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Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief
Most sixteen-year-olds shouldn’t know where museums keep their rarest jewels (the basement) and they really shouldn’t know that vans make the worst getaway cars. But for Marisol Flores, a life of jewel thievery is a birthright handed down from generation to generation, even if she didn’t ask for it. So when a rival thief targets Mari and her mother, Mari’s more than happy to flee to the anonymity of bustling New York City.
Blending in is a dream come true for Mari, but keeping her former thieving ways a secret gets way more complicated when handsome Will Campbell sets his sights on her. She can’t help but like his terrible puns and charming grin…but when her past catches up with her, it’s not only her life—and her anonymity—that’s at stake.
Will could be the next target.
Blending in is a dream come true for Mari, but keeping her former thieving ways a secret gets way more complicated when handsome Will Campbell sets his sights on her. She can’t help but like his terrible puns and charming grin…but when her past catches up with her, it’s not only her life—and her anonymity—that’s at stake.
Will could be the next target.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 8, 2017
Review first posted on Realm of the Sapphired Dragon 8/8/17
*I received this book for free from the publisher in return for an honest review*
I really enjoyed this story. It was sweet and engaging from the very first chapter. 17 year old Mari is from a family with long glorious tradition of jewel thievery and that has been the life she has led so far. After finding out a dangerous rival is out to get them, Mari and her mother head to New York to hide out and Mari has to pretend to be a normal teenager for the first time in her life.
Firstly, I liked this spin on the extraordinary teen hiding out as a regular teenager premise and Mari was a likeable main character. I thought the idea played out well in the story giving a plausible fun and intriguing story line. We got see both the jewel thief side of her in action as well as the regular teen and Ms Somers showed the contrasts well which really helped make mar are more rounded and believeable character.
The pace and flow of this story really hit the mark. I was in the story from the first page and quickly flew through this only putting it down briefly once. Mari's voice was relatable and I cared what happened to her and to Will. I liked the twists and surprises the author threw in and while i picked some of it, I still felt compelled to keep moving threw to the story to see how it all turned out.
Overall the story is great blend of sweet romance, action and adventure with feels a plenty and a satisfying conclusion to leave you smiling.
I really enjoyed this and gave it 3 3/4 stars :-)
Sapphired Dragon xx
*I received this book for free from the publisher in return for an honest review*
I really enjoyed this story. It was sweet and engaging from the very first chapter. 17 year old Mari is from a family with long glorious tradition of jewel thievery and that has been the life she has led so far. After finding out a dangerous rival is out to get them, Mari and her mother head to New York to hide out and Mari has to pretend to be a normal teenager for the first time in her life.
Firstly, I liked this spin on the extraordinary teen hiding out as a regular teenager premise and Mari was a likeable main character. I thought the idea played out well in the story giving a plausible fun and intriguing story line. We got see both the jewel thief side of her in action as well as the regular teen and Ms Somers showed the contrasts well which really helped make mar are more rounded and believeable character.
The pace and flow of this story really hit the mark. I was in the story from the first page and quickly flew through this only putting it down briefly once. Mari's voice was relatable and I cared what happened to her and to Will. I liked the twists and surprises the author threw in and while i picked some of it, I still felt compelled to keep moving threw to the story to see how it all turned out.
Overall the story is great blend of sweet romance, action and adventure with feels a plenty and a satisfying conclusion to leave you smiling.
I really enjoyed this and gave it 3 3/4 stars :-)
Sapphired Dragon xx
August 17, 2017
*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts/opinions are my own. Thank you!!*
This review was originally posted here on my blog!
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief was such a hard book to rate for me. Now, it wasn't a hard book to read by any means, but once I finsihed I wasn't sure how I felt about it. For the msot part, I wasn't critcally reading this book. I was just picking it up whenever I felt like it and didn't actually analyze the book that much. I think if I were to have done this the whole time, i would have njoyed the book better. Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief isn't meant to be picked apart, it's just meant to be a cute teenage thriller without a whole lot of suspense. When I got around the 70 percent mark though, I just couldn't hold back any longer, and there were a couple of key things that led to me not LOVING this book.
First off is the romance. Right from the get-go I wasn't on board with the romance. I just couldn't feel the chemistry, and every single one of Marisol and Will's interactions felt awkward to me. I feel like this might have been done on purpose to show that although Mari is a professional thief, she's still an awkward teenager. However, basically all of the characters interactions felt awkward and at times forced. I never cared about the romance and thought it was unnecessary. It wasn't until near the end though that I actually had a problem with it. Before then, I was just indifferent.
I don't know if I picked this up late or if it was just in the last 20 percent of the book, but there was a weird ownership quality to the romance. There were phrases used like "That's my Will", "He's mine", "I belong to you", etc. in the short span of the last 20 percent. These phrases are supposed to be swoony and show that they only have eyes for each other, but it made me feel...icky? The whole ownership that the two proclaimed to each other just rubbed me the wrong way. No one should feel as if a person is THEIRS, and it got pretty frustrating.
Also, none of the characters were that complex or complicated except for the narrator. Mari was a nice narrator, but much of the book is solely focused on her that we don't learn about the other characters. Because of this, I didn't care for anyone. Oh, this character was kidnapped and character X was conning you the whole time? I don't care because I barely remember their names, let alone anything important about them! I just had this sense of detachment when reading the book. It was like being at a party and just people watching. You're there, but you aren't participating. A couple more scenes between Mari and her mother would have been nice, as well as her with some other teenagers to get that juxtaposition between jewel thief and awkward teen.
My last big complaint is that Mari's skill set wasn't utilized enough. We're told she's trained in Krav Maga, is fluent in multiple languages, etc. The book opens with her scaling a building, and yet that is one of the few times we see her skills in action. She does have a wonderful sequence around the 60 percent mark, but that's all we really get. Once Mari teams up with other people, they steal the spotlight. I wish that Mari would have done more of the action instead of standing there and watching it happen. Instead of people protecting Mari, I wanted to see her work with them as a team.
Besides all of this, I still had an okay time reading this book. Even though I couldn't connect with the characters that well, thought the romance missed the mark, and Mari wasn't used as much, the premise is still a fun one. There are good chunks of the book where I was having fun reading it and really into the story. This book could have had an extra 20 to 30 pages to really give this book the extra "umph" it needed to make me enjoy it more. The writing itself was done pretty well, and I would read something else by Somers in the future.
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief wasn't great by any means, but it wasn't awful or boring. I had a pretty fun time with it, and would recommend it to anyone who is just looking for a quick heist read.
With that, I give this book
3 out of 5 Stars!
First initial thoughts
Well, that was an entertaining and quick ride! Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief kept me intrigued the whole time, but there were a couple things that kept me from really liking this book.
1) All the characters weren't developed or as complex as I wanted except for the MC. Though Mari was a nice narrator, the book is very much focused on her and we don't learn much about the other characters. This led me to not really care about anyone. I had this sense of detachment as I read the book because of it. I would have loved to see more scenes between Mark and her mother so that their relationship was more heartfelt, and some more of Maris interactions with high schoolers to see that juxtaposition between jewel thief and awkward teenager.
2) The romance had this weird ownership quality to it that really rubbed me the wrong way. There's instances where phrases like "my will", "I'm his", "you're mine", "you belong to me" are used. This was meant to be swoony, but really irritated me. No one should own another person, and I couldn't block out my irritation.
3) there's this big sequence of events at the end in which Mari is facing down a bad guy, and it was really entertaining. Throughout the whole book were told (but not really shown, mind you) that Mari is this kick ass girl who can scale buildings, knows Krav Maga, and is fluent in multiple languages. And yet when the climax happens she's always sheltered. I wanted her to do something, but she's pretty helpless. I think what she did was pretty kick ass, but I wanted her to do more. One character (won't say who bc of spoilers) always protects Mari and puts her life above theirs, and it's their "classic move" I wanted to shove this person over and let Mari be a badass!
BUT
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief had a really good premise. While I would have loved to see the relationships developed more, the writing was good and kept me going! There's room for improvement, but nothing's perfect. I would read for of this author for sure.
3 out of 5 Stars
This review was originally posted here on my blog!
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief was such a hard book to rate for me. Now, it wasn't a hard book to read by any means, but once I finsihed I wasn't sure how I felt about it. For the msot part, I wasn't critcally reading this book. I was just picking it up whenever I felt like it and didn't actually analyze the book that much. I think if I were to have done this the whole time, i would have njoyed the book better. Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief isn't meant to be picked apart, it's just meant to be a cute teenage thriller without a whole lot of suspense. When I got around the 70 percent mark though, I just couldn't hold back any longer, and there were a couple of key things that led to me not LOVING this book.
First off is the romance. Right from the get-go I wasn't on board with the romance. I just couldn't feel the chemistry, and every single one of Marisol and Will's interactions felt awkward to me. I feel like this might have been done on purpose to show that although Mari is a professional thief, she's still an awkward teenager. However, basically all of the characters interactions felt awkward and at times forced. I never cared about the romance and thought it was unnecessary. It wasn't until near the end though that I actually had a problem with it. Before then, I was just indifferent.
I don't know if I picked this up late or if it was just in the last 20 percent of the book, but there was a weird ownership quality to the romance. There were phrases used like "That's my Will", "He's mine", "I belong to you", etc. in the short span of the last 20 percent. These phrases are supposed to be swoony and show that they only have eyes for each other, but it made me feel...icky? The whole ownership that the two proclaimed to each other just rubbed me the wrong way. No one should feel as if a person is THEIRS, and it got pretty frustrating.
Also, none of the characters were that complex or complicated except for the narrator. Mari was a nice narrator, but much of the book is solely focused on her that we don't learn about the other characters. Because of this, I didn't care for anyone. Oh, this character was kidnapped and character X was conning you the whole time? I don't care because I barely remember their names, let alone anything important about them! I just had this sense of detachment when reading the book. It was like being at a party and just people watching. You're there, but you aren't participating. A couple more scenes between Mari and her mother would have been nice, as well as her with some other teenagers to get that juxtaposition between jewel thief and awkward teen.
My last big complaint is that Mari's skill set wasn't utilized enough. We're told she's trained in Krav Maga, is fluent in multiple languages, etc. The book opens with her scaling a building, and yet that is one of the few times we see her skills in action. She does have a wonderful sequence around the 60 percent mark, but that's all we really get. Once Mari teams up with other people, they steal the spotlight. I wish that Mari would have done more of the action instead of standing there and watching it happen. Instead of people protecting Mari, I wanted to see her work with them as a team.
Besides all of this, I still had an okay time reading this book. Even though I couldn't connect with the characters that well, thought the romance missed the mark, and Mari wasn't used as much, the premise is still a fun one. There are good chunks of the book where I was having fun reading it and really into the story. This book could have had an extra 20 to 30 pages to really give this book the extra "umph" it needed to make me enjoy it more. The writing itself was done pretty well, and I would read something else by Somers in the future.
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief wasn't great by any means, but it wasn't awful or boring. I had a pretty fun time with it, and would recommend it to anyone who is just looking for a quick heist read.
With that, I give this book
3 out of 5 Stars!
First initial thoughts
Well, that was an entertaining and quick ride! Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief kept me intrigued the whole time, but there were a couple things that kept me from really liking this book.
1) All the characters weren't developed or as complex as I wanted except for the MC. Though Mari was a nice narrator, the book is very much focused on her and we don't learn much about the other characters. This led me to not really care about anyone. I had this sense of detachment as I read the book because of it. I would have loved to see more scenes between Mark and her mother so that their relationship was more heartfelt, and some more of Maris interactions with high schoolers to see that juxtaposition between jewel thief and awkward teenager.
2) The romance had this weird ownership quality to it that really rubbed me the wrong way. There's instances where phrases like "my will", "I'm his", "you're mine", "you belong to me" are used. This was meant to be swoony, but really irritated me. No one should own another person, and I couldn't block out my irritation.
3) there's this big sequence of events at the end in which Mari is facing down a bad guy, and it was really entertaining. Throughout the whole book were told (but not really shown, mind you) that Mari is this kick ass girl who can scale buildings, knows Krav Maga, and is fluent in multiple languages. And yet when the climax happens she's always sheltered. I wanted her to do something, but she's pretty helpless. I think what she did was pretty kick ass, but I wanted her to do more. One character (won't say who bc of spoilers) always protects Mari and puts her life above theirs, and it's their "classic move" I wanted to shove this person over and let Mari be a badass!
BUT
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief had a really good premise. While I would have loved to see the relationships developed more, the writing was good and kept me going! There's room for improvement, but nothing's perfect. I would read for of this author for sure.
3 out of 5 Stars
August 9, 2017
Marisol comes from a generational line of jewelry thieves, so it's not new to her learning about heists and stealing jewels. The thing is that someone has betrayed the crew her family belongs to as they turn up to the same heist they are doing. It turns out that the guy who turned up is known for killing Marisol's dad and now he wants the whole family wiped and the journal that he supposedly left behind. Marisol's mother takes the pair of them back to New York where Marisol becomes Mari - a new transfer student. The pair of them in hiding trying to live a normal life. Well, that was Mari's goal to stay under the radar, but she has attracted the attention of hot guy Will Campbell. No matter how much she tries to stay away, he is there. The pair soon starts dating, and Mari believes that maybe the life of a Normal Teenage girl is something that she could get used to. That is until Marisol's Uncle turns up and then Will gets himself kidnapped but is it a trap to lure Marisol and her mother out into the open? What will happen when Marisol realizes that it's her diary that her father left her is the main prize?
August 15, 2017
3.5 Stars
I went into this book expecting it to read like a teenage Penelope Blue filled with heists, antics, and awesome ninja/jewel thief stuff.
I liked it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. This had a light romance, and was more about Mari being lonely, fitting in, and trying to be "normal" when all she knows is the life of a jewel thief. It does have some action during the second half of the book, but even then it feels almost out of place because of how the beginning of the book went.
I don't normally read books about general teenage issues because I'm way past that point of my life but I think that the target audience would enjoy this book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.
I went into this book expecting it to read like a teenage Penelope Blue filled with heists, antics, and awesome ninja/jewel thief stuff.
I liked it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. This had a light romance, and was more about Mari being lonely, fitting in, and trying to be "normal" when all she knows is the life of a jewel thief. It does have some action during the second half of the book, but even then it feels almost out of place because of how the beginning of the book went.
I don't normally read books about general teenage issues because I'm way past that point of my life but I think that the target audience would enjoy this book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.
August 14, 2017
*I was voluntarily provided a complimentary review copy by the publisher.
This is a fun story with an unexpected twist and great characters. I liked it but felt it would have been much better if the story had been fleshed out a little more to give the storyline more depth.
This is a fun story with an unexpected twist and great characters. I liked it but felt it would have been much better if the story had been fleshed out a little more to give the storyline more depth.
August 26, 2017
This was a cute, yet lacking type of story. It was a fun one that I can see many teenage girls enjoying, especially with a young, kind girl as the protagonist, and receiving the attention from a sweet, cute guy.
Mari is kind and someone that I’m sure many teenagers wouldn’t mind being friends with. Unfortunately, I found her character to be incomplete in regards to her jewel thieving ways. The title, the opening, and the fact that Mari and her mom are hiding is all contributed to the fact that their “profession” is jewel thieving. However, it is difficult to fully understand the dangers involved in being thieves due to the focus quickly shifting to something else. After the opening, the author explains Mari is adjusting in “normal” teenage life, which was disappointing because I wanted more of how and where she stole jewels.
Also, I felt that the beginning was captivating showing how physically strong and resourceful Mari was. Right after, though, I honestly forgot that Mari was very physically capable and that thieving was a big part of her life until the very end. The story just turned into a teen romance for a while. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when the hype of this book is jewel thieving, then I expect that to be the main focus.
In some ways, I felt the relationship between Mari and Will a bit forced and underdeveloped. Part of the reason might be because Will’s character isn’t really fleshed out and he is pretty one-dimensional. Because of this, their relationship wasn’t very exciting and I felt it took away from the plot’s progression.
Overall, the book was fairly enjoyable and light, but was lacking in a few areas. I would perhaps recommend this read teenagers who enjoy sweet romance novels with a bit of action.
https://bookloverblogs.com/2017/08/26...
Mari is kind and someone that I’m sure many teenagers wouldn’t mind being friends with. Unfortunately, I found her character to be incomplete in regards to her jewel thieving ways. The title, the opening, and the fact that Mari and her mom are hiding is all contributed to the fact that their “profession” is jewel thieving. However, it is difficult to fully understand the dangers involved in being thieves due to the focus quickly shifting to something else. After the opening, the author explains Mari is adjusting in “normal” teenage life, which was disappointing because I wanted more of how and where she stole jewels.
Also, I felt that the beginning was captivating showing how physically strong and resourceful Mari was. Right after, though, I honestly forgot that Mari was very physically capable and that thieving was a big part of her life until the very end. The story just turned into a teen romance for a while. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when the hype of this book is jewel thieving, then I expect that to be the main focus.
In some ways, I felt the relationship between Mari and Will a bit forced and underdeveloped. Part of the reason might be because Will’s character isn’t really fleshed out and he is pretty one-dimensional. Because of this, their relationship wasn’t very exciting and I felt it took away from the plot’s progression.
Overall, the book was fairly enjoyable and light, but was lacking in a few areas. I would perhaps recommend this read teenagers who enjoy sweet romance novels with a bit of action.
https://bookloverblogs.com/2017/08/26...
July 3, 2020
3.5 star
Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Marisol has been taught her whole life how to pull of the perfect heist, but when things go wrong and she finally gets to be a 'normal' teenage girl she doesn't really know how to handle it all.
She adjusts to high school fairly easily, thanks in part to her having done online school, and from just blending into the background for the most part. With Will helping her get caught up in Math, and Jamie helping her find clubs to join to help her make friends. Marisol seems to start enjoying her new life. That is until a family member shows up and she realizes she's maybe being followed by someone.
This causes her to panic and to doubt her new life completely. She realizes that there really isn't a way to get away from the world they've been a part of, and she may have put all of her new friends at risk too.
Overall I did enjoy this book, but I'm also not going to lie I was a little disappointed that this was more girl adjust to normal life and less heist related. Not saying this was a bad thing, just wasn't exactly what I was suspecting. Also how in the world did she not have any idea who Will was? Having said that, I really did like the beginning and the last thirty percent of the book. The middle part while important to show her new life, and how her connection to Will changed things, was also a little boring to me personally. I wish we would have either gotten to see more of her friends at school or her family dynamic because I felt like we didn't really get to understand it until almost the end.
I am interested to see if this gets any companion novels because that ending was the perfect setup for some, and they sound like they would be Amazing!
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Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Marisol has been taught her whole life how to pull of the perfect heist, but when things go wrong and she finally gets to be a 'normal' teenage girl she doesn't really know how to handle it all.
She adjusts to high school fairly easily, thanks in part to her having done online school, and from just blending into the background for the most part. With Will helping her get caught up in Math, and Jamie helping her find clubs to join to help her make friends. Marisol seems to start enjoying her new life. That is until a family member shows up and she realizes she's maybe being followed by someone.
This causes her to panic and to doubt her new life completely. She realizes that there really isn't a way to get away from the world they've been a part of, and she may have put all of her new friends at risk too.
Overall I did enjoy this book, but I'm also not going to lie I was a little disappointed that this was more girl adjust to normal life and less heist related. Not saying this was a bad thing, just wasn't exactly what I was suspecting. Also how in the world did she not have any idea who Will was? Having said that, I really did like the beginning and the last thirty percent of the book. The middle part while important to show her new life, and how her connection to Will changed things, was also a little boring to me personally. I wish we would have either gotten to see more of her friends at school or her family dynamic because I felt like we didn't really get to understand it until almost the end.
I am interested to see if this gets any companion novels because that ending was the perfect setup for some, and they sound like they would be Amazing!
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August 7, 2017
"Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief" was a really fast YA (light) thriller! We follow Marisol, who has been raised in the family business of stealing jewels- although her mother and she have recently given it up and are trying to settle in New York City. Her father was killed by Petrov Rosinsky, a crime leader in Europe who has extensive influence. She and her mother are trying to escape his grasp by fleeing to NYC. At first, things look safe and all Mari has to worry about are normal teenage things, starting at a new high school- friends and classwork. Things are also changing as she finds she has a shadow in a hot boy named Will- and she might not mind too much.
Overall, it was a fast-paced and quick read that was enjoyable all the way through. I also see the ending was left as if a sequel is in the works, and I would love to continue with this interesting storyline in the next book (and the new characters we meet at the end). The first half of the book seems like it will just be another high school new-kid story, but then about halfway through, everything changes for the more intense! I liked both sides of the story, as Mari is an easily likable character, and we all know how hard it can be to fit in in a new school. The romance with Will was cute but really fast (which Mari herself admits), and even though it has a flair of insta-love, I liked it anyway.
At first, I didn't understand why it focused on her diary when so much of it is told through regular prose, but this became clear later, and I liked how everything developed/came together throughout the story. Mari and her mother were really sweet and had a great relationship, which is always refreshing to see in YA. Overall, it's a delightful and quick read that toes the edges of the thriller category without being too intense.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Overall, it was a fast-paced and quick read that was enjoyable all the way through. I also see the ending was left as if a sequel is in the works, and I would love to continue with this interesting storyline in the next book (and the new characters we meet at the end). The first half of the book seems like it will just be another high school new-kid story, but then about halfway through, everything changes for the more intense! I liked both sides of the story, as Mari is an easily likable character, and we all know how hard it can be to fit in in a new school. The romance with Will was cute but really fast (which Mari herself admits), and even though it has a flair of insta-love, I liked it anyway.
At first, I didn't understand why it focused on her diary when so much of it is told through regular prose, but this became clear later, and I liked how everything developed/came together throughout the story. Mari and her mother were really sweet and had a great relationship, which is always refreshing to see in YA. Overall, it's a delightful and quick read that toes the edges of the thriller category without being too intense.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2017
Spoilers Free Review!
3.5 Stars!
Teens living unusual lives are on of my soft spots. I enjoy stories where teens 'have different jobs'. So, this was a book I knew I wasn't going to pass up. It was a good read, I kinda want a little more of the 'Jewel Thief' side of her life. We got a little bit, a little tease but other than that, it's just what I was looking for. The lead character Mari moves back to New York to go into hiding. Her father's side of the family comes from a long line of Jewel Thieves. ( World of love to know more about the history side of her family.) We follow her as she's in hiding and how that plays out. Her mother is a good side character who plays a role in the story than just a parents role. This is a swoony, action story with a strong girl who followers her heart.
Characters: We get to know the tips of these characters, there's so much more to these characters, I wish we got to know more of them. (This felt like a first book in a series so I hoping there's more.) The lead, Mari, journals a lot, and I found those parts to be the best-written parts.
Plot: This plot of simple, with a few little twist. I could see one of the twist coming, but it planned out different than what I thought was going to happen.
Writing: I really enjoyed author Rosie Somers writing. Her pacing of writing, flow and styles made this book great.
Didn't like: I found that the Mari and Will falling for each other happened a little too fast.
Other than that this was a cheesy swoon, with a little bit of kick-butting book.
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief was read and reviewed part of a blog tour but all these thoughts are all mine and what I truly think of this book.
3.5 Stars!
Teens living unusual lives are on of my soft spots. I enjoy stories where teens 'have different jobs'. So, this was a book I knew I wasn't going to pass up. It was a good read, I kinda want a little more of the 'Jewel Thief' side of her life. We got a little bit, a little tease but other than that, it's just what I was looking for. The lead character Mari moves back to New York to go into hiding. Her father's side of the family comes from a long line of Jewel Thieves. ( World of love to know more about the history side of her family.) We follow her as she's in hiding and how that plays out. Her mother is a good side character who plays a role in the story than just a parents role. This is a swoony, action story with a strong girl who followers her heart.
Characters: We get to know the tips of these characters, there's so much more to these characters, I wish we got to know more of them. (This felt like a first book in a series so I hoping there's more.) The lead, Mari, journals a lot, and I found those parts to be the best-written parts.
Plot: This plot of simple, with a few little twist. I could see one of the twist coming, but it planned out different than what I thought was going to happen.
Writing: I really enjoyed author Rosie Somers writing. Her pacing of writing, flow and styles made this book great.
Didn't like: I found that the Mari and Will falling for each other happened a little too fast.
Other than that this was a cheesy swoon, with a little bit of kick-butting book.
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief was read and reviewed part of a blog tour but all these thoughts are all mine and what I truly think of this book.
December 18, 2024
When we first see Marisol in Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief, she's mid-heist, taking the lead on a job for the first time ever. Things don't go exactly as planned, though, and when next we see her she's attempting to live the life of an ordinary NYC teen for the first time ever. Her fish-out-of-water issues are endearing, but I was a little bummed that her jewel thief skills didn't end up getting more of a workout in the rest of the novel (though her solution to forgetting her locker combination was fantastic!)
Will is a likable character as well, but it didn't feel like we (or Mari, for that matter) really got to know him well enough. Both their relationship and the main suspense part of the plot felt as if they could have been more fleshed out, given us more. The resolution of both felt a bit too pat and easy. The ending did make it seem like this is the potential first book in a series, though, so possibly future books will give us more--more chances for Mari to show her stuff, more character and relationship development, and more involved suspense plots. Fingers crossed!
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief is a cute YA story with an engaging main character, and though it's a little lighter on the suspense and romance than I'd like, it was still a fun way to pass a few hours.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Will is a likable character as well, but it didn't feel like we (or Mari, for that matter) really got to know him well enough. Both their relationship and the main suspense part of the plot felt as if they could have been more fleshed out, given us more. The resolution of both felt a bit too pat and easy. The ending did make it seem like this is the potential first book in a series, though, so possibly future books will give us more--more chances for Mari to show her stuff, more character and relationship development, and more involved suspense plots. Fingers crossed!
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief is a cute YA story with an engaging main character, and though it's a little lighter on the suspense and romance than I'd like, it was still a fun way to pass a few hours.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
July 31, 2017
Original review can be found at Freeing Fantasy. You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Bloglovin.
ARC for Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief was provided through NetGalley for an honest review.
ARC for Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief was provided through NetGalley for an honest review.
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief had excited me right away with the synopsis and beautiful cover, and even though it wasn't what I expected it was still a really great read.
Mari's character was something special and not just because she was a thief. For some reason I expected her to be extremely confident given the fact that she's a skilled thief and has traveled all over. In actuality, she was confident when it came to her thieving skills but when it came to social situations, she was completely clueless. I felt like the two sides to her were so drastically different that it helped make her a really deep and interesting character. Through it all, no matter how scared or worried she was, she stayed tough and sassy. Even when Will, who literally made her want to melt, was flirting and getting so close she could hardly think.
One of the small highlights for me was Mari's relationship with her Mom. Yes, they were thieves, but they were also mother and daughter. I loved how they never lost sight of that also put each other before anything else. Family was what really mattered to them, and it showed.
The only thing I wished it had more of was the actual stealing, but I understood that it really wasn't needed for where the storyline was going. Still, it would have been an extra layer of fun. Also, considering she comes from a long line of jewel thieves, it would have been cool to get a closer look at her interesting family.
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief will have you hooked from the very first page, I know it did me. With page after page of romance, action, and adventure, I can promise you it's worth the read.
September 8, 2017
I recieved an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Marisol Flores is a jewel thief, she comes from generations of thieves, and the only thing she really wants is a normal life. Marisol and her mother move to New York after they find out they are being hunted for a jewel heist they committed. When they first arrive at New York, Marisol wants to fit in but she is not sure she even knows how. Enter Will Campbell; the guy who calls Marisol Flowers, a play on her last name, and the one person Marisol wants to try to have a relationship with.
The one thing I really liked about this book is Marisol was a true strong female character. The author did not need to build her up or have her learn how to carry herself, she just was. The book was written extremely well, the only complaint was the instalove between Marisol and Will. It always bothered me when authors write characters to have such an immediate attraction at first sight. Neither were annoying as compared to other books that have instalove couples, so I will let this slide. Another thing I really liked in this book was the twists the author implemented, truly great work on her part and I will be looking forward to more books by Rosie Somers
Marisol Flores is a jewel thief, she comes from generations of thieves, and the only thing she really wants is a normal life. Marisol and her mother move to New York after they find out they are being hunted for a jewel heist they committed. When they first arrive at New York, Marisol wants to fit in but she is not sure she even knows how. Enter Will Campbell; the guy who calls Marisol Flowers, a play on her last name, and the one person Marisol wants to try to have a relationship with.
The one thing I really liked about this book is Marisol was a true strong female character. The author did not need to build her up or have her learn how to carry herself, she just was. The book was written extremely well, the only complaint was the instalove between Marisol and Will. It always bothered me when authors write characters to have such an immediate attraction at first sight. Neither were annoying as compared to other books that have instalove couples, so I will let this slide. Another thing I really liked in this book was the twists the author implemented, truly great work on her part and I will be looking forward to more books by Rosie Somers
August 8, 2017
I loved this book. It was such a quick and cute read. I liked how Mari comes from a family opposite side of the law. It's an enjoyable book full of twist and turns. It was an interesting book to read. Amazing.
October 28, 2017
Awesome book with a great story and enough plot twists to keep you hooked.
I received a digital copy of this book for an unbiased opinion.
I received a digital copy of this book for an unbiased opinion.
August 15, 2017
**3.5 Stars**
Marisol and her mother are in the process of their last jewel heist when something goes wrong and they are being pursued. They escape to New York and attempt to start normal lives, something Marisol has no idea about. Marisol has no idea how to be a regular teen girl, add in the fact that she has never had a boyfriend or real friends before and now she is thrown into the wilds of High School. Just when things seem to be looking up, with a cute attentive boy hanging around and the start of freindship, Marisol can't shake the feeling that something is coming.
I found this book to be a very fast, fun read. It was a quick plot, over just a few weeks and it was easily something that could be read in an afternoon. I was instantly interested in the story, enjoying the quirky awkwardness that was Marisol. As the book progressed I became a little less interested in the story because I kept picking at the things I found frustrating, instead of just letting this be an entertaining afternoon read. The thing is, I think reality has to take a backseat to plot to fully be able to enjoy this read, which for some reason I was not expecting (yes I know teen thief is not super realistic, but hey, it could happen!). The first half of the book felt very realistic, believable and engaging- a highly trained teen thief who was more equipped to steal a jewel than to manage the messy waters of high school, and I loved how awkward Marisol was. Add in the fact a murder occurs right in front of Marisol within the first few pages to add the danger aspect as she and her mother flee for their lives. Loved her starting school, the awkwardness and uncertainty was tangible and I felt for her. But then things became odd for me and I started to lose interest, and I had a lot of questions about the logistics of things that were never really explained or fit.
For example, her highly paranoid mother who wants to walk her teen-aged daughter to school and needs her to text her whereabouts suddenly doesn’t have her phone available to answer Marisol’s calls and doesn’t take her seriously when she says she is being followed. AND then she leaves her paranoid- refusing to leave the house daughter alone to go out of town for 4 days? What? No way. It was like a 180 personality reversal that made no sense and had no reasoning behind it.
And that brings me to Will who raised all my red flags when I was reading. The explanation the author used was totally reasonable, but until that happened, I found his behavior super suspect. I mean honestly, Marisol acted like a total crazy on multiple occasions, treating Will like he was a yo-yo, and yet he just rolled with the punches. Any normal guy would have been irritated, or at the minimum at least asked a question. But no, not Will, he just rolled with the crazy. As a side note, his suggestion at the end seemed like an interesting idea but really is super unnecessary and unrealistic- I am pretty sure people who were wronged know they were wronged, and telling them about it won't really solve anything except give you yourself a purpose, but sure, go ahead.
I loved that the last 20% of the book picked back up with the thievery aspect, which was nice to see Marisol's training in action. Overall this was a cute, fast read, great for someone wanting an adventure with a quirky teen girl who has no idea where she really belongs. The story was fun regardless of my observations and I look forward to more from the author.
I received this title in return for my honest review.
Visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ to see more fun book stuff
Marisol and her mother are in the process of their last jewel heist when something goes wrong and they are being pursued. They escape to New York and attempt to start normal lives, something Marisol has no idea about. Marisol has no idea how to be a regular teen girl, add in the fact that she has never had a boyfriend or real friends before and now she is thrown into the wilds of High School. Just when things seem to be looking up, with a cute attentive boy hanging around and the start of freindship, Marisol can't shake the feeling that something is coming.
I found this book to be a very fast, fun read. It was a quick plot, over just a few weeks and it was easily something that could be read in an afternoon. I was instantly interested in the story, enjoying the quirky awkwardness that was Marisol. As the book progressed I became a little less interested in the story because I kept picking at the things I found frustrating, instead of just letting this be an entertaining afternoon read. The thing is, I think reality has to take a backseat to plot to fully be able to enjoy this read, which for some reason I was not expecting (yes I know teen thief is not super realistic, but hey, it could happen!). The first half of the book felt very realistic, believable and engaging- a highly trained teen thief who was more equipped to steal a jewel than to manage the messy waters of high school, and I loved how awkward Marisol was. Add in the fact a murder occurs right in front of Marisol within the first few pages to add the danger aspect as she and her mother flee for their lives. Loved her starting school, the awkwardness and uncertainty was tangible and I felt for her. But then things became odd for me and I started to lose interest, and I had a lot of questions about the logistics of things that were never really explained or fit.
For example, her highly paranoid mother who wants to walk her teen-aged daughter to school and needs her to text her whereabouts suddenly doesn’t have her phone available to answer Marisol’s calls and doesn’t take her seriously when she says she is being followed. AND then she leaves her paranoid- refusing to leave the house daughter alone to go out of town for 4 days? What? No way. It was like a 180 personality reversal that made no sense and had no reasoning behind it.
And that brings me to Will who raised all my red flags when I was reading. The explanation the author used was totally reasonable, but until that happened, I found his behavior super suspect. I mean honestly, Marisol acted like a total crazy on multiple occasions, treating Will like he was a yo-yo, and yet he just rolled with the punches. Any normal guy would have been irritated, or at the minimum at least asked a question. But no, not Will, he just rolled with the crazy. As a side note, his suggestion at the end seemed like an interesting idea but really is super unnecessary and unrealistic- I am pretty sure people who were wronged know they were wronged, and telling them about it won't really solve anything except give you yourself a purpose, but sure, go ahead.
I loved that the last 20% of the book picked back up with the thievery aspect, which was nice to see Marisol's training in action. Overall this was a cute, fast read, great for someone wanting an adventure with a quirky teen girl who has no idea where she really belongs. The story was fun regardless of my observations and I look forward to more from the author.
I received this title in return for my honest review.
Visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ to see more fun book stuff
August 5, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the idea of Mari coming from a family of thieves, although I was a little disappointed that this didn't play out more in the story besides the main plot (i.e. we didn't get to see many heists or hear more about her other family). However, I did enjoy the romance in this book. It was cute to see how they could both go from being totally confident in public to being really shy and unsure when they were together. I liked the little things that Will did to show his affection, like getting her coffee, or waiting for her after her club meetings. I'll be writing my full review on my blog soon.
Full Review from Stellar Kitten Book Reviews
This was a really light and fun read that you could easily get done in a day. Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief is a contemporary YA romance that follows Marisol (Mari) and her mother after they escape a rival thief and move to New York.
Based on the title and description I was expecting to see more of Marisol's skills come into play, or see her getting into trouble using her skills to help others. Something along those lines. While there weren't too many instances where Marisol went on heists or did unexpectedly epic things, I still really enjoyed this book just for the romance aspect.
As can be expected, Marisol is nervous about starting up school and trying to fit in. She's never really had any friends or done anything "normal", so she struggles with her social life and some of her schoolwork. It's in seeking help for her math class that she gets to know Will Campbell, her sidewalk Romeo.
What I liked about Marisol trying to be "normal" was that she really put in the effort. She talked to the teacher about getting extra help, she took the initiative to join a club at school, she pushed herself to go out and hang out with her friends, and she chose not to let Will take over her life completely. She still went to her club meetings and everything else.
What I liked about Will? He accepted Marisol as she was! He didn't demand that she stop hanging out with other people just because he wanted to walk with her after school. He waited for her, brought her coffee, texted her. He just genuinely cared and showed it with the little things. He was also really adorable in that "I'm a flirt, but when you flirt back I'm going to blush" kind of way. I loved it <3
The only thing I think that might be a little disappointing, again, is that we don't get to see much of Marisol as a thief. I was also left wanting to know more about the rest of the thieves in Marisol's family. There were also other side characters introduced that weren't mentioned very much for the rest of the book because the romance between Will and Marisol was the obvious focus of the book. So, if you liked romance, this is great and you should pick it up. If you were hoping for more action then this might not be for you.
The action-y stuff in this book happens more in the beginning with the first heist and then progresses some more towards ending of the book. I think the book did a good job of tying together loose ends and answering a lot of the questions behind Marisol's father and Will's interest in her.
Full Review from Stellar Kitten Book Reviews
❝ The life of a professional thief is glamorous. That is, if you consider attending five high schools in three years, possessing my own personal collection of ski masks, having better knife-throwing skills than social skills, and not having a close friend since elementary school glamorous.❞
This was a really light and fun read that you could easily get done in a day. Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief is a contemporary YA romance that follows Marisol (Mari) and her mother after they escape a rival thief and move to New York.
Based on the title and description I was expecting to see more of Marisol's skills come into play, or see her getting into trouble using her skills to help others. Something along those lines. While there weren't too many instances where Marisol went on heists or did unexpectedly epic things, I still really enjoyed this book just for the romance aspect.
As can be expected, Marisol is nervous about starting up school and trying to fit in. She's never really had any friends or done anything "normal", so she struggles with her social life and some of her schoolwork. It's in seeking help for her math class that she gets to know Will Campbell, her sidewalk Romeo.
❝ Well, maybe I'm scared and want you around for protection." His grin crooks to one side, and he winks. He's teasing me.
And it's working. "Well, come on then. Lag behind and I'll leave you to fend for yourself.❞
What I liked about Marisol trying to be "normal" was that she really put in the effort. She talked to the teacher about getting extra help, she took the initiative to join a club at school, she pushed herself to go out and hang out with her friends, and she chose not to let Will take over her life completely. She still went to her club meetings and everything else.
What I liked about Will? He accepted Marisol as she was! He didn't demand that she stop hanging out with other people just because he wanted to walk with her after school. He waited for her, brought her coffee, texted her. He just genuinely cared and showed it with the little things. He was also really adorable in that "I'm a flirt, but when you flirt back I'm going to blush" kind of way. I loved it <3
The only thing I think that might be a little disappointing, again, is that we don't get to see much of Marisol as a thief. I was also left wanting to know more about the rest of the thieves in Marisol's family. There were also other side characters introduced that weren't mentioned very much for the rest of the book because the romance between Will and Marisol was the obvious focus of the book. So, if you liked romance, this is great and you should pick it up. If you were hoping for more action then this might not be for you.
The action-y stuff in this book happens more in the beginning with the first heist and then progresses some more towards ending of the book. I think the book did a good job of tying together loose ends and answering a lot of the questions behind Marisol's father and Will's interest in her.
September 6, 2017
Same Review Also Posted In My Blog: : Dreamy Addictions
* eARC received from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
I expected to enjoy this book but sadly this book isn't for me because I totally hate insta-love romances and this one is full of it. They're major book turn-off's for me. I hoped we get some thrilling thieving action but it disappointed me in that aspect too. Some parts in the plot isn't fleshed out well and the relationship between some characters seemed forced to me. Story-wise it's not a bad read if you're into sweet teen romances with some clichedness. For me, it was an okay read but nothing amazing enough to fangirl over.
Marisol Flores is a sixteen year old teen who comes from a family of thieves. Because of their profession, Marisol and her mom are constantly moved more one place to another. Unlike other girls of her age, her whole life was spent on learning the locations of museums where rare jewels are kept, and training on escape tactics. She has no friends and zero social life. When a rival thief targets her family, they both escape to New York city to start a new life. Marisol is glad that she can finally live a normal life that she always dreamed of and she enters into a high school where she makes new friends and there she meets the handsome Will Campbell whose grin gives her butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't reveal her real identity to him or her new friends but what happens when her past finally catches up to her and Will becomes the next target.
Except for Marisol, I can't connect with any of the characters in this book. Marisol is an interesting protagonist! Despite being a skilled thief, she's still a teenager who longs for a normal teen girl life. Even though I hated her insta-attraction towards Will which always annoyed me, I really liked her character. Will seemed like a typical love interest and I didn't cared much about him. His character wasn't fleshed out well and It would've been great if the author has provided more info on him. The sweet romance between Marisol and Will was totally meh. I didn't enjoyed the insta-attraction between them and their way too fluffy romance made things even worse for me. Marisol's inner thoughts towards Will's handsome looks always made me roll my eyes. As for the secondary characters, they aren't memorable enough to describe. It seems like the author didn't paid much attention to them and some relationship between the characters seemed forced.
The Plot is good but sadly, some parts of it fell flat for me. The story starts with a great start but slowly it takes downhill when nothing exciting happens until the ending part. To be honest, I only enjoyed the first part and the last part of this book. The surprising twists at the end are unpredictable but they didn't thrilled me much. I wish there was more thieving scenes and action in the plot. The plot is mostly centered around Mari and her mom hiding from the bad guys, and the cute insta-romance between Will and Marisol. If you love insta-love romances then you might enjoy this book more than I did. The whole story is told from Marisol's POV. The writing style was simple and easy to understand.
Overall, it was an okay read for me but I'm certain others would like it more than I did. Despite my issues, I think this would make a cute YA contemporary romance.
* eARC received from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
I expected to enjoy this book but sadly this book isn't for me because I totally hate insta-love romances and this one is full of it. They're major book turn-off's for me. I hoped we get some thrilling thieving action but it disappointed me in that aspect too. Some parts in the plot isn't fleshed out well and the relationship between some characters seemed forced to me. Story-wise it's not a bad read if you're into sweet teen romances with some clichedness. For me, it was an okay read but nothing amazing enough to fangirl over.
Marisol Flores is a sixteen year old teen who comes from a family of thieves. Because of their profession, Marisol and her mom are constantly moved more one place to another. Unlike other girls of her age, her whole life was spent on learning the locations of museums where rare jewels are kept, and training on escape tactics. She has no friends and zero social life. When a rival thief targets her family, they both escape to New York city to start a new life. Marisol is glad that she can finally live a normal life that she always dreamed of and she enters into a high school where she makes new friends and there she meets the handsome Will Campbell whose grin gives her butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't reveal her real identity to him or her new friends but what happens when her past finally catches up to her and Will becomes the next target.
Except for Marisol, I can't connect with any of the characters in this book. Marisol is an interesting protagonist! Despite being a skilled thief, she's still a teenager who longs for a normal teen girl life. Even though I hated her insta-attraction towards Will which always annoyed me, I really liked her character. Will seemed like a typical love interest and I didn't cared much about him. His character wasn't fleshed out well and It would've been great if the author has provided more info on him. The sweet romance between Marisol and Will was totally meh. I didn't enjoyed the insta-attraction between them and their way too fluffy romance made things even worse for me. Marisol's inner thoughts towards Will's handsome looks always made me roll my eyes. As for the secondary characters, they aren't memorable enough to describe. It seems like the author didn't paid much attention to them and some relationship between the characters seemed forced.
The Plot is good but sadly, some parts of it fell flat for me. The story starts with a great start but slowly it takes downhill when nothing exciting happens until the ending part. To be honest, I only enjoyed the first part and the last part of this book. The surprising twists at the end are unpredictable but they didn't thrilled me much. I wish there was more thieving scenes and action in the plot. The plot is mostly centered around Mari and her mom hiding from the bad guys, and the cute insta-romance between Will and Marisol. If you love insta-love romances then you might enjoy this book more than I did. The whole story is told from Marisol's POV. The writing style was simple and easy to understand.
Overall, it was an okay read for me but I'm certain others would like it more than I did. Despite my issues, I think this would make a cute YA contemporary romance.
July 29, 2019
This was not what I was expecting. I was expecting from the synopsis, the title and the cover, this novel was going to be similar to Ally Carter's Heist Society series, but it felt more like a high school contemporary drama with the added bit of the action and thriller on the end, just to make it the heist novel it was marketed to be. Sadly a case of don't judge a book by its cover.
From the get go I was uncertain about our main characters. Marisol's voice was certainly not that of a sixteen year old, and I really struggled to get past this when reading. Marisol's voice and narrative was too young, although Somers did try to mature Marisol, it sadly lacked presence and simply made her sound a little confused and as though she was trying to be older than she actually is. Apart from that, I didn't mind Marisol, she was okay. Marisol was friendly and nice. But there was nothing to make her stand out, I didn't feel like I was able to connect with her and that was a real shame; she was simply your standard protagonist, nothing more than a character shell.
The relationship from the beginning was far too insta-love. It was immediate, and instead of being cute and swoon worthy, it came across as rather awkward and cringy, making me feel rather uncomfortable at times. And because they seemed younger than they actually were, that made their relationship seem that much more uncomfortable and awkward.
As for the plot. It was okay, yet not what I was expecting. It started strong and I was really intrigued, but it felt like it quickly just turned into a normal contemporary, girl starts new school, girl has secrets, girl makes new friends, and meets new mysterious guy, something happens, secrets revealed, then happy again. We finally get to see the heist in the last 25% which was done brilliantly and I really wish this was included more in the actual novel as Somers wrote this fantastically; it was thrilling and dangerous, exactly what I had been hoping for throughout.
The last 25% of the novel really made up for the rest, it was just such a shame that you had to read for that long to read Somer's brilliant action thriller scenes.
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
From the get go I was uncertain about our main characters. Marisol's voice was certainly not that of a sixteen year old, and I really struggled to get past this when reading. Marisol's voice and narrative was too young, although Somers did try to mature Marisol, it sadly lacked presence and simply made her sound a little confused and as though she was trying to be older than she actually is. Apart from that, I didn't mind Marisol, she was okay. Marisol was friendly and nice. But there was nothing to make her stand out, I didn't feel like I was able to connect with her and that was a real shame; she was simply your standard protagonist, nothing more than a character shell.
The relationship from the beginning was far too insta-love. It was immediate, and instead of being cute and swoon worthy, it came across as rather awkward and cringy, making me feel rather uncomfortable at times. And because they seemed younger than they actually were, that made their relationship seem that much more uncomfortable and awkward.
As for the plot. It was okay, yet not what I was expecting. It started strong and I was really intrigued, but it felt like it quickly just turned into a normal contemporary, girl starts new school, girl has secrets, girl makes new friends, and meets new mysterious guy, something happens, secrets revealed, then happy again. We finally get to see the heist in the last 25% which was done brilliantly and I really wish this was included more in the actual novel as Somers wrote this fantastically; it was thrilling and dangerous, exactly what I had been hoping for throughout.
The last 25% of the novel really made up for the rest, it was just such a shame that you had to read for that long to read Somer's brilliant action thriller scenes.
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
August 8, 2017
marisol flores has had an unconventional upbringing in diary of a teenage jewel thief. she's the youngest in a line of jewel thieves, but her first job as point person ends badly and she must flee with her mom to new york city and try to fit into a normal life.
all she's wanted for years is a normal life. but starting a normal life by pretending that she and her mom aren't hiding from the man who killed her father means that she's jumping at shadows. fitting in at a normal high school is also a challenge. she doesn't know about being normal. nothing in her life has been normal.
so when she meets will campbell, who is charming and seems to be taken with her, she's not quite sure how to act. she wants to trust that he likes her and enjoys her company. but she has a hard time trusting anyone. and she also feels like she can't be totally honest with him.
as their relationship deepens it becomes clear that there is more to will than meets the eye. but it's not until the villianous petrov gets his hooks into will and all those that mari holds dear that all truths are revealed. and as they all work together to bring down petrov, the fact that mari can finally be honest about her true self with will frees her from so many of her worries. she realizes she doesn't have to fit into a prescribed version of normal. all she needs is to find happiness, and she has that with will.
will is a total dreamboat of a character. he's got his reasons for paying attention to mari, and they have more in common than mari realizes at first. his unconventional upbringing makes him the perfect match for mari. totally swoonworthy.
**diary of a teenage jewel thief will publish august 7, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (digiteen) in exchange for my honest review.
all she's wanted for years is a normal life. but starting a normal life by pretending that she and her mom aren't hiding from the man who killed her father means that she's jumping at shadows. fitting in at a normal high school is also a challenge. she doesn't know about being normal. nothing in her life has been normal.
so when she meets will campbell, who is charming and seems to be taken with her, she's not quite sure how to act. she wants to trust that he likes her and enjoys her company. but she has a hard time trusting anyone. and she also feels like she can't be totally honest with him.
as their relationship deepens it becomes clear that there is more to will than meets the eye. but it's not until the villianous petrov gets his hooks into will and all those that mari holds dear that all truths are revealed. and as they all work together to bring down petrov, the fact that mari can finally be honest about her true self with will frees her from so many of her worries. she realizes she doesn't have to fit into a prescribed version of normal. all she needs is to find happiness, and she has that with will.
will is a total dreamboat of a character. he's got his reasons for paying attention to mari, and they have more in common than mari realizes at first. his unconventional upbringing makes him the perfect match for mari. totally swoonworthy.
**diary of a teenage jewel thief will publish august 7, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (digiteen) in exchange for my honest review.
August 15, 2017
I really enjoyed this story I thought it was fun and something different compared to most contemporary stories.
The story follows a 17 year old girl who is a jewel thief following in the footsteps of her mother and the family business of thieving. We start out by following Marisol (Mari) and her mother on a heist in France but they have been followed by fellow thieves who are trying to take them down. This results in Mari and her mother fleeing to NYC where Mari can finally pretend to be a normal girl!
Mari starts attending high school which she is both excited and nervous about because she hasn't been to a real school in a long time and doesn't know how to make friends, which can be difficult for teenage girl in a new school. On her first day she walks to school and comes across a group of boys outside school who stop and talk to her, one boy (Will) in particular sticks out to her and to her surprise he seems interested in her,which makes her very suspicious.
The first part of the book is mostly following Mari through high school, making friends, going on a date and feeling like shes being followed and watched.. The story starts to pick up when her uncle Samuel arrives...
I would have liked a little more background info about Petrov and Maris parents relationship and the family thieving business. All in all this was a fun story, I gave it 3.75/5 I would recommend this book!
A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for review
The story follows a 17 year old girl who is a jewel thief following in the footsteps of her mother and the family business of thieving. We start out by following Marisol (Mari) and her mother on a heist in France but they have been followed by fellow thieves who are trying to take them down. This results in Mari and her mother fleeing to NYC where Mari can finally pretend to be a normal girl!
Mari starts attending high school which she is both excited and nervous about because she hasn't been to a real school in a long time and doesn't know how to make friends, which can be difficult for teenage girl in a new school. On her first day she walks to school and comes across a group of boys outside school who stop and talk to her, one boy (Will) in particular sticks out to her and to her surprise he seems interested in her,which makes her very suspicious.
The first part of the book is mostly following Mari through high school, making friends, going on a date and feeling like shes being followed and watched.. The story starts to pick up when her uncle Samuel arrives...
I would have liked a little more background info about Petrov and Maris parents relationship and the family thieving business. All in all this was a fun story, I gave it 3.75/5 I would recommend this book!
A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for review
August 7, 2017
Disclaimer: I was provided a free ARC in exchange of an honest review. Thank you "Entangled Teen" for the opportunity to review this book.
I'm going to get straight to the point. I did not raelly enjoy this book. I feel like it had potential, but it fell very short. The synopsis is very misleading as the main plot happens in just the last 1/3 of the book. Most of the book feels like a contemporary, which would be fine and dandy if this was actually a contemporary novel, but it isn't, and the romance feels out of place and very insta-lovey. The main characters weren't enjoyable to read. Matter of fact, I really wasn't a fan of the narrator, Mari. She is so incredibly naive and stupid for a girl who is supposedly a master jewel theif.
The writing was very basic and the plot was cookie cutter basic. The only reason why I'm giving this two stars and not ones is because there were a few cute moments that I liked. It's a shame. I really wanted to like this book because the premise sounded interesting and kind of reminded me of "Heist Society" by Ally Carter which is one of my favorite series from when I was in middle school, but this comes no where near as good as Ally Carter's books. Overall I'm glad this was a quick read and didn't take up too much of my time and this is not a book I would recommend at all.
I'm going to get straight to the point. I did not raelly enjoy this book. I feel like it had potential, but it fell very short. The synopsis is very misleading as the main plot happens in just the last 1/3 of the book. Most of the book feels like a contemporary, which would be fine and dandy if this was actually a contemporary novel, but it isn't, and the romance feels out of place and very insta-lovey. The main characters weren't enjoyable to read. Matter of fact, I really wasn't a fan of the narrator, Mari. She is so incredibly naive and stupid for a girl who is supposedly a master jewel theif.
The writing was very basic and the plot was cookie cutter basic. The only reason why I'm giving this two stars and not ones is because there were a few cute moments that I liked. It's a shame. I really wanted to like this book because the premise sounded interesting and kind of reminded me of "Heist Society" by Ally Carter which is one of my favorite series from when I was in middle school, but this comes no where near as good as Ally Carter's books. Overall I'm glad this was a quick read and didn't take up too much of my time and this is not a book I would recommend at all.
August 17, 2017
What can I say, I’m a true romantic at heart :) And that is one reason why I enjoyed this book. Even though I was hoping for a bit more jewel thievery, I loved the romance aspect of it. Will and Mari definitely made a great couple. That being said, I did want to see more of Mari’s jewel-thief life, other than just the botched heist at the beginning where Petrov (the bad guy) finds them and then the blip at the end. The real meat of the story focused on Mari and her mom hiding from Petrov in NYC, trying to have normal lives.
Of course, I loved the ending (no, I’m not going to tell you what it is!) because I thought it wrapped everything up perfectly.
The pacing of this book was spot on, as well. I didn’t notice any lulls and I actually flew through it. I read this in only a couple days (with two small kids, that’s sometimes a challenge) and, especially toward the end, I had a hard time putting it down. The one thing I would like to see, however, is a companion novella that maybe shows what Mari’s life was like before New York? But that’s just my inability to let characters go. I always want more :)
Of course, I loved the ending (no, I’m not going to tell you what it is!) because I thought it wrapped everything up perfectly.
The pacing of this book was spot on, as well. I didn’t notice any lulls and I actually flew through it. I read this in only a couple days (with two small kids, that’s sometimes a challenge) and, especially toward the end, I had a hard time putting it down. The one thing I would like to see, however, is a companion novella that maybe shows what Mari’s life was like before New York? But that’s just my inability to let characters go. I always want more :)
August 6, 2017
Most teenagers wish their lives were more exciting, more thrilling, anything but dull and normal. Then, there’s Maribel.
Maribel is a “Teenage Jewel Thief.” We meet her scaling the wall of a museum in the middle of a heist. The job is interrupted by the arrival of goons sent by Petrov Rosinsky, the leader of a crime syndicate. Petrov killed Mari’s father nine years ago, and he seems determined to wipe out the rest of the family.
Mari and her mother flee to New York, where they attempt to live a “regular life.” Mari begins high school as just a typical teenage girl—a life she has been pining for as she moonlighted as a professional thief.
On her first day of school, Mari meets Will Campbell. She instantly falls for his good looks and charm, but tries to distance herself from him in case Petrov finds her.
The action in Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief is addicting—by the end of Chapter 1, I couldn't put the book down. Mari battles typical teenage problems and doubts, while also struggling with her fears from her past. Mari is charming and vulnerable, and I was cheering for her throughout the book as she looked for to ways fit in and make friends.
Maribel is a “Teenage Jewel Thief.” We meet her scaling the wall of a museum in the middle of a heist. The job is interrupted by the arrival of goons sent by Petrov Rosinsky, the leader of a crime syndicate. Petrov killed Mari’s father nine years ago, and he seems determined to wipe out the rest of the family.
Mari and her mother flee to New York, where they attempt to live a “regular life.” Mari begins high school as just a typical teenage girl—a life she has been pining for as she moonlighted as a professional thief.
On her first day of school, Mari meets Will Campbell. She instantly falls for his good looks and charm, but tries to distance herself from him in case Petrov finds her.
The action in Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief is addicting—by the end of Chapter 1, I couldn't put the book down. Mari battles typical teenage problems and doubts, while also struggling with her fears from her past. Mari is charming and vulnerable, and I was cheering for her throughout the book as she looked for to ways fit in and make friends.
August 15, 2017
Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief by Rosie Somers is a pretty fast paced story.
The story starts out with Marisol a sixteen-year-old who was raised in a family of jewel thievery. Her and her mother move to New York City to hide from another thief. Marisol just wants to blend in at her new high school.
I really felt that the character Marisol was awesome, I loved her diary entries and also her story. Her point of view. Of course, she meets a guy at school, very typical of a girl in high school.
I like the development of Marisol and Will, her new “boy” friend. I love the chemistry and also the story is a clean story just a cute sweet start of a romance.
Since this story is based on Marisol diary, her mother and other characters weren’t developed but I was given enough information to make this an interesting journey.
I felt this story is a fast-paced action adventure and a great ending. I thought this was a really good book to read and like that it is clean story.
Thanks to the Author Rosie Somers and to YA Reads for providing me a copy of this book. My review is all my own and I did enjoy reading this book.
The story starts out with Marisol a sixteen-year-old who was raised in a family of jewel thievery. Her and her mother move to New York City to hide from another thief. Marisol just wants to blend in at her new high school.
I really felt that the character Marisol was awesome, I loved her diary entries and also her story. Her point of view. Of course, she meets a guy at school, very typical of a girl in high school.
I like the development of Marisol and Will, her new “boy” friend. I love the chemistry and also the story is a clean story just a cute sweet start of a romance.
Since this story is based on Marisol diary, her mother and other characters weren’t developed but I was given enough information to make this an interesting journey.
I felt this story is a fast-paced action adventure and a great ending. I thought this was a really good book to read and like that it is clean story.
Thanks to the Author Rosie Somers and to YA Reads for providing me a copy of this book. My review is all my own and I did enjoy reading this book.
July 23, 2017
Please note: I received DIARY OF A TEENAGE JEWEL THIEF on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to both the Publisher and author.
I read this story in ONE night. I couldn't put it down because Mari is a smart, sassy- yet sweet- heroine and I wanted to know what happened to her and hella-hot Will. Rosie Somers wrote a fantastic story about a girl trying to keep true to herself while simultaneously trying to blend into her surroundings. It's hard to ignore your birthright when it's also your family's livelihood, yet Mari does just that in order to fly below the radar from her family's past until her two worlds collide and everything falls apart. The tug back and forth between Will and Mari is spot on and I couldn't put the book down until I found out if they got together, what happened to her mom and uncle, and what would happen with Mari and Will's future on top of everything else. Be prepared for a thrill ride as you turn the pages of this story. :) Highly recommend this book.
I read this story in ONE night. I couldn't put it down because Mari is a smart, sassy- yet sweet- heroine and I wanted to know what happened to her and hella-hot Will. Rosie Somers wrote a fantastic story about a girl trying to keep true to herself while simultaneously trying to blend into her surroundings. It's hard to ignore your birthright when it's also your family's livelihood, yet Mari does just that in order to fly below the radar from her family's past until her two worlds collide and everything falls apart. The tug back and forth between Will and Mari is spot on and I couldn't put the book down until I found out if they got together, what happened to her mom and uncle, and what would happen with Mari and Will's future on top of everything else. Be prepared for a thrill ride as you turn the pages of this story. :) Highly recommend this book.
August 29, 2017
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested this book from netgalley. I’ve never seen any reviews on this book and didn’t look on good reads so I really wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it or not, I must say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the story.
Marisol come from a generation line of jewellery thieves and that is the life she has been led, after finding out a dangerous rival is out to get them , Marisol and her mother head to New York to hide out and Marisol has to pretend to be a normal teenage girl at school for the first time in her life.
The pace and flow of the story was great, it really it its mark and I was into the story from the very beginning. I really enjoyed Marisol’s character her voice was relatable and I really cared on what happened between her and will.
I really enjoyed the characters in the book with the book being told in Marisol’s Pov, you feel all the emotions she goes through in the story.I really connected with Marisol’s character and enjoyed her throughout the book. I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the story.
Marisol come from a generation line of jewellery thieves and that is the life she has been led, after finding out a dangerous rival is out to get them , Marisol and her mother head to New York to hide out and Marisol has to pretend to be a normal teenage girl at school for the first time in her life.
The pace and flow of the story was great, it really it its mark and I was into the story from the very beginning. I really enjoyed Marisol’s character her voice was relatable and I really cared on what happened between her and will.
I really enjoyed the characters in the book with the book being told in Marisol’s Pov, you feel all the emotions she goes through in the story.I really connected with Marisol’s character and enjoyed her throughout the book. I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the story.
October 10, 2017
This was a longer than usual read for me. I started, stopped for a long time, came back because I had nothing else to read. I know! Already not a winning start-stop-continue.
I stopped in the 1st place because the author dropped us in the middle of action that felt jarring. My reaction was I felt as if I was missing something, such as a lead up to background, character, etc. Sure, I read the summary before NetGalley gave me access, but I can only imagine if someone picked this up to read without some background, would've came in cold and confused. Without any sort of character warm-up, I just couldn't connect. Especially as the opening starts with her in the thieving action and then jumps to a diary entry. It just didn't compute in my head what was happening.
The hunky insta-love, the shy outsider teen-thing, etc. was your typical wishful thinking YA stuff.
At the HEA, it seems as if the author sort of left the door open for more action in these characters' future. I'm not sensing an immediate sequel, but if there is, I don't plan to come back for more.
I stopped in the 1st place because the author dropped us in the middle of action that felt jarring. My reaction was I felt as if I was missing something, such as a lead up to background, character, etc. Sure, I read the summary before NetGalley gave me access, but I can only imagine if someone picked this up to read without some background, would've came in cold and confused. Without any sort of character warm-up, I just couldn't connect. Especially as the opening starts with her in the thieving action and then jumps to a diary entry. It just didn't compute in my head what was happening.
The hunky insta-love, the shy outsider teen-thing, etc. was your typical wishful thinking YA stuff.
At the HEA, it seems as if the author sort of left the door open for more action in these characters' future. I'm not sensing an immediate sequel, but if there is, I don't plan to come back for more.
August 14, 2017
So I may have seen the twist coming a mile away and I may have thought the book was mostly fluff but it was enjoyable fluff. This book is the story of Marisol Flores, a 17- year-old jewel thief. Her mom may have trained her well but when things start going very wrong and they find their lives in danger, they decide it's time to get out of the business and for Mari to live a normal life. Things do not go as planned and her new love interest is stolen, along with her mom, as ransom for proof of crimes of the crime lord that's been chasing them all over the planet.
The book definitely was fluff reading but it was well done. I may have known what was coming, to some extent, but still enjoyed the quick read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light romance to pass the time.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book definitely was fluff reading but it was well done. I may have known what was coming, to some extent, but still enjoyed the quick read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light romance to pass the time.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2017
(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Mari comes from a long line of jewel thieves, but when a crime boss targets her family, they are forced to flee Europe and come back to New York. She starts school and dreams of being a regular teenage girl, for once. It's too bad that repelling off buildings and disarming security cameras hasn't taught her anything about talking to cute boys or being a good friend.
This book was fluffy and self-deprecating on the front end ("Instalove only happens in novels"), but couldn't follow through with anything unpredictable in the second half. Every single part of the plot made me roll my eyes and go, "of course".
It's fine, it's cute, but nothing new here. Teens would probably enjoy this if they're unfamiliar with the genre.
Mari comes from a long line of jewel thieves, but when a crime boss targets her family, they are forced to flee Europe and come back to New York. She starts school and dreams of being a regular teenage girl, for once. It's too bad that repelling off buildings and disarming security cameras hasn't taught her anything about talking to cute boys or being a good friend.
This book was fluffy and self-deprecating on the front end ("Instalove only happens in novels"), but couldn't follow through with anything unpredictable in the second half. Every single part of the plot made me roll my eyes and go, "of course".
It's fine, it's cute, but nothing new here. Teens would probably enjoy this if they're unfamiliar with the genre.
August 18, 2017
this summer has been a true crime summer for me. so much murder and so much dark, dark, subject matter.
i was very happy to get the opportunity to review diary of a teenage jewel thief so that i could read something a little less serious and cleanse the pallet so to speak.
this book was a super fun read. i thought it would be super predictable but i was pleasantly surprised at the well placed twists and turns!
This is definitely a fast paced, exciting read. Even though Mari is a jewel thief by birthright, she is written in a believable way. Rosie's characters are authentic, real-life people. I mean, if I knew any former jewel thieves, I imagine that they would be very similar to Mari and her family.
I definitely recommend throwing this book in your beach bag! It is quick, witty, and was just the book I needed when it hit my radar!
4/5 stars from this girl!
i was very happy to get the opportunity to review diary of a teenage jewel thief so that i could read something a little less serious and cleanse the pallet so to speak.
this book was a super fun read. i thought it would be super predictable but i was pleasantly surprised at the well placed twists and turns!
This is definitely a fast paced, exciting read. Even though Mari is a jewel thief by birthright, she is written in a believable way. Rosie's characters are authentic, real-life people. I mean, if I knew any former jewel thieves, I imagine that they would be very similar to Mari and her family.
I definitely recommend throwing this book in your beach bag! It is quick, witty, and was just the book I needed when it hit my radar!
4/5 stars from this girl!
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