigid structure, though it sometimes feels more like it's following specific plot points that it needs to hit, rather than an organic story. With training sequences, obvious foreshadowing, and a familiar three-act structure, the twists are predictable, and suspense is built in a more superficial way.

The characters, while promising, are underdeveloped. Sarra and Rosa, for instance, have similar personalities with different skill sets - and I often found myself getting confused between the two. Combining them into one character could have streamlined the narrative. Giacomo and Khalid fare slightly better, with more backstory, but even their flashbacks lack emotional impact, feeling like placeholders rather than moments of genuine depth. There are a few other characters that contribute something extra to the story, but in general they are minor characters in the larger scheme of things.

This was clearly written by someone who is used to writing for a different type of media (Stranger Things), with a bit of a predictable rhythm for the plotline. The story is still quite entertaining, but it wasn't really anything new.

I'm interested to see if the author will be able to learn to adapt her skill to different mediums in the future - so I'll definitely be on the lookout for new books from her.

Medici Heist had so much potential. As a fan of heist stories, I was excited to dive in, but unfortunately, the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The character felt too similar to one another and lacked distinct motivations until very late in the story—around 60%. This made it difficult to keep track of who was who and why they were involved. Agata, one of the more promising characters, barely got any screen time, which was a real disappointment. The plot twists went from twisty to downright convoluted. On the bright side, Dominic’s character and his role in the story stood out, and the details of the heist were well-crafted. Overall, if you’re looking for a book with a rich setting and you’re okay with less developed characters and a less than organized plot, it might be worth a read. 5 stars for the cover, though - it's gorgeous!

Does everything a heist is supposed to do and more.

It was somehow Leverage mashed with Lemonade Mouth, but I really can’t explain it.

This was an experience, although my one critique is that it was a little too dense in places - thick descriptions, specific place names that I found easy to confuse, but that’s more of a taste thing.

And I loved how these characters talked, stuttering and stumbling in places. And other times one word would suffice instead of a lecture. Or a lecture was needed instead of one word (here’s looking at you, Giacomo).

I loved them all, I loved where they were going, I loved where they ended up, I’d read the hell out of a sequel.

I received an advanced copy of Medici Heist from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love heist books. Ally Carter's Heist Society put me on them when I was younger, and I've loved them ever since. So, when I saw that Medici Heist was a Renaissance heist story, I knew I had to read it. And what fun it was.

This book was a blast. It had witty dialogue, interesting characters, and a crazy heist. Even though it was historical fiction, the author put enough of their own flair into it that the world and history felt new and fresh. Was it historically accurate? Probably not. But it never claimed to be, and I think that's what made this book even better. It was fun, with just enough heaviness to give the characters some depth but not enough to bring down the story's mood.

Would I have liked the characters to have a little more depth? Yes. I've seen quite a few reviews that say the characters are just their tropes, and while I agree, I think it worked for the story. I actually have no complaints about that, though I usually would. My issue was the writing style. While the action "actioned," everything read slightly stilted, especially when the characters did those actions. I'm not sure how else to explain it. On top of that, when I started the book, the wording was very jarring. It read very modern, with modern words and phrasing, which I wasn't expecting. Though I eventually got used to it, those first few chapters kept pulling me out of the story.

I'm glad I stuck with Medici Heist because I had a lot of fun reading it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun heist, though I do warn about its modernness despite its historical setting.

This book read like a screenplay and not like a novel.
It's a cool idea but there was too much character information for some characters and not enough for others.
There were too many characters to keep track of that weren't even in the heist.
The villains, the Medici bros, were incredibly underdeveloped and I didn't care about the heist or why they hated the bros because we never saw what they did that was so bad. We were told a bunch of times but we didn't see it.

Heist book with too many characters for me to keep up with but with this being written by a screen writer I think this would have been a great show. Set in 1517 it brings in quite a bit of history and art which is cool for YA readers to be exposed to.

I love a heist book and The Medici Heist absolutely did not disappoint! I loved the cast of characters, how they all interacted with each other, and the way they didn’t give up on their wild goal!

I was worried that I would have to suspend disbelief because they had Michelangelo working on their team and it’s all supposed to take place in a very real part of history. But I found myself enjoying it all so much that I didn’t have a hard time believing what I was reading.

This was a completely fun and enjoyable read that featured touching found family storylines, adventure, and hijinks galore! I had a blast reading it.

DNF at 15%

Nothing has happened in the book and there's so many characters and I'm confused

I agree with some of the other reviews that say it would make a good movie, but I don't think this is the best in a book format

Another book written by a screenwriter- an author subset I've been enjoying. However, the movie/TV show would be better than the book. I could see each chapter or two being great scenes or episodes, but the book did lag on without providing too much backstory, other than little flashes here and there. It's if Oceans 11 met YA friend group. It's a good book, but I'm probably not the best audience.

Medici Heist is exactly what you expect it to be from the title: it’s a heist story about a team of con artists who set out to steal a bundle from the uber-wealthy. And it’s set in Florence, Italy, in 1517, when the Medici family ruled the city. It’s a fun combination of genres: historical fiction and heist story.

Rosa Cellini was raised as a con woman by her mother. Now she’s 17 and has an ax to grind with the powerful and cruel Medicis. She sets her sight on the piles of gold the family has gathered from the people as indulgence money to the church. Well, more specifically, the pope. Pope Leo X is a member of the family and is just as corrupt as the rest of them.

Rosa first goes to Sarra the Tinkerer, whose father worked with Rosa’s mother when they were younger. Sarra has been perfecting her craft of creating various useful items to help relieve people of their belongings. She then goes to Khalid, a strong young man who has been compelled to act as bouncer, money collector and enforcer for a criminal who controls quite a large swath of Italy’s underground. Giacomo joins the team as a smooth-talking, clever master of disguises. The last two people to round out the group are an older apothecary and … Michelangelo. Yes, that Michelangelo, the famed artist whose work was sponsored by the Medicis.

Stealing from the well-guarded Medicis will take a miracle to pull off, but Rosa and her group think they can do it. Each person has something to prove, something to fix in their lives, and they desperately need this. Just how desperate some of their situations are shows up little by little in the course of the story.

I had fun with Medici Heist: I always enjoy a good heist/con story, and this delivered. It was also interesting to see how Schneiderhan fit a heist into this 500-year-old setting. She did pretty well. I had a few little quibbles with how smoothly some of it came together at the end, but it’s a great effort for a debut.

I can definitely see the comparisons to Ocean’s 11 with this book. It does have a heist in which a team of people, each with a particular area of expertise, work together to steal something, and their motives are not always what they seem. Instead of being a modern-day tale, this one is set in sixteenth-century Italy, though.

I’ve read several novels written by screenplay writers, and it’s going to sound weird, but I am starting to feel like I can tell when it happens. There are certain things that I keep running into in these books. In some scenes in The Medici Heist, I felt like what I was reading would make a cool movie scene, but it didn’t always translate well to a novel format.

For example, the opening scene begins from the perspective of a child who barely appears in the rest of the book. There is some circular storytelling, where toward the end, we reference the significance of that moment again, but it was strange to start a novel from the viewpoint of a character who never does anything important or even really appears on scene again in the book. But I could see a movie opening that way much more easily.

I like that the story has an ensemble cast (this might make it a good choice for readers who enjoyed Six of Crows) and that each character has a secret or hidden objective or motive that comes into play as the heist takes place. I also enjoyed the way that Rosa and Sarra’s relationship evolves. They were once as close as sisters and then drifted apart. They begin the story with very different feelings about the past which they have to work through. I loved how that worked out in the book and the way it impacted the overall story.

On the whole, this one started a bit slow for me, but around chapter nine or ten, I started investing more in the characters and their relationships. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or heist adventures will want to check this one out.

Medici Heist
By Caitlin Schneiderhan
August 6 2024

It’s 1517 and Rosa Cellini is tired of the ruling family of Florence and their bullying ways. She teams up with the smart Sarra, the strong Khalid, and the very feisty Giacomo. Their mission? A heist for the ages. Stress grows as the authority closes down on the gang. What began as a burglary turns into a wrecking of Florence.

I loved this book, it was so entertaining. I liked all of the characters. The twists and turns. I am going to be looking for more from Caitlin Schneiderhan.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest opinions.

I love art history and of course that means I am fascinated by the Medicis. This book was exciting and a new concept in my historical fiction reading. The chapters changed POVs and that kept the book advancing but I was confused a few times. Overall I wanted to pick up this book every day and I enjoyed the story and writing style. 4 Stars for Medici Heist!

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book.

The year is 1517, and Florence is experiencing great change. No longer is it a grand republic that it once was; instead, it is under the control of the Medici family. They ruthlessly controlled Florence, especially Pope Leo X, who was born Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici. The people suffer as the Medici become increasingly wealthy, but a band of misfits and thieves plan to give some power back to the people with one of the greatest heists of 16th century Italy. Can they survive as a group when revelations from the past and dangers lurk around every corner? The adventure with this ragtag team of thieves as they fight for Florence is explored in Caitlin Schneiderhan’s novel, “Medici Heist.”

I want to thank Feiwel and Friends and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. It’s been a little bit since I read a new YA historical fiction novel, and so when I read the description of this one, I jumped at the chance to read it. I like a good novel set in Italy during the Renaissance, so I wanted to see what Schneiderhan could bring to the genre.

We kick off with Pope Leo X in all his grandeur entering the city and being greeted by a girl named Cat throwing a mud pie at the Pope. This incident sets the mood of the city towards the Medicis. We then jump to meeting our main four protagonists; the con woman/ leader of the misfits Rosa Cellini, Sarra the Tinkerer, Khalid the skilled fighter, and Giacomo the master of disguise. Along with the apothecary Agata, Dominic the apprentice, and even Michelangelo, the crew has decided that the only way to free Florence from Medici rule was to steal the indulgences that the people gave the church for the forgiveness of their sins so they spend less time in purgatory when they died. The Medicis were able to gather about 10,000 florins, an impressive amount that the band of thieves hoped to split evenly. However, complications do arise such as unexpected reminders of the past, romances, and those who want the treasure for their nefarious purposes.

While I do applaud Schneiderhan for writing her first-ever historical fiction novel, which is not an easy task, I did have a few issues when I was reading this particular novel. I felt like this book read more like a screenplay in that it gave locations and information, but it was hard to visualize for someone who cannot see these locations as images. The characters felt a bit generic and blended together, especially with the short chapters that might have been purposeful to get through the story quickly, but I was not able to build a connection to these characters. Finally, I feel like this story does not feel like it could take place in the 16th century, except for a few famous name drops, historical places, and the currency used at the time. It feels too modern and it could be put into any period and it would still work. I wanted to get lost in 16th century Florence and that did not happen for me.

Overall, as a YA heist book, I think it is a pretty good book, but it missed the mark when it came to the historical element for me. I feel like the concept of this book was strong, but the execution was a bit lacking. It was a difficult book for me to read and at times, I did want to put it into a did not finish pile, which I never do with books. I know that some books just are not right for me, but they might be right for other people, which is why I continued to read this book. If you do want to read this book, it might be a good idea to have a device next to you to look up the locations mentioned to help visualize what is happening. If you want a heist book with some history sprinkled in, “Medici Heist” by Caitlin Schneiderhan might be the book for you.

Very Guilded Wolves, or any of the Ocean’s movies. I found the characters to be pretty predictable, as well as stereotypical. There were also times when Rosa’s relationship with Pietro and Sarra had me very confused.
I liked the historical piece of it. As well as the descriptions. It was just that the characters were not unique enough for me.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review of Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

Cover Story: Surrealism
BFF Charm: Mixed Bag
Talky Talk: Historical Friction
Bonus Factors: Lady Leads, Art Appreciation, Heists
Relationship Status: Godspeed

Cover Story: Surrealism
After reading the book, this cover makes a lot of sense and includes a lot of elements from the plot. But at first glance, if I hadn’t read the book, I would have no idea what was happening. The characters staring into an artsy sun? Disembodied priestly hands? An imposing building with cards? Books? Something floating around it? It’s pretty, but strange. Dali would have loved it.

The Deal:
In 1517, the Medici family runs Florence—and much of the rest of Italy—through wealth and power. But not everyone is under their spell, and Rosa Cellini has plenty of reason to hate them. A gifted thief, Rosa has a plan to make them pay—literally—but she’ll need the help of a few friends. And Michelangelo.

BFF Charm: Mixed Bag
Although Rosa is essentially the novel’s main character readers get to read from a variety of POVs throughout. Rosa’s pretty great, although I’d worry that she would get arrested (or worse) thanks to her line of work. Sarra, known for her engineering prowess, is also cool, but the double life she leads also comes with a fair amount of danger. Giacomo, a master of disguise, is delightfully irreverent on the outside but hides a good amount of pain underneath. And Khalid, whose bulk and knack for fighting makes him super imposing and at times scary, has a total soft side hiding underneath. Out of the four teenagers involved in this story, he’s my favorite. My favorite of all of the characters, however, is Michelangelo. (Yes, that Michelangelo.) We don’t get any chapters from his POV, but he’s always in the background, scowling and scoffing. He wouldn’t appreciate me thinking this, but he’s hilarious.

Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Medici Heist is a heist story (natch). And while some heist stories make time to build relationships, this book shoehorns them into the action. The two different character pairings are sweet, which one being far more obvious than the other, but they don’t feel fleshed out. The more unexpected one—although thinking back on the story, I see there were hints all along—makes the most sense, while the other is obvious … and obviously forced.

Talky Talk: Historical Friction
The Florence of 1517 is a powder keg. The Medicis have taken control, turning the city from a republic into a dictatorship, and the people aren’t happy. There’s an undercurrent of danger throughout the book, even outside the heist’s inherently dangerous nature. I love a good story about political unrest, and the evil powers that be getting their comeuppance. I would have liked more character development, however, as they all felt a little flat, even after learning their backstories.

Bonus Factor: Lady Leads
A lot of heist books still revolve around a male main character being the one with the plan and the smarts, with any non-males often relegated to support roles or “distractions.” I enjoyed how Medici Heist led with a female main character, and featured a female character as the main engineer, too. Ladies get things done!

Bonus Factor: Art Appreciation
It would be truly amazing to live in the Renaissance (minus the lack of proper plumbing or electrical infrastructure and internet capabilities …) and get to see Michelangelo working in real time. It might be a case of never meet your faves lest you be disappointed, but I’d be willing to take the chance.

Bonus Factor: Heists
I love heist stories. And I especially love heist stories in which things go wrong (because humans) and the people involved have to make split-second life-or-death situations. There are certainly bumps along the road for the characters in this book, and it’s fun to read how they get themselves out of tight corners.

Relationship Status: Godspeed
You and I had a fun time together, Book. I don’t feel like I got to know you very deeply, which is a bit of a bummer, but we managed to meet our end goal, which is what matters most. I wish you all the best in your new life. It might not be smart for us to meet again, but know that I’ll think of you.

Like everyone else with a healthy interest in pop culture and history, I already knew that the Medici family of Europe’s Renaissance period had quite the reputation for being terrible people. However it was only with this novel, Caitlin Schneiderhan’s illuminating historical mystery for young adult readers, that I wholly understood why.

In the early 16th century, cousins Giovanni and Giulio Medici return in triumph to the city that had shown them the door years earlier. They’ve used their political and military might to end the Republic of Florence and take what they view as their rightful place as its rulers:

QUOTE
It had not been a bloodless transition, though Florence itself had been spared the worst of it. The honor of setting a harsh and savage example for the city had fallen on…other luckless shoulders. Why, after all, would the Medici want to break the plaything they’d plotted so intricately to reclaim? And so Florence had been cowed into accepting their prodigal patriarchs back with open arms. Giovanni had shelved his Medici name in favor of the appropriately papal Pope Leo X, and Giulio had stepped into the cardinal role his cousin had vacated. But if the angry bills on the walls and the smear on the Pope’s carriage were anything to go by, the Medici’s return to power was far from universally welcome.
END QUOTE

Rosa Cellini is one of those angered by their return. She’s seen the terrible things they’ve done, and she won’t take their usurpation of power lying down. Having been raised as a con artist and grifter by her mother Lena, she knows that the best places to hit the Medicis are in their wallet and in their fearsome reputation. By emptying their vault in a daring heist, she’ll be able to damage both. She just needs a crew to help her do it.

Her childhood friend Sarra Nepi is ready to help. Though her father was a criminal just like Lena, he’d asked her on his deathbed to keep her studious brother in the dark about the rest of the family’s illicit activities. By day she acts like a respectable citizen; by night, she’s using her ingenious inventions to rob the houses of the rich.

The two young women have an easy time of recruiting Agata, an apothecarist with a talent for mixing all sorts of chemicals, but must track down the final two pieces they need to make their plan succeed. Master of disguise Giacomo is always up for a lark, and the perpetually combat-ready Khalid is desperate to escape his stultifying existence in Genoa, even if only for a little while. With the help of the famed artist Michelangelo himself, the team is ready to strike a blow for the Republic. But complications old and new have a way of turning up when they’re least needed, much less expected. Will our team of rogues be able to pull off the heist of a century? Failure, after all, leaves them at the mercy of a family already infamous for its ruthlessness.

This YA novel has a ripping first third, as Rosa assembles her crew and readers get to know the setting better. The structure of the book, switching between characters’ points of view and between time periods, can feel a bit dizzying, especially since much of the heist’s planning stages are kept vague in order to maximize suspense for the finale. I’m still honestly not sure how it all worked out, but I did love Ms Schneiderhan’s exploration of her characters’ feelings as they worked together towards their goal. Rosa, for example, has been so badly scarred by the Medicis that she refuses to open up to Sarra, who very much wants them to be as close as sisters once more. As Sarra comes to her own realization about the harm of shutting herself off from the people she loves, she tells Rosa:

QUOTE
“The secret was the thing that was hurtful,” she said. “Both ways. It was hurting me and it was hurting him.”

“And you’re glad it’s out.” Sarra could see Rosa’s brain whirring, picking apart her words in search of something.

Sarra took a breath. “If we shut each other out, then we evaporate. ‘We’–our family. Us. It evaporates. Does that make sense?” Rosa didn’t say anything, but there was emotion swimming in her eyes. “Anger passes,” Sarra said. “All the dark stuff. It passes. But only if you give it an escape. And then there’s an afterward.”
END QUOTE

Medici Heist brings the vibrancy of Michelangelo’s era to life, steeping itself firmly in history to tell a rollicking tale of found family committing crimes for the greater good. Ms Schneiderhan does excellent work highlighting the universality of many of our protagonists’ emotions, occasionally drawing parallels with modern-day affairs as well. This YA novel is a very accessible if mostly fictional look into what life was like in early 16th century Florence for the poor and desperate but unbroken and brave.

Although the novel contains many characters, it makes the story difficult to follow. Liked the novel, but i did not love it
I studied art,mainly the Republic.
Goliath “slain by David (...) slain by Eliahan
Thank you Medici Heist, Cailin Scnnerhan, Fiwel and Friends, and NetGalley for being honest.

https://www.caitlinschneiderhan.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C997N9KK/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20

Title: Medici Heist
Author: Caitlin Schneiderhan
Genre: Historical fiction, YA
Rating: 4.0 out of 5

Welcome to Florence, 1517, a world of intrigue, opulence, secrets, and murder. The Medici family rules the city from their seat of wealth, but the people of Florence remember the few decades they spent as a Republic, free from the Medicis and their puppet Pope, Leo X.

Sharp-witted seventeen-year-old con-woman Rosa Cellini has plans for the Pope and the Medicis - and, more specifically, the mountain of indulgence money they've been extorting from the people of Tuscany. To pull off the Renaissance's greatest robbery, she'll recruit a team of capable Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. To top it all off, and to smooth their entrance into the fortress-like Palazzo Medici, Rosa even enlists the reluctant help of famed artist and local misanthrope, Michelangelo.

Old secrets resurface and tensions in the gang flare as the authorities draw closer and the Medicis' noose pulls tighter around Tuscany itself. What began as a robbery becomes a bid to save Florence from certain destruction - if Rosa and company don't destroy each other first.

This was an interesting read! I enjoyed the historical aspect of this a lot, and the complex relationships between the group of them. I thought the action was entertaining and I was invested in if they managed to pull off the heist off or not. I loved that the whole ending was a surprise and I didn’t see it coming at all.

Caitlin Schneiderhan lives in L.A. Medici Heist is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)