Seventeen year old Ross Quest is not your typical teenager. She is in fact a master thief. Raised by her mom and aunt, Ross has been almost everywhere in the world and has stole almost everything you can think of. When she tries to spread her wings, something tragic gets in the way. Her only way out is the to join The Thieves’ Gambit. A high stakes game against 12 other master thieves and only one can be the winner and granted a very sought out prize. Can Ross save her mother in time? What tasks will she have to complete to win.

I found this book quite interesting. The character development and world building was excellent.
Giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. The plot twist was clever, but the sub plot twist was predictable.

I was given a free copy from the publisher via the NetGalley website in exchange for a review.

Traditional format 📕 (digital). This YA book started off strong and gave Oceans Eleven vibes but at about the 30% mark the plot slowed to a complete crawl for me. The characters were not engaging and the book fizzled out quite quickly. For a YA book I think the writing actually needed to be a little more simple and engaging but lacked in both areas.

I ended up not finishing this book at the 59% mark. The pace was way too slow and the plot was at a standstill and I completely lost interest.

I will give this a 2/5 for the first part of the book that wasn’t horrible but I didn’t want to finish this one.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books for an e-copy copy of this book in exchange for a review.

What an interest storyline, teenage thieves competing against each other to see who is the best thief of the year. Each teen has a back story of why they need to win and how their family helps or hinders their part of the game. Ross is the central character. She is agile, strong willed and determined. I was amazed with how well the characters clashed and yet connected. What an amazing imagination this author has. I liked the book.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

Firstly, I would like to thank Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Secondly, I would like to state that I DNF this book after determining I was not the intended audience.

This book is about seventeen year old master thief Ross Quest. She loves her overprotective mother dearly, but she’d like a break for the summer to be a normal teen. Ross devises an escape plan she will execute when she’s on a mission with her mom. Everything is going accordingly until things take an unexpected turn and Momma Quest’s life is put on the line. In order to save her mom she enters the Thieves’ Gambit. Which is nothing like the thief rivalry Ross is used to. This is a competition consisting of international heist in which the winner will get the grand prize ~a wish~.

The premise is what caught my eye in the beginning! However, the more I read this book the more out of touch I felt. So, I think this book will appeal to the younger side of ya readers. This was really a case of right book wrong reader!

The author does a great job of thoroughly describing the scenes and all the intricacies of the heists. At some points I did feel like it was over done, but I think this was due to the lack of connection I had to the book. If you are a fan of spy thrillers you’ll probably like this!

Thieves Gambit was a great heist of a book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

Thieves Gambit introduces Black Bahamian 17-yr-old Ross Quest who comes from a family of master thieves. She has been invited to the ultimate heist competition, but all she really wants is to escape her family, lead a normal life and find friends. However, on their last heist Ross's mother is kidnapped with a billion-dollar ransom. Ross's only option is to compete in and win the quest, which promises the winner any wish they want. Her childhood nemesis, Noelia, and Devroe, a charming Black British thief, are among the competitors. As the Gambit moves from one heist to another, Ross is confused as to who to trust, including her mother. The sequel Heist Royale, in which she and Devroe must team up to work for the Gambit, comes out November 12, 2024.

yeah not bad could definitely use some work but in the end it wasnt my cup of tea but i would definitely recommend it to someone else

This was such a fun read!
I really enjoyed the world building, the plot twists and, most importantly, the characters. Cannot wait for the sequel!

I'm reviewing this one because I received an ARC for the second in the series and somehow missed the release of this one! As a middle school librarian, this is just the type of book my students would love. It has the mystery, the game, the young romance that my kids are looking for - fun and addictive. It took me longer to get through than most books (probably because of back-to-school mode) but I really enjoyed both the plot and the writing. Can't wait to dive into book 2!

Thieves' Gambit was a lot of fun. I loved all the set up with the heist. The plot had some fun twists and turns that may catch many by surprise. The characters were engaging and I enjoyed seeing Ross come into her own over the course of the story. The ending left me dying to know where they heck it is going to go next so I will definitely be pre-ordering the next book (thankfully is out in November). Fans of YA heists like The Inheritance Games and movies like Oceans 11 will enjoy this one. Check it out!

Thank You Netgalley, Penguin Group, and Kayvion Lewis for the eARC! I did pick up the audio part way through from Libby and it was also really well narrated.

Theives’ Gambit is a compelling new title that excites with compelling characters and fast paced action. Kayvion Lewis leaves readers wanting more of everything which means that this title is not just a great title but the beginning of a series that promises to engage all.

Thank you Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Thieves' Gambit. All opinions in this review are my own.

I really liked the premise of Thieves' Gambit and at times, I really liked the book. However, I felt like the pacing was a little too slow for me. In what I expected to be a thrilling mission-based story, there are a lot of downtimes in between action that slowed the plot down.

The ending was good but I don't think I will be continuing with the series.

That was fun. I do love a good heist, there was good lessons involving friends and trust. I did call part of the ending but not completely. It did leave on a complete cliff hanger so luckily the next book comes out in November, because I must continue the series. Definitely YA appropriate. Thank You Netgalley, Penguin Group, and Kayvion Lewis for the digital copy. I was able to get the audio from Libby, which I did enjoy following along with.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This was YA writing in an adult world. It didn't really work for me, because of that, but I did enjoy the heist sensations it evoked. The main problem I had with it was probably something that is not fair to the character which is that she is so suspicious of everyone but doesn't ever suspect the people she should! I also didn't really buy into the love story, especially given the end. I might read the sequel, I might forget forever that I read the book. I do think that it will really work for the right person, I just don't think that person was me.

I love competition books and this competition between thieves did not disappoint! While there were not many unexpected twists, this book fits well into its place in the Oceans Eleven, InHeritance Games categories.

*Thieves' Gambit* by Kayvion Lewis is an engaging young adult adventure that brings readers into a high-stakes, world-wide challenge between young thieves, each with their own skills and secrets. The story centers on 17-year-old Ross, who hails from a notorious family of thieves and must compete to fix problems of her own making. While some of the main events are predictable, the novel’s blend of adventure, suspense, and the theme of found family—where Ross must learn to trust others—makes for a fun and exciting read. As the first in a series, it successfully sets the stage, and I'll definitely be preordering book two.

So this is a very fun book I would said , perfect for teens and people that like clever games and don’t mind the thieving 😅. I really like how it was set up, how the Gambit developed and that ending was quite shocking. Like wow. Well played!!!
Great adventure like book . Definitely would recommend.

Pacing is a bit slow, but by the end I was definitely interested. Some good twists made this YA heist book better.

If you like The Inheritance Games series, or movies like Ocean's 11, this is definitely a series you will enjoy.

Rosalyn "Ross" Quest is a seventeen-year-old member of a Bahamian family skilled at thievery, Ross's strength lies with finding the perfect escape route. Ross longs to leave this world behind and meet friends and improve her gymnastics skills like others her own age. She creates a plan to escape during a heist she and her mom are committing, but something goes wrong. Ross escapes, but her mom is captured. The bounty? One billion dollars. Ross has no choice but to compete in The Thieves' Gambit, an international competition with the prize of a wish granted to the winner. She joins eight other teens to complete tasks and eliminate the competition to win.

I liked this book more and more as it progressed, and really connected with Ross as a character. I felt for her and her longing to be "normal" and escape the life her family had prescribed for her. The supporting characters definitely added to the story as well, and I hope we see some of them in future installments.

The twists towards the end elevated the story and made it more unexpected and intriguing. As the action ratcheted up, the book got more interesting to me and I had more investment in what happened. I felt like the setup was too long and it took took long to get going with the actual Thieves' Gambit. I also did not care for the romance angle, can't we ever have a good heist/adventure novel without romantic tension? Yes, it achieved a purpose but I also felt as if solid friendships could have done the same thing.

I listened to the audiobook and Jade Wheeler's narration was superb. She handled the various characters' accents with ease and helped me to keep the characters straight, even when the cast "on screen" was numerous.

Overall, I was absorbed enough in the story to want to move along to the next book in the series to see where things go from here. I saw some announcement that this might be heading to the screen and I think this would make an excellent movie, many of the scenes are quite cinematic.

"Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis is an absolute thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! Picture The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven, but with higher stakes and a badass teenage protagonist, and you’ll get a glimpse of the excitement packed into this novel. Ross Quest is a fierce, resourceful heroine who’s not just playing for glory but for her mother’s life, which adds an intense emotional layer to the already gripping heist competition. The dynamic between Ross, her childhood nemesis, and the charming new competitor is electrifying, full of trust issues and romantic tension that spice up the plot. The heists themselves are incredibly clever and cinematic, making you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action. If you love high-stakes thrillers with smart twists, complex characters, and a dash of romance, Thieves' Gambit is an absolute must-read and I am ecstatic for the opportunity to follow up with the sequel!