Thieves Like Us

Peach’s Picks Rating


Title:
Thieves Like Us

Author:
Stephen Cole

Illustrator:
None

ISBN:
978-1-58234-653-3

Publisher:
New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, Children’s Books, U.S.A.

Copyright:
2006

Length:
350 pages

Plot Summary:
Jonah, a 17-years-old, sits in jail. He is an expert computer hacker and cipher decoder with no future and little hope. One night he is unexpectedly rescued from prison by four other daring teens, all with extraordinary skills. The other teen outlaws are also without family for various reasons. They are: beautiful Tye who is a human lie detector and can drive any vehicle and pilot planes better than a stunt driver; Con, a mesmerizer who uses her beauty as well as her hypnotic talents to get what she wants; Motti, who is scruffy and surly, with a genius for understanding and dismantling security systems; and Patch, the gifted one-eyed locksmith. The aloof Nathaniel Coldhardt is their benefactor, protector, father-figure, and leader. Coldhardt is an international high-end thief, selling his services to the highest bidder. He lives a lavish lifestyle and makes sure his protégés do too, however it seems like prison again to Jonah. He has hand-picked the team to perform a variety of daring heists around the world. Jonah reluctantly agrees to join the talented, group. Their mission is to recover a code and decipher it to find the formula for everlasting life. They find themselves in a life-or-death struggle in an ancient tomb with a mummy and his cult followers.

Critical Evaluation:
This book is a totally fun read that pretends to be nothing more than that. It is full of action, similar to a James Bond movie. It comes complete with Bond’s lavish lifestyle, strong, smart beautiful women, fast cars, fast planes, and intrigue. It is a mystery as well as an adventure, with nail-biting red herrings thrown in to take the reader off course. The boys’ characters are better developed than the girls’, but all characters are believable and likeable. Coldhardt is a caricature both in name and character development, but it is an enjoyable stereotype of a gruff older, attractive male leader. The boys talk, tease and banter like real boys. Readers will find themselves identifying with the characters and wishing to be part of their “family.” American readers may find it slightly difficult to understand some of the slang used by the British author; for example: page, 71, when the character Patch says, “These blokes, they let me squat with them”. Also, depending on the issue, the cover seems out-dated and uninviting. It is a photoshopped drawing of the main character in the foreground with the other four teens surrounding him. Unattractive covers make it difficult to promote a good book.

Reader’s Annotation:
Jonah is doing jail time when he is snatched during the night and taken to the lavish mansion of an international criminal who wants Jonah’s computer talents. He will be the fifth part of a talented team of teen outlaws who perform bold heists and are well-rewarded.

Author Information:
Born in 1971and lives in Buckinghamshire, England with his family
Worked for BBC
Also writes under the name Steve Cole
(little information located)

Genre:
Adventure

Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature classes.

Booktalking Ideas:
If you like the Indiana Jones and James Bond movies, you’ll enjoy this fast-paced action adventure.

Jonah is being sprung from jail and wonders who is helping him and why. The response is: “Maybe your best friends. Maybe your worst nightmare….Want to find out which?”

Reading Level/Interest Age:
Grades 8-11

Additional Books by Author:
Thieves Till We Die (sequel to Thieves Like Us)
Dr. Who series
Astrosaurs series (uses the name Steve Cole)
Cows in Action series (uses the name Steve Cole)

Challenge Issues:
Language, sexual overtones, teen use of alcohol, violence
Deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.

Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
The book received a starred review in Library Media Connection and a positive review in Booklist. Four peaches are awarded because the book could be a little shorter and the story a little tighter, other than that the book would receive five peaches for its rollicking adventure story.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Thieves-Like-Us-Stephen-Cole/dp/1582346534/ref=sr_1_2_oe_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272751202&sr=1-2

References:
Cole, S. (2010). “About Steve.” Steve Cole. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.stevecolebooks.co.uk/steves-space/about-steve/