Time for another booklist: Our favorite thieves in YA.
As I've got Elizabeth C. Bunce's Thief Errant books on the brain, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of our favorite thieves from YA.
I'll start us off:
Digger, from Elizabeth C. Bunce's StarCrossed and Liar's Moon:
When we first meet Digger, she escapes a robbery-gone-bad by pretending to be everything she's not and throwing her lot in with a group of drunken young nobs. It's a simple, unplanned action that shouldn't have far-reaching consequences, but does: Once she realizes that she may have allied herself with the rebel side of a civil war, being blackmailed into espionage ends up being the least of her worries.
She's resourceful, she's brave, she's loyal (to a point — she's not blindly loyal, and she's certainly not selfless a la Sydney "it's a far, far better thing I do" Carton), she's canny and crafty and stubborn and witty. She's an utter joy to be around; her world and the other inhabitants of it are just as fascinating as she is.
Eugenides, from Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series:
I mean, obviously. To know him is to love him, and the more you read about him, the more you love him. He only improves with age. He's tricky personified, always thinking fourteen steps ahead of what anyone else would ever think possible; he's a hero who claims not to go in for heroics. He's testy, whiny, obnoxious, so maddening that he irritates the gods themselves, a self-professed coward and a liar and a thief and yet, I don't know a single person who hasn't walked away from this series without a ginormous crush on him.
Montmorency, from Eleanor Updale's Montmorency books:
London, 1875. He starts out as a common thief, but a horrible accident ultimately allows him detailed knowledge about London's new sewer system AND the freedom to create a second identity: So Montmorency becomes a gentleman-about-town and an UNcommon thief. These books are tragically unsung, and will appeal to those who like Philip Pullman's historical fiction. Oddly, they were published for the YA audience, but don't feature teen characters.
Katarina Bishop, from Ally Carter's Heist Society books:
As I'm one of the only people I know who didn't do cartwheels about this book, and as I do understand the appeal, I'm including her: After all, Katarina Bishop is basically the Danny Ocean of teen chicklit. When Heist Society becomes a movie, I'll totally give it a try.
Cassel Sharpe, of Holly Black's Curse Workers series:
Fair enough. He's not really a thief. But he's a con artist, and he's certainly got some of the same qualities as some of the other people on this list, I like the series, and I'm the one who's starting this list off. So... here he is.
Liesel Meminger, Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief:
The Book Thief is much heavier than anything else on this list, but Liesel deserves a mention. I cried so much while reading this book that Josh had to leave the house and I ultimately had to change my shirt because it was soaked through. Beautifully written, a completely original, pitch-perfect voice, and highly recommended to any reader who thinks that the YA can't BRING IT, in terms of depth, eloquence, or insight.
Obviously, this is just a start and I know that I'm forgetting tons: So add 'em in the comments, and I'll totally compile!
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Previously:
Readalouds for a "snarky-smart precocious almost-12-year-old" girl.