REVIEW: Uncommon Criminals By Ally Carter

Summary:
Katerina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she's simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That's why Kat isn't surprised when she's asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn't been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat's world, history almost always repeats itself. But it's the third problem that makes Kat's crew the most nervous and that is simply... the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in over her head, but she's not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend - the gorgeous Hale - and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realising that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katerina Bishop is making up her own rules.


Author: Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society- 2
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Date of Release: June 21st 2011
Pages: 298

Review:
Please Note: Lots of exclamation marks, underlining, boldness and CAPITAL letters are used throughout this review to just accentuate my love for this book! Oops, sorry.

First I must express to you... this is one of my most FAVOURITE, and I emphasise this greatly, FAVOURITE series ever! It's just so action-packed with bad-ass characters, who couldn't love it? And I REALLY want to join them, please, pretty please with a cherry on top? No? Fine, I shall go sulk... After I write this review.

The cover, oh the cover. It is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! Such bright colours with the glasses shadowing some of her eyes to give such mystery and secrecy, also the reflection of the jewel gives the book a sense of priceless-ness (did you like that?)

Katerina Bishop, Kat, has shown throughout the thieving world that age is just a number. She is known as the girl with the crew who robbed the invincible Henley, and has earned the title 'One of the Greatest Thieves in the World!' But after the Henley, she appears to become heist drunk, meaning she is unable to ignore the challenge of stealing the Cleopatra Emerald and returning it to its rightful owner. But things soon turn pear-shaped causing the team to reunite and pull together to sort their mess out before they all become cursed and found out by Uncle Eddie... Or worse, Margret.

Kat is an amazing character. She's intelligent, funny-at-times and undeniably strong. She copes with all situations with professionalism and is always close to her family. I also like her Robin-Hood-thing, instead of keeping to the stereotyped thief she is instead using her skills to help others, well not the people she 'stole', I mean 'retrieved' from but you know what I mean. Then we have W.W. Hale, no one knows what the W stands for but do know... he is undeniably and totally handsome, very rich (convenient!) and very, very clever. He stands for nothing, is sensible and mature and shares Kat's professionalism, but you can tell by the way he talks and the way he appears to others that he gives off an air of he-knows-what-he-is-doing vibe and so he should not, under any circumstances be messed with. It was also nice to see his relationship with Kat evolve a little more. One of my other favourite characters in the crew is dear Simon our techie geek, who carries around ten computers around with him everywhere, he could give PC World a run for their money. He is VERY intelligent and is very, very funny at times with little comments he makes, he also gets scared a lot and would rather work behind the scenes than be in the middle of it.

What I also love about this book is the writing style, its so unique and adds such mystery to the situations. Its like I'm standing there in the room watching them, but unable to say anything, just observe. But the way it then links into their actions from one view to the other creates such an affect and a strange believability. I also love the unique names they use for all their heists such as 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Sleeping Beauty' which adds a real mystery and you don't fully understand what heist will involve until they perform it and you understand how and why its nicknamed this. But this book is also VERY CLEVER, and when I say CLEVER I mean Simon CLEVER CLEVER! The story line and the way all areas twirl in together, it could have been very confusing, however, Ally executes it amazingly and you automatically understand what they are doing.

This book is full of mystery, ups and downs and emerald curses. It also helps us to understand more about Kat's family such as Uncle Eddie and his brother, Uncle Charlie's history together and the way sometimes history can and will repeat itself...

I absolutely LOVED this book and so cannot wait to grab my hands on the short story (Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story) which I have been saving until I read this one and the third book in the series: Perfect ScoundrelsNow I shall go and sulk because I am not allowed to join them and their amazing adventures...


Comments

  1. I read the first of this series a while back, and Uncommon Criminals is on my reading list for this month! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

    Lisa
    Become Blogger of the Week
    http://turningpages94.blogspot.com/p/blogger-of-week.html

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