The Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis, 364 pages. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. $20
Language: PG-13 (29 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (underage drinking, mentions of sexual topics, and drugging of a character); Violence: PG-13 (characters getting beaten up and shot; some mentions of blood)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO MANY
17yo Rosalyn Quest has been trained since childhood to be an expert thief by her family of thieves, who dominate the North American crime world. In a heist gone wrong, her mother gets kidnapped just as Rosalyn planned to leave the family business. To save her mom, Rosalyn enters the Thieves Gambit, an exclusive competition for thieves she was invited to compete in. If she wins, her prize is the fulfillment of any wish. With her desire to rescue her mom in mind, she is desperate to win and faces challenges not only to her abilities as she faces off with the best teen thieves in the world but also to the beliefs that her mother has instilled in her about herself and the world.
The Thieves Gambit was gripping from the beginning and had great action, twists, and excitement throughout. I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down. The characterization and emotional journey of Rosalyn was realistic as she deals with real-life struggles—not just ones connected to her thieving lifestyle—and these elements were integrated well into the fast pace of the book. Sometimes Rosalyn gets in her own way, which is annoying, but also felt true to her age. The side characters come from around the world and were delightful, and I only wished that we had been able to have more from them. My only slight negative was that some of the physical descriptions of the action were confusing to me, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The book resolved, but it was left open for the next in the series, which I'm looking forward to reading! Rosalyn is black and from the Caribbean. Devroe is black and from England. Noelia is from France.
Marinda, librarian
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