This book was filled with rich history, believable characters, and an intense heist story. Totally could see this as a movie!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The pacing was off -- it took far too long to assemble the team and it was never quite clear what job was for each person on the team. I was also hoping for a found family type of story and they did become friendly by the end, but it still felt as if they barely knew each other. There was also a riot in the middle of the book that I just completely missed? It was mentioned a few times but I never once saw it happen on page. Overall, the plan was really confusing and I was never quite clear what the plan for stealing from the Medici was. In all fairness, the events weren't super clear and by the time it all went down, admittedly, I was just ready for the book to be over so I might have missed details.


I did feel there were way too many POV characters and the voice of each was never distinct enough so I ended up spending half their chapters trying to figure out which person that was supposed to be. One of the POV characters was very wooden (another character called him a "wooden effigy of a man") and his POV, in particular, was very boring to read.

The Medici weren't really essential to the plot at all. The characters could have been stealing from any rich family in the middle ages. It would have been nice to see the characters interact more with the Medici and have more of a reason/backstory for why the story is taking place at that time period in that place. They did throw in a backstory of one of the characters having their mother killed by the Medici five years prior but that was like 50% of the way through the book if not further and I just didn't care anymore. Most of my knowledge for why someone would want to steal from the Medici was based on my own knowledge of the real family and not from this book.

The two romantic subplots were so sparsely written as to be nonexistent. When the characters did interact, it was charming but since the author was so busy switching POVs to write nothing happening, I never actually cared whether any of them got together at all.

I did appreciate the effort from the author to include more diversity for the characters in terms of sexuality. Obviously, LGBT existed for as long as people have existed, but we often don't see them in history because it was covered up by whoever was writing contemporary accounts. Another thing the author did well was using names that you would have seen in Italty in the 1500s, but since I'm not super familiar with the names, it added to my confusion when the POV would change.

Historical fiction can notoriously be stuffy and not something kids want to read. However this book was a fantastical historically set piece that was a romp through 1517 Florence!

The author is clearly a screen writer and so it did feel as though there was a movie coming to help flush out characters of where the historical narration wouldn’t be so long. However, I loved the characters and the plot and wanted to follow them along on this insane journey.

In all honesty, I read this book during a not-so-great time so that might have affected my experience with this book. However, I was left feeling a little disappointed.

I was very excited by the premise of a book set in 1500s Italy, but I really just did not feel the atmosphere or vibes that I was hoping to feel. I also struggled to connect with the characters enough to be invested in their story. Finally, I felt that I didn't feel the tension I would like to feel from a heist novel, as it was more about smaller heists than building to one big epic one.

I gave this three stars as it was an average reading experience, nothing I hated but nothing that really stood out for me. I was quite distracted during my time with this book, so I would need to re-read it to develop my full thoughts.

Oceans 11 meets Michelangelo. The heist of the century but it’s more than just money on the line. Rosa has a bone to pick with the new Medici Pope, Leo X. She finds the best crew to help her pull off a job that will set them up for the rest of their lives.
Is the biggest problem that the gold is held in the most protected place in Florence? Or the fact that her whole crew has secrets of their own?

Absolutely loved this! The characters were full of life and each has their own part to play in the heist but also in the bigger picture of the plot. I loved the plot it has so much to offer with intrigue and pyrotechnics.

A big thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan is a classic heist story with a cast of very colourful characters.

The plot follows a rigid structure, though it sometimes feels more like it's following specific plot points that it needs to hit, rather than an organic story. With training sequences, obvious foreshadowing, and a familiar three-act structure, the twists are predictable, and suspense is built in a more superficial way.

The characters, while promising, are underdeveloped. Sarra and Rosa, for instance, have similar personalities with different skill sets - and I often found myself getting confused between the two. Combining them into one character could have streamlined the narrative. Giacomo and Khalid fare slightly better, with more backstory, but even their flashbacks lack emotional impact, feeling like placeholders rather than moments of genuine depth. There are a few other characters that contribute something extra to the story, but in general they are minor characters in the larger scheme of things.

This was clearly written by someone who is used to writing for a different type of media (Stranger Things), with a bit of a predictable rhythm for the plotline. The story is still quite entertaining, but it wasn't really anything new.

I'm interested to see if the author will be able to learn to adapt her skill to different mediums in the future - so I'll definitely be on the lookout for new books from her.

Medici Heist had so much potential. As a fan of heist stories, I was excited to dive in, but unfortunately, the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The character felt too similar to one another and lacked distinct motivations until very late in the story—around 60%. This made it difficult to keep track of who was who and why they were involved. Agata, one of the more promising characters, barely got any screen time, which was a real disappointment. The plot twists went from twisty to downright convoluted. On the bright side, Dominic’s character and his role in the story stood out, and the details of the heist were well-crafted. Overall, if you’re looking for a book with a rich setting and you’re okay with less developed characters and a less than organized plot, it might be worth a read. 5 stars for the cover, though - it's gorgeous!

Does everything a heist is supposed to do and more.

It was somehow Leverage mashed with Lemonade Mouth, but I really can’t explain it.

This was an experience, although my one critique is that it was a little too dense in places - thick descriptions, specific place names that I found easy to confuse, but that’s more of a taste thing.

And I loved how these characters talked, stuttering and stumbling in places. And other times one word would suffice instead of a lecture. Or a lecture was needed instead of one word (here’s looking at you, Giacomo).

I loved them all, I loved where they were going, I loved where they ended up, I’d read the hell out of a sequel.

I received an advanced copy of Medici Heist from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love heist books. Ally Carter's Heist Society put me on them when I was younger, and I've loved them ever since. So, when I saw that Medici Heist was a Renaissance heist story, I knew I had to read it. And what fun it was.

This book was a blast. It had witty dialogue, interesting characters, and a crazy heist. Even though it was historical fiction, the author put enough of their own flair into it that the world and history felt new and fresh. Was it historically accurate? Probably not. But it never claimed to be, and I think that's what made this book even better. It was fun, with just enough heaviness to give the characters some depth but not enough to bring down the story's mood.

Would I have liked the characters to have a little more depth? Yes. I've seen quite a few reviews that say the characters are just their tropes, and while I agree, I think it worked for the story. I actually have no complaints about that, though I usually would. My issue was the writing style. While the action "actioned," everything read slightly stilted, especially when the characters did those actions. I'm not sure how else to explain it. On top of that, when I started the book, the wording was very jarring. It read very modern, with modern words and phrasing, which I wasn't expecting. Though I eventually got used to it, those first few chapters kept pulling me out of the story.

I'm glad I stuck with Medici Heist because I had a lot of fun reading it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun heist, though I do warn about its modernness despite its historical setting.

This book read like a screenplay and not like a novel.
It's a cool idea but there was too much character information for some characters and not enough for others.
There were too many characters to keep track of that weren't even in the heist.
The villains, the Medici bros, were incredibly underdeveloped and I didn't care about the heist or why they hated the bros because we never saw what they did that was so bad. We were told a bunch of times but we didn't see it.

Heist book with too many characters for me to keep up with but with this being written by a screen writer I think this would have been a great show. Set in 1517 it brings in quite a bit of history and art which is cool for YA readers to be exposed to.

I love a heist book and The Medici Heist absolutely did not disappoint! I loved the cast of characters, how they all interacted with each other, and the way they didn’t give up on their wild goal!

I was worried that I would have to suspend disbelief because they had Michelangelo working on their team and it’s all supposed to take place in a very real part of history. But I found myself enjoying it all so much that I didn’t have a hard time believing what I was reading.

This was a completely fun and enjoyable read that featured touching found family storylines, adventure, and hijinks galore! I had a blast reading it.

DNF at 15%

Nothing has happened in the book and there's so many characters and I'm confused

I agree with some of the other reviews that say it would make a good movie, but I don't think this is the best in a book format

Another book written by a screenwriter- an author subset I've been enjoying. However, the movie/TV show would be better than the book. I could see each chapter or two being great scenes or episodes, but the book did lag on without providing too much backstory, other than little flashes here and there. It's if Oceans 11 met YA friend group. It's a good book, but I'm probably not the best audience.

Medici Heist is exactly what you expect it to be from the title: it’s a heist story about a team of con artists who set out to steal a bundle from the uber-wealthy. And it’s set in Florence, Italy, in 1517, when the Medici family ruled the city. It’s a fun combination of genres: historical fiction and heist story.

Rosa Cellini was raised as a con woman by her mother. Now she’s 17 and has an ax to grind with the powerful and cruel Medicis. She sets her sight on the piles of gold the family has gathered from the people as indulgence money to the church. Well, more specifically, the pope. Pope Leo X is a member of the family and is just as corrupt as the rest of them.

Rosa first goes to Sarra the Tinkerer, whose father worked with Rosa’s mother when they were younger. Sarra has been perfecting her craft of creating various useful items to help relieve people of their belongings. She then goes to Khalid, a strong young man who has been compelled to act as bouncer, money collector and enforcer for a criminal who controls quite a large swath of Italy’s underground. Giacomo joins the team as a smooth-talking, clever master of disguises. The last two people to round out the group are an older apothecary and … Michelangelo. Yes, that Michelangelo, the famed artist whose work was sponsored by the Medicis.

Stealing from the well-guarded Medicis will take a miracle to pull off, but Rosa and her group think they can do it. Each person has something to prove, something to fix in their lives, and they desperately need this. Just how desperate some of their situations are shows up little by little in the course of the story.

I had fun with Medici Heist: I always enjoy a good heist/con story, and this delivered. It was also interesting to see how Schneiderhan fit a heist into this 500-year-old setting. She did pretty well. I had a few little quibbles with how smoothly some of it came together at the end, but it’s a great effort for a debut.

I can definitely see the comparisons to Ocean’s 11 with this book. It does have a heist in which a team of people, each with a particular area of expertise, work together to steal something, and their motives are not always what they seem. Instead of being a modern-day tale, this one is set in sixteenth-century Italy, though.

I’ve read several novels written by screenplay writers, and it’s going to sound weird, but I am starting to feel like I can tell when it happens. There are certain things that I keep running into in these books. In some scenes in The Medici Heist, I felt like what I was reading would make a cool movie scene, but it didn’t always translate well to a novel format.

For example, the opening scene begins from the perspective of a child who barely appears in the rest of the book. There is some circular storytelling, where toward the end, we reference the significance of that moment again, but it was strange to start a novel from the viewpoint of a character who never does anything important or even really appears on scene again in the book. But I could see a movie opening that way much more easily.

I like that the story has an ensemble cast (this might make it a good choice for readers who enjoyed Six of Crows) and that each character has a secret or hidden objective or motive that comes into play as the heist takes place. I also enjoyed the way that Rosa and Sarra’s relationship evolves. They were once as close as sisters and then drifted apart. They begin the story with very different feelings about the past which they have to work through. I loved how that worked out in the book and the way it impacted the overall story.

On the whole, this one started a bit slow for me, but around chapter nine or ten, I started investing more in the characters and their relationships. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or heist adventures will want to check this one out.

Medici Heist
By Caitlin Schneiderhan
August 6 2024

It’s 1517 and Rosa Cellini is tired of the ruling family of Florence and their bullying ways. She teams up with the smart Sarra, the strong Khalid, and the very feisty Giacomo. Their mission? A heist for the ages. Stress grows as the authority closes down on the gang. What began as a burglary turns into a wrecking of Florence.

I loved this book, it was so entertaining. I liked all of the characters. The twists and turns. I am going to be looking for more from Caitlin Schneiderhan.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest opinions.

I love art history and of course that means I am fascinated by the Medicis. This book was exciting and a new concept in my historical fiction reading. The chapters changed POVs and that kept the book advancing but I was confused a few times. Overall I wanted to pick up this book every day and I enjoyed the story and writing style. 4 Stars for Medici Heist!

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book.

The year is 1517, and Florence is experiencing great change. No longer is it a grand republic that it once was; instead, it is under the control of the Medici family. They ruthlessly controlled Florence, especially Pope Leo X, who was born Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici. The people suffer as the Medici become increasingly wealthy, but a band of misfits and thieves plan to give some power back to the people with one of the greatest heists of 16th century Italy. Can they survive as a group when revelations from the past and dangers lurk around every corner? The adventure with this ragtag team of thieves as they fight for Florence is explored in Caitlin Schneiderhan’s novel, “Medici Heist.”

I want to thank Feiwel and Friends and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. It’s been a little bit since I read a new YA historical fiction novel, and so when I read the description of this one, I jumped at the chance to read it. I like a good novel set in Italy during the Renaissance, so I wanted to see what Schneiderhan could bring to the genre.

We kick off with Pope Leo X in all his grandeur entering the city and being greeted by a girl named Cat throwing a mud pie at the Pope. This incident sets the mood of the city towards the Medicis. We then jump to meeting our main four protagonists; the con woman/ leader of the misfits Rosa Cellini, Sarra the Tinkerer, Khalid the skilled fighter, and Giacomo the master of disguise. Along with the apothecary Agata, Dominic the apprentice, and even Michelangelo, the crew has decided that the only way to free Florence from Medici rule was to steal the indulgences that the people gave the church for the forgiveness of their sins so they spend less time in purgatory when they died. The Medicis were able to gather about 10,000 florins, an impressive amount that the band of thieves hoped to split evenly. However, complications do arise such as unexpected reminders of the past, romances, and those who want the treasure for their nefarious purposes.

While I do applaud Schneiderhan for writing her first-ever historical fiction novel, which is not an easy task, I did have a few issues when I was reading this particular novel. I felt like this book read more like a screenplay in that it gave locations and information, but it was hard to visualize for someone who cannot see these locations as images. The characters felt a bit generic and blended together, especially with the short chapters that might have been purposeful to get through the story quickly, but I was not able to build a connection to these characters. Finally, I feel like this story does not feel like it could take place in the 16th century, except for a few famous name drops, historical places, and the currency used at the time. It feels too modern and it could be put into any period and it would still work. I wanted to get lost in 16th century Florence and that did not happen for me.

Overall, as a YA heist book, I think it is a pretty good book, but it missed the mark when it came to the historical element for me. I feel like the concept of this book was strong, but the execution was a bit lacking. It was a difficult book for me to read and at times, I did want to put it into a did not finish pile, which I never do with books. I know that some books just are not right for me, but they might be right for other people, which is why I continued to read this book. If you do want to read this book, it might be a good idea to have a device next to you to look up the locations mentioned to help visualize what is happening. If you want a heist book with some history sprinkled in, “Medici Heist” by Caitlin Schneiderhan might be the book for you.

Very Guilded Wolves, or any of the Ocean’s movies. I found the characters to be pretty predictable, as well as stereotypical. There were also times when Rosa’s relationship with Pietro and Sarra had me very confused.
I liked the historical piece of it. As well as the descriptions. It was just that the characters were not unique enough for me.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.