Just a middle-brow reader who loves a good story, recipe or how-to.
“Shop local, steal local” – Alice (pg. 92)
I first heard about Coin Heist on YouTube, where it was getting rave reviews, so I entered the GoodReads giveaway as soon as I saw it. Having now read it, my reaction is mixed. And overall, I’m feeling rather ambivalent about the book, so what follows is my attempt at a balanced review:
First person is not my favorite point of view. Throw in four narrators who trade off each chapter, without necessarily move the story along, and I can get downright annoyed. The upside of this is that you do truly get a more rounded picture of the four main characters, and don’t have to miss the fun of Alice’s explanations of set theory in social math.
Though the four main characters are definitely high school “types,” I do think the author successfully avoided having too much teenage angst. Their stressors feel authentic, their characters are relatable and the storyline is adequately plausible – I choose to believe that the author took creative license with the level and complexity of the U.S. Mint’s security. There were a few times when I could definitely see the teen movie potential (the prom scene, for one) – it reminded me a bit of going out to see John Hughes movies in my teens.
Overall this was a quick, light YA read with an intriguing premise. There is decent tension building in parts and a climax that didn’t seem overly dramatic. The pacing of the book is decent, and I liked that not every problem was wrapped up neatly with a bow. What I didn’t care for, what had my adult brain wanting to yell at the book, was the serious lack of consequences for the perpetrators of a crime.
This book will probably be enjoyed more by readers of high school age. As an older reader/former grade school teacher, things like teens smoking pot, talk of hooking up and booty calls, and the use of foul language interfered with my enjoyment of the book.
I found that I really liked the ending, it was kind of sweet. Yeah, definitely makes me miss John Hughes.
I received a free copy of Coin Heist by Elisa Ludwig, through the GoodReads First Reads program, courtesy of Adaptive Studios. In return, this is my honest review.