To Have and to Heist

I wanted to like this book SO much, but it just missed the mark. This book had some really good elements. For instance, I really liked the dialogue. It was quirky and a little off, but I mean that in the best way. I found myself chuckling a lot especially during the scenes where the entire “team” got together. I also liked the characters (for the most part). They were all unique with full backstories and contrasting qualities. The one character that I found lacking was Jack. His whole vibe was “mysterious and suave”. While this is all great and dandy, the mystery never lifted. There was never a point where I really got to know more about him. I couldn’t get invested in his character and subsequent wellbeing when he would disappear and pop in with no explanation. Because of this, I didn’t really root for the “romance” between him and Simi. It seemed very superficial. At times, she seems to flip how she feels for Jack in a single moment, but it never made sense. If you are mad at someone, them flirting with you is not going to solve anything. She also didn’t ever learn anything about him, so I am not sure why she was so insistent that she wanted to be with him. Speaking of things that I am unsure about, there were a lot of logistical plot holes when it came to the “team” and the heist itself. It felt like it was all thrown together and just magically worked. I was expecting some sort of “Ocean’s 8” movie and instead I got a version that would be a Wish-app equivalent of a heist story.

I wanted to love this, but it was just too poorly written that I couldn’t get behind it. I also think there is a sequel, but I most likely won’t read it as I doubt I’ll remember half of what happened in this book and I certainly will not be re-reading this to refresh my memory.