Common Sense Media Review
By Julian Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting, twisty heist thriller has mild violence, romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THIEVES' GAMBIT, 17-year-old Rosalyn "Ross" Quest is looking for a way out of her family's thieving criminal lifestyle. During her latest heist, her mother, the renowned thief Rhiannon, is captured. With her mother's life at stake, Ross signs up for the titular game, the Thieves' Gambit, and she travels the globe with several other skilled thieves to compete for the ultimate prize: a wish for anything they want. This is a prize Ross hopes to win at all costs, and she'll need to know who to trust, but in her seedy profession, trust is a double-edged sword.
Is It Any Good?
This fast-paced, twisty heist thriller is a great read from beginning to end. Thieves' Gambit will be a favorite among fans of The Hunger Games and popular heist stories like Ocean's Eleven. Author Kayvion Lewis keeps readers guessing about what will happen next in this grand competition of thievery and deception. There are references to real-world artifacts and events that influence characters' motives in the book, which adds depth to the story. Trust, how important it is, and how hard it is to earn, is at the core of this tale, which is set in a world where people are not who they seem to be.
Lewis' characters feel fleshed-out and fully realized. They complement the central theme, born into lives of stealing and taught to never let their guard down. Main character Ross Quest is a skilled thief who trusts no one, especially her competitors. Devron Kenzie, a Black British thief, is a smooth, debonair foil who brings levity and excitement to Quest's focused and no-nonsense demeanor. Both are driven by familial crises forcing them to compete in the games, but things get complicated when they begin to trust one another professionally, and romantically. The book's cliffhanger ending leaves readers eager for the next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Thieves' Gambit features young adult characters whose profession involves stealing, a crime. What do you think the book is saying about theft? It's always illegal, but is it also always morally wrong? Why, or why not?
The protagonist, Rosalyn Quest, exhibits trust issues due to the nature of her activities as a professional thief. Why is trust so important to our daily lives? Have there been times when you've had trust issues with someone? How did you resolve them?
In certain phases of the titular game, Ross and other competitors have to team up to accomplish a goal. Why is teamwork important in this story? What kinds of teamwork have you participated in? What are some challenging things about it? When it works, why does it work?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Nancy Paulsen Books
- Publication date : September 26, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 15 - 17
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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