(review) The Academy: Thief by C.L. Stone

The Academy: Thief by C.L. Stone

Series: The Scarab Beetle #1

Release date: February 26th 2014

Publisher: Arcato Publishing

Page: 450

Source: netgalley

Kayli Winchester is a dirt-poor girl living out of a hotel, forced to be the parent for a drunken father and teenage brother who she’s desperate to keep in school. The only way she scrapes by is to utilize her one skill: pickpocketing. But even though she’s a thief she has a moral code: no kids or old ladies, only targets who can defend themselves. Not that they see her coming… 

Thinking she’s been working under the radar, Kayli has no idea The Academy has been watching and taking notice. Now a team that needs her skill has offered her a way out of her predicament and it’s her last chance: work with them, or face jail time. Kayli resists at first, but slowly the boys reveal they can be trusted. With Marc, the straight man, Raven, the bad-boy Russian, Corey and Brandon the twins as different as night and day, and Axel their stoic leader, there’s a lot Kayli can learn from these Academy guys about living on the edge of the law. If only she can stay on the good side instead of the bad. 

Especially when the job they offer her is more than any of them bargained for. After it’s done, the hunters have become the hunted and their target is now after Kayli. The Academy boys do their best to keep her hidden, but a thief like Kayli will never sit still for long. 

Meet an all-new Academy team in Thief, the beginning of the Scarab Beetle series. 
Warning: This is a new adult series. Readers of the other Academy series may need some caution as this series will contain mature sexual and violent situations and themes.

Reading this book was like stepping inside a room with too much testosterone. And this is a positive point, at least for me.

Our main female protagonist, Kayli Winchester, never chose to live as a thief. With a drunk father and a younger brother (whom she's desperate to keep in school), Kayli was forced to sustain their lives. And the only way she can do it? pick pocketing. And then suddenly, Kayli found out that her life's not as simple as getting illegal money and saving her family's life, a group of young men were running to catch her. Not to keep her in jail, but to ask for a favor. And now, Kayli was inadvertently thrown into the world of criminals, Intel, justice? and lots and lots of hot guys.

Even by the end of the book, I cannot decide whether Kayli was bad-ass or weepy. I definitely adore her for her pick pocketing skills, which is wrong but cool anyway. Kayli had the same amount of cold-headed-bad-ass and weepy-female character, but maybe that's what makes Kayli a real character, as in a real life human with balanced feelings. I liked her, I didn't love her, and I definitely envy her. I mean all of those hot guys surrounds her at once! what's there not to envy?

There are lots of male characters here, as I said before. It felt like playing Visual Novels on my gadgets or reading this manga Barajou No Kiss. Not saying that it has a same (or similar) story or anything, because it's not, but the way one female character was surrounded and perhaps loved by more than one (or two) male characters are similar. Too many guys to swoon over.

I'm not really sure about the romance... I don't even know if it's there at all. There are definitely some "romantic actions" and they do seem care about each other somehow (Kayli x other guy characters) but... I think that's that for now. I am team Marc btw.

The writing style is gorgeous. Love first person. You write anything in first person and there's 90% chance that I'll love it.

Overall, I really do enjoy my adventure with lots of hot male characters this book. There are a few negative points, but they're a minor for me. Love this one.

Rating:
4 EYES OPEN (4/5)