
A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is navigating the fallout of a difficult divorce, feeling a sense of betrayal by a parent, or struggling with the unfairness of changing financial circumstances. It speaks directly to the anger and powerlessness kids feel when a parent's new life seems to erase their old one. The story follows Olivia, a former heiress whose father cheated and cut her out of her inheritance. Set against the backdrop of her father's lavish new wedding, she plans a high-stakes digital heist to reclaim what was stolen. While it is a thrilling heist novel, it deeply explores the emotional complexities of blended families, the sting of infidelity, and the process of finding self-worth independent of family wealth. It is highly appropriate for high schoolers who enjoy fast-paced mysteries with a core of realistic family drama.
The protagonist engages in theft and hacking, though framed as reclaiming her own inheritance.
Tension surrounding being caught during the heist.
A subplot involving a romantic interest and some flirting.
Themes of parental abandonment, infidelity, and the loss of a family home.
The book deals with divorce and parental infidelity in a direct, secular, and emotionally raw manner. The resolution is realistic, focusing on Olivia's internal growth and agency rather than a magical reconciliation with her father.
A high-schooler who feels 'second best' in a blended family or a teen who loves tech-savvy thrillers but also wants to explore the messy reality of parent-child betrayal.
Read the scenes involving Olivia's interactions with her stepmother to understand the nuances of her resentment. The book can be read cold by most teens. A parent might see their child expressing deep cynicism about family loyalty or see them pulling away during major family transitions like remarriage.
Younger teens (14) will focus on the excitement of the heist and the 'revenge' fantasy. Older teens (17-18) will likely resonate more with the themes of financial anxiety and the transition into adulthood under unfair circumstances.
Unlike many heist novels that focus on greed, this is a deeply personal story about emotional restitution and reclaiming one's narrative after a parent's abandonment.
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Owens was once the darling of a wealthy Rhode Island estate until her father's affair and subsequent remarriage upended her life. Now, living in a cramped apartment and cut off financially, Olivia returns to her former home during her father's third wedding. Her goal is not a reconciliation, but a redistribution. Using her coding skills and knowledge of the estate, she plans to hack into her father’s accounts and take back her inheritance. Along the way, she must navigate complex feelings about her father's new family and her own identity outside of wealth.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a review