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Stealing Heaven
My name is Danielle. I'm eighteen. I've been stealing things for as long as I can remember.
Dani has been trained as a thief by the best--her mother. Together, they move from town to town, targeting wealthy homes and making a living by stealing antique silver. They never stay in one place long enough to make real connections, real friends--a real life
In the beach town of Heaven, though, everything changes. For the first time, Dani starts to feel at home. She's making friends and has even met a guy. But these people can never know the real Dani--because of who she is. When it turns out that her new friend lives in the house they've targeted for their next job and the cute guy is a cop, Dani must question where her loyalties lie: with the life she's always known--or the one she's always wanted.
Dani has been trained as a thief by the best--her mother. Together, they move from town to town, targeting wealthy homes and making a living by stealing antique silver. They never stay in one place long enough to make real connections, real friends--a real life
In the beach town of Heaven, though, everything changes. For the first time, Dani starts to feel at home. She's making friends and has even met a guy. But these people can never know the real Dani--because of who she is. When it turns out that her new friend lives in the house they've targeted for their next job and the cute guy is a cop, Dani must question where her loyalties lie: with the life she's always known--or the one she's always wanted.
307 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2008
82 people are currently reading
9963 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Scott
140 books3,449 followersHey there, I'm Elizabeth. I write young adult novels. I live just outside Washington DC with my husband and dog, and am unable to pass a bookstore without stopping and going inside.
All right, and I can't leave without buying at least one book.
Usually two. (Or more!)
My website and blog are at elizabethwrites.com, and I'm also on twitter, tumblr, and facebook
All right, and I can't leave without buying at least one book.
Usually two. (Or more!)
My website and blog are at elizabethwrites.com, and I'm also on twitter, tumblr, and facebook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews
March 10, 2011
Favourite Quote: "The story of my life can be told in silver; in chocolate mill, serving spoons, and service for twelve. The story of my life has nothing to do with me. The story of my life is things. Things that aren't mine, that won't ever be mine. It's all I've ever know. I wish it wasn't."
Three words - I LOVED IT! Stealing Heaven is my kind of book. It has a happy and fun feel but also has depth and heart and has one of the most delicious romances I have read in a while.
We all know that Elizabeth Scott is a talented writer. I have read a couple of her books before and enjoyed them but Stealing Heaven is definitely my favourite. Probably because pretty much the whole way through I had a goofy grin on my face. The writing is just so effortless to read and hooks you straight in. It is also so perfectly paced - you are excited for the next page but never feel rushed. And the characters you just click with.
Dani, awww I want to hug her. Her life is pretty sad to begin with. She is closed off from the world and has missed out on her teens years (no friends, no relationships, no school, no home) because of her mother and the life they live as thieves. I loved watching her grow and come to realise what she really wants. And also beginning to stand up for herself with her mother (I was cheering at that part).
Now Dani's mother, I can definitely say she is going on my most disliked parent list. I know that she thought what she did was the best thing for Dani but I all I could think was how selfish she was.
Greg is such a strong supporting character. You just have to say his name and the above mentioned goofy grin appears on my face. Just a great guy. I like that he never gave up on Dani no matter how much she tried to push him away and also that he had made mistakes in his past which helped him be more believable as character.
The romance is so gorgeously written. It comes gently and naturally and very very slowly builds up to that first kiss so that you are screaming KISS NOW! Dani and Greg just had brilliant chemistry.
"Hey," he says, and leans over, brushes his thumb across my mouth. "You'll figure it out." I nod caught by that simple touch. By how good it feels. Being with him makes the whole world sharper somehow. More real. More everything."
Overall, Stealing Heaven is a sweet and real read that is a perfect escape for a few hours. I am off now to squeeze it onto my favourite's shelf.
And again a big thank you to Nomes ((hugs)) for recommending me another brilliant book!
Three words - I LOVED IT! Stealing Heaven is my kind of book. It has a happy and fun feel but also has depth and heart and has one of the most delicious romances I have read in a while.
We all know that Elizabeth Scott is a talented writer. I have read a couple of her books before and enjoyed them but Stealing Heaven is definitely my favourite. Probably because pretty much the whole way through I had a goofy grin on my face. The writing is just so effortless to read and hooks you straight in. It is also so perfectly paced - you are excited for the next page but never feel rushed. And the characters you just click with.
Dani, awww I want to hug her. Her life is pretty sad to begin with. She is closed off from the world and has missed out on her teens years (no friends, no relationships, no school, no home) because of her mother and the life they live as thieves. I loved watching her grow and come to realise what she really wants. And also beginning to stand up for herself with her mother (I was cheering at that part).
Now Dani's mother, I can definitely say she is going on my most disliked parent list. I know that she thought what she did was the best thing for Dani but I all I could think was how selfish she was.
Greg is such a strong supporting character. You just have to say his name and the above mentioned goofy grin appears on my face. Just a great guy. I like that he never gave up on Dani no matter how much she tried to push him away and also that he had made mistakes in his past which helped him be more believable as character.
The romance is so gorgeously written. It comes gently and naturally and very very slowly builds up to that first kiss so that you are screaming KISS NOW! Dani and Greg just had brilliant chemistry.
"Hey," he says, and leans over, brushes his thumb across my mouth. "You'll figure it out." I nod caught by that simple touch. By how good it feels. Being with him makes the whole world sharper somehow. More real. More everything."
Overall, Stealing Heaven is a sweet and real read that is a perfect escape for a few hours. I am off now to squeeze it onto my favourite's shelf.
And again a big thank you to Nomes ((hugs)) for recommending me another brilliant book!
March 23, 2009
While I was reading this book I was really expecting to give it four stars and if the ending was really good maybe even five, but the ending just didn't seem like enough.
Quick Overveiw: Danielle has been stealing stuff(silver to more specific) for as long as she can remember. She and her mother are partners in crime, literally. Her father isn't in her life so it's just her and her mom. But everything starts change when they go to the town of Heaven. She breaks the number one rule of telling someone her real name. And a cop of all people. She does another thing wrong by actually making a friend and finds herself getting unusually comfortable in Heaven. But everything gets even more complicated when she finds out that the house her and her mother are planning as their next steal is the home of her new friend.
The book kept me interested and the plot isn't predictable either. I loved the dialogue between the main character Dani and the cop Greg. They were so funny together and Greg is the perfect guy. It really is too bad he doesn't exsist. Although I found it a little unbelievable that after all her rudeness he still liked Dani. I guess that's what makes him so perfect though. I liked the messy realness of the book. Things don't go how you would expect and you can't be sure how people will react. All the characters are very real in the sense that they do what they want instead of what the story would want. There actions aren't meant to do any specific thing to the plot, if that makes any sense.
It was the ending that I didn't like. Although it's left open that wasn't the problem I had with it. The resolution for them seemed very quickly wrapped up and felt like a complete let down. It just seems like it didn't do justice to the characters and the rest of the book. It's hard to say what exaclty it is that was missing(maybe an actual feel of resolution?), but it just didn't feel like...enough.
Quick Overveiw: Danielle has been stealing stuff(silver to more specific) for as long as she can remember. She and her mother are partners in crime, literally. Her father isn't in her life so it's just her and her mom. But everything starts change when they go to the town of Heaven. She breaks the number one rule of telling someone her real name. And a cop of all people. She does another thing wrong by actually making a friend and finds herself getting unusually comfortable in Heaven. But everything gets even more complicated when she finds out that the house her and her mother are planning as their next steal is the home of her new friend.
The book kept me interested and the plot isn't predictable either. I loved the dialogue between the main character Dani and the cop Greg. They were so funny together and Greg is the perfect guy. It really is too bad he doesn't exsist. Although I found it a little unbelievable that after all her rudeness he still liked Dani. I guess that's what makes him so perfect though. I liked the messy realness of the book. Things don't go how you would expect and you can't be sure how people will react. All the characters are very real in the sense that they do what they want instead of what the story would want. There actions aren't meant to do any specific thing to the plot, if that makes any sense.
It was the ending that I didn't like. Although it's left open that wasn't the problem I had with it. The resolution for them seemed very quickly wrapped up and felt like a complete let down. It just seems like it didn't do justice to the characters and the rest of the book. It's hard to say what exaclty it is that was missing(maybe an actual feel of resolution?), but it just didn't feel like...enough.
March 26, 2009
Stealing Heaven is about a young girl that is going through life and just letting things happen. In the begining it is Dani, her mother, and her father. After some difficult obsticles they go through, which they think are normal, Dani is separated from her father for the rest of her life. She grew up knowing all the things she had weren't hers. She didn't know better, afterall that is what she had been taught. Later Dani's father was put in jail for stealing and was left with her mother. She loved her mom dearly and knew she could never hurt her. After having to move around so many times after breaking into homes, Dani never had the chance to attend high school. They came to a place called Heaven where for the first time many good things would happen. Also there were a few disappointments.
Stealing Heaven was one of the best books I have read. I can say from the first few chapters I read, Elizabeth Scott had me hooked. I think I liked the book so much because it's reality and the events that occured were real. My favorite part of this book was near the end when Dani ends up making some changes for the better and I really liked the strong ending. I hope you will read this book and enjoy it as much as I did!
Stealing Heaven was one of the best books I have read. I can say from the first few chapters I read, Elizabeth Scott had me hooked. I think I liked the book so much because it's reality and the events that occured were real. My favorite part of this book was near the end when Dani ends up making some changes for the better and I really liked the strong ending. I hope you will read this book and enjoy it as much as I did!
March 21, 2011
”I stand in the shower and cry for what I’ve never had and never will. A real home. Things I can truly call my own and keep forever. Friends. I am in the place where you cry and mean it”
Dani has never had the chance to settle down in one place, make connections with people or call a place her own. This is because from a young age all has learnt to rob places with her mom and then move to another town. However things change when Dani arrives at Heaven, she finds it strange that people actually want to get to know her and ask questions about her life. She soon find herself taking a step backwards, instead of finding out information about the houses they’re meant to rob, she finds herself being drawn closer to a friend that she never had in Allison and cop Greg.
Greg *sighs* is so patient, sweet and funny, and I especially loved the banter between him and Dani
”You’re smiling”
“So? I smile all the time. Not like some people”
“What are you saying?”
“What do you think I’m saying?”
“I think you’re a pain in the ass”
“There we go” he says “I knew I could do it”
“Do what?”
“Make you smile”
“I’m not smiling” I tell him. But I am I can feel it
It definitely lightened up the mood to the book, as I found that each time Dani’s mum made an appearance I was becoming increasingly irritated. Dani’s mum was so selfish and self-absorbed that she rarely had anytime for Dani.
Stealing Heaven was my first Elizabeth Scott book; her writing was so touching and witty that it definitely left me wanting to read more of her books
Dani has never had the chance to settle down in one place, make connections with people or call a place her own. This is because from a young age all has learnt to rob places with her mom and then move to another town. However things change when Dani arrives at Heaven, she finds it strange that people actually want to get to know her and ask questions about her life. She soon find herself taking a step backwards, instead of finding out information about the houses they’re meant to rob, she finds herself being drawn closer to a friend that she never had in Allison and cop Greg.
Greg *sighs* is so patient, sweet and funny, and I especially loved the banter between him and Dani
”You’re smiling”
“So? I smile all the time. Not like some people”
“What are you saying?”
“What do you think I’m saying?”
“I think you’re a pain in the ass”
“There we go” he says “I knew I could do it”
“Do what?”
“Make you smile”
“I’m not smiling” I tell him. But I am I can feel it
It definitely lightened up the mood to the book, as I found that each time Dani’s mum made an appearance I was becoming increasingly irritated. Dani’s mum was so selfish and self-absorbed that she rarely had anytime for Dani.
Stealing Heaven was my first Elizabeth Scott book; her writing was so touching and witty that it definitely left me wanting to read more of her books
March 7, 2009
4.5 stars FOR SURE! This book was awesome. Completely different premise than anything I'd ever read before. Dani (Danielle) grew up studying the family business.... which is stealing silver from rich people's homes. She never went to high school, because she was learning "more important things". She and her mom essentially live on the road, going from one town to the next, picking a home, devising a plan to steal from it, stealing the silver, and then moving on to a new town.
Until they get to Heaven, a seaside town with a TON of rich houses... and she accidentally makes friends, when she's just supposed to be scoping things out....
I really liked Allison--how open, honest, kind, and friendly she was. She reminded me of me... ;) And I'm totally in love with Greg. Sign me up for some of him, please!
Until they get to Heaven, a seaside town with a TON of rich houses... and she accidentally makes friends, when she's just supposed to be scoping things out....
I really liked Allison--how open, honest, kind, and friendly she was. She reminded me of me... ;) And I'm totally in love with Greg. Sign me up for some of him, please!
February 6, 2016
I really enjoyed this, a quick fast-paced contemporary about a girl who steals with her mother for a living, and what happens when she moves to a town called Heaven, and makes friends and falls for a local young cop. Although the premise sounds cutesy, it's actual pretty heavy in theme & content, would recommend to fans of Sarah Dessen.
July 13, 2010
I just love everything about Stealing Heaven. I love Danielle, who is a professional thief. And Greg, who is the grinning cop with crazy hair. I love reading about older characters in YA (18 and 20years) and the uniqueness of the story. This is the book I wish I had written :)
The premise of a thief liking a cop is achingly done. I got a little emotional in this one. Probably just me :)
I've re-read this one and it's still a fave. I think maybe my favourite out of Elizabeth Scott's books so far...
The premise of a thief liking a cop is achingly done. I got a little emotional in this one. Probably just me :)
I've re-read this one and it's still a fave. I think maybe my favourite out of Elizabeth Scott's books so far...
May 3, 2016
I loved the concept and some parts were really interesting, but overall I wasn't impressed. It took me awhile to finish because I kept losing interest. I didn't feel any emotional connection with the characters.
March 27, 2011
Does this qualify as NA? If so, NA is my new YA!
Stealing Heaven reminds me of Pretty Woman. Only instead of a handsome suave business man type there's, get this, a young cop! The pairing seemed so unlikely that it verged on being corny; I was positive I would to mock them after. Later though I caught on to what they felt for each other: a wanting, a tentative one, for someone they knew not at all but completely all at once (Guess who read a lot of paperback romances when she was younger.)
Her HEA, was a bitter sweet one. Getting to it was not easy, but is definitely well-worth the read. Most of Dani’s miseries IMO came up because she couldn’t say no. For girl in her business, she was surprisingly trusting and oblivious when it came to her mom. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. Especially since, she knew nothing else outside their world. While Dani is probably a little older than the typical YA 'heroine' (so I was expecting a certain maturity,) she still behaved the way they would: insecure about her mother‘s affection, suspicious, surprised then a little thrilled by a “boy’s” attention, and wanting of friendship. And most of all, her desire for normalcy:
I was totally aware of what she was, as well as what they intended to do in Heaven. I knew it was unlikely (too convenient) for her to be rescued from it by Greg (even if I hoped for it a little.) But when it all did take place, I felt a tad disappointed in her. She just couldn’t say no!
The biggest and best surprise for me in this was Greg. At first, I thought, policeman = knight in shining armor = eye roll. He wasn’t! (Thank God.) He never actually does any saving but is instead just always there. But I think the second best part of it, was how, in the end, it was she who made up her mind. She was the one who decided, not her mom, not Greg, but herself.
3.5
Stealing Heaven reminds me of Pretty Woman. Only instead of a handsome suave business man type there's, get this, a young cop! The pairing seemed so unlikely that it verged on being corny; I was positive I would to mock them after. Later though I caught on to what they felt for each other: a wanting, a tentative one, for someone they knew not at all but completely all at once (Guess who read a lot of paperback romances when she was younger.)
Her HEA, was a bitter sweet one. Getting to it was not easy, but is definitely well-worth the read. Most of Dani’s miseries IMO came up because she couldn’t say no. For girl in her business, she was surprisingly trusting and oblivious when it came to her mom. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. Especially since, she knew nothing else outside their world. While Dani is probably a little older than the typical YA 'heroine' (so I was expecting a certain maturity,) she still behaved the way they would: insecure about her mother‘s affection, suspicious, surprised then a little thrilled by a “boy’s” attention, and wanting of friendship. And most of all, her desire for normalcy:
I like the way he says my name, the name I’ve always wanted for the me I’ve never gotten to be.
I was totally aware of what she was, as well as what they intended to do in Heaven. I knew it was unlikely (too convenient) for her to be rescued from it by Greg (even if I hoped for it a little.) But when it all did take place, I felt a tad disappointed in her. She just couldn’t say no!
The biggest and best surprise for me in this was Greg. At first, I thought, policeman = knight in shining armor = eye roll. He wasn’t! (Thank God.) He never actually does any saving but is instead just always there. But I think the second best part of it, was how, in the end, it was she who made up her mind. She was the one who decided, not her mom, not Greg, but herself.
3.5
October 26, 2008
Danielle only knows one way to live. She’s never been to school, she’s never had a legitimate job, no friends, and no boyfriend. What she does have is her mother, and what they do, is criminal. They steal. Basically they move from town to town, targeting the houses that contain their drug of choice, silver. Her mother does it, her father did it. It’s the only thing she knows how to do, but is what she wants to do.
Their next hit is a small sleepy beach town called, Heaven. Everything is going as planned they have the house in sights and they are gathering intel. They’ll breeze in and out and no one will notice or miss them. That is until Dani meets Allison and is tempted with the taste of friendship. But Allison isn’t the only one who has Dani questioning her ways, there is Greg, the cop that makes her heart flutter! Will Dani be able to turn her back on the only life she’s ever known for a life she has only dreamed about?
This is my second time reading Elizabeth Scott, and she keeps getting better! I loved this story. I was completely captivated by the plot and the characters. Dani’s situation was so compelling, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in that situation, even if my parents did something wrong I can only imagine I would want to protect them. The conflict of this story was unbelievable that alone instantly made me want to pick up this book. And I’m so glad I did! I loved Dani and Greg’s characters. They were both dealing with the effects that their parents had on their lives. Although their stories couldn’t be farther apart. If you want a quick yet mesmerizing novel, I highly suggest Stealing Heaven! Elizabeth Scott is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future!
Their next hit is a small sleepy beach town called, Heaven. Everything is going as planned they have the house in sights and they are gathering intel. They’ll breeze in and out and no one will notice or miss them. That is until Dani meets Allison and is tempted with the taste of friendship. But Allison isn’t the only one who has Dani questioning her ways, there is Greg, the cop that makes her heart flutter! Will Dani be able to turn her back on the only life she’s ever known for a life she has only dreamed about?
This is my second time reading Elizabeth Scott, and she keeps getting better! I loved this story. I was completely captivated by the plot and the characters. Dani’s situation was so compelling, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in that situation, even if my parents did something wrong I can only imagine I would want to protect them. The conflict of this story was unbelievable that alone instantly made me want to pick up this book. And I’m so glad I did! I loved Dani and Greg’s characters. They were both dealing with the effects that their parents had on their lives. Although their stories couldn’t be farther apart. If you want a quick yet mesmerizing novel, I highly suggest Stealing Heaven! Elizabeth Scott is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future!
January 31, 2014
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
18-year-old Danielle is a thief, and travels around with her mother, looking for their next opportunity to steal some silver.
Will Danielle and her mother ever stop stealing? Or will they be caught?
This was an okay story, but I got bored at points.
Danielle was an okay character, but she made some really stupid decisions at times. Given her history I really expected better from her. Having been raised the way she was raised, and have known nothing other than being a thief, I really didn’t get why she suddenly started making such stupid mistakes!
The storyline was okay, but I really wasn’t all that impressed at all. The thieving stuff just wasn’t as big of a deal as it was made out to be, and Danielle kept making stupid slip-ups.
The romance didn’t really interest me, and the back story about how Danielle lost her virginity was downright weird.
Other storylines were also pretty predictable – and it seemed obvious that her mother’s cough was not just a cough.
The ending was a bit disappointing, and I was just glad the book was finished. It would have been nice if we’d actually found out what actually happened to Danielle and her mother, instead of leaving us hanging!
Overall; okay story, nothing amazing though.
6 out of 10.
18-year-old Danielle is a thief, and travels around with her mother, looking for their next opportunity to steal some silver.
Will Danielle and her mother ever stop stealing? Or will they be caught?
This was an okay story, but I got bored at points.
Danielle was an okay character, but she made some really stupid decisions at times. Given her history I really expected better from her. Having been raised the way she was raised, and have known nothing other than being a thief, I really didn’t get why she suddenly started making such stupid mistakes!
The storyline was okay, but I really wasn’t all that impressed at all. The thieving stuff just wasn’t as big of a deal as it was made out to be, and Danielle kept making stupid slip-ups.
The romance didn’t really interest me, and the back story about how Danielle lost her virginity was downright weird.
Other storylines were also pretty predictable – and it seemed obvious that her mother’s cough was not just a cough.
The ending was a bit disappointing, and I was just glad the book was finished. It would have been nice if we’d actually found out what actually happened to Danielle and her mother, instead of leaving us hanging!
Overall; okay story, nothing amazing though.
6 out of 10.
January 12, 2011
Original post at One More Page
I am not exactly an Elizabeth Scott fan. I bought two of her books on an impulse sometime last year (Bloom and Perfect You) and I didn’t like them. Since then, I wasn’t really keen on reading another Elizabeth Scott book, fearing that it might just end up like the ones I read.
I don’t know what made me give her another chance in this book — maybe it was the cover, maybe I was just bored so I picked this up.
I’m glad I did.
If I was disappointed with the first two Elizabeth Scott books I read, Stealing Heaven changes all those first and second impressions. The premise alone was interesting: here was Danielle, who has been stealing things since she could remember, and she felt that it would be what she’d be doing all the rest of her life. She’s never had a real ID in her life and she has a lot of fake names for as long as she could remember. Danielle has no friends, knows more about houses and security systems and getting information, even if she didn’t go to school. She’s loyal to her mom and she loves her, even if she seems to be the adult one in the family. However, when Danielle and her mom get to a small town named Heaven, things change for her.
Stealing Heaven was way different from Bloom and Perfect You. Somehow I felt it was more serious, and the story flow was smoother and somehow easier to read. It reminded me a lot of a Dessen book, which is probably one of the reasons why I liked it so much. There were strong characters all over — characters I can’t help but like. One such character is Greg, the cop who befriends Danielle and cared more about her than his being a cop. I thought Greg was a very nice contrast to Danielle — Danielle is a crook, to put it simply, while Greg is the one who puts crooks to jail. He had a very interesting back story, and he felt genuine enough for me to believe that he did care for the protagonist. He was witty, and he didn’t give up on being nice to Danielle even if she was always putting him off. In a way, Greg reminded me of Dexter from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, but less of a goof (and that reminds me — I want to re-read that book).
What I also really liked about this book is how everything wasn’t really wrapped up nicely in the end. I mean, there was a proper ending, but the author didn’t fix everything in favor of the protagonist so everyone’s happy. With Danielle’s situation, there were some things that she could not undo which made her lose a friend she could have had, there’s her mom who she knew will go back to their old lifestyle, and there’s her, standing up and living the life she always wanted on her own. This is the type of ending where you know that the protagonist grew/will grow into a better person, and somehow that leaves me, the reader, with some kind of hope, and know that things will be okay for this fictional character that I’ve learned to love while reading the book. :)
I liked this book so much that I’m willing to give the first two Elizabeth Scott books I read another chance and read them again. Maybe this time, I’ll learn to like her books better. But even if I don’t, I still think that Stealing Heaven is one gem of a book. :)
And before I end, here's a little line in the book that I really liked:
I am not exactly an Elizabeth Scott fan. I bought two of her books on an impulse sometime last year (Bloom and Perfect You) and I didn’t like them. Since then, I wasn’t really keen on reading another Elizabeth Scott book, fearing that it might just end up like the ones I read.
I don’t know what made me give her another chance in this book — maybe it was the cover, maybe I was just bored so I picked this up.
I’m glad I did.
If I was disappointed with the first two Elizabeth Scott books I read, Stealing Heaven changes all those first and second impressions. The premise alone was interesting: here was Danielle, who has been stealing things since she could remember, and she felt that it would be what she’d be doing all the rest of her life. She’s never had a real ID in her life and she has a lot of fake names for as long as she could remember. Danielle has no friends, knows more about houses and security systems and getting information, even if she didn’t go to school. She’s loyal to her mom and she loves her, even if she seems to be the adult one in the family. However, when Danielle and her mom get to a small town named Heaven, things change for her.
Stealing Heaven was way different from Bloom and Perfect You. Somehow I felt it was more serious, and the story flow was smoother and somehow easier to read. It reminded me a lot of a Dessen book, which is probably one of the reasons why I liked it so much. There were strong characters all over — characters I can’t help but like. One such character is Greg, the cop who befriends Danielle and cared more about her than his being a cop. I thought Greg was a very nice contrast to Danielle — Danielle is a crook, to put it simply, while Greg is the one who puts crooks to jail. He had a very interesting back story, and he felt genuine enough for me to believe that he did care for the protagonist. He was witty, and he didn’t give up on being nice to Danielle even if she was always putting him off. In a way, Greg reminded me of Dexter from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, but less of a goof (and that reminds me — I want to re-read that book).
What I also really liked about this book is how everything wasn’t really wrapped up nicely in the end. I mean, there was a proper ending, but the author didn’t fix everything in favor of the protagonist so everyone’s happy. With Danielle’s situation, there were some things that she could not undo which made her lose a friend she could have had, there’s her mom who she knew will go back to their old lifestyle, and there’s her, standing up and living the life she always wanted on her own. This is the type of ending where you know that the protagonist grew/will grow into a better person, and somehow that leaves me, the reader, with some kind of hope, and know that things will be okay for this fictional character that I’ve learned to love while reading the book. :)
I liked this book so much that I’m willing to give the first two Elizabeth Scott books I read another chance and read them again. Maybe this time, I’ll learn to like her books better. But even if I don’t, I still think that Stealing Heaven is one gem of a book. :)
And before I end, here's a little line in the book that I really liked:
The sculpture I saw looked like nothing from far away, just a lump of rock, but up close you could see it was a figure pushing up out of the ground and reaching toward the sky. There was a little plaque under it. It said "Stealing Heaven." ...
My mother taught me to believe in silver, to believe in things, but I think it's more important to believe in me.
November 24, 2011
Danielle cuma tinggal bersama ibunya. Mereka selalu pindah-pindah tempat. Bahkan pas pindah, nama yang mereka gunakan selalu berbeda-beda. Ayah dan Ibu Danielle pisah setelah sang ayah dipenjara karena tertangkap basah ketika merampok sebuah rumah. Satu-satunya peninggalan yang diberikan sang ayah adalah Seni Mencuri. Itulah alasan Danielle dan ibunya sering berpindah tempat, mereka mencuri. Barang yang dicuri pun bukan barang sederhana, melainkan barang-barang mewah yang mereka curi dari rumah-rumah besar.
Akibat dari sering berpindah tempat Danielle jadi ga punya teman, ga juga bersekolah. Walau begitu, dia bisa membaca dan menulis karena ibunya mengajarinya sejak kecil.
Suatu hari Danielle dan ibunya pindah ke sebuah kota bernama Heaven. Walau Heaven merupakan kota kecil, tapi banyak sekali rumah-rumah mewah milik orang kaya yang berjejer di dekat pantai. Rencana awal sang ibu adalah mencari informasi mengenai rumah terkaya di Heaven. Setiap malam, Ibu Danielle ke bar dan kasino di dekat situ, memikat para pria untuk mendapatkan informasi sekaligus keuntungan lainnya, ga susah buat ibu Danielle yang punya daya tarik memesona. Sedangkan untuk Danielle, dia diperintahkan mencari informasi di tempat yang lebih mudah. Pantai.
Di pantai itu, Danielle yang menyaru dengan nama Sidney berkenalan dengan cewek bernama Allison dan kakaknya yang supertampan bernama James. Setelah kenal lebih jauh, Allison yang cerewet ternyata menyenangkan, Dani jadi ngebayangin bagaimana rasanya punya teman beneran, kayak yang selama ini dia inginkan.
Selain itu, waktu saat di supermarket, Dani juga berkenalan dengan cowok imut yang punya rambut berantakan. Cowok ini agak bikin Danielle agak jengkel karena dengan caranya yang khas, Greg, nama cowok itu, bisa aja bikin mereka selalu terlibat percakapan. Lucunya lagi Greg malah bikin jantung Dani gedebak-gedebuk ga jelas.
Lalu akhirnya, ibu Danielle punya rumah sasaran. Kediaman Donaldson. Konon rumah mewah bergaya kuno ini sudah berdiri sejak tahun 1920-an, dan selamat pas badai hurricane menghantam pantai. Dan tentunya rumah itu punya banyak harta yang bisa dijarah. Makanya ibu Dani nyuruh dia cari informasi tentang rumah itu. Tapi ga disangka-sangka, justru rumah yang bakal mereka rampok itu adalah rumah teman baru idaman Dani, Allison.
Jadi apakah Dani bakalan bantu ibunya ngerampok rumah teman barunya? Teman yang selama ini diidam-idamkannya?
Baca aja :D
Ceritanya lumayan. Agak-agak bikin aku teringat Blue Remembered Heels-nya Nell Dixon dan Heist Society-nya Ally Carter, tentang geng pencuri juga. Cuma bedanya ini ibu dan anak.
Seperti biasa deh, Elizabeth Scott jago banget bikin cerita yang unik dan tokohnya yang juga unik, dan ending yang unik juga tentunya.
Yang aku suka dari buku ini adalah karakter Dani dan Greg.
Seru banget kalo baca dialog antara Dani dan Greg, setiap pertanyaan Greg selalu dijawab Dani dengan pertanyaan lagi. Tapi yang bikin aku lebih suka adalah chemistry di antara mereka. Dalam beberapa sisi, mereka sama. Dan entah bagaimana Greg kayaknya tahu banget penderitaan Danielle. Ahhh dan yang makin bikin suka, Dani cuma nyebutin nama aslinya yah sama Greg ini. Walau ga sengaja. :D
Terus, aku juga suka cara pdkt Greg.... :P
Judulnya Stealing Heaven, awalnya kukira ini mencuri kebahagiaan atau semacam itu, tapi ternyata Heaven itu nama tempat. Tapi kalau dipikir-pikir lagi, mencuri kebahagiaan juga tepat. Karena di sini Danielle "mencuri" kebahagiaan yang gak pernah dia miliki. Btw endingnya sedih. :’(
Akibat dari sering berpindah tempat Danielle jadi ga punya teman, ga juga bersekolah. Walau begitu, dia bisa membaca dan menulis karena ibunya mengajarinya sejak kecil.
Suatu hari Danielle dan ibunya pindah ke sebuah kota bernama Heaven. Walau Heaven merupakan kota kecil, tapi banyak sekali rumah-rumah mewah milik orang kaya yang berjejer di dekat pantai. Rencana awal sang ibu adalah mencari informasi mengenai rumah terkaya di Heaven. Setiap malam, Ibu Danielle ke bar dan kasino di dekat situ, memikat para pria untuk mendapatkan informasi sekaligus keuntungan lainnya, ga susah buat ibu Danielle yang punya daya tarik memesona. Sedangkan untuk Danielle, dia diperintahkan mencari informasi di tempat yang lebih mudah. Pantai.
Di pantai itu, Danielle yang menyaru dengan nama Sidney berkenalan dengan cewek bernama Allison dan kakaknya yang supertampan bernama James. Setelah kenal lebih jauh, Allison yang cerewet ternyata menyenangkan, Dani jadi ngebayangin bagaimana rasanya punya teman beneran, kayak yang selama ini dia inginkan.
Selain itu, waktu saat di supermarket, Dani juga berkenalan dengan cowok imut yang punya rambut berantakan. Cowok ini agak bikin Danielle agak jengkel karena dengan caranya yang khas, Greg, nama cowok itu, bisa aja bikin mereka selalu terlibat percakapan. Lucunya lagi Greg malah bikin jantung Dani gedebak-gedebuk ga jelas.
Lalu akhirnya, ibu Danielle punya rumah sasaran. Kediaman Donaldson. Konon rumah mewah bergaya kuno ini sudah berdiri sejak tahun 1920-an, dan selamat pas badai hurricane menghantam pantai. Dan tentunya rumah itu punya banyak harta yang bisa dijarah. Makanya ibu Dani nyuruh dia cari informasi tentang rumah itu. Tapi ga disangka-sangka, justru rumah yang bakal mereka rampok itu adalah rumah teman baru idaman Dani, Allison.
Jadi apakah Dani bakalan bantu ibunya ngerampok rumah teman barunya? Teman yang selama ini diidam-idamkannya?
Baca aja :D
Ceritanya lumayan. Agak-agak bikin aku teringat Blue Remembered Heels-nya Nell Dixon dan Heist Society-nya Ally Carter, tentang geng pencuri juga. Cuma bedanya ini ibu dan anak.
Seperti biasa deh, Elizabeth Scott jago banget bikin cerita yang unik dan tokohnya yang juga unik, dan ending yang unik juga tentunya.
Yang aku suka dari buku ini adalah karakter Dani dan Greg.
Seru banget kalo baca dialog antara Dani dan Greg, setiap pertanyaan Greg selalu dijawab Dani dengan pertanyaan lagi. Tapi yang bikin aku lebih suka adalah chemistry di antara mereka. Dalam beberapa sisi, mereka sama. Dan entah bagaimana Greg kayaknya tahu banget penderitaan Danielle. Ahhh dan yang makin bikin suka, Dani cuma nyebutin nama aslinya yah sama Greg ini. Walau ga sengaja. :D
Terus, aku juga suka cara pdkt Greg.... :P
Judulnya Stealing Heaven, awalnya kukira ini mencuri kebahagiaan atau semacam itu, tapi ternyata Heaven itu nama tempat. Tapi kalau dipikir-pikir lagi, mencuri kebahagiaan juga tepat. Karena di sini Danielle "mencuri" kebahagiaan yang gak pernah dia miliki. Btw endingnya sedih. :’(
April 28, 2009
Dani is eighteen years old, and she has been stealing for as long as she can remember. Her mother is an expert--an expert at working people, at picking the right rich houses, at ferreting out the good silver. At making nice to guard dogs and finding a way around alarm systems. And she has taught Dani everything she knows.
Dani and her mother have been on the road all her life, stopping in a new place only long enough to steal some silver, and then getting out of town before anyone suspects. She doesn't go to school. She doesn't make friends. They live a transient lifestyle, and it's how they like it.
But then they come to Heaven. It's supposed to be a town like any other town, but it's not. First there's Allison, a rich girl on the beach who unexpectedly insists on being Dani's friend. Then there's Greg--cute, sweet, interested in her--and a cop. The longer Dani lingers in Heaven, the more she begins to be afraid that she won't be able to pull off the heist she and her mother have planned. When she finds out that Allison's family is the target, she is even more conflicted. Can she turn her back on the only lifestyle and family she's ever known? The only thing Dani knows for sure is that for the first time, she may have something that she actually wants to keep.
I was surprised at how much I didn't connect to this book. I usually lobe Elzabeth Scott's books. I devoured Bloom, and I thought Living Dead Girl was traumatic and awful but very well written. And I was excited for Stealing Heaven.
Unfortunately, I really didn't connect with the characters. Dani never felt real to me, and I never really got inside her head enough to understand her decisions. She makes such baffling choices--on the basis of "It's all I've ever known" and "I've been doing it all my life and I can't change now"--but you never really get under her skin enough to really understand why. It's almost like she's mouthing all the things you would expect someone in her position to say, but she's not really feeling any of it.
The ending left me feeling unsatisfied, too. As with all good teen romances, it ends in a good place--but it felt cheap to me. There are no real consequences for her actions, and the emotional pang we--and she--are supposed to feel when faced with a certain someone feels inconsequential compared to Getting the Guy.
And I never really understood what drew Greg to Dani in the first place, or second place, or third place, or after he knew why she was really in town. He calls her interesting, but she never really seems that compelling to me.
Eh. I was really let down by this one. On a completely different note, I really didn't like the jacket--I thought it was too garish and bright. It looked like an eye-grabbing beach read, but I thought the colors popped a little too much.
Overall a disappointment for me.
Dani and her mother have been on the road all her life, stopping in a new place only long enough to steal some silver, and then getting out of town before anyone suspects. She doesn't go to school. She doesn't make friends. They live a transient lifestyle, and it's how they like it.
But then they come to Heaven. It's supposed to be a town like any other town, but it's not. First there's Allison, a rich girl on the beach who unexpectedly insists on being Dani's friend. Then there's Greg--cute, sweet, interested in her--and a cop. The longer Dani lingers in Heaven, the more she begins to be afraid that she won't be able to pull off the heist she and her mother have planned. When she finds out that Allison's family is the target, she is even more conflicted. Can she turn her back on the only lifestyle and family she's ever known? The only thing Dani knows for sure is that for the first time, she may have something that she actually wants to keep.
I was surprised at how much I didn't connect to this book. I usually lobe Elzabeth Scott's books. I devoured Bloom, and I thought Living Dead Girl was traumatic and awful but very well written. And I was excited for Stealing Heaven.
Unfortunately, I really didn't connect with the characters. Dani never felt real to me, and I never really got inside her head enough to understand her decisions. She makes such baffling choices--on the basis of "It's all I've ever known" and "I've been doing it all my life and I can't change now"--but you never really get under her skin enough to really understand why. It's almost like she's mouthing all the things you would expect someone in her position to say, but she's not really feeling any of it.
The ending left me feeling unsatisfied, too. As with all good teen romances, it ends in a good place--but it felt cheap to me. There are no real consequences for her actions, and the emotional pang we--and she--are supposed to feel when faced with a certain someone feels inconsequential compared to Getting the Guy.
And I never really understood what drew Greg to Dani in the first place, or second place, or third place, or after he knew why she was really in town. He calls her interesting, but she never really seems that compelling to me.
Eh. I was really let down by this one. On a completely different note, I really didn't like the jacket--I thought it was too garish and bright. It looked like an eye-grabbing beach read, but I thought the colors popped a little too much.
Overall a disappointment for me.
February 7, 2010
I celebrated the generosity of Elizabeth Scott with an E.Scott-a-thon last weekend and this was the book that made the biggest impact on me. The book is honest with a style that I can recognise as distinctly Scottish (meaning Elizabeth not the country) in tone. Having been an excited E.Scott vlog watcher of late, I can hear her reading each word to me so I - 1) possess a vivid imagination, 2) am going bonkers or 3) Elizabeth Scott has mastered teleportation and is in fact reading to me.
Dani is a character I haven't come across before. A teen always on the move, assuming different identities, robbed of friends. It's a truly sad existence and yet Dani doesn't allow herself or the reader to feel this sadness instead we get a wonderfully spiky internal dialogue that I couldn't help but lap up. The need for stability is essential to a child's upbringing and yet Dani has been robbed of this. Her mother is beautiful, glamorous and very good at what she does, but her parenting skills are found wanting. Despite this high risk, high reward silver thieving family business, Dani is missing out on many aspects of life we take for granted.
In growing as a person, experiencing (or should I say glimpsing) a normal existence with normal friends and a possible love interest - Dani realises how constrained her life really is. That she wants more, needs more and her mother isn't providing that. It's the story of a child realising her mother can't give her what she requires and Independence. The end of this story is perfect, it's not happily ever after but it resolves everything nicely. Dani's mother however is a real piece of work. She frequently angered me to a degree that threatened my blood pressure and the book's pages. There is one act that occurs in the past that involves the mother's boyfriend that particularly mortified me.
Greg is a character that reminded me a lot of fellow cop, John After (Jennifer Echols' Going Too Far) but they are also vastly different. The patience that this man must possess to tolerate Dani's fiestiness, snark and distrust is unbelievable but you buy into it. You believe that he's spotted something special in her and that he wants the best for her. I wouldn't say that I sympathised with Dani as much as empathised with her situation and I do feel that the story brought her to a very realistic conclusion. One of hope, something she was very much in need of.
A great read with finely drawn characters and a distinct voice.
Dani is a character I haven't come across before. A teen always on the move, assuming different identities, robbed of friends. It's a truly sad existence and yet Dani doesn't allow herself or the reader to feel this sadness instead we get a wonderfully spiky internal dialogue that I couldn't help but lap up. The need for stability is essential to a child's upbringing and yet Dani has been robbed of this. Her mother is beautiful, glamorous and very good at what she does, but her parenting skills are found wanting. Despite this high risk, high reward silver thieving family business, Dani is missing out on many aspects of life we take for granted.
In growing as a person, experiencing (or should I say glimpsing) a normal existence with normal friends and a possible love interest - Dani realises how constrained her life really is. That she wants more, needs more and her mother isn't providing that. It's the story of a child realising her mother can't give her what she requires and Independence. The end of this story is perfect, it's not happily ever after but it resolves everything nicely. Dani's mother however is a real piece of work. She frequently angered me to a degree that threatened my blood pressure and the book's pages. There is one act that occurs in the past that involves the mother's boyfriend that particularly mortified me.
Greg is a character that reminded me a lot of fellow cop, John After (Jennifer Echols' Going Too Far) but they are also vastly different. The patience that this man must possess to tolerate Dani's fiestiness, snark and distrust is unbelievable but you buy into it. You believe that he's spotted something special in her and that he wants the best for her. I wouldn't say that I sympathised with Dani as much as empathised with her situation and I do feel that the story brought her to a very realistic conclusion. One of hope, something she was very much in need of.
A great read with finely drawn characters and a distinct voice.
December 22, 2015
This review can also be seen at The Book Eater
This started out really well. So well, actually, that I found myself highlighting passages every 2 pages. I loved Scott's prose, the chemistry between the characters, and more than anything, I loved the character development. Dani's slow coming of age from a tentative teenager, overwrought with guilt and self-esteem issues to a strong woman who takes her destiny into her own hands was beautiful to watch. Now, when I say self-esteem issues, I don't mean the annoying whining you sometimes see in YA novels. Dani was written beautifully, with subtelty and care, giving us the impression that this girl could actually exist.. I fould myself heat-broken or overjoyed right along with her. This is the kind of character I'd love to have a chat with.
The banter between Dani and Greg was perfect. Perfect. There's a line involving fungus that I won't spoil, but dear god, I actually laughed out loud. And that never happens.
Dani's mom (I don't think we ever get her real name) is also a very interesting character. It would have been so easy for Scott to demonize her and make her the villain in the story. And she is, in a way, but the author also empathizes her role as a a mother, ex-wife and most importantly, as a person. I found myself hating her and feeling sorry for her at the same time. Plus, she's hilarious.
Anyway, it pissed her off because she says, "I thought he was stupider than that, baby. And so now I have to be extra careful with him. It's annoying."
See what I mean?
So, why only 3 stars? Because about half-way through, the books lost some of its charm for me. The plot finally started moving and things got more serious, and the book's atmosphere changed drastically. It was still well-written, but I enjoyed it less. I think that's more my personal taste, though. Scott's prose was gorgeous through and through, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for her future books.
I'll leave you with this quote:
"I haven't been careful enough because I stand in the shower and cry for what I've never had and never will. A real home. Things I can truly call my own and keep forever. Friends. I am in the place where you cry and mean it."
This started out really well. So well, actually, that I found myself highlighting passages every 2 pages. I loved Scott's prose, the chemistry between the characters, and more than anything, I loved the character development. Dani's slow coming of age from a tentative teenager, overwrought with guilt and self-esteem issues to a strong woman who takes her destiny into her own hands was beautiful to watch. Now, when I say self-esteem issues, I don't mean the annoying whining you sometimes see in YA novels. Dani was written beautifully, with subtelty and care, giving us the impression that this girl could actually exist.. I fould myself heat-broken or overjoyed right along with her. This is the kind of character I'd love to have a chat with.
The banter between Dani and Greg was perfect. Perfect. There's a line involving fungus that I won't spoil, but dear god, I actually laughed out loud. And that never happens.
Dani's mom (I don't think we ever get her real name) is also a very interesting character. It would have been so easy for Scott to demonize her and make her the villain in the story. And she is, in a way, but the author also empathizes her role as a a mother, ex-wife and most importantly, as a person. I found myself hating her and feeling sorry for her at the same time. Plus, she's hilarious.
Anyway, it pissed her off because she says, "I thought he was stupider than that, baby. And so now I have to be extra careful with him. It's annoying."
See what I mean?
So, why only 3 stars? Because about half-way through, the books lost some of its charm for me. The plot finally started moving and things got more serious, and the book's atmosphere changed drastically. It was still well-written, but I enjoyed it less. I think that's more my personal taste, though. Scott's prose was gorgeous through and through, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for her future books.
I'll leave you with this quote:
"I haven't been careful enough because I stand in the shower and cry for what I've never had and never will. A real home. Things I can truly call my own and keep forever. Friends. I am in the place where you cry and mean it."
February 15, 2010
I’ve been eager to explore Elizabeth Scott’s books after reading two of her novels that were like night and day. Living Dead Girl haunted me and Something, Maybe was refreshing and enjoyable, so I had no idea what I was in for when I picked up Stealing Heaven. Well, I’m glad I did because I was captivated by the book from the very beginning and as the story progressed the events continued to built promising a capitulating ending.
Stealing Heaven is about eighteen year old Dani who has spent her entire life on the road with her mom as a thief. They travel from town to town scoping out mansions and plotting ways to steal their loot. Dani has perfected her craft as well as her approach in an effort to blend in with the crowd and not be noticed. She’s never gone to school nor had any meaningful relationships or friendships. All that changes when they arrive at a small town called Heaven. She meets Allison who seamlessly forges a friendship with Dani before she even knows what hit her. Even worse, she keeps bumping into Greg, a great guy that despite Dani’s elusiveness knows there’s something special about her during those brief glimpses of her character when she drops her guard. Unfortunately, these are the last two people Dani needs in her life, because Allison’s family owns the mansion Dani and her mom are targeting next and even worse… Greg is a cop.
This story does a great job of introducing the right secondary characters at the perfect time and twisting the plot when you thought you knew where it was headed. It was engaging, dramatic, emotional and thought-provoking. Definitely a book I would feel comfortable recommending.
Stealing Heaven is about eighteen year old Dani who has spent her entire life on the road with her mom as a thief. They travel from town to town scoping out mansions and plotting ways to steal their loot. Dani has perfected her craft as well as her approach in an effort to blend in with the crowd and not be noticed. She’s never gone to school nor had any meaningful relationships or friendships. All that changes when they arrive at a small town called Heaven. She meets Allison who seamlessly forges a friendship with Dani before she even knows what hit her. Even worse, she keeps bumping into Greg, a great guy that despite Dani’s elusiveness knows there’s something special about her during those brief glimpses of her character when she drops her guard. Unfortunately, these are the last two people Dani needs in her life, because Allison’s family owns the mansion Dani and her mom are targeting next and even worse… Greg is a cop.
This story does a great job of introducing the right secondary characters at the perfect time and twisting the plot when you thought you knew where it was headed. It was engaging, dramatic, emotional and thought-provoking. Definitely a book I would feel comfortable recommending.
June 23, 2008
Scott, Elizabeth Stealing Heaven, pgs.307 Harper Collins-Harper Teen. Language~PG-13, Sexual Content~PG; Violence~G;
Before readers get to turn the first page, Scott grabs your interest with this sentence. “My name is Danielle. I’m eighteen. I’ve been stealing things for as long as I can remember.” Danielle’s mother became involved in burglary as a young woman and when her partner is arrested, she waits until Danielle is old enough and they become a team. They move from town to town, city to city. Leaving soon after a job is completed. Up next for the pair is Heaven. Heaven is a beach front community full of ‘old’ money. Danielle and her mother settle in a rental beach house and begin to scan Heaven for possible targets. What Danielle doesn’t expect to find in Heaven is a friend. She also finds herself involved with Greg, a cop no less! She knows that if people get too close, she will lose her ability to remain nameless and unknown. As the date for the job approaches Danielle begins to have second thoughts; is this really what she wants to do for the rest of her life? Stealing Heaven is a wonderful novel about a young woman deciding what she wants from life. Deciding whether or not she can leave all she has ever known behind for a different kind of life. There are brief references to sex, but no descriptive passages. The ‘f’ word is used 2-3 times but other than that the swearing is almost non-existent. MS/HS –Essential. Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library
Before readers get to turn the first page, Scott grabs your interest with this sentence. “My name is Danielle. I’m eighteen. I’ve been stealing things for as long as I can remember.” Danielle’s mother became involved in burglary as a young woman and when her partner is arrested, she waits until Danielle is old enough and they become a team. They move from town to town, city to city. Leaving soon after a job is completed. Up next for the pair is Heaven. Heaven is a beach front community full of ‘old’ money. Danielle and her mother settle in a rental beach house and begin to scan Heaven for possible targets. What Danielle doesn’t expect to find in Heaven is a friend. She also finds herself involved with Greg, a cop no less! She knows that if people get too close, she will lose her ability to remain nameless and unknown. As the date for the job approaches Danielle begins to have second thoughts; is this really what she wants to do for the rest of her life? Stealing Heaven is a wonderful novel about a young woman deciding what she wants from life. Deciding whether or not she can leave all she has ever known behind for a different kind of life. There are brief references to sex, but no descriptive passages. The ‘f’ word is used 2-3 times but other than that the swearing is almost non-existent. MS/HS –Essential. Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library
March 5, 2024
I have had this book on my shelf for almost a year because I liked the colors of the cover and it is one of those fun sizes that increase my enjoyment of the book. I bought it at work and while I would like to read another by this author, I did not enjoy this book. Sometimes the voice of our main character was charming and well-written in terms of her life and what she knows but I feel that it was too similar to the other characters and not very deep overall. One scene in particular may be the tipping point for me between liking and not liking this book. Randomly, it is mentioned that the main character's mother's boyfriend had sex with her while she was underage, and he was an adult. The main character looks back on this fondly and her mother thinks it is funny or even good for her which is the truly disgusting part. Plot-points like these can be done well and can move the story forward but it felt unnecessary and bordering on harmful. The story was very predictable otherwise and while our main character does complete a character arc there just is not a lot going on within this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2019
3.5 stars
I really wanted to give it a 4 but the last chapters were so rushed and anticlimactic. The plot was interesting as it is different from the normal YA novels I read before. It was engaging in the first half of the novel but it went downhill afterwards. I also wanted more of Dani and Greg's relationship too.
I really wanted to give it a 4 but the last chapters were so rushed and anticlimactic. The plot was interesting as it is different from the normal YA novels I read before. It was engaging in the first half of the novel but it went downhill afterwards. I also wanted more of Dani and Greg's relationship too.
February 25, 2019
the pacing got all wonky towards d end but otherwise this was ok!
February 6, 2017
Well written book and I loved the book. The ending just ended and it could have been better.. I felt that the ending was rushed and could have been longer and more explained as to everything that was going on.
April 10, 2025
I liked this book, and I especially liked the growth of the main character throughout the story.
November 12, 2015
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Prudes' Section
NEGATIVE MORALS/THEMES PG13 - 10/10
SEXUAL THEMES PG13 - 6/10
VIOLENCE/GORE/GRAPHIC SCENES G - 2/10
So first of all I was all charged up to to read this like: OMG OMG OMG! A girl-thief? Wait what? A family-line of thieves?! OMG this is gonna be great! :O she falls in love with a cop? *excited giggling* but she's a thief and he's a cop - so wait that means!... *SQUEAL*! xD This is going to be so exciting!!!!!!!!
When I was actually reading:
Uh-huh... - xD Ok - nice to meet you too...
But I recommend you read this book - it's only because I'm hard to please and I got a poor quality copy that I didn't rate this higher. But by all means read - and swoon to your heart's content.
Come to think of it - there wasn't nearly enough swooning in here.... Oh well.
FAVORITE CHARACTER(S) Ruthie - The doughnut-shop lady.
FAVORITE / AMUSING LINES
"Hey, where's your sense of adventure?"
"In the car."
He laughs, then hands me the unshaken can. "Okay, here you
go."
"Thanks." I turn to leave.
"Hey, do you--can you stay for a while?"
"What? Why?"
"Do you know you almost always answer a question with another
question?"
"Is that a problem?"
He grins. "No. I'm just saying, that's all. It's actually
very interesting." He sits down at a table, motions at the seat across
from him. "You want to sit down?"
"With you?"
"And again with the questions. Yeah, with me. You should give
me a chance. I've been told I grow on people."
"What, like fungus?"
He laughs. "Something like that."
"Hey, Hortense," Ruthie calls out. "Sit down and
eat with the poor boy already, will you? I win a buck if you do."
"Ruthie," Greg says, "I knew there was a reason why
I love you. The continual public humiliation is such a joy, really."
"Hey, at least I bet on you."
REFRESHING SARCASM!
Ok so as usual this is as long as-I'm-not-sure-what but as always -
Thanks for Reading!
~Simone
Read
February 23, 2015Stealing Heaven Review
In the book Stealing Heaven a girl Named Danielle, also known as Dani, is a thief with her mother. Her mother taught he all she knows. She’s been getting away with it since she was about 7. Dani doesn’t want to live the life she has been living. She just wants to change and be a better person, but it’s harder than she thought.
Dani is planning on sealing silver from a big house that her new friend is living in for the summer. She doesn’t know it until the middle of the mission. While she is in the middle of the mission, she starts to really like this cop named Greg. She tries to hide it from Greg that she’s a thief. He doesn’t know until she gets caught stealing and Greg sees her at the police station. Greg doesn’t really like the idea of it but he doesn’t treat her different. When Dani finally stops being what she never wanted to be, she goes to school and she and Greg start to date.
Two of the main characters in Stealing Heaven are Dani and her mom. Dani is a girl that has always lived around stealing. She just wants to be a normal girl that goes to school and can date people she wants to date. She has never been able to do that because her mom always taught her to be careful but she has always been trapped in a cage she can’t escape.
Another main character is Greg. Greg is a cop that Dani seriously has a crush on, even though she has to hide throughout most because of her secret identity. Greg really likes Dani also. Throughout the book he keeps hitting on her. Later in the book Greg found about Dani’s real identity.
The book took place in a small tow named Heaven. At the very beginning of the book they traveled a lot so they wouldn’t get caught for stealing. They lived in Heaven for the rest of the book. They were going to move again at the end of the book but they decided not to.
The conflict of this book is that Dani wants to live a normal life that a normal kid would live. Another conflict is that Dani really likes a cop that she tries not to like. She keeps trying to push him away, but he won’t let it happen because he will do anything for her because from the minute he laid eyes on her he instantly fell in love with Dani.
The resolution to these conflicts are that Dani finally stood up to her mom and told her that she doesn’t want to be a thief anymore or never has. She also went to school to be a normal kid. The resolution to the other conflict is that the cop found out what her whole life has been. He didn’t care very much but he encouraged her to stop.
I personally really like this book. It caught my interest because I really like rebellious books. It was exciting all throughout the book. This was a great book!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes really rebellious books. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes romance books. This book was very detailed and was very organized. This was a good book for anyone over the age of 11.
In the book Stealing Heaven a girl Named Danielle, also known as Dani, is a thief with her mother. Her mother taught he all she knows. She’s been getting away with it since she was about 7. Dani doesn’t want to live the life she has been living. She just wants to change and be a better person, but it’s harder than she thought.
Dani is planning on sealing silver from a big house that her new friend is living in for the summer. She doesn’t know it until the middle of the mission. While she is in the middle of the mission, she starts to really like this cop named Greg. She tries to hide it from Greg that she’s a thief. He doesn’t know until she gets caught stealing and Greg sees her at the police station. Greg doesn’t really like the idea of it but he doesn’t treat her different. When Dani finally stops being what she never wanted to be, she goes to school and she and Greg start to date.
Two of the main characters in Stealing Heaven are Dani and her mom. Dani is a girl that has always lived around stealing. She just wants to be a normal girl that goes to school and can date people she wants to date. She has never been able to do that because her mom always taught her to be careful but she has always been trapped in a cage she can’t escape.
Another main character is Greg. Greg is a cop that Dani seriously has a crush on, even though she has to hide throughout most because of her secret identity. Greg really likes Dani also. Throughout the book he keeps hitting on her. Later in the book Greg found about Dani’s real identity.
The book took place in a small tow named Heaven. At the very beginning of the book they traveled a lot so they wouldn’t get caught for stealing. They lived in Heaven for the rest of the book. They were going to move again at the end of the book but they decided not to.
The conflict of this book is that Dani wants to live a normal life that a normal kid would live. Another conflict is that Dani really likes a cop that she tries not to like. She keeps trying to push him away, but he won’t let it happen because he will do anything for her because from the minute he laid eyes on her he instantly fell in love with Dani.
The resolution to these conflicts are that Dani finally stood up to her mom and told her that she doesn’t want to be a thief anymore or never has. She also went to school to be a normal kid. The resolution to the other conflict is that the cop found out what her whole life has been. He didn’t care very much but he encouraged her to stop.
I personally really like this book. It caught my interest because I really like rebellious books. It was exciting all throughout the book. This was a great book!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes really rebellious books. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes romance books. This book was very detailed and was very organized. This was a good book for anyone over the age of 11.
February 4, 2009
Danielle has been stealing things for as long as she can remember.
At eighteen years of age, Danielle isn’t your average young adult. After her father got put in jail for theft, she and her mother have led a nomad life style. They go from place to place, stealing to make their way. Thieves don’t always look like you think they should.
Danielle is tired, though. Tired of living a life where nothing is hers, where she is constantly on the move. Tired of lying about her name, her background, tired of pretending to be someone she isn’t.
She longs for what every other young adult takes for granted: a home to call her own. Her own room. Her own possessions. She longs for a life that doesn’t include thieving, making money off of someone else’s misfortune. Danielle wonders if her life is ever going to change.
That change comes when she and her mother make a stop in the small tourist town called Heaven.
There, Danielle begins to get a glimpse of what it would be like to have a normal life, to be a normal girl. And when she meets Greg, her life changes in a big way. Greg is one of Heaven’s cops. And Danielle can feel herself falling in love with him.
Falling for a cop is dangerous but Danielle can’t seem to stop herself. And when disaster strikes, when something terrible happens, Danielle finds herself having to choose between the life that she’s always known or getting the life she’s always wanted…
This was a hands down fantastic read. From the first page, I found myself pulled into Danielle’s story. By page ten, I was hooked. I finished the book in just under two days and wanted to read it all over again.
Scott has given us an incredible narrator in Danielle. Someone that we can relate to right away, someone that we care for within the first few pages of Stealing Heaven. Getting a reader to care about a character so quickly is no small feat, but Scott achieves this with ease and grace.
Instead of the stilted, cardboard cut out characters that one normally gets in most teen fiction, Scott has written characters that are very real, that are alive. While reading Stealing Heaven, it felt as if Heaven was a real place, like I could go visit these people any time I wanted.
Scott has given us an intimate look at a very human struggle, perhaps the greatest What If of all: What if I got everything I wanted but it would cost everything I knew? Stealing Heaven is essentially a study in human nature, at what one girl would do to get everything she desired.
Stealing Heaven is a fast, fantastic read that is sure to become a classic. It won’t take you long to read Stealing Heaven, but it’s story and it’s characters will stay with you long after you finish the book.
At eighteen years of age, Danielle isn’t your average young adult. After her father got put in jail for theft, she and her mother have led a nomad life style. They go from place to place, stealing to make their way. Thieves don’t always look like you think they should.
Danielle is tired, though. Tired of living a life where nothing is hers, where she is constantly on the move. Tired of lying about her name, her background, tired of pretending to be someone she isn’t.
She longs for what every other young adult takes for granted: a home to call her own. Her own room. Her own possessions. She longs for a life that doesn’t include thieving, making money off of someone else’s misfortune. Danielle wonders if her life is ever going to change.
That change comes when she and her mother make a stop in the small tourist town called Heaven.
There, Danielle begins to get a glimpse of what it would be like to have a normal life, to be a normal girl. And when she meets Greg, her life changes in a big way. Greg is one of Heaven’s cops. And Danielle can feel herself falling in love with him.
Falling for a cop is dangerous but Danielle can’t seem to stop herself. And when disaster strikes, when something terrible happens, Danielle finds herself having to choose between the life that she’s always known or getting the life she’s always wanted…
This was a hands down fantastic read. From the first page, I found myself pulled into Danielle’s story. By page ten, I was hooked. I finished the book in just under two days and wanted to read it all over again.
Scott has given us an incredible narrator in Danielle. Someone that we can relate to right away, someone that we care for within the first few pages of Stealing Heaven. Getting a reader to care about a character so quickly is no small feat, but Scott achieves this with ease and grace.
Instead of the stilted, cardboard cut out characters that one normally gets in most teen fiction, Scott has written characters that are very real, that are alive. While reading Stealing Heaven, it felt as if Heaven was a real place, like I could go visit these people any time I wanted.
Scott has given us an intimate look at a very human struggle, perhaps the greatest What If of all: What if I got everything I wanted but it would cost everything I knew? Stealing Heaven is essentially a study in human nature, at what one girl would do to get everything she desired.
Stealing Heaven is a fast, fantastic read that is sure to become a classic. It won’t take you long to read Stealing Heaven, but it’s story and it’s characters will stay with you long after you finish the book.
April 12, 2011
2.5 STARS
I don't have much to say about Stealing Heaven, overall it was an enjoyable read with an interesting, although predictable plot that had some really great cute moments.
For me though, nothing about the book really stood out.
I did like Dani as a character, she has an interesting life story after living her entire life as an accomplice to her parents crimes. But the actual theft aspect of the book is rather boring and it didn't add the intrigue that I expected it to, even though it's very present throughout the book.
And then there is of course my major woe with Stealing Heaven, the mom. The mother is such a large and important part of the story that I wish at least a little bit more time was put into filling out her motives.
"I'm a thief and really not that into doing what is best for my daughter! Did I mention I like to steal shiny things? Oh! and manipulate, then have sex with a lot of guys?"
Although it worked well in the story this just really wasn't doing anything for me. If I was Dani I would have had a least been a little bit more outraged at some of the "mom of the year" moments scattered throughout the story.
A little bit of a side note here, if I have a perfectly great mom does this mean nothing exciting will ever happen in my life? I mean, she is a single parent so that might give me a bit of an edge! But up against all these orphans and dead beat parents her love is really weighing down my chances of a novelized adventure. She doesn't even have unrealistically high expectations and is all "love yourself", "be who you are", "you can do anything"! Honestly, how is that fair? Okay, I'm done.
The wrap up of the book was well enough as a conclusion. My only complaint is that it didn't have much tie in with the rest of the book and ways segwayed into so poorly. Like when you think there is one more step on a flight of stairs but there isn't and your foot just falls when it doesn't hit the next step.
*Dramatisation*
Were are in Heaven with Greg.
Next Chapter:
Were in a car? How did we get in a car? Are we not in Heaven anymore?
Maybe were just driving in Heaven.
Nope, not in Heaven. We are now somewhere else.
So, where exactly are we? Dani? Anyone?
*end Dramatisation*
My conclusion, this book is a nice relatively light read with a summery feel that would be great to just pick up off the shelf and have a go at. But not something to move to the top of your to-read list in a hurry.
I don't have much to say about Stealing Heaven, overall it was an enjoyable read with an interesting, although predictable plot that had some really great cute moments.
For me though, nothing about the book really stood out.
I did like Dani as a character, she has an interesting life story after living her entire life as an accomplice to her parents crimes. But the actual theft aspect of the book is rather boring and it didn't add the intrigue that I expected it to, even though it's very present throughout the book.
And then there is of course my major woe with Stealing Heaven, the mom. The mother is such a large and important part of the story that I wish at least a little bit more time was put into filling out her motives.
"I'm a thief and really not that into doing what is best for my daughter! Did I mention I like to steal shiny things? Oh! and manipulate, then have sex with a lot of guys?"
Although it worked well in the story this just really wasn't doing anything for me. If I was Dani I would have had a least been a little bit more outraged at some of the "mom of the year" moments scattered throughout the story.
A little bit of a side note here, if I have a perfectly great mom does this mean nothing exciting will ever happen in my life? I mean, she is a single parent so that might give me a bit of an edge! But up against all these orphans and dead beat parents her love is really weighing down my chances of a novelized adventure. She doesn't even have unrealistically high expectations and is all "love yourself", "be who you are", "you can do anything"! Honestly, how is that fair? Okay, I'm done.
The wrap up of the book was well enough as a conclusion. My only complaint is that it didn't have much tie in with the rest of the book and ways segwayed into so poorly. Like when you think there is one more step on a flight of stairs but there isn't and your foot just falls when it doesn't hit the next step.
*Dramatisation*
Were are in Heaven with Greg.
Next Chapter:
Were in a car? How did we get in a car? Are we not in Heaven anymore?
Maybe were just driving in Heaven.
Nope, not in Heaven. We are now somewhere else.
So, where exactly are we? Dani? Anyone?
*end Dramatisation*
My conclusion, this book is a nice relatively light read with a summery feel that would be great to just pick up off the shelf and have a go at. But not something to move to the top of your to-read list in a hurry.
October 13, 2009
3.5 stars. Dani is 18 and a thief, having been trained in the art of bouncing from place to place long enough to steal antique silver by her mom, who loves this lifestyle. She's never gone to school and never stayed in one place long enough to call it home. In the town of Heaven, Dani suddenly gets noticed by other kids her age. She makes friends with a girl she meets at the beach and even attracts the attention of a guy who turns out to be a cop. But she can't tell her mom any of this because her mom won't understand and still expects Dani to help her carry off another job before speeding out of town.
Dani's an okay character. I think I liked her more near the beginning of the book than near the end because she didn't grow as much as I thought she should have. She constantly made bad decisions or acted strangely, rationalizing it to herself (and the reader) as, "this is all I know how to do." While that may be true, it did grow frustrating after a while. I wanted to see her grow more of a backbone and take control of her life instead of constantly letting her life (and her mom) take control of her.
The plot was different from others books I've read, and it did hold my interest. I kept reading, not sure how the book would end but rooting so much for Dani to make better choices. The friendships she made were sweet, although I was not sure why everyone would keep pursuing Dani as a friend or love interest after she continually treated them in a brusque manner. Then there was Dani's mom - UGH. Talk about someone who's easy to hate and should be spending years in jail!
I thought about giving more stars to this book - and indeed I enjoyed a lot of it enough to warrant more - but I don't think the ending was good enough. There was barely any point where Dani took control of her own life, and it grew very frustrating. Maybe the ending was supposed to be more realistic this way, but it didn't endear me to the main character, nor did it provide enough of a resolution.
Dani's an okay character. I think I liked her more near the beginning of the book than near the end because she didn't grow as much as I thought she should have. She constantly made bad decisions or acted strangely, rationalizing it to herself (and the reader) as, "this is all I know how to do." While that may be true, it did grow frustrating after a while. I wanted to see her grow more of a backbone and take control of her life instead of constantly letting her life (and her mom) take control of her.
The plot was different from others books I've read, and it did hold my interest. I kept reading, not sure how the book would end but rooting so much for Dani to make better choices. The friendships she made were sweet, although I was not sure why everyone would keep pursuing Dani as a friend or love interest after she continually treated them in a brusque manner. Then there was Dani's mom - UGH. Talk about someone who's easy to hate and should be spending years in jail!
I thought about giving more stars to this book - and indeed I enjoyed a lot of it enough to warrant more - but I don't think the ending was good enough. There was barely any point where Dani took control of her own life, and it grew very frustrating. Maybe the ending was supposed to be more realistic this way, but it didn't endear me to the main character, nor did it provide enough of a resolution.
November 17, 2009
Danielle has always been a thief. She and her mother runs around from town to town stealing silver - something that is not as obvious as diamonds and jewels but can still heft a high price. Dani never connected and made any friends because of all their moving around, however, things change when they move to Heaven where tons of high-end families live and gather.
Personally, I thought Stealing Heaven was very unique because I never realized that people especially teenagers will go around just to steal things and never really get caught. I mean, Dani and her mother went around practically her whole life stealing things and they never got caught and spent any real time in jail.
Dani's character was really established. Her feelings were made known and were made very realistically. I could practically see her as one of the girls I know, silent, quiet, and their ability to just blend in without anyone realizing that they were there. Which is practically what Dani and her mother did for years. I really sympathized with her with her torn decisions - whether to stick with her mom and continue living a life of crime or to break free and live the life that she has always yearned for.
And Greg, someone who you just can't seem to get rid of and eventually he tends to grow on you. At first, Dani wanted nothing to do with him because he's a cop! And for criminals, cops are to be avoided. And his hair. It annoyed her at first but as they bumped into each other more and more and learned more about each other and learned to trust one another, Dani was finally able to open up and let him into her heart. I honestly grew to love him. He's patient and reliable. And even after he found out about her background, he still stuck with her and loved her just for being her.
Overall, Stealing Heaven is an amazing novel about making the right decision despite everything.
Personally, I thought Stealing Heaven was very unique because I never realized that people especially teenagers will go around just to steal things and never really get caught. I mean, Dani and her mother went around practically her whole life stealing things and they never got caught and spent any real time in jail.
Dani's character was really established. Her feelings were made known and were made very realistically. I could practically see her as one of the girls I know, silent, quiet, and their ability to just blend in without anyone realizing that they were there. Which is practically what Dani and her mother did for years. I really sympathized with her with her torn decisions - whether to stick with her mom and continue living a life of crime or to break free and live the life that she has always yearned for.
And Greg, someone who you just can't seem to get rid of and eventually he tends to grow on you. At first, Dani wanted nothing to do with him because he's a cop! And for criminals, cops are to be avoided. And his hair. It annoyed her at first but as they bumped into each other more and more and learned more about each other and learned to trust one another, Dani was finally able to open up and let him into her heart. I honestly grew to love him. He's patient and reliable. And even after he found out about her background, he still stuck with her and loved her just for being her.
Overall, Stealing Heaven is an amazing novel about making the right decision despite everything.
September 9, 2010
When it comes to Elizabeth Scott books, I know that I don't need to read the plot summary to be interested in the book - the author is enough. Because of this, I was completely caught off guard by Stealing Heaven.
A book with stealing in the name can obviously mean physical theft (as in money from a gas station or jewelry from a house) or something more metaphoric (making a new town your home, or as I assumed in this case, being so happy that you are 'stealing heaven'). The cover of the book doesn't help you decide which is true, either - the fun bright stripes kind of lead you to believe it will be a story about a girl finding happiness.
And it is.. in a way. But the bigger plot line is that a mother and daughter are thieves - in the physical way. They move to different cities, plan burglaries, and then move on. The burglary in this particular book centers around a city called Heaven, hence the name "Stealing Heaven." (Do we all get it now?)
I loved Stealing Heaven. We see the story through the eyes of the daughter, who questions the morals of her mother, discovers things about her past, and strives to move forward to become a better person - which isn't the easiest thing when your mother is intent on stealing. The complex relationship of mother and daughter is what makes this book what it is - it is not a daughter detached from her family because she doesn't believe in what they do - rather, it is an examination of what holds them close and why it's so hard to break free.
I experienced many emotions while reading Stealing Heaven - heartbreak, anticipation, anxiousness. Love. Hope. I loved the relationships that were formed and the lessons that were learned (and not learned). This is my favorite Elizabeth Scott book so far!
A book with stealing in the name can obviously mean physical theft (as in money from a gas station or jewelry from a house) or something more metaphoric (making a new town your home, or as I assumed in this case, being so happy that you are 'stealing heaven'). The cover of the book doesn't help you decide which is true, either - the fun bright stripes kind of lead you to believe it will be a story about a girl finding happiness.
And it is.. in a way. But the bigger plot line is that a mother and daughter are thieves - in the physical way. They move to different cities, plan burglaries, and then move on. The burglary in this particular book centers around a city called Heaven, hence the name "Stealing Heaven." (Do we all get it now?)
I loved Stealing Heaven. We see the story through the eyes of the daughter, who questions the morals of her mother, discovers things about her past, and strives to move forward to become a better person - which isn't the easiest thing when your mother is intent on stealing. The complex relationship of mother and daughter is what makes this book what it is - it is not a daughter detached from her family because she doesn't believe in what they do - rather, it is an examination of what holds them close and why it's so hard to break free.
I experienced many emotions while reading Stealing Heaven - heartbreak, anticipation, anxiousness. Love. Hope. I loved the relationships that were formed and the lessons that were learned (and not learned). This is my favorite Elizabeth Scott book so far!
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