Perfect Scoundrels

Ms. Carter has done it again! Perfect Scoundrels was amazing. I was so excited to jump right back into the adventure with Kat, Hale, and company, and boy did Ally deliver. This series has it all: action, adventure, hot boys, smart girls, and everything in between. The story never dragged or was boring. Every step of the way, you were cheering on Kat to overcome the foe of the book. This time Hale is in the one in trouble, and it effects everyone, especially Kat. I really connected to Kat in this novel, more so than the other books in the series. We saw a more vulnerable side to her, and I enjoyed reading it. However, just because she is more vulnerable doesn't mean she's whiny or all "Woe is me!" She carries on and doubles her efforts to pull off a seemingly impossible task. I still love all the side characters (Angus and Hamish are, as always, a riot), and I loved that Ms. Carter brought Marcus to the forefront as well. Marcus hasn't been mentioned much in the previous novels (mostly just in passing), but he has his shining moments in this book, and I appreciated that. Hale...let me just say, I love him! I was itching to find out what his nickname was, and even though it was funny, I wanted more backstory as to why he received that name. No, we still don't find out his actual name, but I'm hoping we find out soon. Ms. Carter's writing is flawless as ever, and you can truly see how much she has grown as an author. I never felt her writing was bad. In fact, I was blown away at how well written her novels were considering she had only written 2 novels previously before writing the Gallagher Girls series. However, her writing has gotten even better, and it shows. Everything feels so unbelievably real- from the world to the characters- and I love reading every little detail. While there aren't as many funny parts, there is still plenty of laugh out loud moments that were fantastic. I can't wait to see what Ms. Carter has in store for us next time, and I am eagerly awaiting the next in this wonderful series! 5+++++++ stars

Katarina Bishop has never had a normal life, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been a happy life. She is loved by her con artist family, she knows they will always be there when she needs them, and now she has a boyfriend, Hale. But Hale has never known the concept of family the way Kat has, and when his beloved grandmother dies, that fact becomes all too real. The boyfriend thing is new for Kat, but when Hale abandons them in the middle of a con, she knows something horrible has happened. When she finds out his grandmother has died, she gets to see the true origins of W. W. Hale V, and it isn't pretty. When she goes to the funeral, she truly begins to understand that Hale is from a different class of people than Kat is, and she knows she could never fit in with this life of his. When the will is read, Hale's world is thrown into turmoil again as he learns his grandmother has left him the billion dollar company. Until Hale is of age to take over the company, the family lawyer will serve as executor, but something is wrong. When Marcus, Hale's faithful servant, pulls Kat aside to talk to her, he explains his concerns that the will is a forgery. Hale's grandmother never trusted the lawyer, and she always said she would leave something to Marianne, Marcus's sister and Hale's grandmother's best friend. Knowing Kat's particular set of skills, Marcus asks Kat to investigate and find the real will. Now Kat, always a moral con artist (really! I swear!), feels like she must take this job, but how can she take the job that might prove her boyfriend doesn't deserve the inheritance he received? You know, I have seen a lot of comparisons of this series to "Ocean's Eleven", but while there is the heist connection between the two, and I love them both, I think this series is in a class all of its own! It really is fun and exciting and gives the reader so much to think about. There was a time I wanted Ally Carter to start writing more YA novels and less MG novels, but I realize that has already happened. Just because her books are clean and can be appropriate to younger readers doesn't mean they aren't also complex enough for older readers. In fact, I find Carter to be very similar to Rick Riordan in that respect. Both of their books are written for younger readers within the genre but are so well written they can easily appeal to everyone, including adults. And in that sense, they are pure genius! There aren't many books that can appeal to both adults and 5th graders and make both demographics happy, but Carter has found the magic formula with this series! And this was a much different book from the first two because the heists were much more personal to the group. Knowing the possible outcome for Hale, they didn't know how to include him, and he resented their involvement until he found out just how evil the lawyer was. I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more of these books in the series, because they are just so great to read. And it isn't often you find a good clean book you can give to tons of readers. If I had one complaint it would be that I wished the covers were more gender neutral because I know boys would love to read these stories, but the covers would scare many of them away. So I might just "heist" the book jacket and trick them into reading it! After they finished it, they would thank me for my trickery!

*Review posted on Page Turners Blog on 2/26/2013* 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.

This was quite a ride. I love it when they do their heists and cons and seeing how they do them, but this time it's personal. Hale seems to have inherited his grandmother's billion dollar company, but Kat's worried someone's making him a mark. Kat calls on her family to help Hale and figure out who could be doing this, and why, and then once they find the one responsible, out con the conman. Whew, like I said above, quite a ride! Every few pages had me on the edge of my seat. This was such a good story. I like that each book in this series is a story in and of itself. Sure the characters are the same and there is some character development, but each of the books revolves around a different heist or con, unlike other books with one storyline over multiple books. These books are fun but there is an element of suspense as you watch them pull the heist or run the con, wondering not only if it'll work, but how they did it. Definitely a series I would recommend. And this one is probably my favorite out of the three. I really hope there's going to be another book, I want more adventures with Kat and her crew!

Ally Carter is quickly moving from my favorite YA author to my favorite author in general. This book moves her to that spot for good. Perfect Scoundrels has all readers expect from Carter: action, a tightly written plot, and a hint of romance. In the first two books, I enjoyed the fast-paced action, but this third book in the Heist Society kicks it up a notch with the character development. When Hale's grandmother dies, he is named the heir despite his young age. When his grandmother's longtime friend questions the will privately to Kat, she and the team are on a mission to save the family company. Through Hale's loss and Kat's attempts to console him while not quite being accepted by his family and his world, their motives and characters are flushed out, and I love them even more. Fans of Carter will enjoy this latest spy adventure, and people who aren't fans should be.

Brilliant!! As usual! Ally Carter has done it again! Once again this book follows the exciting life of Katarina Bishop! Except this time the plot is revolving around her boyfriend W.W.Hale the fifth. Which hits a little closer to home for our friend Kat. And due to a recent death in the Hale family, our Hale has just inherited a company and the fortune that come with it. But word leaks out the it may be a con from a person who plans to steal the company's fortune. Will they be able to fix what has been wronged? (Seriously you have to find out!) I bought this book this morning and just completed it! It took me less than a day to read! (Quite proud of myself really) This book is full of laughs, awww-moments, some sadness, and adventure! Worthy of reading and buying! Reading these books including Gallagher Girls always makes me feel capable of doing anything! For those just finding the series I highly suggest starting from the beginning!! Also if you started with this series and have not read Gallagher Girls then those books are just as good as these ones!! Seriously read these books!! :)

I really enjoyed it! It had a good ending and some twists and turns that I was not expecting. I felt that this book was not as fun and lighthearted as the other two, but it was still pretty fun and I'm still ready to join a crime family after reading this. I did enjoy learning more about Hale's family and life but I still wanted more somehow. I'm sad this series is over now, but I do look forward to reading Ally Carter's New(er) series soon.

Perfect is an apt title word, since it is the ideal word to describe this book. I die over Kat and Hale. I JUST DIE. And if you loved them before, this book is heartbreaking. Poor Hale! Poor Kat! SO MANY FEELS. Putting the relationship aside, the plot is phenomenal. Ally Carter has a true gift of clever heist plots. She is always a step ahead and her twists are unrivaled. I revel in her writing style, the simplicity of her prose yields to such complex storytelling. If you haven’t read the first two books in the Heist Society series you will want to pick them up before reading Perfect Scoundrels but run, don’t walk, to get these! Lastly, I’m going to throw in a plug for Double Crossed (A Spies and Thieves Novella) in which the Gallagher Girl and Heist Society worlds collide. I swooned so hard reading that one that I pulled something. For fans of both series, it is perfection itself. Frankly, I demand more crossovers. A spin-off series that involves both! You hear me Ally? PLEASE?!?! MOAR, we need MOAR! Overall: A+