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Reviewed by: Lisa Rice, Middle School Librarian Title: Heist Royale: Know When to Run
Author: Kayvion Lewis Series: Book 2, the sequel to Thieves' Gambit
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: 7-10 Genre/Type of Book: YA romance, thriller, mystery, adventure, suspense
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: gambling, cheating, some language
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I loved Thieves' Gambit and was waiting for the adventures to continue!
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
"Be brutal this time around." -page 97, Ross' mom
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Review:
I thought this was another fun and escapist read by this author! I recommend reading Thieves' Gambit first, so you know the characters, but it is not completely necessary. This book picks up six months after the ending of Thieves' Gambit, and Devroe and Ross are at it again, and of course their families are involved too! The two of them are trying to stay one step ahead of the other as they play a new survival game, and excitement and twists follow! It is exciting right from the start and the action/suspense rarely lets up! I especially loved the beginning of this book. It is fun to run around New Orleans with Ross, who is trying to survive the game! To best enjoy this series, suspend reality and enjoy the adventure and action. Think: Tom Cruise movie!
Instead of the Gambit, played in the first book, they are playing the Gauntlet, and whoever wins (there are three phases, best two wins) continues to lead the group...and live! Family dynamics and family loyalties influence Ross and Devroe and give them motivation to play. Devroe's mom is Ross' family mortal enemy and Ross' mom is a chronic liar and manipulator, so it is hard to know who to trust. There are a lot of fun settings- New Orleans, Antarctica, Monaco (complete with a casino reminiscent of a haunted mansion), and Cape Town, to name a few. Ross' mom has advice for her: be brutal this time around and a reminder that friends are dangerous; they can shatter you. No wonder Ross has trust issues, but it is nice to see her grow in this book and start to trust others, and hopefully the right ones!
This is one of those books that may not have a lot of educational tie ins except to make reading fun, and I am definitely okay with that! It has twists and turns and action and adventure with some romance thrown in. Sometimes you need a book that takes you on a wild adventure, and this one did it. There are themes of love and loyalty and trust, and the idea that these don't always come naturally; sometimes they take a lot of work. I loved the progression of the relationship between Ross and her mother and how hard they worked through their struggles with themselves and each other. However, I wish there had been more with Ross and Devroe. It was sad to see the book end, as I believe the series ends with this book.
Number of party hats:
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For more information about this book, see the publisher's website