There are not enough great heist novels out there. This gives Oceans 11 vibes set in historic Florence with a dash of romance (just a dash). Diverse characters and queer characters. Content warning for period treatment of queer characters (ie basically torture) and for racism.

Medici Heist transports you back to the time of Michelangelo in Florence. A group of " highly-skilled misfits" are recruited by a teenage grifter to pull off what many would consider impossible - to rob the Medici family.

As a YA title, the budding romances are written where attractions happen, but nothing is laid out in detail. Note: there is a gay relationship that occurs later in the story.

Overall, the story was okay. I enjoyed the historical components. But, I never felt like the story completely roped me in.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024--ever since I first heard about this book, I was so excited. So, I was thrilled to be able to read this early! I definitely think that this book takes a little while to suck you in. I found myself really having to push myself through those first one hundred or so pages, but I'm glad I stuck it out. After that, the pacing and the excitement really pick up. I definitely think this is a really fun historical heist story, set in the 1500s. Once we got past the initial slowness, the characters and the plot were really fun and pretty compelling! I would definitely read more from this author or set in this world. Considering it was one of my most anticipated reads, I was a bit bummed by how long it took to get into the story, but I did ultimately end up liking this a good amount!

It took me a while to get into the Medici Heist, but when I did, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated I would. Florence is one of my favorite cities and the Medici history runs deep there. Schneiderhan does a good job with mixing the historical details and fiction into this adventure, it reminded me of a young adult version of Ocean’s Eleven. Medici Heist is set in the 1500’s where a young conwoman is looking for revenge against the corrupt Pope, and that comes in the form of a heist. She wants to reclaim what has been extorted from the people and to achieve this she rounds up a group misfits each skilled in their own way. As everything unfolds, the tension within the group rises…will this be the destruction of not only the group but the heist as a whole?

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Children’s for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Heist story lovers, buckle up. Medici Heist is a fast-moving caper tale set in Renaissance Florence, bursting with wild twists, snarky dialogue, and even a dash of romance. As a historical fiction, it’s heavy on the fiction, but as a YA caper tale, it’s good fun. 17-year-old conwoman Rosa Cellini arrives in Florence the same day that the Pope, a Medici, returns to the city. And Rosa bears a deep grudge against that family. She gathers a plucky team of oddballs — Khalid, the muscle; Sarra the tinkerer; Giacamo, the master of disguise; and even the great Michelangelo — with one goal: Stealing the mountain of money that the Pope has extorted from Florence’s citizens. The team sets to work on their plan, but everyone has a past, and their pasts start catching up with them. Will these ragtag thieves be able to pull off the crime of the century against the most powerful family in Florence?

It took me a while to get into this book, in fact I broke my normal reading rule and continued reading after 100 pages even though I was kind of bored. I’m glad I finished, as it was a fun story. As a history buff, I very much enjoyed the historic details as well as the liberties the author took for the narrative. A renaissance Ocean’s Eleven almost, I thought the characters were fun and the plot clipped along at a great pace. I definitely will be purchasing for my niece when it is published!

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review, all opinions are my town!

I snagged this book because it looked interesting. It started off with a bang, but then I got bored with it. It just didn't have a real solid focus. It was attempting to be like...well I guess Six of Crows or Oceans 11 is an apt comparison. With all these KIDS having different skills. But you have to always remember KIDS or young adults. No one was fleshed out in story. It is HEAVILY fiction over historical fiction. The setting was a great concept. The book itself a great concept. But it just didn't do it for me. Also the POVs were a bit confusing to keep track of.

I just can't give this one more than a 2 stars when comparing it to other YA books. :/

*I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley and the Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own.

Big shoutout to Net Galley and Macmillan Press for hooking me up with an early copy of "Medici Heist" by Caitlin Schneiderhan. Let me tell you, Schneiderhan doesn't hold back. She dives deep into the historical roots, especially focusing on the massacre at Prato, Italy, which fueled Cellini's quest for revenge. It's a tangled web of greed and power, with the Vatican and the Medici family at the center of it all. But let's talk Florence. Schneiderhan paints this vibrant picture of the city, its streets pulsing with life and its palaces hiding secrets in every nook and cranny. You can practically smell the opulence of Renaissance Italy oozing from the pages. And yeah, sure, the author takes some liberties with history (I mean, come on, a character pondering gravity in that era?), but it's all part of the fun. Now, onto the characters. Rosa is the brains behind the operation, Sarra's got heart, Khalid brings the muscle, and Giacomo? Well, he's just a riot. And then there's the cameo from Michelangelo himself. Usually, I cringe when authors try to cram famous figures into their stories, but it works here. It just makes sense. Overall, "Medici Heist" is a rollicking good time. It's got all the elements of a classic heist novel, with a sprinkle of Renaissance flair. So if you're looking for adventure, intrigue, and a dash of historical hijinks, look no further. This one's a winner.

This would make a good tv show. The chapters from different points of view would blend well for the screen. A lot of the writing is what is observable, and that adds to the TV quality, but the inner workings of the characters aren’t as obvious or compelling as far as stakes. The tension that would be built by watching this in a fast paced show is lost in a slower paced text format.

The tale of a daring heist unfolds.

In 1517, Pope Leo X of the Medici family returned to Florence, Italy, to host a banquet where the wealthy purchased indulgences. However, the people of Florence were unhappy as they saw it as a plan for the Medicis to regain control of the city. Around the same time, a 17-year-old girl named Rosa Cellini arrived in the town with a plan to execute the robbery of the century by stealing from the Medicis. She gathered a team of her friends, Sarra, Khalid, Agata de Rossi, and Giacomo, to carry out the heist. Will the group succeed in its mission, or will their emotions get in the way?

The book's setting is Renaissance Italy, a period of outstanding artistic and cultural achievements. I was thoroughly engrossed in the story, which transported me back to a place filled with intrigue, beauty, and danger. The author has done an excellent job of bringing to life the people and places of the period with rich and detailed descriptions that make you feel like you are there.

The characters in the book are complex and well-developed, each with unique motivations and personalities. Pope Leo X, for instance, is portrayed as a charismatic man with a temper that can be provoked if pushed too far. Rosa, the crafty and intelligent young lady, is a force to be reckoned with, while Sarra is the group's inventive genius. On the other hand, Khalid may seem cold on the outside, but deep down, he cares deeply for his friends. Agata de Rossi may have had little chance to shine, but her contributions to the story are nonetheless valuable. And Giacomo, with his quirky and likable personality, quickly became my favorite character.

The book is a delightful blend of history and fiction, perfect for any history buff or anyone looking for a thrilling and engaging story. Its captivating plot, well-drawn characters, and vivid descriptions will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚

Pub date: 8/6/24

Thank you, @netgalley @mackidsbooks, for the complimentary ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Could not get into this one, I think I suffered from reading it at the wrong time, which is not the books fault. I would probably give it another try in a printed format

I loved the adventure and the sweetness in each character, and I think it’s hilarious and wonderful to imagine (spoiler) Michelangelo robbing the Medicis. I just had such a lovely time reading this and also enjoyed the relationships—romantic, platonic and familial

Thanks to NetGalley and McMillian Children's for an ACR copy of this book.

Overall - 2 stars. Gosh this book had so much potential. It's essentially a historical version of Ocean's 11, so I had really high hopes. It took me a long time to get into the book- there were a lot of characters and constant changes in POV, which made it hard to sort out who was who. This is written for a youth audience, and it definitely hit that mark with it's tone, dialogue, and plot line. I just kept forcing myself to keep reading on thinking things would all of a sudden come together and the plot would sudden get better, but it never did.

This grabbed me and did not let me go! It reminded me of that Netflix show and Seven Faceless Saints mixed together to form one epic, intriguing...well, heist! Mysterious and fun with a ton of twists, this is a definite must for anyone who loves a good found family gang, the streets of Italy, and a robbery.

I don't want to bog the reviews down with a negative review. It was a bit hard for me to follow, with being plunked straight into a scene with absolutely no context, and being given little to no context in following chapters. There were too many points of view for me to track, along with being hard to follow, and the lore of it all made for one confusing book. I'm certain that there are plenty of people that would love a book like this, but it just wasn't for me.

The title alone was enough to get me excited about this book: Medici being synonymous with Renaissance Florence, one of my absolute favorite periods of both art and history, and Heist, one of my favorite fantasy subgenres full of action and adventure. Yet, the execution did not quite live up to my lofty standard (measuring against Sanderson's first Mistborn book, or Robert Jackson Benett's Foundryside).
In my valuation, heist stories, at their core, have several components. The premise, what are they stealing and why are they stealing it. Here they point to the excesses of the first of the Medici popes (Leo X) whose system of indulgences was actually one of the seeds that grew the Reformation, but I digress. The Robin Hood-esque motives of taking from the rich [Pope] to give to the poor, makes for a reasonable basis. Then, comes assembly of the team. Here the story flails a bit. There is a fair amount of the story that meanders into a menagerie of side stories about the characters. I understand wanting to develop some depth in the characters, breath some light into them, understand why they fit for their role in a heist, and the motivations for joining the team. But these side stories were a bit too far and some of the details could have been pared down in my opinion. I also wasn't sold on the motivations of Michelangelo, an actual historical figure. I know that he returned from Rome after the death of Pope Julius II, but I don't think he bore the same animosity to the men whom he was raised with almost as a relation, albeit poor relation, as would motivate him to participate in a plot against them. And, since he was so familiar to the family, I would think that they would have some knowledge of his relations (or that someone wasn't a relation). The next component is execution whether successful or otherwise, this is where the action and suspense usually pick up. This was fairly well accomplished but I don't want to give anything away by elaborating further. And lastly, the reveal where the reader finally gets shown the player's hand, or the machinations that the accomplices went through off the page while we were distracted by the intended distractions. The author did a fair job of tying up these invisible strings while pointing to the clues laid previously and giving all the characters an appropriate ending. Overall, this was a decent historical fiction fantasy adventure and when not measured against a few of my all-time favorite book, I'd consider it a good read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of action and adventure to escape into. (3.5/5)
I received advanced access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group - Feiwel & Friends) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmilllan Press for an early copy of Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

Rosa Cellini arrives in Florence, Italy looking for revenge in the form of a heist that will affect both the Vatican and the Medici dynasty of the 1500s. She will gather a small group with diverse skills to realize a monetary prize worth the risks.

Author Caitlin Schneiderhan has included facts from the massacre at Prato, Italy that was the basis for Cellini's drive for revenge. The massacre has been attributed to the greed and political power of both the Vatican and the Medici family.

Also included in this narrative is Michelangelo, who is a background participant in the heist. Because of Michelangelo's appeal as a character, the novel misses out on a learning opportunity featuring the famous artist.

Schneiderhan has made use of language and phrases not in use in the 1500s which is a deterrent to the overall mood of the times. For example, "slapdash" came into use in the late 17th century, "brain dead" was not used until 1968, and "skill set" came into existence in the 1970s.

Young adult audiences may enjoy the planning and execution of this fictional vengeance story.

Stories about heists are always fun. In this case, a group of skilled misfits are looking to steal from the powerful Medici family. I loved that the heist was planned and lead by a feisty young woman! However, I really struggled with the writing style. Each new chapter threw the reader into the middle of a situation that couldn't be understood until the end of the chapter when the backstory was explained. It left me feeling confused. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Medici Heist was a fun easy read, and different from my usual book choices. I really loved the 1500's setting, and the characters. I can't say I would put it on my pile 0f books I'd like to re-read, but I certainly enjoyed my time! 3.5 stars

Caitlin Schneiderhan's debut YA novel, "Medici Heist," whisks readers away to the vibrant and treacherous world of Renaissance Italy, where a sharp-witted teenage thief leads a team of skilled misfits in a daring quest for fortune, freedom, and revenge against a corrupt Pope. Set against the backdrop of Florence in 1517, this clever and captivating tale immerses readers in a world of intrigue, opulence, murder, and betrayal.

At the heart of the story is seventeen-year-old conwoman Rosa Cellini, whose arrival in Florence coincides with the return of the Medici Pope, Leo X, to power. Determined to thwart the Pope's extortion of indulgence money from the people of Florence, Rosa hatches a daring plan to pull off the Renaissance's greatest robbery. To accomplish her goal, she assembles a team of specially chosen misfits: Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. With the reluctant help of the famed artist Michelangelo, they set their sights on the fortress-like Palazzo Medici.

As the heist unfolds, tensions rise among the group, and old secrets threaten to unravel their carefully laid plans. With the authorities closing in and the Medici's grip on power tightening, Rosa and her team must navigate a perilous path filled with danger and betrayal. What begins as a robbery soon becomes a fight for survival, and Rosa realizes that the fate of the city may rest in their hands—if they can overcome their differences and trust each other.

"Medici Heist" is a thrilling and fast-paced adventure that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Schneiderhan's vivid prose brings Renaissance Florence to life, capturing the city's beauty, intrigue, and danger with stunning detail. With its engaging characters, gripping plot, and unexpected twists, this YA debut is sure to captivate readers of all ages. Whether you're a fan of historical fiction, heist stories, or tales of friendship and redemption, "Medici Heist" is an absolute must-read.