Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Manga, art, and life lessons in top-notch mystery adventure.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Sixteen-year-old manga enthusiast Violet Rossi is looking forward to spending the summer with her artist dad in Seattle, until he suddenly gets a commission that sends them both to Japan. It soon comes to light that his wealthy clients, the Yamadas, have been the victims of a major art theft -- and that if a long-lost Van Gogh isn't found and turned over to the thief, people will be killed. In Tokyo and Kyoto, from bullet train to rustic inn, Violet and her best friend Reika are on the case.
Is It Any Good?
TOKYO HEIST is a gem, hip enough to appeal to teens -- especially the more artistic, cosmopolitan ones -- but also incredibly well-crafted. It offers so many surprises and interesting characters that those teens' mystery-loving parents will probably go for it, too.
First-time novelist Diana Renn's writing is topnotch, and she keeps plot complications in play quite deftly. Violet, a smart, creative child of single parents, is appealing and true to life; she's often more adult than her artist father, but both of them learn a lot about themselves and each other in the course of their adventures.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what you know about today's Japanese culture. If you went to Japan, what would you go see first? The electronics? The fashions? The historic buildings?
How does Violet's relationship with her father start out rocky but improve? How do they get to understand each other better? What do they have in common?
Are you a fan of comics? Which ones? Why do you think manga has caught on in the United States?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Viking Juvenile
- Publication date : June 14, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 384
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate