The Van Gogh Deception

The Van Gogh Deception by Devon Hicks

This was a fun mystery read for me. It started out with a scene of a crime: highly technical art forgery. The next chapter lands on a boy who is found within the National Gallery of Art in DC. He has amnesia and neither he nor all of the security cameras can piece together who he is, where he came from, or who brought him there. He quickly ends up in a foster home - and meets a young girl named Camille.

Attempting to jog his memory, the boy (Art), Camille, and Camille's mother, return to the National Gallery. Action quickly ensues - the boy holds a secret he cannot remember. A secret too precious to survive. The suspense is doubled because there are chapters that focus on the criminals' attempts to capture Art and Camille. The action and chase scenes are aplenty, and I enjoy the fact that these kids generally feel like real kids  -- not overly mature for their age.

This was fast-paced and fun. Interspersed are QR codes that link to the works of art that are described throughout the book. This was pretty cool, and as a middle-aged person, this is what finally got me to download a QR reader app on my phone. However, as a middle-aged person who has an interest in art, I didn't really need a link to the artwork mentioned. I already knew what most of it was!

Grade: B

Heist Society

by Ally Carter.

Perhaps my second favorite book of the summer. A fast-paced book about a group of young thieves.

Think Da Vinci Code (for the art) plus the Ocean movies (for making thievin' look cool as hell) and maybe a bit of the Bourne movies (just because they're cool movies about being on the run). Oh, and that TV series that I watched a few times about a family of con-artists who assume the identity of a dead family. He becomes a lawyer... I don't know, but I like the primary actor a lot. Great comedian.

Kat Bishop was born into a family of thieves and con-artists. Not bad check writing type. Not the type that steal your credit card numbers. Not the type that scam the elderly. Not the type that steals TVs or computers and sells them from the back of the truck. (And, no, not dream thieves, Inception fans.)

High-end thieves. Swiss banks. Crown jewels. Artwork by the Masters: da Vinci, Raphael, Degas...

Kat loves her family-her father, her Uncle Eddie, her too-beautiful cousin, Gabrielle, the Bag boys-, but she longs for something different. Using all of her con-artist skills she gains not only admission into one of America's most prestigious boarding schools, but also the disapproval and censure of her family. She comes to appreciate the predictability of her life as a student until she is framed, and consequently expelled, for a school prank involving the destruction of one vintage Porshe owned by the headmaster.

Interestingly enough, though, this is not what the book is about. After her expulsion, Kat discovers that her father is suspected of stealing five Masterpieces, and the owner wants them back. Because he is tied up (under surveillance by the Interpol, actually), Kat must take on the mystery herself - with the help of her young family and friends. Not only must she find out who the real thief is, she also must devise a way to steal the paintings back. Her father's safety depends on it.

This was a great, fun read. A mystery to unravel. Cool tricks and technology to contemplate. A splash of romance. An evil bad guy. I wish the cover wasn't so feminized because this book could bring in a fairly large male audience as well. I wish it had gone into a little more detail: more detail on how the heist was done, more detail into relationships, but now that I think about it the Bourne Identity (book) went into too much detail, and I didn't like that. Regardless, I eagerly await a sequel. Also, if you liked the Frankie-Landau-Banks book, you will definitely like this one (imho).

Grade: A+

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

This story is about a 16 year old boy named Alfred Kropp, whose life is tragic and yet mundane. Recently orphaned after his mother's death, Alfred now lives with his uncle, who was recently offered a million dollars to help steal a well-guarded sword from his employer. His uncle needs someone else to pull of the heist and he gets Alfred to agree to it.

Alfred successfully steals the sword, but his uncle is killed in the process. He knows the sword isn't an ordinary sword, and we soon find out that it is Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. The sword has been protected for thousands of years by a brotherhood of descendants of the original Knights of the Round Table. Arthur unknowingly has stolen the sword and given it to a rogue Knight. The sword possesses immense power - the power to bend the will of others. Alfred pairs up with Bennacio, a Knight of the Sacred Order, and goes on a number of adventures to regain possession of the sword.

This story had some great action scenes. Car chases, sword fighting, sneaky getaways. There is one car chase that was done superbly well. Seriously, the scene is 100% ready for an action movie.

This book is also made for boys. Not to say that girls won't like it, too, but the A-1 cars, focus on food, and fight scenes will really appeal to the YA male market.

I like stories about ancient mysteries being solved, and this totally prompted me to reread Angels & Demons.

Grade: B

Touching Spirit Bear

Touching Spirit Bear (YA) by Ben Mikaelsen

Cole is a deeply troubled and violent teenager who brutally beats a classmate named Peter. Cole is given an option: a trial and the possibility of jail or participation in Circle Justice.

Circle Justice is a Native American concept of justice that involves the perpetrator, the community, and the violated. Those who participate collaborate on what type of punishment should be given. Circle Justice works under the assumption that no justice actually occurs unless healing occurs. It is a means of healing for, hopefully, all involved. Rather than just punishing the criminal, the hope is to foster growth and change in that individual.

Cole signs on for Circle Justice because he thinks that it's a joke and will be a cake walk when compared to a jail term. Rather than prison, Circle Justice sends him to spend a year on an isolated island. Cole will have to fend for himself, and come to terms with his own actions, hurt, and anger.

However, when Cole gets to the island, he still acts with all of his violent, reckless old self. He burns down his cabin, he tries to swim the cold Alaskan sea to escape, and he attacks a bear. All on his first day alone! After being brutally mauled by the bear, Cole waits to die ... and comes to terms with his own desire to live.

After being rescued, Cole takes many months to rehabilitate. He is given one last chance to complete his year of Circle Justice. Will he be able to finally come to terms with his anger and his own actions? As he learns to deal with his own issues, Cole begins to focus on that of his victim, Peter. How can Cole help Peter come to terms with what happened? How can Cole help Peter overcome fear?

This was an excellent book, and as the ALA Bestseller states, "An excellent companion to Gary Paulson's Hatchet." There are remarkable similarities between this book and the Hatchet books. However, this book contains more moral and ethical dilemmas to mull over.* All in all, a great read (especially Chapter 23).

Final Grade: A

*But in defense of Paulson, this book has nothing on the Hatchet books' wonderful descriptive imagery.