Queer heist novel is a new favorite subgenre of mine, and this hit the spot so well! I love how diverse the queer rep in this book is, from lesbians, to a trans woman, to a few mahu, a native Hawaiian third gender. I loved meeting our diverse crew of characters and learning each of their “tropes” in the heist genre and what brought them to where they are at today, and what lead them to take the job. 

We meet our main character, Edie, just as they are mysteriously released early from prison after 8 years behind bars. Edie is met by Angel, the cause of their time, who offers them a position on their crew for the biggest job of their lives. Gradually, we meet the rest of the large crew, which takes a good portion of the front of the book and does impact the pacing a bit, but overall brings us to know the characters I quickly loved and cared for.

I’ll admit I, like Edie, had a hard time forgiving Angel and rooting for the obvious romantic & sexual tension between the two of them. Angel forever changed the lives of both Edie but all of Edie’s family that relies on them to keep afloat. Even after the “big reveals” that are supposed to make us sympathize, I struggled for awhile to root for her. 

Ultimately, though, the story shows it is the systems, not the people forced to make tough decisions within it, that are evil. Don’t read this book if you are somehow pro- capitalism, gentrification, and colonization — or do, and hopefully learn something new through seeing what people are forced to do to survive.

Definitely going on my Be Gay Do Crime book list.

tropes & tags