One Happy Thing: The Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

I was between books right before a weekend trip, and any chronic book reader will know what a genuinely panic-inducing moment this is. I downloaded a handful of ebooks from the library minutes before leaving for the airport and crossed my fingers.

Within a few paragraphs, I knew I'd struck gold with this book. Museum of Thieves kept me completely enthralled for the entire two hour plane ride, and I kept sneaking moments all weekend long to inhale more vibrant scenes of shifting magical rooms, deceitful caretakers, and plucky young thieves.

It tells the story of Goldie, a young girl growing up in a dystopian society where children are protected at all costs and society is under the thumb of the righteous and devious Keepers. Goldie escapes in a moment of spontaneous rebellion, and rather than finding herself cast out, is recruited to the Museum of Thieves for her daring-do and light bout of thievery. Of course, the Keepers come looking for her, and of course, they have an ulterior and insidious motive, and of course, Goldie must save the day.

From start to finish, this book was just a super-fun read. It's a young adult book, but aimed at a slightly younger young adult. The characters are well-developed and the zany world comes across as totally believable. And it's funny. I chuckled to myself several times while reading it (to the consternation of my airplane seat mates).

Verdict: highly recommended, particularly as a fun end-of-summer vacation read.

Find It! Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner