4.75! THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT TIME!! I loved witnessing every part of the heist. Even with me predicting a few plotlines, I still very much enjoyed this story. Edie I need you on the big screen baby. The ONLY reason this isn't a 5 stars is because I thought it could be a bit longer!! There is a bit of a drip feed of a previous betrayal, and I think we needed more time with that. And of course more time with the crew to really feel those bonds. Brilliant read, highly recommend!

I'm not going to say this sapphic sci-fi heist novel cured all my woes, but I'm not not going to say if, if you know what I mean.

This book was so good. So deliciously queer. I loved the Hawaiian ancestry and representation. I loved the friends-to-enemies-to-allies-to-lovers romance central to the story. I loved each and every one of the supporting cast.

If you enjoyed Ocean's 8, you'll like this book.

Absolutely love a heist book -- this one is a wild ride. I love the diverse cast of characters and how the author integrates their native Hawaiian culture into the world building. The beginning is a little slow but once the crew is assembled and the actual heist of it all gets going the book really takes off.

4/5⭐️ Yo I did not know what type of ride I would be on with this book! This book here….was one hell of a ride! A great sci-fi heist! Come on who doesn’t love that! A young woman coming out of prison looking for a job but ended up going back to the life she only knows to score one big hit to live comfortably with her family! For real this was a good time and the humor was there! Great writing to keep me engaged and entertained because I sure was laughing in some parts! Also, a queer romance sprinkled in there! You can’t go wrong!

This was such a refreshing take on a sci-fi heist. Truly a love letter to Hawaii while holding such tenderness for queerness, the characters, their messiness and flaws but ultimate care for one another. I had such a fun time reading this, and highly recommend it! 4⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

CW: Sexual Harassment

Yamamoto has produced a fun heist novel, a difficult enough task on its own, while also building an intriguing sci-fi world and engaging characters. Most members of the heist crew are queer, including several that fall under the trans umbrella (including mahu, a Native Hawaiian identity). Likewise, most of members of the heist crew share a mix of Native Hawaiian and Asian ancestry and culture. Aside from just being a breath of fresh air and providing a great set up for a sci-fi universe that’s not typical white, CIS, Eurocentric, the cast’s shared identities are important because they feed into the needs of those involved and why they participate in the heist.

Main character, Edie, has emerged from a long prison stint to find their neighborhood and home falling to gentrification and oppression due to an unethical trillionaire who is like Zuckerberg and Musk blended into one nasty package. Their former partner, Angel, has carefully made her way up into said trillionaire’s company and pitches this “one last job” to several who, like Edie, are desperate. Some need the money for their families and themselves; some just as badly want to take down this company for the harm they have done to others.

Whatever its characters’ motivation, the novel offers a series of taut, action-packed moments, but without sacrificing the centrality of the characters and the world in which they live. As the heist squad learn to work together as a team, readers are likewise allowed to learn more about them and how their motivations fit together. The result is a very satisfying experience.

I really really enjoyed this novel, while I think the 3rd act could’ve used work and some polish as it felt like the author spent more time on act one than anything else, I nevertheless found the entire novel a beautiful exploration of a futuristic Hawaii and the effects of colonialism on Hawaii.

This is a fun, heart-filled space heist that blends cyberpunk aesthetics with deep cultural roots, but it doesn’t quite hit as hard as I wanted it to. The biggest strength? The characters—especially Edie, their sister Andie, and Andie’s kids. Their familial bond was the true heart of this story, full of warmth, regret, and the bittersweet struggle of trying to reconnect after years apart with all of their messy feelings - both love and guilt. The Hawaiian cultural elements felt rich and personal, and the use of pidgin made it feel truly immersive in the moments that focused on community. It felt like you, as the reader, were welcomed into the community itself, and that is such a powerful thing.

That said, the cyberpunk world didn’t feel as immersive as I wanted it to be. I expected a more tech-forward, atmospheric setting, but it felt more like a generic sci-fi backdrop rather than a lived-in, neon-drenched world. And while I love a good heist, the one here felt pretty generic and nothing really surprised me. The tension never quite reached a level where I worried about the outcome, and some of the more realistic elements of the heist just made certain sections drag.

Angel and Edie’s dynamic was interesting but ultimately felt doomed from the start. They were both clinging to past versions of each other, unable to move forward in a meaningful way, which made their relationship compelling but frustrating. And while I appreciated the hopeful, mostly happy ending, it felt a little too neat for the stakes that had been set up. I wish Angel and Edie would have grown together a little more slowly.

The book does an excellent job of showcasing economic disparity in the future and the way people are left behind in the pursuit of profit. It's happening now and there's no reason to assume that it won't happen in the future. That part of the story was razor-sharp and deeply felt.

This is a love letter to the Hawaiin culture and family. It features an underdog fight against the rich and powerful. It may not reinvent the heist genre, but it’s full of queer and complex characters that make it a worthwhile read.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Incredible debut! Hammajang Luck is hilarious and fast-paced, and the hesitation starts almost right away. Loved the group of characters our MC encounters and the found family element present in the book. Also loved how beautifully woven in Native Hawaiian culture is throughout the book and the sci-fi/space colony setting that adds another layer of uniqueness. Will definitely be reading more from this author.

Took a while to get through but I really enjoyed this one! It was fun to watch the crew come together and I enjoyed how the author wrote pidgin dialects. The dynamic between Angel and Edie were complex and interesting and I liked how the other subplots kept weaving in those themes of trust and betrayal. The heist was a fun adventure but I also enjoyed the family moments with Andie and the kids. Just an all around good time.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

What an exciting and entertaining read. Set up much like a 'one more time' heist storyline, You get a fast-paced run of excitement and are taken on a journey by a group of characters who were easy to love and relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed this read from beginning to end, and even waited for an audio through my library to read through a second time before reviewing. It was a fun adventure. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun romp of a sci fi heist book. I really enjoyed the characters, specifically the main character. I love some representation in my books, especially now. I really loved the way that they struggled with their motivations and feelings around the heist, their family, and their love interest, it added layers of tension to the plot. Well worth a read if you enjoy anything sticking it to capitalism.

Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto follows Edie through a "one last heist" type of story but set in a very tech-heavy world. This combination creates an interesting Firefly and Ocean's Eleven combination.

The reason this book did not get five stars from me is I don't particularly care for characters who have had a bad breakup in the past as the focus of stories. I thought it wouldn't bother me as much because of the setting, story, and characters (who are pretty great all things considered), but in the end, I was drawn back to the betrayal.

I know that is a very specificly "me" issue, Yamamoto's writing is fast-paced and entertaining, but I just couldn't stop thinking about the relationship issues.

With comps like Gideon the Ninth, I couldn't help but be excited to read this and while I wouldn't say it's at all like GtN, I did think it was fun and a pleasure to read in it's own great way! This book starts off strong and immediately grabbed my attention. I found Edie so loveable and I really enjoyed following them as our main character. Watching them navigate re-entering society and finding their place with their family while also secretly doing One Last Job to help their family was a balancing act that felt so precarious and well written.

The blood family and found family in this book are both great, and I loved all of our side characters. I feel like Makana Yamamoto does a great job of creating distinct personalities and my only critique is that I wish we got even more backstory to some of these characters. I really liked the heist aspects and there were points that had me holding my breath in suspense. The second chance romance really worked for me in this one!! I didn't know how it was going to and didn't fully buy into it until later in the book, but I think that was by design.

Lastly, I loved seeing Hawaiian culture and language integrated with this sci-fi world. It feels really special to see islanders in a traditionally published book!!

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the eARC (but I also bought this book via Illumicrate who did a beautiful SE)!

2.5⭐️ (rounded to 3⭐️)

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the eArc!! I wanted to like this so badly bc it hit a little close to home since my hubby is from O’ahu, and I was excited for the cultural aspect of it.

I, however, was a bit let down, as I feel like it was definitely not what was advertised - I don’t agree that it was an Ocean’s 8 heist comparison kind of plot. I feel like the overall plot was a bit lacking. I will say that the vibe was kind of like a low key Arcane (comparing Angel and Edie to Violet and Caitlyn)… I had high hopes for the characters, but I honestly didn’t care too much for any of them.

I will say that I really enjoyed the setting of the book, and as I stated earlier, the cultural aspects of it and the inclusion of pidgin. I felt the banter was fun, which is what kept me interested enough to read & push through.

I’m a sucker for original sci-fi station life world building, and Hammajang Luck’s combination of that, a fun heist plot, Hawaiian culture and community, and a fraught, complex queer relationship hooked me.

I found Edie’s character development and relationships with Angel, their sister Andie, and their niblings to be really compelling and felt so grounded in reality. I also enjoyed Edie’s interactions with the side characters, both the wide range of personalities in their Ocean’s 8-esque crew as well as local community aunties and uncles.

The plot follows the general beats of a classic heist and felt fast-paced, but the great characters and unique world building were really what kept me engaged throughout. I’d definitely recommend Hammajang Luck for anyone looking for a fun, fast-paced sci-fi read with diverse characters.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC!

I have to admit that I was screaming at Edie “No, no, no, don’t take the job. Run away as far as you can!” (chuckle) Makana Yamamoto sucked me in right away and didn’t let me go. I freaking love Edie. They are a survivor and a fighter. They love their family and when they love, they love hard.

Yamamoto creates a fascinating world that you want to watch a bunch of thieves win in. The secondary cast is fabulous. Edie’s sister is in their corner even while fighting their own battles. Then you have the cute car crashing humor of Malia. Then of course there is Angel in all of her high style and cold drama. The author keeps you hooked because you just don’t know with a cast of criminals where this can go.

I simply loved Hammajang Luck. It’s action, drama, sarcastic humor, and friendship. Oh and let’s not forget crime (chuckle). It’s a story about struggle and the things we will do to survive and provide. I love Edie and I think you will too.

I absolutely loved this book. One of my most favorite reads this year (so far). It’s like sci-fi oceans 8 heist. Absolutely recommend this book.

I liked this but didn't love it. I don't know why big heist crews work better for me in film than in books -- maybe it's just harder to properly introduce that many characters without visuals? The anti-gentrification throughline was more compelling than the capers, which surprised me, and I very much enjoyed Edie as a protagonist. Definitely recommend for folks who enjoy anticapitalist antics in space! I understand why it was meaningful to the author to include the Hawaiian pidgin but my personal preference for rendering dialect into text is to just leave the words that are clearly "English, but I'm writing them different so you know the character has an accent" alone and let the rhythm of the speech and the words that are NOT "English, but I'm writing them different" convey the accent instead. (Scottish brogue written out also drives me bananas.) Again, that's a personal preference, I understand why the author didn't want to do that, but it may be useful to other readers to know in advance how it's handled!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Hammajang Luck was a pretty formulaic heist book - a main character who has been out of the game but brought back in for ‘one last heist,’ a motley assembled crew, a high pay off job that will set everyone up for the rest of their lives, and of course a billionaire villain who deserves to lose a little money.

Overall, the book met my expectations in terms of a heist but fell short in terms of world building, character development, and stakes. It’s intended to be sci-fi themed, taking place on a space station, but I often forgot that the setting wasn’t just earth in present day. The characters felt a little flat to me, especially the development of the main romance. It seemed like very little changed for them to go from hating each other to realizing they’d been pining after one another other than forgiving long-standing grudges (some rightfully earned) and setting aside misunderstandings. The stakes never truly felt high - I think if the world building was more developed, I would’ve really grasped the high stakes of this heist on a space station.