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There are currently 18 member reviews
for The Good Thief
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Janice (South Woodstock VT)
The Good Thief
This is a genre we don't see often in our times of dangerous and difficult travel: a picaresque novel, set in an almost mythological New England past, with a ragtag band of characters for whom a journey is just as difficult. Like all such journeys this is really about finding home by creating a family and finding oneself. With all that great stuff going on, let me add this is first and foremost hilarious! Scene after scene gives us brilliant images and unexpected events through the eyes of a gently ironic, soul-hungry young boy, Ren, just "adopted" from an orphanage all too glad to be done with him, and not too particular about who claims him. To say more will spoil your fun. If I had five thumbs instead of just two,they'd all be up!
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Pat Marnatti (San Antonio TX)
The Good Thief
This book is a real page turner. The characters are reminiscent of Charles Dicken's characters, but they become real people. When I feel that I could have lunch with one of the characters and delve into a conversation with them, I know that it's a good book.
It is a book is for all generations to enjoy.
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Michelle (Wilton CT)
Dickenesque
I was thrilled to find this book took me back to the fairy tales & Grimms Brothers tales of my youth. The characters were wonderful & the tale kept you hooked & waiting to see what happened next! It is fun & easy with all the right light & shadows you need for a story that takes you back in time!
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Lori (Albuquerque NM)
An exceptional tale
Eleven-year-old Ren doesn’t really know why he steals from his fellow orphans at St Anthony’s. But when nothing is yours but a ragged collar with three stitched initials, perhaps you stop believing in stories anymore and instead just reach for what is missing.
Hannah Tinti’s story is of lost boys – of any age -- for whom the dead mean as much as the living. The character of Benjamin Nab, who retrieves young Ren from St Anthony’s, weaves lies and truths together into a fabric that holds him at the same time it threatens to rip apart at any moment.
Ren’s story is well told, with characters that remind a reader of lost opportunity and the ephemeral nature of love and affection.
Characters are sketched with charcoal: gestures, movements, are sometimes finely rendered and other times only broadly suggested, to tell us of their essence. Tinti captures the wonder of small acts to a child and the sharp dangers in Ren’s life in a way that renders a haunting and compelling tale.
An excellent book!
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Amy (Wildomar CA)
The Good Thief--Unique Read!
This book is really different from anything I’ve read lately, and I absolutely loved it! It’s a really fun book with vivid characters, imaginative descriptions, and spot on perfect pacing. The world in this story is brought quickly to life, I came to care about Ren and the people who enriched his life very quickly, and the adventures and experiences he has in the company of Benjamin Nab are masterfully spun like a grand tale. This is the sort of book you pick and don’t want to put down until you’ve turned the last page. Highly recommended.
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Randi (Walnut Creek CA)
Harrowing adventure, great fun!
What a fun read!
After leaving the orphanage, Ren's life is jam-packed with adventures. Hannah Tinti is adept at continuously throwing perils and quandaries and surprises Ren's (and the lucky reader's) way, without getting ridiculous. Her characters are all interesting, whether diabolical or endearing. This story has been compared to Dickens-like tales, and it does create a similar mood, without the heaviness.
This is a taut tale, with lots of action, and no wasted words.
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Nikki (Fort Wayne IN)
Two thumbs up!
If you want to remember how it was to pick up a book and read for the sheer pleasure of reading, then read this book! So many novels try to incorporate heavy-handed political agendas or eco-views into the plotline and the story gets bogged down. It was so refreshing to read a great story without all of the "underlying messages". I thoroughly enjoyed The Good Thief and I think you will too!
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