Free eARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
First of all, congrats to everyone who rated this book highly, I’m glad you liked it and now I know not to trust your reviews because not only did I not enjoy this book (that I was super excited to read) but I had such a hard time getting myself to finish it that at 9 pm on a Sunday, my kindle said I had 24 minutes left of reading time in the book and I thought, maybe I’ll go to bed early instead of finishing this book. And it wasn’t even because the action had wrapped up early and the ending was dragging on- we were still headed for the climax of the book and I simply did not care to know what was going to happen next. I know this book is YA, but I found the writing particularly juvenile (more middle grade than YA), the plot felt predictable and the characters were flat. I could barely tell you a single personality trait for the main characters because the whole book was someone being put in a situation and then reacting to it without any character development. Besides that, as another reviewer said, our main character has more chemistry with her “nemesis” than with her love interest, there’s nothing unique or compelling about that romantic arc, and I had no investment in what happens in the end with them, or any desire to see where future books in the series take them. I also had a really hard time rooting for the main character. She was so naive, she would make assumptions and demand answers as if it’s not a competition of a bunch of thieves who are going to lie to each other??? Seems obvious. I love heist media, particularly Leverage because I love a well executed plan and competence and teamwork and found family- this book gave me none of that which is why I think I was so disappointed.

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis was a wild ride. Ross Quest, of the famous thieving Quest family, is invited to join a secret competition. She must battle a bunch of other young thieves from around the world, using all the skills she has to impress the judges. Ross doesn’t know who she can trust and is constantly looking over her shoulder. Against her better judgment, she befriends her fellow competitors—will this help her or blow up in her face?

The story twisted and turned all the way until the very end. It ended on a cliffhanger and definitely set up for a sequel. I enjoyed all the characters and I liked that the story kept me guessing until the very end.

I would like to thank Penguin Young Readers for providing me with an ARC.

Ultimately, I felt like this book wasn't for me. I don't dislike this book and I would recommend others to try it. It had a fun concept and I really wanted to love this book. However, there were parts of this book that felt forced, such as the relationship between characters. Otherwise, the characters were well-written, and the pacing was good.

OMG!!! I loved loved this book!! I read it in a day as I couldn't put it down. It's like Oceans 13 mixed with alias or anything like that. Basically MC is from a very famous thieving family. She just wants to escape and be a normal teen. She gets invited to the thieves ' gambit where the winner gets a wish of their choice. Originally she doesn't want to enter but when her mom is kidnapped on a job she has no choice in order to fulfill the kidnappers' demands. There's a girl who is basically her sworn enemy so they are constantly going after each other. I kept turning the pages to see what would happen next. Great book. I'll definitely be buying.

Thrillers are usually a hit or miss for me and with this one being compared to oceans eleven and the inheritance games, I knew I had to give it a go. Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with the writing style and I had to force myself at times to keep reading. Ross was an ok main character and the some of the twists were nicely executed but I feel like the last 25% or so was a bit rushed and not my cup of tea

Many thanks to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ross is seventeen and already a master at heists and stealing valuable things. Brought up in the family business along with her aunt and mother, Ross is looking to make an escape, leaving the only life she’s known behind. Until her mother is taken hostage on a job gone bad. In a desperate life changing moment, she enters the Thieves Gambit, an international heist competition. There she meets 12 other teenagers who are all after the same thing - win and you get one wish, anything you want in the world. Her family’s creed is trust no one that isn’t a Quest but for this competition she will need to let her guard down and trust her fellow competitors. But will it bite her in the butt or be the smartest decision ever?

This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I read each page. I had theories and guessed along the way, each wrong as I got deeper into the book. I didn’t see the end coming and I think there’s a second book coming based on the ending. The writing was fantastic and I felt like I was a fly on the wall as I read. Highly recommend this book!

This one took me awhile to get into, but once I did, I enjoyed it. Ross comes from a family of highly skilled and successful thieves, but she longs for a normal life. She makes a plan to escape, but things go wrong and suddenly she has to come up with an exorbitant amount of money to rescue her mom. She agrees to participate in the Thieves Gambit competition to get her wish and save her mom. What she didn’t bargain on was making friends and finding a love interest. Suspenseful tasks and story twists abound- it’s a fun read, and I will read the next book in the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The biggest problem as an ARC reader is that you have to wait even longer for the sequel!!!

Thieves' Gambit by @kayvionclewis is exactly this sort of book! There are... five heists, three of them with multiple sub-heists, and puzzles and riddles throughout. It's gripping, fast paced, with characters you absolutely root for and can't get enough of! I had guessed just one of the...three? four? plot twists at the end, and while this story wraps up completely, I truly hope we get to see the next chapter in their adventure too!

I love heists. Movies, novels, documentaries… if there are heists involved, I’m here for it! Thieves’ Gambit had so many of the traits I’d expect with a great heist book: strategy, thrilling twists, and questionable characters with a variety of motives.

The book was quick-paced and oh-so-fun to read, and I loved that different young thieves were set up against each other throughout the competition. This involved some excellent strategy as they all try to one-up the others, leading to some exciting twists and turns.

I quite enjoyed the book and will definitely be watching for book 2 in the future!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this advanced copy!

this was so good with all the twists and turns! Wow, i am actually blown away from how much i enjoyed this, i devoured it and finished it in one sitting! it was so much fun and kept me on my toes, wanting to read more to find out what will happen next. The plot of this book was so intriguing, i love books with competition! the characters were so likeable too, ross is badass

A true thrill ride for fans of Ally Carter and The Inheritance Games! I've always wanted more books like the Ally Carter classics I grew up on, and this definitely fills that void. Kayvion Lewis has built a new world of globe-trotting, action-filled competition for a savvy, skilled group of teens. Protagonist Ross Quest is thrown into the Gambit, sometimes soaring and sometimes losing as she battles and alternatively works with a diverse group of rivals. The challenges are true challenges and fun to follow, and we get to see Ross work her way through the puzzles. This perhaps come at the loss of deeper development, though I was mostly just along for the plot-filled ride in this case. Lewis did keep me guessing and surprised enough, pleased with clever reveals, though the final twist is obvious - though it sets up an intriguing sequel that I hope delves into the emerging rivalry as well as the family issues.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley! This felt like YA Oceans 11 and I loved it! I appreciated the back story and twists and turns which left me hooked! I couldn’t get enough of this story and read in one sitting!!

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for advance copy!

This book will be published on September 26th.

This was my first ever heist book! And I really enjoyed it!!!

“A Quest can only trust another Quest.”

It is fate that Rosalyn's last name is Quest because her family's business is doing heist. And she pretty much was raised on doing these different tasks and is an assistant to her mom on these different missions. I love that the book opened with her doing a heist with her mom. Once her mom gets kidnapped, she joins the Gambit as the winning prize would be anything she wants. So naturally she wants to free her mom. And that's when the fun begins!

Trust is a big theme throughout the book. Ross has always been told not to trust anyone. But during the course of the Gambit that theory is constantly being tested. And it was tested in the form of another competitor - Devroe. The immediate attraction was hard to ignore. Ross did resist until she caved in. I felt bad for her throughout the book because you could tell that she had a hard time connecting with the other competitors. Though you could see things changing toward the end still you could tell she had difficulty accepting any sort of friendship. I really liked her character and thought she was could think ahead and was quick on her feet. Even if she had a hard time trusting people, people trusted her.

"These are real people, Devore." I felt my lips quiver. "Real people. Lives --"
"So are we."

There were a few different twists that I wish I could discuss but you have to read to find out what they are! I was surprised by the end and also disappointed at some of the characters involved. And the way that the book ended it felt like there could be sequel which I am in for! I want to see more of the new relationship Ross will have with this particular character. The last 50% definitely kept the pace moving and I was really sucked into the game.

I did see that this is going to be adapted for theaters and prior to knowing that I thought this would be a perfect movie!
I will definitely go and see it and I think my husband would enjoy it as well.

Check this book out if you enjoy young adult competition games with a wee bit of romance.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get too far into this one due to formatting errors in the PDF showing up strangely on my Kindle, but I enjoyed what I did read and look forward to finishing it when it comes out!

Inventive, captivating, and full of delicious twists! This is definitely a book to have on your radar with upcoming young adult releases. It kept me up reading all night wanting to know what would happen. I think it’s going to be a huge hit for teens.

Want a young adult novel full of heists and twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the very end? Then add Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis to your TBR or just read it right now. This fast-paced mystery thriller follows Ross Quest, a third-generation thief who wants to leave the thievery behind and just be a relatively normal 17-year-old. However, when she attempts to start a new life, her plan goes horribly wrong and now her mother’s life is at stake. Ross enters the Thieves’ Gambit, an international series of heists where anything goes, including killing off the competition. Survive and complete the heists to the satisfaction of whoever is running this “game” and you’re granted a single wish of anything you want in the world. Can Ross win it all and save her mom? Or will her competitors run her out of the game? Will Ross continue with living the family motto of “trust no one”? Or will she open her heart to developing relationships of friendship and even possibly love?
This novel throws you into the middle of the action from the get-go. Heist after heist keeps you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. Although some of the heist details seem a little outrageous and somewhat unbelievable (but then again, what do I know about pulling off museum and expensive art heists?), Lewis takes hold of your senses and drags you into the action without letting you go. Just go with it and continue reading; you won’t be disappointed.
The one thing that threw me off a little bit is the idea of the potential romance between Ross and another competitor in the Thieves’ Gambit. While I can see why it was added and adds to the overall story somewhat, I think I would have enjoyed the book more without it. Maybe I just wanted a pure heist novel rather than elements of romance this time around with my reading.
I gave this novel four out of five stars. Lewis keeps you guessing until the very end and her ending leaves room for a sequel which I’ll probably want to read as well. Apparently, movie rights to this book have already been purchased, even before the story comes out, so it’ll be interesting to see where things go on that front.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

This was the perfect YA heist book! So many twists and turns; fun characters; interesting villains; amazing skills and action; and all of it perfect for a young adult audience or someone like me who just wants to enjoy a good ol' heist without a lot of language, gore, or other not so young themes.

Definitely "Inheritance Games," Ocean's movies, and old school Ally Carter "Heist Society" vibes, but in a more modern and diverse world.

Truly enjoyed the thrill of this one and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for readers!

Wow, this book is so full of action, I was turning pages. I absolutely could not put it down. I love all the characters, the way they interacted with each other and each new layer that was uncovered about their pasts' was just really enjoyable to read.

I think the plot is good, the pacing is a bit slow to build, but once it's going, it doesn't stop until the end. I think here and there were some hard-to-believe feats, especially considering that the characters are all in their teens, but I didn't mind because I felt that the story was pretty engrossing and I was just in for the ride.

I did not know this was going to be a series, so I was quite disappointed to get to the end and basically be dangling on a cliffhanger. I will be waiting very impatiently to get my hands on the next book. I hope it comes out soon, because boy - what a way to end the book!

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves spies and heist stories, or just some action-packed drama. This book has that in spades.

3.5 Stars (Round up to 4)

This new thriller is the perfect easy read for those looking for a fast paced heist book. It was fun to follow and had an enjoyable plot filled with twists. The book follows our main character, Ross, who has been raised to be a thief but longing to be a normal teenager as she ends up in a competition for thieves to save her mother. She is our typical stubborn and rash teenage heroine who is learning how to socialize with people her own age, including a charming competitor. 

Although this book is compared to the hunger games, I didn’t feel like the danger was present enough for a deadly game trope, but this is perfect for younger readers who may be into books about heists. I enjoyed the explanations about the heists that took place and the way she described all the techniques the thieves use. 

The only complaint I have is that the characters felt a little flat. There wasn’t too much character growth nor did I feel the friendships and chemistry between the characters. This may be part of the main character’s flaw as she’s never had any friends due to her family’s line of work, however it did make it hard for me to root for the romance or friendships. 

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy fun read about heists or anyone who enjoys books about competitions and found family tropes. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
A fun and fast-paced multi-heist book with teen competitors. Young thieves from around the world are challenged to compete in a Gambit, a contest to be the best and receive a wish from a secret society. Ross Quest decides to compete out of guilt – she was planning to leave her solitary criminal life (at least for the summer!) when her mother is kidnapped. Now she must play for her life. Along the way she might learn something about friendship and trust.
This is a great fun book. Lots of twists and turns. Ross is a great character with a steel backbone and a secret squishy heart.
#ThievesGambit #NetGalley