#BookReview: The Con Code by @shanasilver @SwoonReads

Synopsis: A teen forger and thief forms a criminal crew from her high school friends (and crush) to perform a series of heists leading to the location of her missing mother in this action-packed contemporary YA novel. 

By day, seventeen-year-old Fiona Spangler runs small cons for her ritzy prep-school classmates: getting them out of tests and forging fake hall passes. But by night, Fiona joins her dad on riskier heists: stealing back the clue-filled forgeries her mom scattered across the country before she disappeared. Fiona desperately hopes that her mother will be waiting at the end of the scavenger hunt she left behind.

And they are SO close. Just three more heists remain, but then disaster strikes when Fiona’s dad is captured by the FBI. Desperate to finish the job and save what’s left of her family, Fiona assembles of crew of teen criminals: a master of disguise who can transform into anyone, a talented hacker who only communicates in glares, and a rival con artist with a vendetta against—and possible crush on—Fiona.

All they have to do is perform three nearly impossible heists, solve her mother’s incredibly complex clues, and evade the FBI. Easy, right?



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review: This was a fun read for middle grade to younger young adult readers.  It doest really follow the world of reality but as an escape it really works to get you out of your head and into a fun world of criminals and a girl who is just trying to find her mom. I will say if you are looking for something with depth and something closer to reality this one isn't it.  But if you are just looking for something to get away from it all on a high stakes story then check it out.  Theres romance, humor, and a lot of action. 

From School Library Journal

Gr 6–10—Blond-haired Fiona's parents have raised her to be a criminal mastermind. When other kids were building with Legos, she was honing her lockpicking skills. When other kids were painting with finger paints, she was working on copying the works of the great masters so they could be swapped for the real deal. When other kids were pushing up their Lexile levels, she was mastering code ciphers. Now Fiona has the challenge of a lifetime. With her father in custody and her mom at large, Fiona must work with her friends to swap out her mother's forgeries and unlock the trail of clues her mother left regarding her whereabouts. If that doesn't sound like a tall enough order, add to the mix Colin, a dashing love interest with dark hair and brown eyes who is her match in persuasion and whose dad happens to be the FBI agent assigned to the case. What could possibly go wrong as the group wrangles fake IDs to set out on a high school bus tour? Ultimately, Fiona must choose between loyalty to her family and loyalty to her friends and decide if she can trust Colin or if he will flip and sell her out to the Feds. VERDICT Suspending a lot of disbelief will leave readers awash in high adventure antics interlaced with romantic heavy breathing.—Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL

Review

For Mind Games: 
"It's a YA Michael Crichton novel, minus the 100-page master class intro on quantum mechanics, biotech, and string theory.... Mind Games is an absolute blast. If you are a fan of Mementoor Strange Days, this one's definitely for you!" ―NPR

"An edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep readers guessing. The complex plot, the occasional twists, and the quick pacing make this a difficult read to put down." ― School Library Journal 

"A fun read for those wanting a twisty sf mystery with a steamy high-stakes romance woven in." ―Booklist

"This book is impressive not just because it’s a fantastically written debut, but it’s refreshingly different from pretty much anything I can remember reading. ... It’s intense, high-stakes action from beginning to end―and it’s incredibly intelligent." ―Bookwyrm Bites

About the Author

Shana Silver studied creative writing at Syracuse University. She's been a computer animator, an e-book creator for a major publisher, and now works as a Project Manager in digital and TV advertising where she enjoys telling people what to do. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, young daughter, and the characters she dreams up. Reverse is her debut novel.

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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored. 

Posted in: 4 Stars, Edelweiss, Review, Swoon Reads, Young Adult