Review: Good Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2014
Thief by CL Stone is a whole new Academy series. This one follows Kaylie Winchester and her crew of Academy boys (Axel, Marc, Raven, Brandon, Corey, and Kevin). When the book opens, we find Kaylie at the mall pickpocketing for money for rent so she, her younger brother Wil, and their drunken father can stay in the run down hotel they call home. Her home life leaves a lot to be desired, and it’s shaped who she’s become. But she picks the wrong pocket and gets caught by the Academy team sent in to flush her out. They rope her into pickpocketing for them by bribing her with rent money and college for Wil.Kaylie finds that she’s more drawn to these boys than she’s been to anyone in a long time. Coaltar, the bad guy in the Academy boy’s opinion, has taken an interest in Kaylie as well. As she goes undercover out of desperation, she finds that maybe ‘bad guy’ is a little too black and white for Coaltar, and the crusade he’s on.I love Kaylie as a character because she’s not so black and white either. She’s pickpocketed for money for survival, but she’s wracked with guilt about it. She’s drawn to Coaltar and his mission, even if she knows he’s crossing lines. She’s attracted to the Academy boys and their crusade, even if it’s dangerous. She has anger issues and guilt issues and she fights that darker side of herself.PS to picky readers. Again, this isn’t a traditional one-boy-one-girl romance story. According to author CL Stone, it’s a ‘reverse harem’ story. So at the end of the day, there’s multiple boys and one girl. Don’t read it if this idea offends you. If you’ve read the other Academy series: this one dives into the sexy parts a lot faster than Sang’s storyline. So, I’d say mature audiences only :).