Now THIS was a Katherine Rundell book. A fully real place, brilliantly shining characters and a desperate and twisting adventure of a plot make The Good Thieves another reason for Katherine Rundell being one of my favourite authors. From time to time, I read a middle grade book and my book choice this time has been "The good thieves". This is my first book by Katherine Rundell and her writing is absolutely beautiful. If you enjoy middle grade novels and adventure stories, THE GOOD THIEVES is a great choice. I grabbed it on a whim knowing that it might be too young for me, and ended up really enjoying it. In conclusion, I am proffering this novel 75% (A-) as I enjoyed it immensely although it has certain flaws and thus, the rating.

The only thing that made me raise an eyebrow was the use of the word "Latinx" to describe a character who appears once. I get and support wanting to be respectful, but this book takes place in what I suspect is the 1920s due to the references to Polio and speakeasies, and I think there are ways to describe someone with respect that don't come across as glaringly anachronistic. The night city was swept by a premature winter. An ice snap froze the water in the pipes. Sleet washed down the city, swept the detritus of the mud and the old newspaper and the furious cats out from the murky alleyways into the main roads.” The book setting is brilliant and the story is perfectly paced. It holds the suspense element till the end. It's been a wonderful adventure ride for me. Highly recommended. fulfilling my 2021 goal to read one book each month by an author i love that i haven’t gotten around to reading yet The dreary prospect of spending a lifetime making caskets instead of wonderful inventions prompts a young orphan to snatch up his little sister and flee. Where? To the circus, of course.From award-winning author Katherine Rundell comes a fast-paced and utterly thrilling adventure driven by the loyalty and love between a grandfather and his granddaughter. The Good Thieves is a wonderful and adventurous middle grade fiction set as part of the historical genre – so basically it had all the makings of what could end up being one of the most enjoyable books in recent times. (Spoiler Alert: It did!)

The frail man defeatedly admitted that for a mere two hundred dollars, the equivalent of three thousand today, he had been scammed out of ownership of the historic family castle by a bulldozing, real-estate mogul. Although her grandfather seemed resigned to this fact and his inability to do anything about it, Vita had other plans.

I opine that middle graders especially could learn a lot from this absolutely unputdownable adventure story in terms of the versatile characters that are drastically different from each other but complete paradigm in every sense. Rundell had so vividly presented the 1930’s New york. I liked the setting and the narration. What I loved most about this book were the characters. Vita Marlowe was one of the strongest female protagonists I have ever read in fiction. Rundell had very strongly registered a message through Vita’s character that with determination anything is possible despite the physical disabilities. Samuel’s character had set an example that with dedication and hard work one would be able to achieve his/her dream despite the limitations. More than the plot, I liked the moral this book carries. Overall, reading Rundell’s writing was an absolute pleasure. Lastly, topics like racism are touched on in this novel but not really explored which disappointed me because this could be the very first children novel that includes important topics such as racism in but it will, unfortunately, be marked as a missed opportunity as the outcome of the novel did not explore it much. The pacing of the novel is uprightly one of the most astounding items that is being placed in the book as it moves in a rapid manner and this is due to how addictive the plot is in which I will talk more about later on. The plot has an addictive quality to it and this gives the book an advantage as readers will carry on with the novel without ceasing as they would like to find out more about what is going to happen to the characters. To compare it with ‘The Wolf Wilder’, I thought ‘The Good Thieves’ was traversed better than it because I can sense vacillation at certain localities in ‘The Wolf Wilder’ that took me out of the context of the story and the ending for it was hastened like it was elbowing me laboriously out of the house or in this case, the book. Therefore, ‘The Good Thieves’ granted me a better impression than ‘The Wolf Wilder’ will ever remit. its strangest and most beautiful spots – like the New York City Library, with the stone lions outside its front steps.

I have to admit that I've loved all of her books, but I think this is my fav. Mainly because it's so completely thrilling without for one moment dropping the quality in the writing. plan. I took lessons in the flying trapeze, so that I would know the details – things like which bits of you ache, or how the bar feels against your skin. And I can tell you it is the most amazing sensation – dropping through the air, and reaching out for someone’s hands as you fall. I loved it. There were teachable moments throughout the story, as themes of family, friendship, loyalty, racism, crime, and dishonesty are in abundance. Visually evocative scenes play out as Rundell transports us through the bustle of Manhattan, the landscapes of suburban New York, and the majesty of the decaying castle.

Follow us

Review : The good thieves by Katherine Rundell is a tale that emanates hope, determination, compassion and above all the message that nothing is impossible if you put your heart to it. She is one of four exceptional children on which the narrative is focused, and while they are all fantastic in their own right, they share three qualities: all four have distinct talents, personalities and difficulties, all four are people I wish I could know in real life and all four have courage and resilience that take my breath away. like the best of her work, this one is tightly plotted, with wholesome-but-authentic characters and a few surprises. In addition, Rundell's adults are realistic characters with understandable fears and problems along with admirable forbearance and love for the children in their care. And the animals are, as always, funny and smart and a perfect complement to the story. Reading this book made me remember some of the middle grade adventure stories I consumed as a young kid, penned by authors such as Bruce Coville, Eva Ibbotson, and Roald Dahl. Even though it's clearly written for a young audience, the writing doesn't condescend and it has a great vocabulary, so it ends up being the type of story that virtually anyone can enjoy.

She crossed to the far end of the room, took the bread knife, the steak knife, and her own penknife in one hand, and without pausing to make sure the others were watching her, threw the knives over their heads at the mantlepiece. Vita tests her own limits, and readers will thrill at her cleverness, tenacity, and close escapes.” — Booklist Endearing characters, an exciting plot, appropriate pacing, and sheer enjoyment have me rating this middle-grade fiction gem 4.5 peaches and adding Rundell’s other popular offering, Rooftoppers, to my list without delay. The all-important red notebook held the path to victory as Vita prepared every step needed for things to come together. Unfortunately for them, they met much friction along the way. Vita is an admirable role model for young readers, as her organisational skills and strong leadership are matched only by her grit to fight through the discomfort and pain of her mission. The Good Thieves is a story of friendship and the battle of good against evil. It is humorous, witty and fast paced. I cannot emphasize enough on how Katherine Rundell has perfectly represented the character of Vita, a disabled but iron willed polio survivor. She has amazing planning skills and is not one to be messed with. The glam and glitz of the 1930's New York circus is vividly narrated and we get to see how Vita, is drawn by it. Vita's exceptional love for her family is something that took my heart away. Silk, as a character has more sharp edges than Vita, owing to how she has fended herself ever since her parents demise. Arkady, in my opinion was soft spoken and the kind who could never even imagine to hurt a fly. Samuel, on the other hand fights for his passion and is a true example of following your dreams.

Need Help?

Wowee! Each book you’ve written is set in a totally different location. Do you always spend time in a place before writing about it? As in Rooftoppers, there are rationalized lies told by Vita to her family. We get the b.s. "promises" made right to the adult's face that are at that very moment known to be false or hedged. It's a poor trait for a heroine (and for a young reader) and it's lazy for Rundell to be using it again. And all the kids do this rationalized lying - even among themselves! Wait a second." The mostly-devoured loaf of bread still lay on the beer barrel next to the bread knife. She took it, an apple, and an orange, and set them side by side on the mantlepiece. Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.