Breaking In

by Tyler Schwanke

When a crooked Hollywood director announces his next big premiere, aspiring filmmaker Millie Blomquist is shocked to learn that he's stolen her script.

Millie uses her college savings to attend a summer program at the Manhattan Movie Academy, run by her favorite director, Ricky O'Naire, whose short-film contest promises the winner a Hollywood production. But before she can finish her film, a tribute to her late father, O'Naire is convicted of embezzlement and the academy closes. Six months later, slogging through her senior year in Fargo, North Dakota, Millie sees a preview for O'Naire's comeback film--a full-length version of her summer-camp short. Outraged, she reunites a diverse trio of academy students and convinces them to steal O'Naire's film just days ahead of its high-profile premiere.

Putting movie techniques into practice, they pull off the heist in extravagant fashion, but when a manipulative femme fatale uncovers their plan to collect ransom, it's not long before a gang of quirky criminals cut in on the action, threatening Millie's life and stumbling upon an ominous connection to her father.

With the stakes now higher than ever imagined, Millie has no choice but to lead this bizarre cast through an electrifying series of moves and countermoves that result in an outcome not even Hollywood could see coming.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

350 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2023

About the author

Tyler Schwanke is a writer and a filmmaker. He holds an MFA from Hamline University, and his short stories have been widely published in online journals and literary magazines including CHAOTIC MERGE, HAVIK, and FICTION SOUTHEAST. He is also a graduate of the New York Film Academy and Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he was awarded a Minnesota Film and TV Grant. Several of his award-winning short films have played at festivals across the country.

Tyler lives in the Minneapolis with his wife and their dog. BREAKING IN is his debut novel.

Reviews

[Andrea Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun young adult read. It made me want to check out some of the old heist movies. Overall, it is an enjoyable book and impressive debut.

[Laura Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun fast paced story with a really uniquely interesting layout linking to heist films, this felt like a reverse adaptation bringing the big screen back to paper. This was really fun to read, with wild twists and lots of action I was hooked. I also really loved all the characters and thought everyone was written incredibly well. Overall I would recommend this.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breaking In is a fun concept for a book. A film student who is making a heist movie decides to pull a heist after her movie is stolen by another film maker.
On the surface it’s a fast paced thriller that moves quickly. Unfortunately, for me anyway, the build up to the actual heist could have been a bit better.
I’m not saying it wasn’t interesting or important, it just could have been a bit tighter. Moved a little faster.
That said, I truly enjoyed the heist aspects of this book. I would definitely recommend it to others.

[Sara Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read that captivates through the thrill of a heist. Great travel book. Enjoyed the behind the scenes of the entertainment world and themes of big city adventures.

[Joanne Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has a really great plot and excellent pacing, so it was definitely entertaining to read. Even though I am not a big film person, you can tell that the author certainly is, and the love for film is there on the page.

[Phil Maritato · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

So happy to see North Dakota being represented, I wish we had more books involving ND like this one.

[Shauna Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the heist tropes through the whole thing! Lots of movie references... it's on its way into my library!

[Hope Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie, a precocious and motivated teen, is determined to break in to the movie business and thinks she is close to her dreams when she is able to attend the Manhattan Movie Academy. Her assurance? The script she wrote research and is directing that is based on the actual grand heist in which he participated and which ultimately led to his demise. When Millie discovers the legendary director who is the owner of the school is a fraud, she goes from devastated to angry and begins her own brand of justice - with a break in.

This was a fun and different YA book! Being a fan of heist movies in general, I loved the concept of having a heist within heist, so to speak (Millie's movie version plus the real one she planned and executed). There were plenty of twists and characters that were easy empathize with and support. My only criticism is Millie had an extraordinary amount of freedom for a child her age, with parents who seemed supportive and stable. I look forward to what Schwanke will offer next!

[M Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! A movie in a movie in a book...kind of?! If you enjoy heist stories or movies this one if for you. It's quick, creative and a good light mystery/family drama/found family piece of fiction with a good ending. I will say that if you plan to listen to this one, be prepared for over-the-top midwestern accents! Overall, I recommend.

Thanks to Librofm and Blackstone Publishing for this complimentary audiobook. My thoughts are my own.

[Kathy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed full of surprises a fun fast read that keeps you wanting to not put it down.

[Erica Schimmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably closer to 3.5? Entertaining.

[Cody Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing, fantastic plot, engaging story, a must read!

[Vanessa Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟 Thank you, partner @bibliolifestyle and @blackstonepublishing for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review🌟

Mille aspires to make a movie as a tribute to her late father, who shared her love of heist movies. When she is admitted to the Manhattan Movie Academy, run by her favorite director Ricky O'Naire, she now has an opportunity to make that dream a reality. Unfortunately, she is not able to complete her film when the school is suddenly shut down due to legal and financial troubles. While still trying to find a way to fund her movie, she happens upon a preview for O’Naire's newest movie and quickly realizes he stole her screenplay. She decides to get her film school crew back together to steal the film and hold it for ransom at the premiere. Their well orchestrated heist soon becomes high stakes when actually criminals get involved. Mille soon finds herself in an unimaginable situation rivaling a storyline straight from the Hollywood movies she idolizes.

When I first picked up this book, I didn't realize it was going to be a YA but it did work - although at times it felt a bit over the top considering the age of the characters. The story was fast paced and I really enjoyed the numerous Hollywood references throughout. This was a unique plot with a fun execution but I think if the main cast were older I would have enjoyed this a little more. I really liked the structure of the book - short chapters, screenplay excerpts - which made it a quick read.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher!
If you didn't know, I love a heist. I was so excited to read this book because of the premise- an aspiring filmmaker teen girl gets her script stolen and made into a movie as a comeback for a famous director, so she and her friends (with all the knowledge of a million heist movies) hatch a plan to steal it back. Honestly, I should've just watched the 2002 classic Big Fat Liar starring Frankie Muniz and Paul Giamatti. This book falls through on execution- there's too much of the strategizing and logistics of planning the heist, the characters are flat, there are too many movie references, like the author was getting an extra bonus for every heist movie title he dropped, but then explanations of movie references that are so obvious (most everyone has seen Star Wars, you don't need to explain Hoth being an ice planet) that I can't quite figure out who he thinks his audience is. The buildup is boring, the heist is unsatisfying, and the ending feels rushed. I can excuse some of the mistakes the characters make because they're teenagers, but what I'm looking for in a heist where I'm rooting for the thieves is competence- not to luck into a successful ending. This was a disappointment.

[Dana]

Thank you Partner Bibliolifestyle and Black Stone Publishing for the gifted copy of Breaking In! All opinions in this review are my own.

Millie's dream is to become a filmmaker and wants to make a movie based on her dad's final heist. However, when a struggling director reveals he is making an eerily similar movie, Millie knows she needs to take action. Like any good heist movie, Millie hires her team and begins to make a plan.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had a stronger background in heist movies. While you can appreciate it without it, I'm sure some of the tropes were lost on me. There were sections of this book that were exciting, but I got lost when the chapters were constantly switching locations. While the short chapters help to propel the story forward, they worked better when everyone was in the same place. However, like any good heist movie, the ending is exciting!

[Victoria Tokar · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was not at all what I was hoping for. I found it on a heist books list, and it ticked multiple boxes for me as a reader--YA, heist, and a fun premise. Unfortunately, the book didn't deliver on the promise of the premise.

YA writing tends to have a certain tone, and the characters in Breaking In didn't have that quick, quippy energy. Millie was dull and convinced that fiction mirrors reality to a degree that took me out of the story. By the time the crew comes together, I didn't get that "found family" aspect. Frankly, I forgot who most of the characters were and couldn't be bothered to care about them.

The heists in the book were likewise boring, a cardinal sin in the genre, and the underlying reasons to execute the heists in the first place required more suspension of disbelief than I could muster.

Save yourself the time and skip this one.

[Kristin]

The audiobook splits the narration between "good guys" and "bad guys," which is a kind of fun split. I enjoyed the story and found the protagonist a very relatable person. I loved how every action was analysed through the lens of movies. The ending was solid storytelling, even if it was not how I wanted it to go.

[John Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK heist story, but the movie angle makes it very fun. If you enjoy heist movies and books, this will be a win, as film students, and the protagonist-director in particular, discuss and analys\ze what makes them work as heists and as movies. Has a definite Get Shorty vibe.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed with this one. Billed as a thriller giving ode to heist movies, it was just a mess. I didn't even like any of the characters. I didn't think it was funny or gritty or hilarious as stated by the publisher.

[Sarah]

This book was so bigoted and mean spirited toward homeless people that I couldn't take it anymore.

[Megsbookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one with some twists. It ended up being more violent at the end than I expected.

[Brook Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 dnf at 60% ish

[Toast · Rating 4 out of 5]

real rating 3.5.

Positives-I love heists, the supporting characters are cool, that was EPIC

Negatives-sometimes the main character just pisses me off, some of these characters are dumb as hell, that ending was too happy and too good to be true.

Fav character award:Devon (or Devin) and Pause(help I don't actually know how to write their names because I listened to the audiobook).

Devon-yes he was an ass sometimes but he is epic. (and tell me why I thought he was gay for half the book). Also can we appreciate how good the voice actress was for the audiobook? I love all her accents.

Pause-she is Queen she is slay she is so smart and I love her. ❤️

And lastly stupidest character award goes to *drum roll* 🥁🥁🥁. . .Bugs!

Ain't no way this guy actually believed he could not only rob a famous celebrity but also kill him and get away with it! Dude's ego is through the roof.

Extra comments-I just love how in every book that I've read / listen to, the police never does shit. Ps-yes Devon guns are the answer to everything in America. 🤗

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

If heist movies are your thing, you will love this book!

The story follows Millie, a teenager from North Dakota who desperately wants to be a film director. After attending a summer film program in NYC that ends up leading nowhere, she soon discovers that her favorite film director has a new film coming out—and it's her stolen script. Outraged and desperate, Millie recruits some fellow film friends and together they plan the heist of their lives—to steal the movie before its premiere.

This book was a lot of fun! Mysterious and tense with fun characters. Millie starts out really annoying, but she grows a lot over the course of the story and I enjoyed her relationships with her friends. The plot was maybe all over the place, but I enjoyed it lol. It kept me listening! I also liked how the formulas and stereotypes of heist movies is discussed throughout the book, as if the book itself is an analysis of these kinds of movies. I wasn't too familiar with most of the movies mentioned, but I did know some of them. And the heist parts of this book were ridiculously fun. Overall, an excellent audiobook! (Though someone please tell me if people in North Dakota really talk like that...)

Thanks to Libro.fm, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for my ALC!

[Ashwini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first heist book. Started slow and was boring but last half was really good and decently paced. I didn’t enjoy all the characters but appreciate how they were developed all along. Discussing about all heist movies was a bonus, now i have so many to watch.