Hell to Pay

by Lora Beth Johnson

Oceans Eight meets Six of Crows in this YA fantasy heist novel about a teenage con artist and her ragtag crew teaming up for their toughest job stealing a soul from the Afterlife.

Elle Fields comes from a long line of thieves who specialize in breaking into the Afterlife to steal secrets—and magic—from the dead. But after her parents’ disappearance and her brother’s death, Elle is left adrift, without even her crew to rely on.

Until a mysterious stranger offers her a job she can’t stealing a soul from the Afterlife. If Elle can get it done, it could be the key to restoring the life she lost.

The only problem is getting her crew back together. Oh, and the fact that the job’s impossible—but Elle is confident that she’ll be able to work it all out.

After all, how hard could it be to raise the dead?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy, Ebooks

368 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2026

About the author

As an only child, Lora Beth Johnson grew up telling herself stories and reading past her bedtime. She spent her adulthood collecting degrees, careers, and stamps in her passport before realizing her passion for creating fictional worlds. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching college English and learning new languages. She lives in Davidson, NC with her little roommate, Colocatire the Yorkipoo.

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ocean's Eight meets Greek chthonic mythology in this new YA novel, and everything about that worked for me. I'm a little surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did, because the author's debut didn't really leave an impression on me a few years ago. But her comeback did even more so. I've read my fair share of liar, thief and street urchin protagonists, but never before were they pickpocketing their way through afterlife and conning the recently deceased out of their magic. That's exactly what the main character Elle Fields here does for a living. She's witty and direct, walks into every room like she owns the place and tells lies all day long to get what she wants. I loved her very much. It was so fun to follow her around and it was impossible to be bored with a character like that. She's also quite infamous in the world that is secretly ruled by syndicates with leaders inspired by Greek chthonic deities. All the powers in this book revolve around the afterlife and there are basically no limits to the magic that is earned by dying. But Elle still somehow ends up with an impossible job on her hands. She's tasked to steal a soul back from the afterlife when resurrection is basically unheard of. But Elle is willing to try it and she just has the right crew in mind. This is where the Ocean's Eleven / Twelve / Thirteen / Eight vibes really shine. There are multiple fun side characters who all have their own specialty. From forging papers to accents to alchemy, everyone was interesting to read about. The Ocean's comparison is also fitting because the overall feel is the same. And by that I mean that it's super entertaining if you just don't question anything. That was perfectly fine by me, though. I don't mean that there is no substance to anything because that's not true at all, but sometimes things are very convenient or the characters predicted scenarios in unbelievable ways. But the story was exciting enough for me that I'd basically excuse everything. The world building was super creative, all the characters stood out in their own way and there was plenty of plot. Maybe even a bit too much plot for such a fast-moving story, because I was kinda missing calmer character moments in between all the action. But I can't complain much here. It was such a nice surprise for me and I would broadly recommend it. Fingers crossed for a second book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is turning out to be the year of books about heists and books about descending to hell, so of course a book about a heist in the Afterlife just makes sense! 😆

"It'd be like breaking into a prison, but the prison is on fire and also hell"

This story takes place in a contemporary setting, only the world is secretly run by mob-like families that gain their power from access to the Afterlife. Our main characters are a crew of thieves that access the Afterlife illegally in order to steal from the dead. The world building was rich and interesting, I could see many other books set in this universe.

I loved the memorable cast of characters, the dynamic of the ragtag crew was really entertaining. The book has its emotional moments but overall it’s really funny, with the kind of dry and deadpan humor that works so well for this type of stories.

The plot and the heist itself are built in a really satisfying way, with the stakes getting higher with each twist and turn.

I was pleasantly surprised and had a great time reading this!

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers via NetGalley for providing an eARC

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥💀 Hell to Pay 💀🔥

🙌🏽🙌🏽 Happy Release Day 🙌🏽🙌🏽

The FMC in this book was reckless, arrogant, impulsive, and freaking hilarious. I loved her.

This was a quick paranormal read, and honestly… I just wanted more. The worldbuilding and magic system were so interesting, but it felt like we only scratched the surface.

It doesn’t look like this will be a series, but if it ever becomes one, I would absolutely devour it.

😈 What to Expect
• YA fantasy
• Afterlife magic
• Ragtag crew
• Teenage con artist
• Mission impossible
• Found family
• Dark underworld
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: July 28, 2026
📝 Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Monica Haak · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75! Tof maar wel beetje random in de geheimen onthullen.

[Swoti Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
After the sudden loss of her brother Dante, Elle Fields plans the most complicated heist in all history — to steal a soul from the afterlife. First things first, she must gather up her crew that drifted after Dante’s death, and convince them that this crazy plan is possible by piggy backing this plan with funding from their latest gig. Easy peasy.

Review:
This book sounded like pure fun when I read the summary, and boy did it deliver. Hell to Pay is a fast paced, young adult novel that reads well for older audiences, incorporating wit and world building. Elle is a very relatable, chaotic good character. She was a wonderfully honest character who’d cross any line for her crew, which is her found family. I enjoyed her internal dialogue immensely because she was so down to earth considering the crazy circumstances she kept finding herself in, like fighting literal demons.

Unlike many books I’ve read, the side characters in Hell to Pay felt just as fleshed out and developed as the main cast. I loved that I could understand the goals of Poppy, CJ, Trolliver, Ezra, and Ross. They all had enough backstory and “screen time" to feel invested in each of them. This made each plot twist have far more catharsis, and this book had several I did not see coming! I loved each unexpected twist and turn, and I genuinely felt like I was one of the marks for a con while reading.

The romance in this book is low spice, but realistic and tasteful. It was awkward, adorable, and implied more than anything. I enjoy low spice in my books because it allows for pure plot and character growth. Romance doesn’t substitute for development in this novel, and I find that so refreshing in fantasy.

The other fun element of this novel which was the main draw for me was the loose Greek mythology weaved in. The world is divided into different clans based on which god/goddess/titan one pledges alliance to. One's alliance also depends on the magical abilities they gain from the afterlife. The magic system in this novel was fascinating, different, and easy to understand. I like that Alive characters could step into the afterlife and come back imbued with ancient powers. It just was such a cool concept and it was executed well.

I hope there is a sequel. The ending of this book makes me crave one. I need to know what is next for changed Elle and her rambunctious crew members! Thank you so much for providing me an early copy of Hell to Pay in exchange for an honest review. I have this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hell to Pay has a very intriguing and unique premise (an afterlife heist — tell me you’re not intrigued!) so between my love of heist stories and my love of this author’s first book I was super intrigued and couldn’t wait to pick it up.

I really liked the heist elements and how they all came together and the different roles that each member of the team had to play. I also liked how the main character introduced each member of the team. The crow familiar was a particular favorite of mine. He definitely added to the team!

However, I didn’t love the main character. She was really brash and seemed to plow right over everyone else’s feelings at times. She was quite selfish as well which made her hard to like. She had single minded focus to save her brother at the expense of everyone else.

The ending was definitely setting up for a sequel as it ended on somewhat of an unexpected note. Overall this was an interesting heist story. I wish I had liked the main character more but this was overall pretty good.

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini blurb: A teen con artist who lost her brother during a job reunites with her old crew to perform an impossible assignment, hoping it will give her the means to bring her sibling back from the dead. Except nothing is quite as it seems, and she might even end up taking her brother's place in the afterlife...

***

This one has a fresh premise (take Ocean's Eleven, but make it YA, magic-fueled and underworld-related) and an interesting worldbuilding, in which classic Greek deities are still alive and kicking in the modern world, though they have adapted and basically gone undercover, all while still ruling it via a series of corporations. Our protagonist Ellie comes from a family of con artists and afterlife-hoppers of which she's the only surviving member, after her parents' death and the recent "incident" that took her brother's life. A year after his demise, Ellie might have found a way to resurrect him, but she needs the funds and a particular object to perform the task - plus her old crew. This starts a cascade of heists/cons/adventures at the end of which Ellie will get both less and more than she'd bargained for. The story is fast-paced, imaginative and full of twists - though one of them didn't exactly take me by surprise...but the last one did for sure, and I found it morbidly funny. I wish we'd seen more of the afterlife (because that's my jam, you know), and I didn't get particularly attached to the characters (though they were all solid), plus the heists were somehow convoluted and required some suspension of disbelief (especially since they were performed by a band of teens, maybe new adults? it's unclear). But Hell to Pay turned out to be original and entertaining, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone vibing with outrageous heists, snarky protagonists, afterlife settings, mythology, humour and dysfunctional found families. Bonus points for the NB rep... and the (priceless) undead crow.

Note: as a rule, I review every book that I rate 4 stars and above in full, unless it's a novella or an anthology. But I didn't want to go in too deep about this one to avoid spoilers, and it felt easy to summarise its contents (and my opinions) in a few sentences, so I took the mini-review route.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell to Pay definitely lived up to the promise of Ocean’s 11 meets Six of Crows. Elle, our heroine, can enter the afterlife, which she does to con spirits out of magical materials. Most people who enter the afterlife bring some magic back with them, but not Elle. What she does have, though, is the ability to plan a heist and a repertoire of fake accents.

Her brother died for real last year and her focus since then has been to plan a heist to bring him back which requires her conning a mark to fund the venture and getting the old crew back together in a theft that could be the end of all of them.

I downloaded this as a Read Now ARC from
NetGalley, and once I started reading it, I was hooked. I know some people don’t like narration that breaks the 4th wall but I found it refreshing and entertaining. Very reminiscent of Ocean’s 11 along with heists that seem to go awry until Elle explains that was the plan all along.

Elle’s crew is a diverse group of teens with varying abilities and personalities, some from very powerful families in Underworld dealings, and here’s where the “talking to you” narration had issues. All the worldbuilding, whose family does what, their powers, and the political hierarchy was lost on me because Elle told it in passing. It never really stuck.

Apart from my confusion at times, I really enjoyed this. The characters were all so unique. I loved the camaraderie between them and how they stuck by Elle even though she could be prickly. I’m not a teen but I think teen readers will really enjoy this for its grim setting and eclectic characters.

[Risa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down

I know I DNFed this book before (and I stand by my reasons for doing so). But I was in the mood to read a proper heist novel, and this book has good reviews on that front (plus it’s short), so I decided to give it another shot.

I tried the audiobook this time, and the narration was great.

The writing is fun, and the voice made me chuckle out loud multiple times! I still have problems with the first-person narrative and the world building. (And I stand firm on the belief that a first-person narrator cannot keep such big secrets from the reader whilst we are in their head.)

The actual heist was pretty good. There were some moments of convenience that got the characters out of trouble a bit too easily for my personal tastes. But it’s definitely one of the better heist novels I’ve read.

However, the last 10% of the book wasn’t that good—there were way too many conveniences. I also think the plot would’ve been a lot stronger had the author just committed to using their own lore for the book rather than Greek Mythology (which felt convoluted as time went on).

The ending left room for a potential sequel. I’m not sure if it’s needed, or if I’d read it. But I really was a big fan of the voice in this book, so I’d be open to it.

All in all, I think this is one of the better heist novels that’s been published recently. But it still has its flaws.





NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING (TAKE TWO):

(Note: I DNFed at 28% when I was reading the eARC; so I just picked up where I left off once I moved on to the audiobook.)

- Crowlene the crow is great.

- It’s a bit convenient that they were able to track down the pickpocket in NYC who targeted Elle before. And then he not only did it again, but left a note.

- And then Ezra stood and says no thanks to working with the team..until he sees the money he’ll make. WHY WOULD HE STICK AROUND???


- That’s cool that the dead will possess the bodies of those who have their bones. It’s really cool to have the All Saints Galley


- I appreciate that the gala heist is well planned out, yet there are elements they couldn’t anticipate like CJ’s telepath aunt.
- The pig cadavers concept is great!



- I like the voice in terms of I think Elle comes across as a YA character. But I don’t love how she talks directly to the reader and goes off on tangents sometimes, pulling his out of the story.


- I find it hard to believe that the crew could anticipate that the codex wouldn’t actually be on display, and instead an illusion by a member of coven would be cast with the real book from somewhere nearby.


- Dang Ezra just left the rest of the crew. And then they had to fight off a demon.

- And apparently the cult of Hades wants to use the codex to resurrect Hades. TBH, I’m not a fan of all the Greek mythology in this book, and the strongest bits of world building are the ones that the author invented themself.


- So there’s a page missing because Poppy and CJ hooked up? And so someone snuck in and tore a page out?

- So they can’t decipher it because of some spell…except yes they can, in the margins with a special ink. That seems convenient.

- I don’t get how a page is missing and there’s four lines in Latin that they didn’t translate, and yet they think they now have the solution to resurrect someone?

- I will say that some of the one liners do actually make me chuckle, so the dialogue is well done.


- Ah okay—so this Juliette potion allowed Elle to go into the afterlife. Then Dante came and saved her just before a hellhound shot her. First of all, all this time I thought hellhounds were actually hounds (shapeshifters, but hounds). And second, why did Dante go into to rescue her, rather than Tolliver just cutting Elle’s dose, which is ultimately what he did after Dante was shot?? Feels a bit like a plot hole.


- The argument about what happened to Dante was interesting, as it lead to everyone leaving but Elle. But I feel like their reasons for being angry with her could’ve been stronger? Idk. (Like Tolliver was mad that Elle didn’t tell him what a hellhound did to those on Juliet…uh ok?)


- So Rook and Elle kiss in the cemetery—and of course Rook isn’t going to betray the group.

- It feels way too easy that they just stroll back in the next day and all easily forgive Elle and are back to the heist. There really was little point to their argument earlier.

- Oh damn… Rook actually did betray the group. I like that a lot… but I kind of wish that Elle hadn’t already accused Rook of doing the exact thing that he wound up doing. (In the cemetery, Elle said Rook was working to bring Hades back, and had it all spelled out… and that’s exactly what it was.) So while I’m surprised that Rook actually did betray them, I think it doesn’t land as well because (1) Rook was never really integrated into the group with open arms; and (2) Elle already worked out that theory, so we aren’t as thrown off by it.

- Also, how the hell did Elle not notice Tolliver tied up until after she did the resurrection? That feels a bit too convenient for the plot, especially for a character as clever as Elle. Yeah I’m not buying it.

- I’m sure Ezra will show up to help save the day at some point.


- Coming back to this book the next day, and now that we’ve had the anti-climatic Hades reveal, I’m so tempted to DNF (again). And the only reason I’m not is because I only have 19% of the audiobook left and at this point I want it to count towards my reading goal for the year.


- Of course Rook is a shapeshifting demon.

- I like the twist that Rook is the one who ripped the page (about banishment) out of the grimoire. But it’s SO DUMB AND UNBELIEVABLE that he would still have that page in his pocket all those days later!!!


- I like the way Elle confronted Hades (with the crew playing their roles), only to be stabbed and die. What I don’t like is the backtracking three days later to tell us everything that happened—like Poppy has been working for CJ’s family for a year and Elle knew all this time, Poppy found Dante’s body, they planned for Elle to be murdered. None of that works so long as we are in Elle’s first person narrative—we are literally in her head, she can’t keep such big secrets from the reader!


- So Elle is the descendant of Persephone…sure why not. (I still lowkey hate the Greek Mythology in this book—i think it takes away from the really intriguing original lore and ideas.)


- 96%: Wait…who’s Vinny?


- Crowlene is a star! And I like the twist that Elle resurrected her (though it’s kinda silly that Elle didn’t realize that, given Crowlene is in such back shape).


- So by resurrecting herself, Elle became a demon. I’m confused as to why we didn’t bring Dante back too? He could’ve been a demon as well… Also, I’m confused why Dante doesn’t have the resurrection power as well—it just skipped over him? And why their parents left but told Dante to guard Elle…how does that make any sense?

- I mean I get the reason they say they didn’t let Elle kill Rook, but it’s a weak reason that is probably just leaving room for a potential sequel (since Elle still has the real grimoire as well).



Final Thoughts:

- The voice in this book was so fun and funny, it made me laugh out loud at numerous lines!

- I still hate that so many secrets were being kept from the reader given we are in a first-person narrative. It just doesn’t work like that, sorry.

- The heist was good, until we got to the part where they went into Hell…then it started to feel like we were relying on way too many conveniences and convoluted plot points to get us through the rest of the book.

- Am I happy that I picked this book up again? I mean, yes and no. Yes because I liked the voice and most of the heist, no because it fell apart at the end and the Greek Mythology felt convoluted to me.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


JUNE 25, 2026 - DNF


DNF at 28% (Read through Chapter 10 of the eARC)


I didn’t really connect with the writing style; the narrator speaks directly to “you” the reader, which isn’t my cup of tea.


I wasn’t a big fan of the world either, as it combines our world with the afterlife. The concept is really cool, but I never felt grounded in the world, or like I could envision the world with the minimum descriptions that were given.

The magic system had the potential to be cool as well, but it was confusing. I don’t mind when a book has a glossary/table in the front to explain the magic system; however, I still expect that the magic system will be clear and easy enough to follow in the actual story. Here, there were so many details to this magic system that I found it to be overwhelming and too convoluted for my personal tastes. (Which is a shame, because stealing magic from the afterlife to bring to the mundane world is such an intriguing concept.)


Lastly, I found the characters to be just okay. I liked the diversity of the cast (for example, there’s a character who uses they/them pronounces, and another character with a prosthetic hand). But they didn’t really jump off the page to me. Especially when Elle (our POV protagonist) was gathering her crew together; I didn’t feel like there was much pushback, even with the conversation they had about how dangerous the mission would be. They all agreed to help her pretty easily at the end of the day.

Elle herself was probably the best character of the bunch—I love a con artist character, especially as a protagonist! But even she didn’t do enough to hold my interest. [And I think a big reason why is that the story is told in first-person POV, but the author has Elle withhold information from the reader. This doesn't really work because the reader is literally in her head, and thus should know what she is doing in the moment. If this book was told in third person, it would have worked better.]


I’m a sucker for a good heist story, so I am so bummed that this story didn’t work for me. It seems I’m in the minority, however, so I suggest readers give this book a chance if it interests them!








NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:


⁃ I don’t like that the narrator is talking directly to the reader, saying things like “I should probably explain this.” Or having “(haha)” written out as if it’s a text message.

⁃ So yeah, I’m not a big fan of the writing style; but I’m going to keep reading for now because I love a good heist.

⁃ I didn’t mind the con where Elle stole the Pete’s watch. I love a con artist character. And I liked the little twist at the end where she was going after the watch all along to get the computer PIN scratched into it. But the buildup with the coin game was dragging a bit.

[- Actually, the more I thought about it... I don't love that Elle was keeping information from the reader--that doesn't really work well here, because the story is written in first-person, meaning we are in Elle's head, so we should know when she's doing something in the moment. If this book was written in third person, then us not knowing that Elle stole the watch until after the deed was done would be clever... but because we're literally in her head, it doesn't make sense that the narrative didn't even hint at her stealing the watch in the moment.]


⁃ This is just a preference thing, but I wish the author had made this story take place in a secondary world. The combination of our world and such a detailed (borderline confusing) magic system isn’t working for me; 12% (3 chapters) into the eARC, and I don’t feel grounded in this world.


⁃ So the heist is that Rook wants to find and resurrect his sister’s soul using some manuscript, which has never been done before.


⁃ The “there’s always a Greg” is funny, but unrealistic in terms of something to repeatedly rely on for cons.


- I have the same issue with Elle turning the tracker back on in the car she stole--this story is told in first person POV, so we should have seen her turning the tracker back on, rather than her telling us after the police are already nearing the crematory.


⁃ The way Elle is assembling the crew together feels too easy. CJ barely put up a fight (love the they/them rep btw), and Poppy (rune witch) agreed immediately. And finding Tolliver (who has a prose this hand—love that) was easy too. Not to mention, to find them, we’re jumping from city to city so easily.

⁃ That’s not to say they all had to disagree, but they only push back a little bit before agreeing to help Elle. I wish Elle had to work harder to convince them.


⁃ I’ve read through chapter 10 (28% in, page 82/295 of eARC), and the next section (The Rope) is about to start. But I’ve realized that I don’t really care enough to keep reading. So I’m gonna DNF here.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book two days ago and I can’t stop thinking about it and wanting to relisten to the entire last half again! Hell to Pay is all of my favorite things: sarcastic, laugh-out -loud funny, a heist, surprising, featuring a badass female main character, and just really fun! And there’s mythology! I think this is going to be my favorite book of the year. 😍

Thanks PRH Audio for the advanced copy!

[Meagan Khatthaname · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun time

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

(rounded down from 4.5)

Honestly this was so much fun. The humor was amazing and I really love the crew. The main character was amazing. The writing style was really cool and I really enjoyed the story!

My only critique is that the ending felt a little rushed and I think it could have easily been stretched out and maybe instead could have been a second book. But other than that, I genuinely had so much fun with this and absolutely loved it.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. I requested it because my exact thoughts were “Oh, this sounds like an absolutely ridiculous romp,” and that initial assumption couldn’t have been more spot on.

There were several times when I burst out laughing while reading.

This absolutely is a must for fans of Six of Crows or Ocean’s Eight. The stakes are impossibly high, and the banter is top tier. I also adored Elle’s first-person narration style. She’s snarky and a real “take no crap” kind of woman.

One tiny pet peeve I noticed (and since I read an ARC, this may have been corrected for the final version). Early on, Elle is in New Orleans and describes the weather as “hot as balls.” She also notes that Mardi Gras is 4 months away, which would make it roughly the beginning of October. A quick Google search tells you that the average weather in New Orleans that time of year is the 70s, which isn’t cool by any means, but definitely NOT “hot as balls.” Again, maybe this was just a weirdly specific pet peeve of mine, but being from the South, I wouldn’t think of the weather being “hot as balls” until at least 88-90.

There were cons on top of cons that were unveiled in the best way. The ending did feel a little quick, but the entire pace of this book was fast. It never felt like it was missing anything. There are some loose ends that line up a sequel perfectly, so I hope one is planned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the advanced review copy. My opinions are my own.

[natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being the biggest scaredy cat ever, I absolutely love a fun paranormal book, and Hell to Pay definitely fits the bill.

The book follows a heist crew, more specifically one that sort of disbanded after the death of their leader, Dante, our FMC Elle’s older brother. With a plan to bring them back together by convincing them to help her steal a soul from the Afterlife for a job, it’s a crazy ride from the start. I love love love the plot. I think I would read anything if you told me the characters were dealing with the Afterlife and limbo and being dead, even for a short while. The setup of the story, having the readers follow through the steps of one of Elle’s con plans, was so smart and such a fun way to see exactly what part of the story we’re in without knowing what could possibly happen next.

On top of that, I love the characters. The crew is so different in so many ways, but they complement each other perfectly. They’re written so beautifully, and know each other so well, it really shows just how close and tight-knit they are despite the ups and downs they come to face with each other. Plus, Crowlene was perfect, even if her timing wasn’t always. I also loved how the romances between the characters were a small subplot to the overarching story. It never once felt like we were straying away from the heist to see more of Elle and Tolliver or even CJ and Poppy; the heist was always there, and little moments between them were sprinkled in perfectly.

I have to admit that there were times when I did fully want to stop reading, mainly due to the writing style. I’m not the biggest fan of when characters are talking to the reader directly (I only enjoy the occasional fourth wall break). Mostly, the characters and specifically Elle, talk just like I do to my friends, which is usually an immediate turn off for me in a book. However, this isn’t to shame the style of writing! Given Elle’s personality and how she carries herself, that style totally works for her. The plot was still intriguing enough to me that I could overlook these details and keep reading.

Overall, every piece of Hell to Pay comes together beautifully. There’s not a single point that I can think of that was left unconnected, and the ending was exactly what I was hoping for: the perfect reunion without breaking the rules of the world the readers have come to learn about.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Young Readers for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
----
3.75 rounded up! review tomorrow <3

[lexactuallyreads [surviving off vibes ftm] · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to Lora Beth Johnson, the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for review. Wow, I absolutely loved this. If you combined the high octane heist energy from Six of Crows coupled with the current day and paranormal nature of The Babysitters Coven, you will find Hell to Pay by Lora Beth Johnson. At first, I was thinking "Oh, it just a YA heist story, there won't be much impact." Yeah, no. I was wrong. Like so incredibly wrong. Not only does the author infuse her absolute killer sense of humor into her main character, but putting together this big con-to-heist storyline where this crew has to basically infiltrate hell to retrieve a soul? Let me be honest here, you will be missing out if you do not read it. I'm honestly going to be in my corner awaiting a second installment.

Also, love the obvious beef with staircases. Specifically those of spiral nature. What is their purpose besides to look pretty, anyway?

[Minna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers publishing, and Ms. Johnson for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

First of all, let me just say that this cover is AMAZING. Super eye catching. I love crows to begin with and Crowlene, my favorite character, looks awesome front and center on this cover.

I *also* love a heist novel and while this was no Danny Ocean/Kaz Brekker/Locke Lamora (iykyk), Elle Fields was certainly a lot of fun. Is she a brat? Is she selfish sometimes, rash, arrogant, impulsive, cocky? Sure, she’s a teen. I think it comes with the territory. She’s also, let’s not forget, a con woman which I do believe comes with some of those attributes. I wish it had been a little harder to reassemble the Avengers, I mean, the heist team, but I was fully on board and invested in all these odd ducks right from the start. I really liked Poppy but I LOVED Crowlene (maybe I mentioned this). Heist step #whatever, obtain my own crow familiar 😻🐦‍⬛

I didn’t realize there was going to be Greek mythology aspects in here as well which just made it even better. I’m guessing from the ending that a space was left for a potential follow up and I will 100% be reading it if and when it arrives. Especially if it features my new favorite animal sidekick ever.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[The English Rose · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

3.8
This book breaks the fourth wall. Not something I often see and it's refreshing at first. The beginning sets the scene and did require focus to wrap my head around. The writing has humour and even had me smiling at the first page. It takes quite some time for all the characters to be introduced, but the cast has diversity with defined personalities. I found that moments in the heist seemed a bit weak and I couldn't feel the attraction between characters, but the action scenes are strong and well written. There's definitely room for a second book and I hope one does follow.

[Hannah Koetz]

Not feeling this arc, immediately too complicated and I also got the ick from her dedication

[emersen · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 this is one of the best books I’ve read all year

[Delaney (flairforfiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SUCH a wild ride from a start to finish and I absolutely LOVED every second of it. It was funny, clever, cool, and just one of the most creative stories I’ve ever read. I want to tell everyone to read this book because it was just that good.

I loved how the descriptions of a con at the beginning played out over the story. That was so fun and such a cool way to tie in that element of the story. The plot was amazing and kept me entertained all the way through. I couldn’t predict what was gonna happen next and I loved that.

I adored all the characters and their personalities. They were such a ragtag group and it was so fun seeing how they all got along.

The plot twists were so good and weren’t easy to guess, which is saying something for me. I’m usually good at seeing things from a mile away but I couldn’t guess the twists here and that made this so much more fun.

Overall this was the perfect heist book and just such a cool story overall. I can’t wait for the sequel!

[Lee Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! So much so that I took longer to read the last 100 pages because I didn't want it to end, that's how good it was!

Elle, a con artist who specialises in breaking into the Afterlife to steal secrets and magic is hired by a mysterious (and rich) stranger to steal a soul from the Afterlife so the enigmatic stranger's sister can be resurrected.

But Elle has an ulterior motive for agreeing to this seemingly impossible task.... She knows that if she can complete this ghostly heist, she stands the chance of being reunited with her brother who was killed a year ago, and whose soul is trapped in Tartarus, the epicenter of Hell itself.

There's just one problem... She has no crew left. They all abandoned her after she banished them from her sight and her life last year.... And now she has no way of knowing whether they will agree to help her or not. And she's going to need all the help she can get, because this task truly is seemingly impossible....

This book is a wild ride from the very first page, to the last. I genuinely couldn't think about anything else other than reading this book. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, really immersive and gripping and the characters are fleshed out and written really well, with humour and heart but a dark gothic undertone too.

I really did love this book and I implore you to check it out if it sounds like your kind of book, it's brilliant

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun YA fantasy is a heist story except the place they're breaking into is Tartarus and the thing they're trying to steal is a soul. Elle is a thief who takes trips into the afterlife to steal secrets from the dead. Anyone can go to the afterlife, and when they come back they bring a little bit of magic with them. Gather enough of that magic and you, too, can become a diety! But that is not the case for Elle, who never seems to be able to use whatever magic she may bring back. When she is approached by someone who is desperate to retrieve the soul of his sister to resurrect her, Elle can't say no. Her own brother has died, and if she can't resurrect him she might as well give someone else back their sibling. Luckily, Elle has help from a ragtag group of cons, some more honest than others.

I really liked this book! Elle's narration is fun, and the world building was really interesting, with Greek mythology being used in a different way. Deities as mob bosses, so to speak.

Plus, there's an undead crow named Crowlene. Come on!

[Löffel Bombasti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise 😌

I probably would've loved it even more if I were younger, but it was still super entertaining for old(er) me.

The Story got a bit chaotic at times, but the setting is very unique. So yeah, I wish more people knew about this book. It deserves more attention for sure.

All in all a fun read if you want something fresh and not so deep (i ate it up in two days )

[Aliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent YA caper that features a crew of diverse teenagers who don't always really plan their cons/heists/crimes that well and trip and fall their way into failure and success...and so do the antagonists sometimes...but who cares! A good time is had! We've got old gods, the descendants of old gods, magic, demons, ghosts, hell, betrayals, betrayals again maybe? It's fast-paced, comedic, and hopefully the start to a series (please?? there's so much left to explore! Elle's parents? Her brother? Her identity? That demon guy??). It's fun! It's funny! I need more!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

[Amanda R Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok look, this isn't going to be for everyone, but I'll tell you right now who it will be for: fans of fantasy with irreverent humor and quirky unreliable narrators. The humor reminds me of the brand found in the Assistant to the Villain series. Hell to Pay was a fun story for me following our FMC Elle on a quest for her brother's soul amidst a series of cons with stakes increasingly high. Elle is always one step ahead though, and I enjoyed her story. I look forward to reading any sequel the author may be interested in putting out into the world too.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers! I genuinely really enjoyed this book.

[scarley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was witty, funny, engaging and just an all round good read. I think this book is what I wanted the Book of Night duology to be, and from the dedication onwards I was very much charmed. A morally grey but positive protagonist, a set of supporting characters that all have their own foibles, and world building that was just detailed and different enough not to set my classicist teeth on edge. Fans of the shows Kaos and Leverage would enjoy this, I posit.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley and Bonnier Books for the early copy of this book to review.

First of all: I LOVE Ellie the main character - she’s such a sarcastic, organised leader and I laughed out loud at a lot of her jokes whether they were out loud or in her own head. Even the way she THINKS in this book is funny!

Second: the world holding was so fun. It’s nothing really out there or super unique, but I love Greek Gods and a good heist so this sincerely ticked a lot of boxes. The magic system is really interesting too so I’d love to delve more into this and see it in even more detail. Like maybe from the perspective of someone doing runic magic.

Third: the pacing and storyline was really good, lots of twists and turns but nothing that didn’t seem believable and it all seemed to follow on organically, with nothing seeming forced. Usually with heists I expect some sort of failure of the plan and having to regroup, and sometimes that can make them a little predictable, but that wasn’t the case here!

It was a really high energy book with high stakes and a really fun concept. Loved it!

[Candace Mahieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I loved Ocean’s Eleven because of its charm, the chaos, and the charismatic crew. Hell to Pay delivers that same energy. The story follows Elle and her diverse team pulling off multiple heists, with Elle breaking the fourth wall to share insights, fun facts, and clever commentary. The world-building is clear and immersive, and the magic system feels fresh and well executed. Elle is a confident, strategic lead who thrives on reading motives and exploiting loopholes, while her team is both engaging and essential to every con. With layers of twists, you’re never quite sure what’s planned and what’s gone off-script. It’s a fast-paced and thoroughly fun read, so I would definitely be interested in a second book. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

[Patricia · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5,
How the hell did I read a book that wasn't even released yet

[Gali · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hell to Pay" by Lora Beth Johnson is an entertaining YA fantasy set in contemporary Boston that follows a teenage con artist and a ragtag crew you can’t help but root for. It checked many of my favorite boxes: heists, quests, magic, and a familiar.

Elle Fields was once part of a successful crew of con artists who specialized in breaking into the Afterlife. Each visit grants the visitor a bit of magic, but Elle is the only one in the gang who never gained any. After her parents mysteriously disappeared and her brother died, the crew fell apart, leaving her with only her undead crow for company. Desperate to find a way to bring her brother back, Elle jumps at the chance when a wealthy client offers her a job stealing a soul from the Afterlife. Reuniting her old crew, she sets out on a dangerous heist filled with demons, syndicates, and other threats. The odds are stacked against them, and if they fail, there’ll be hell to pay...

The book is packed with humor, banter, and eccentric characters one can’t help but like. The story is told in first person from Elle’s POV, with moments where she addresses the reader directly. I loved the writing style, Elle’s internal monologue, and her breaking of the fourth wall to share her thoughts and information with us. She is something of an unreliable narrator, so we never quite know what is coming next or what is in store. The twists come fast and furious, believe me.

The book is loosely inspired by Greek mythology, and I loved the winks to it. The world-building is as intriguing as its inhabitants, with its syndicates, magic system, and various magical abilities. I enjoyed the concept of afterlife tourism, the vivid descriptions of the Afterlife, and the quests. Some of them had me holding my breath as the crew navigated increasingly dangerous obstacles and opponents. And there are demons, too! I also liked the gentle romance subplot, which didn’t overshadow the tale.

The book explores themes of love, grief, responsibility, trust, risk-taking, perseverance, and found family, as well as the dangers of power. I loved Elle’s spirit and her ability to improvise and think on her feet. Yes, she has flaws; she is stubborn, selfish, and impulsive at times, but that made her feel human. The ragtag crew contains a diverse and colorful cast of characters, including CJ, Tolliver, Poppy, and Ezra, each with their own magical abilities. I also appreciated the inclusion of a nonbinary character. The crow familiar steals the show, providing much-needed comic relief between darker moments with her tendency to arrive late, her parts falling apart, and her many quirks.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The characters, humor, inventive world-building, thrilling heists, and memorable crow familiar made for an engaging and fun read. I did find it a bit confusing at first, with all the groups and syndicates, which kept it from being a full five-star read for me. There is no cliffhanger, which I greatly appreciated. The author tied up most loose ends while leaving a few dangling to set up what feels like the next book. I would love to read more stories in this world. This book would suit fantasy lovers who enjoy quests, magical heists, found-family stories, and high-stakes adventures.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* The revie on my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2026...