City of Saints & Thieves

by Natalie C. Anderson

[nannah]

(3.5)

I'm still not sure why this is 3.5 and not 4, because I have tons of positive things to say about it! So I just ... don't know why I didn't enjoy it more. Maybe heist books aren't my thing, who knows?

Book content warnings:
rape
graphic violence

After escaping Congo, protagonist Tina and her mother arrive in Sangui City as refugees. Surprisingly, her mother gets a job as a maid for the Greyhills, one of the richest (and most dangerous) families in Sangui. It's there she becomes acquainted with the son of the house and more importantly the man of the house, who becomes the father of her sister, Kiki ... and the murderer of her mother.

Blinded by rage, Tina joins a local gang and vows to avenge her mother's death and kill Mr. Greyhill. Her plan involves the boss of her gang and her gay (though she won't admit it) friend, Boyboy, the hacker. And then, unexpectedly, her old playmate and Mr. Greyhill's son, Michael.

This book is so filled with unexpected and satisfying twists. The story takes you places you never expect, and the action is literally non-stop. If those are things you love, this book is for you. It kept my attention, definitely, but I guess ... I wanted more from it? The problem is I just can't pinpoint what it was that I wanted.

One thing for sure, though, is that I wish Tina's sister, Kiki, was more than a story prop. She was in the book to motivate Tina, and that was it. She had maybe 3-4 lines. Her character? Who knows. I'm getting really tired of little sister/brother characters who are only there to be kidnapped/held hostage/in danger somehow just to be a motivator for the protagonist. Who has no character and is basically a cardboard cutout. Why should we as readers care or be invested in the protagonist's goals if we don't care about the sister/brother/etc. ourselves?

Anyway, a fast-paced heist that takes place in a very interesting setting, and really gets a lot of the white American capitalism and corruption well-written. I especially loved how grey-coded these characters were (though I still didn't like them!). They were neither painted as good nor bad. Really strong characterization here. All in all a very strong book that's maybe just not my kind of thing.