Breaking In: A Novel

by Tyler Schwanke

Overview

Tyler Schwanke’s debut is a fast-moving, gritty, and hilarious tribute to Hollywood heist movies . . . and anyone who’s ever had a dream.

Millie has one goal: to make a movie in tribute to her late father. At the Manhattan Movie Academy, run by Ricky O’Naire, her favorite director, she’s determined to make it happen. But before she can finish her project, the academy is shut down. Seven months later, she sees a preview for the new O’Naire movie—and he’s stolen her idea.

Outraged, she reunites her former film crew to steal the movie and hold it for ransom days before its high-profile premiere. Putting their training and film-nerd backgrounds to use, they pull off the heist in extravagant fashion. But when an unexpected femme fatale uncovers their plan, it’s not long before a trio of hardened criminals want in on the take.

With the stakes now higher than she ever imagined—and her life on the line—Millie has no choice but to lead them all through a dazzling series of moves and countermoves that result in an ending not even Hollywood could see coming.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798200960798
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	05/09/2023
Sales rank:	1,051,422
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Tyler Schwanke is a writer and a filmmaker. He holds an MFA from Hamline University, and his short stories have been widely published. He is also a graduate of the New York Film Academy and Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he was awarded a Minnesota Film and TV Grant. Several of his award-winning short films have played at festivals across the country. Tyler lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and their dog. Breaking In is his debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2023

Gr 10 Up—Millie Blomquist aspires to be a filmmaker and selects the Manhattan Movie Academy's summer program because of the possible prestigious award that is offered to high school students, like her, for their final project. She gathers three others to help make up a crew and begins filming her script based on the sad passing of her father. Millie learns after his tragic death during a bank heist that he was a crook. During a late-night editing session, she meets Ricky O'Naire, a famous director who runs the school's program. His most famous movie was a heist film, which just so happens to be Millie's favorite film genre. Ricky likes the premise of Millie's film, and when a scandal breaks that abruptly ends the summer session, Ricky gets the funding to make a new movie using Millie's script. She is shattered by this and decides to gather her crew together to pull a heist on the director who stole her idea to get the final cut of the film. Millie's diverse crew are high school students. Readers will have to suspend their disbelief that teenagers could travel across the U.S., trick adults, and pull off an intricate heist all on their own. Strong language is used throughout, and the adult crooks who are encountered commit violent acts. VERDICT Recommended only for larger collections where readers seek out crime fiction.—Elizabeth Kahn

School Library Journal

2023-03-14
Teens try to reclaim what’s theirs in the cutthroat world of Hollywood.

Since before her father died in a botched bank robbery, 17-year-old aspiring filmmaker Millie Blomquist has dreamed of becoming a famous director of heist films. She finally gets the chance to pursue her dreams at the Manhattan Movie Academy, where she is working with friends Paz, Devin, and Jordan, when her idol, famed director and academy founder Ricky O’Naire, is arrested for embezzlement. The school collapses before her summer program is even over. Seven months later, Millie is back home in Fargo, North Dakota, trying to make movies on her own when she sees the trailer for recently exonerated O’Naire’s new project—only to realize it’s the film about her father she presented to him at the academy. Desperate to hold him responsible, Millie organizes Paz, Devin, and Jordan to carry out a real-life heist and take O’Naire’s materials ransom. But with the stakes ramping up, they don’t realize how dangerous things are about to become. Given her personal history with heists gone wrong, Millie’s naïveté is occasionally unbelievable, and readers not deeply familiar with heist films may have trouble with the endless movie references, but overall, this is a compelling read that doesn’t shy away from slightly darker content. Main characters are cued White; contextual clues may indicate that Paz is Latine and Jordan is Black.

A fast-paced homage to the classic heist film. (Thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

As fun and fast and action-packed as a Saturday night at the movies with more double-crosses than a laced boot. A tribute to the creative process on the page, the stage, and what it takes to make one’s way in the cutthroat world of show business. A stand-out debut novel that is sure to be the first of many from Tyler Schwanke.”

New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award&# Matt Goldman

In this delightful heist novel…Schwanke takes his cues from classic noir, but the dilemmas faced (and solutions sought) are pure twenty-first century blues.”

CrimeReads

Part young adult novel and part heist movie screenplay, Breaking In is a wild ride of cons, double crosses, and blood—both real and staged. Tyler Schwanke’s debut is a page-turning whirlwind of comedic genius not to be missed.”

former corporate spy and award-winning author of R Robert Kerbeck