I would have finished reading this book much sooner, but I’ve been distracted by the Olympics (swimming and gymnastics mostly. Don’t get me started on the crossover turn during IMs; you’ll be an unwilling captive audience for many minutes if you do).

Anyway, I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan, several young people living in Florence are down on their luck. There’s Rosa, dealing with the loss of her parents and her hometown; there’s Sarra, working hard to hide her skills from her brother who would certainly disapprove of her life of crime. There’s Khalid, a skilled fighter who’s trapped by a sinister boss; there’s Giacomo, a con artist with an excellent ability to disguise himself. Rosa pulls them all together, determined to pull off the impossible: stealing the vast amounts of gold stockpiled by the Medici family in their palatial estate. But stealing from the Cardinal and the Pope is a lofty goal, one that might prove unattainable, if these teens can’t learn to trust each other and become a team.

This is a fun story! I feel like historical fiction options is a little lacking in the young adult space, so it’s nice to see this one.

The cast of characters is a great one. Each person’s perspective has a distinct voice, and their personalities are unique. I liked the banter, especially with the scenes featuring Giacomo—he’s probably my favorite character. His bond with Khalid is also delightful. Apparently, I love the dynamic between a goofy flirt and a stoic but secretly kind person.

Rosa and Sarra are also great. They have a complex backstory, having grown up basically as sisters, but time and loss tore them apart. I liked seeing the progression of them coming back together and navigating their difficult feelings about what happened, then learning to reclaim their sisterhood.

As for the setting, that’s probably my favorite part. Florence feels alive and vibrant, and the ways that the Medici family, with their wealth and viciously seized power, affect the city are very well established. What they did—within the story and in real history—to gain such power makes for a compelling reason to steal from them. I also enjoyed that Michelangelo, who was indeed living in Florence at the time, had a small role in the story; it was a nice touch.

Regarding the heist itself, I sometimes was a little confused about the details of the plan. Clearly, Schneiderhan was intending for some aspects to be dramatically revealed to the reader as they unfolded, but if certain things went wrong, it was hard to tell. How was I to know what was supposed to happen, and what was a wrench thrown into the works, if I didn’t know what the original scheme was? That’s not to say that this wasn’t entertaining; I would have just liked a little more behind-the-scenes of the game plan earlier.

In the end, Medici Heist is an entertaining historical adventure. With real life historical figures and a lively setting, the quest to bring justice to a greedy group of men feels just as alive. The protagonists are well written and have a good rapport with each other, which makes for a quick read. The heist itself wasn’t the most mind-blowing thing I’ve ever read, but it still had lots of moments of excitement and tension. And the subplots about romance and family were incorporated well. All in all, a good book!

Medici Heist is available as of today, August 6th!