Perfect Scoundrels Review

Title: Perfect Scoundrels
Author: Ally Carter
Publish Date: February 5, 2013 by Disney-Hyperion
Synopsis:

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting--or stealing--whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line.

When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir--this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

Okay, I’ll just say it – I’m a HUGE fan of Ally’s writing. And as with any thing that I may love there’s always a little (irrational) fear that perhaps, this one story won’t live up to my expectations. Of course, I was dead wrong in this case.

Here’s the thing about Ally’s series (and yes, I’m dragging in Gallagher Girls into this review but only for a second so please bear with me), they are well planned and gorgeously executed, complicated plots with large casts of characters. But at some point, obviously book 3 in Heist Society (and book 4 in Gallagher Girls, Only the Good Spy Young), the stories turn inward and get a little dark. And this mama loves nothing more than when she’s already invested in a story and then it’s sprinkled with some dark revelations.

The resounding theme in both her series is family. And in Perfect Scoundrels the theme of family – the one you’re born into versus the one you make with friends, co-workers and acquaintances – is a central theme. I may have wanted to hire a Gallagher girl or two to take out Hale’s parents. But, you know what? I think I know a few absentee parents that could join them on their trips around the world.

Ally does many things well – her complex family business models, her large cast of characters that we grow to love (oh, Uncle Eddie has my heart and I even adore Kat's dad, Bobby) – but the thing she does the best is describing loss. Whether it’s Cammie’s lost memories from a crucial summer mission or Hale’s pulling away when his grandmother dies. I felt that loss, and I felt it deeply. Nothing was more important to me then when Kat’s dad explained to her that if Hale pulled away, they could steal him back. It made me smile, but I knew what he was saying, and he wasn’t just saying it for Kat’s sake.

As for my report on kissage,  well, we get Hale in his Superman pajamas (yes, we finally get to read the scene on how Hale and Kat met!) and there is kissing. Sad, sweet, melancholy kisses that go with a sweet, melancholy, keeping-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat story. Let me go back and emphasize the sweet part, because the kissing is perfectly timed and believable within the plot.

This book goes on the shelf of books that I plan to share with my kids when they reach the age where they are interested in YA stories. They need to read this so they can see that family is the safety net that will always be there for them. Thank you Ally for another wonderful story. Now, let me brace my heart for what will happen in the next Heist Society novel.

My Over All Rating: