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Thieves Like Us #1
Thieves Like Us
Jonah Wish, a brilliant computer hacker, is the newest addition to an elite group of teen outlaws all hired by the same mysterious benefactor, Nathaniel Coldhardt. Each of them offers a unique talent: Patch is a one-eyed locksmith; Motti can dismantle any electrical system; Con's charm is truly mesmerizing; and Tye can detect a lie with more precision than a polygraph. Under Coldhart's watchful eye, this motley crew races from a high-tech underground conference centre to exotic locations where they hunt for priceless ancient artefacts that may bring riches . . . or the secret to eternal life.
368 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2006
About the author
Stephen Cole
212 books140 followersSee also: Steve Cole.
Stephen Cole (born 1971) is an English author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing a range of fiction and non-fiction titles, producing audiobooks and acting as executive producer on the Big Finish Productions range of Doctor Who audio dramas.
Stephen Cole (born 1971) is an English author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing a range of fiction and non-fiction titles, producing audiobooks and acting as executive producer on the Big Finish Productions range of Doctor Who audio dramas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
July 30, 2011
I bought this book at a bargain (GBP 1.74 to be precise) from a newsagents at Birmingham Airport, because after 15 hours of delay and at about 12 a.m. I had run out of my own books to read. It looked like the most digestable of the special offers.
Imagine my surprise when it actually turned out to be good! Rather than helping me sleep on the plane, the damn thing kept me up. It is a rather unlikely story of 5 gifted teenagers who are brought together by a gazillionaire to perform thefts where other thieves are left by the wayside. It is a compelling story, the characters are strangely genuine if not particularly deep, and the action and plot - though partly forseeable - are throughly enjoyable.
The writing style has a lot to do with this. Though Mr Cole is no Orange or Booker prize winner, he has proced a thoroughly enjoyable action book in the vein of 'DaVinci code'. Luckily I eventually fell asleep in my hotel room at 3 am, so I could read the rest of it during my delay at the next airport!
Imagine my surprise when it actually turned out to be good! Rather than helping me sleep on the plane, the damn thing kept me up. It is a rather unlikely story of 5 gifted teenagers who are brought together by a gazillionaire to perform thefts where other thieves are left by the wayside. It is a compelling story, the characters are strangely genuine if not particularly deep, and the action and plot - though partly forseeable - are throughly enjoyable.
The writing style has a lot to do with this. Though Mr Cole is no Orange or Booker prize winner, he has proced a thoroughly enjoyable action book in the vein of 'DaVinci code'. Luckily I eventually fell asleep in my hotel room at 3 am, so I could read the rest of it during my delay at the next airport!
May 7, 2010
Started out strong enough (I flew through the first 150 pages), but then I lost a lot of interest after the halfway point. What I thought was going to be a mission impossible/heist type novel, ended up becoming a weird hybrid of Indiana Jones & The Mummy, with immortality elixirs, living corpses, and gateways to hell (that, or the novel simply speculates that they were all high from 'shroom spores).
Aside from the weak plot, there were several things that this book couldn't deliver. Good characters, for one. Jonah and Tye seemed to be the only conflicted characters in the group. It was hard to pinpoint everyone else's motivations, as they simply just went along with whatever missions they were given from their boss, Coldhardt. (Which, seriously, is just a ridiculously cheesy, Saturday-morning cartoon name to pick out for any boss. I'm hoping that the name was a spoof in itself, because it describes him perfectly in a nutshell. He really didn't seem to have any depth past that.)
The novel also had this annoying habit of spoon feeding the mechanics behind every hack that they performed, or every technological/archeological term that they discussed, in a very classroom-like manner. Perhaps this wouldn't have occurred so much had this not been YA, but it noticeably got more and more annoying until I finished the book.
Overall, decent enough, though it had the potential to be a lot better. Nothing I would recommend, as there are better YA books out there. It's a fast read, and if you can look past those flaws, then you may enjoy it for what it is.
Aside from the weak plot, there were several things that this book couldn't deliver. Good characters, for one. Jonah and Tye seemed to be the only conflicted characters in the group. It was hard to pinpoint everyone else's motivations, as they simply just went along with whatever missions they were given from their boss, Coldhardt. (Which, seriously, is just a ridiculously cheesy, Saturday-morning cartoon name to pick out for any boss. I'm hoping that the name was a spoof in itself, because it describes him perfectly in a nutshell. He really didn't seem to have any depth past that.)
The novel also had this annoying habit of spoon feeding the mechanics behind every hack that they performed, or every technological/archeological term that they discussed, in a very classroom-like manner. Perhaps this wouldn't have occurred so much had this not been YA, but it noticeably got more and more annoying until I finished the book.
Overall, decent enough, though it had the potential to be a lot better. Nothing I would recommend, as there are better YA books out there. It's a fast read, and if you can look past those flaws, then you may enjoy it for what it is.
July 4, 2020
I really liked this book. It was such an interesting concept to take all of these misfit teenagers and turn them into a team. I was heartbroken over Jonah, he tried to do the right thing for his foster mom and ended up getting screwed by the system. It was great how they were able to work together. Plus, there are moments where we see that the man who brought them together actually does care about them. Plus, at the end, the villain go the appropriate and satisfying ending.
September 3, 2022
* Beware of minor spoilers
First read: 2 - ⭐⭐
Second read: 2 - ⭐⭐
Third read: 3 - ⭐⭐⭐
First Installment in the Thieves Like Us series. Young Adult Criminal Suspense novel with the "dead parent" and "found family" tropes along with themes of belonging and mortality.
I loved the characters, but there was too much sciency and techy talk. Not to mention that the plot was so CONVOLUTED!
"Nothing lasts forever, he'd told her, back in the crumbling catacombs. Not helplessness. Not fear. Maybe not even love. But while he was here, Jonah was going to make the most of every second."
5 Teens with tragic backstories and extraordinary abilities work together to steal artifacts. Jonah Wish, the newest addition, tries to adapt to this new life and wonders if he'll find the family he's always wanted with this ragtag group of misfits.
.[Coldhardt and Samraj] both take injured, unloved little things and give them something to strive for, to believe in . . . We teach them our own values.”
The other day I saw a review that said: "Fun! But it definitely required me to stretch my suspension of disbelief more than I was willing," and I cannot think of a better way to describe my experience with this book. It was entertaining (if slow at times), and the characters were undoubtedly iconic. But it was a little too sciency/techy for me.
"You see, we're both takers in life. I take precious treasures, chances, risks- pleasures, where I can . . . You simply take things too far."
There were lots of history and mythology-based spiels along with a bunch of technical talks. Then there were a bunch of heists that eventually cultivated into a Demon-possession type plot, that wasn't explained beyond "we are not meant to know the mysteries of life, so everyone should just believe whatever they please". And while I don't necessarily disagree with that outlook in real life, in a book that went into painstaking detail about the logistics of everything else, it seemed like a cop-out.
"You could come so close to making your dreams reality, but then you had to live with the consequences."
Overall, Stephen had an amazing concept (this is literally the original Six of Crows), and his execution wasn't bad by any means, I wish he'd wrapped things up differently since the plot ended up feeling extended convoluted. I would recommend you read this if you're looking for something fun, action-packed, and with lots of banter and interesting settings.
First read: 2 - ⭐⭐
Second read: 2 - ⭐⭐
Third read: 3 - ⭐⭐⭐
First Installment in the Thieves Like Us series. Young Adult Criminal Suspense novel with the "dead parent" and "found family" tropes along with themes of belonging and mortality.
I loved the characters, but there was too much sciency and techy talk. Not to mention that the plot was so CONVOLUTED!
"Nothing lasts forever, he'd told her, back in the crumbling catacombs. Not helplessness. Not fear. Maybe not even love. But while he was here, Jonah was going to make the most of every second."
5 Teens with tragic backstories and extraordinary abilities work together to steal artifacts. Jonah Wish, the newest addition, tries to adapt to this new life and wonders if he'll find the family he's always wanted with this ragtag group of misfits.
.[Coldhardt and Samraj] both take injured, unloved little things and give them something to strive for, to believe in . . . We teach them our own values.”
The other day I saw a review that said: "Fun! But it definitely required me to stretch my suspension of disbelief more than I was willing," and I cannot think of a better way to describe my experience with this book. It was entertaining (if slow at times), and the characters were undoubtedly iconic. But it was a little too sciency/techy for me.
"You see, we're both takers in life. I take precious treasures, chances, risks- pleasures, where I can . . . You simply take things too far."
There were lots of history and mythology-based spiels along with a bunch of technical talks. Then there were a bunch of heists that eventually cultivated into a Demon-possession type plot, that wasn't explained beyond "we are not meant to know the mysteries of life, so everyone should just believe whatever they please". And while I don't necessarily disagree with that outlook in real life, in a book that went into painstaking detail about the logistics of everything else, it seemed like a cop-out.
"You could come so close to making your dreams reality, but then you had to live with the consequences."
Overall, Stephen had an amazing concept (this is literally the original Six of Crows), and his execution wasn't bad by any means, I wish he'd wrapped things up differently since the plot ended up feeling extended convoluted. I would recommend you read this if you're looking for something fun, action-packed, and with lots of banter and interesting settings.
July 14, 2018
I picked this up in Poundland, and so wasn’t really sure what to expect from it. I certainly hadn’t realised it was YA (even when I try for something else I head back there accidentally!!).
I found it to be an enjoyable romp through an improbable heist! I love heists, and I love teams with different skills coming together, so that worked really well for me.
What worked slightly less well was Coldhardt and his way of “managing” the team. His character and motivation seemed all over the place. That said, I do love a good conspiracy theory so it did lend itself to that pretty well. 😂
I also like the whole historical-fantastical-conspiracy concept, even if it’s improbable. It’s a little like Leverage crossed with the Mummy. Good fun, for a quick and cheap read, better than I expected. 3.5 stars.
I found it to be an enjoyable romp through an improbable heist! I love heists, and I love teams with different skills coming together, so that worked really well for me.
What worked slightly less well was Coldhardt and his way of “managing” the team. His character and motivation seemed all over the place. That said, I do love a good conspiracy theory so it did lend itself to that pretty well. 😂
I also like the whole historical-fantastical-conspiracy concept, even if it’s improbable. It’s a little like Leverage crossed with the Mummy. Good fun, for a quick and cheap read, better than I expected. 3.5 stars.
August 22, 2017
I really enjoyed this action-adventure book. Although there were a few slower bits there was enough action to keep me hooked. I definitely want to carry on with this series to find out what happens next!
There was a smaller romantic story line that was partnered with the main action story line, but it was in the background for the majority of the book. I loved that the girls in this book weren't weak or pushed into the sidelines; they had just as many action scenes as the boys did (which is rare in action stories).
I would recommend this book to people looking for a young-adult action book, although I think the target age is 13-16 year olds.
There was a smaller romantic story line that was partnered with the main action story line, but it was in the background for the majority of the book. I loved that the girls in this book weren't weak or pushed into the sidelines; they had just as many action scenes as the boys did (which is rare in action stories).
I would recommend this book to people looking for a young-adult action book, although I think the target age is 13-16 year olds.
August 11, 2021
So yeah this book was action packed and fun, but there was so much background on each character that was only lightly skimmed on, that I wish had been elaborated on more. Even Jonah’s background is glossed over, would have been nice to delve into at least one character’s backstory.
April 5, 2022
A bit YA for me. Would have loved it if I had read it in my teens. There was just too many subtle explaining of things that were not new to me.
Would definitely recommend it to one of my students, though. Light reading.
Would definitely recommend it to one of my students, though. Light reading.
August 9, 2022
I personally liked it. There was a good use of humour and a lot of action scenes. But I do wish that the characters back stories would be more elaborated (i don't know if this happens later in the series since I have only read the first book). Also why the need to add the romance between jonah and tye? It affects nothing and is kinda pointless. Other than that the book was good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2018
3.75/5 At the start, this was hard for me to get into, but the end was just plain crazy and I loved some of these characters.
April 14, 2015
I will start by saying that, yes, while this book is for teenagers/young adults, I honestly could see people of any age enjoying it. The plotline is a touch convoluted at times, but that's also part of the beauty of it - the mystery keeps you going back until at the end every little piece of the puzzle comes together. The pacing is excellent for the vast majority of the book, with only a small wavering wiggle in the pacing round about the mid-200s or so, give or take a few pages, but that's really a bit nitpicky.
The main characters each hold their own and each have their own charms, with a fairly similar degree of character development for most of them. My personal favorite character is actually a tie - I love both Tye and Jonah's characters equally, and we get to know them rather well over the course of the book - although Patch and his pre-teen antics are a close second. The interpersonal relationships between the characters seem natural and easy - a difficult thing to accomplish for many authors, for how do you simulate or indeed force what should be the natural way? Stephen Cole pulls characterization off brilliantly, and is honestly his main draw here.
The story as a whole is a very good one - I'd honestly say the level is on par with some of the earlier Harry Potter books, but that's just my personal opinion. On the subject of recommendation, I would definitely do so - but whilst this book would be enjoyable to people not in the target age group, it does still bear the 'children's book' brand and that does show in a few places. Still, those moments are not so rampant that it detracts from the book much and as a whole the book is a fairly solid one.
Whilst it isn't perfect, it's definitely worth a try and some people may be surprised at just how much they enjoy it. Because in the end the book doesn't always take itself too seriously, and neither should you.
It is also worth making a final note that this is the first in a trilogy, and although I have yet to read the other books, this story has hooked me enough into ordering them off Amazon. And that is how you know the story has succeeded.
Final Verdict: A very good story worthy of picking up, some people may have to work to get past the fact that it is a young adult fiction, but in spite of its small flaws (or maybe because of them) this is a charming and fun little story that many will enjoy, regardless of age.
Final Grade: A-
The main characters each hold their own and each have their own charms, with a fairly similar degree of character development for most of them. My personal favorite character is actually a tie - I love both Tye and Jonah's characters equally, and we get to know them rather well over the course of the book - although Patch and his pre-teen antics are a close second. The interpersonal relationships between the characters seem natural and easy - a difficult thing to accomplish for many authors, for how do you simulate or indeed force what should be the natural way? Stephen Cole pulls characterization off brilliantly, and is honestly his main draw here.
The story as a whole is a very good one - I'd honestly say the level is on par with some of the earlier Harry Potter books, but that's just my personal opinion. On the subject of recommendation, I would definitely do so - but whilst this book would be enjoyable to people not in the target age group, it does still bear the 'children's book' brand and that does show in a few places. Still, those moments are not so rampant that it detracts from the book much and as a whole the book is a fairly solid one.
Whilst it isn't perfect, it's definitely worth a try and some people may be surprised at just how much they enjoy it. Because in the end the book doesn't always take itself too seriously, and neither should you.
It is also worth making a final note that this is the first in a trilogy, and although I have yet to read the other books, this story has hooked me enough into ordering them off Amazon. And that is how you know the story has succeeded.
Final Verdict: A very good story worthy of picking up, some people may have to work to get past the fact that it is a young adult fiction, but in spite of its small flaws (or maybe because of them) this is a charming and fun little story that many will enjoy, regardless of age.
Final Grade: A-
September 23, 2014
I wasn't really sure what to think of this book when I first purchased it. I got it at a severely discounted price at my local bookstore. I still couldn't tell what the contents would be like after looking at the cover and reading what it was about on the inside panel. I wasn't sure if it was a teen book or an adult book by the colorful cover and the large print on the interior. I had never heard of the author and usually I do not purchase books if that is the case. For some reason, this book looked attractive to me so I decided to purchase it. I have to say, I'm still not sure if this was intended for a younger audience or not. Between the slight innuendo and modernized historical fictitious facts, it seems like it is a book that adults and teens alike would enjoy. I really enjoyed this storyline. It was very unique. Like a group of young adults on a Indiana Jones mission. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed it very much.
March 16, 2011
It was pretty good, but some parts of the story kind of dragged for me, and then some some parts I feel like, some details were skipped which made the story a little bit more bland. I loved the plot and the idea of the story. Definitely, an all nighter book.
September 13, 2010
This was a really good book! :D
November 26, 2019
The first problem with this book is that it's a heist book written with the pacing of a murder mystery. Which is frustrating because the heist begins a lot earlier than you'd imagine a murder would happen in a murder mystery. I don't like the characters. With the exception of Patch and maybe Con. Con is a terrible name for a character by the way. It feels very lazy. Sure Patch has an eye patch and yet somehow Con is more awkward a name. Yet she gets characterized. Jonah sucks. Jonah Wish? Honestly that last name is bad and I thought it was a joke when I learned that was his land name in the back 20% of the book. Motti is interesting to a bit but like Tye I don't feel we get to know them all that much. Which is mostly ok for a first book but I feel the author tried to make Tye interesting. And still I don't care about her. I don't know her. The fact that she randomly got perspective chapters was JARRING and felt nonsensical because they didn't do much.
Jonah is a computer nerd who doesn't geek out on his computer being paranoid that it's too good to be true. Which was understandable for a while but the entire book he almost never does computer. It's WEIRD. Who writes a hacker that doesn't do any hacking. Why did they get him in the first place. I still don't understand the relationship between the kids and "Coldheart" their guardian. For a book with a real crime family style of crew I recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora which featured an excellent crew that you get to know even though . For a better crew in a kid's book hit up any three book sequence of the Animorphs series. The heist itself a mix of mystery and debunking that's supposed to be ambiguous ala the great archaeology movies like Indiana Jones. It comes a bit across like the current television show Evil. Which in this case i think is good. Frustrating but good.
Jonah is a computer nerd who doesn't geek out on his computer being paranoid that it's too good to be true. Which was understandable for a while but the entire book he almost never does computer. It's WEIRD. Who writes a hacker that doesn't do any hacking. Why did they get him in the first place. I still don't understand the relationship between the kids and "Coldheart" their guardian. For a book with a real crime family style of crew I recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora which featured an excellent crew that you get to know even though . For a better crew in a kid's book hit up any three book sequence of the Animorphs series. The heist itself a mix of mystery and debunking that's supposed to be ambiguous ala the great archaeology movies like Indiana Jones. It comes a bit across like the current television show Evil. Which in this case i think is good. Frustrating but good.
December 29, 2021
I’ve decided to rate this book 5 stars rounding from a rating of 4.5.
Revolving around 5 talented youths, with criminal backgrounds and unfortunate pasts, as well as a mysterious and extremely wealthy father figure/ benefactor this action-adventure book had a partly unique story with in-depth characters who were all so likeable and left you feeling attached to them throughout the whole story. I liked the switching pov but I wish there was more a space between them as I didn’t really know who I was following during most of the story. By incorporating some emotional drama that isn’t overdone, and a small blooming romance which wasn’t the focus of the book, I thought this was the perfect read for me.
Not to mention the author reminded me why I love heist books so much. a group of people with different skills that make them all equal and needed throughout the story with mysterious benefactors, the found family dynamic and twists, turns and mystery along the way, who wouldn’t love these types of books.
Minor spoilers ahead
And with a party and firework scene at the end, this was the perfect last read for 2021.
Revolving around 5 talented youths, with criminal backgrounds and unfortunate pasts, as well as a mysterious and extremely wealthy father figure/ benefactor this action-adventure book had a partly unique story with in-depth characters who were all so likeable and left you feeling attached to them throughout the whole story. I liked the switching pov but I wish there was more a space between them as I didn’t really know who I was following during most of the story. By incorporating some emotional drama that isn’t overdone, and a small blooming romance which wasn’t the focus of the book, I thought this was the perfect read for me.
Not to mention the author reminded me why I love heist books so much. a group of people with different skills that make them all equal and needed throughout the story with mysterious benefactors, the found family dynamic and twists, turns and mystery along the way, who wouldn’t love these types of books.
Minor spoilers ahead
And with a party and firework scene at the end, this was the perfect last read for 2021.
September 18, 2019
A spiffing good read, clever, complex and filled with action of the decidedly cerebral kind.
The characters, a bunch of super talented young people with a slightly mysterious and extremely wealthy father figure/benefactor (along the lines of Charlie in 'Charlie's Angels') combine their considerable talents to solve mysteries and have spectacular adventures in exotic locations.
None of them are can be described as 'pillars of the community' - they all have criminal records and come from fractured backgrounds. The author presents a perfect balance of emotional drama that ensures no exaggerated sentimentalism.
The characters, a bunch of super talented young people with a slightly mysterious and extremely wealthy father figure/benefactor (along the lines of Charlie in 'Charlie's Angels') combine their considerable talents to solve mysteries and have spectacular adventures in exotic locations.
None of them are can be described as 'pillars of the community' - they all have criminal records and come from fractured backgrounds. The author presents a perfect balance of emotional drama that ensures no exaggerated sentimentalism.
February 19, 2018
Cleverly written, with interesting characters and a decent mystery built into the plot. The protagonists are flawed but still decisive and smart, which makes the book good. I was worried for a while that the name Coldhardt would be a complete give-away of the villain, but I was pleasantly surprised. The author also left enough mystery about backstories to make me want to read on, but did it without making the book feel too unfinished. Well done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2021
This was a book I picked basically at random and I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I actually did. I loved the gruesome and dirty jokes, as well as the group dynamics within the team. It was giving me very Six of Crows found family vibes. I feel as if their relationship had a really natural progression. I loved the characters and will be reading book two!
May 12, 2024
It was a nice read, something to occupy my day. it wasn’t a revelation or anything, it was just nice to read! Maybe a bit too fast, i would’ve loved more details on their different heists, especially the last one, and more explanation, more informations on the cult and all.
Overall pretty good, I really liked the characters
Overall pretty good, I really liked the characters
January 28, 2018
Definitely different. Sort of an oceans eleven crossed with Charlie’s angels with British teens taken in and trained by a wealthy mysterious benefactor. Lots of double crossing or maybe not and heists and mysterious motivations. A decent action/ heist YA but nothing terrible memorable.
February 1, 2018
A real page-turner
I thoroughly enjoyed this live action page-turner by Stephen Cole. I really enjoy multiple characters and personalities. Definitely recommend to anyone in search of an action packed quick read for bed, travelling, or chilling on the couch with a cup of tea. ☺
I thoroughly enjoyed this live action page-turner by Stephen Cole. I really enjoy multiple characters and personalities. Definitely recommend to anyone in search of an action packed quick read for bed, travelling, or chilling on the couch with a cup of tea. ☺
July 3, 2022
I think that the book was in too much of a rush. For instance one page i turned someone was alive, and the next, they had already died. I was sort of struggling to keep up with it. Other than that it was a pretty good book.
March 12, 2018
Fascinating
I’m a fan of the historical fiction genre. And this novel by Stephen Cole doesn’t disappoint. It’s a riveting read and a page turner. Worth every minute.
I’m a fan of the historical fiction genre. And this novel by Stephen Cole doesn’t disappoint. It’s a riveting read and a page turner. Worth every minute.
May 25, 2018
I just couldn't connect with this book. I DNF'd it at the 50% mark.
October 10, 2018
Decent book, took me a while to finish as I started to lose interest towards the end.
May 19, 2020
I only read the first couple chapters and it seemed really cliché and not very well thought out.
September 25, 2020
Very boring even after 1 chapter
January 14, 2021
Loved it! I found it strangely fascinating!
March 1, 2021
De leitura fácil e fluída, com muita acção, intriga e aventura!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews