The New York Times Book Review - Jenny Rosenstrach
Meloy…is adept at tapping into the longing and loneliness of a 12-year-old…Aided by Carson Ellis's whimsical line illustrations, the book moves at a rapid clip as Charlie sets about proving himself to the Whiz Mob, even if he's not entirely squared with the mission…The fun of this book is how Meloy mirrors his characters' capers, distracting you while he moves in for the real con. It's a bona fide twist that may make you feel robbed yourself. In this case, that's a good thing.
Publishers Weekly
08/14/2017
Meloy and Ellis (the Wildwood Chronicles) blend shades of Dickens, Rowling, and Robin Hood in the idiosyncratic tale of a 12-year-old American boy in 1960s Marseille. Charlie Fisher is the son of the American consul general and has bounced from country to country with his father after his mother, a German heiress/actress, decided she was done with parenting. This itinerant lifestyle leaves Charlie bereft of true friends until he saves a Lebanese boy, Amir, from being picked up by the police. Amir introduces Charlie to a world of pickpockets and grifting via the Whiz Mob of Marseille, a group of children and teens, graduates of an elite Colombian academy, the School of Seven Bells. What begins as a lark and a way to make friends quickly turns into something sinister, challenging Charlie’s perceptions of the world. Themes of friendship and making amends are skillfully woven throughout. Although the ending is abrupt, the novel’s extravagant vocabulary and Meloy’s attention to detail vividly evoke the period setting and will reward ambitious readers. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
★ “There’s a lot to be said for a good, old-fashioned caper. Meloy accomplishes this rare feat with panache, turning out an infectious—and at times cinematic—adventure suffused with personal growth, secrecy, sleight of hand, and higher stakes than the story’s protagonist ever imagined.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Ellis’ charming illustrations adeptly capture the playful tone and decidedly period setting. A gleefully metafictional caper and middle-grade picaresque bound to appeal to discerning young readers.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Meloy mirrors his characters’ capers, distracting you while he moves in for the real con. It’s a bona fide twist that may make you feel robbed yourself. In this case, that’s a good thing.” — New York Times Book Review
“Equal doses of humor and action.” — School Library Journal
“Meloy and Ellis (the Wildwood Chronicles) blend shades of Dickens, Rowling, and Robin Hood. Themes of friendship and making amends are skillfully woven throughout. And Meloy’s attention to detail vividly evoke the period setting.” — Publishers Weekly
Booklist (starred review)
★ “There’s a lot to be said for a good, old-fashioned caper. Meloy accomplishes this rare feat with panache, turning out an infectious—and at times cinematic—adventure suffused with personal growth, secrecy, sleight of hand, and higher stakes than the story’s protagonist ever imagined.
New York Times Book Review
Meloy mirrors his characters’ capers, distracting you while he moves in for the real con. It’s a bona fide twist that may make you feel robbed yourself. In this case, that’s a good thing.
Booklist (starred review)
★ “There’s a lot to be said for a good, old-fashioned caper. Meloy accomplishes this rare feat with panache, turning out an infectious—and at times cinematic—adventure suffused with personal growth, secrecy, sleight of hand, and higher stakes than the story’s protagonist ever imagined.
School Library Journal
08/01/2017
Gr 5–8—Charlie Fisher lives with his neglectful diplomat father in Marseille, France, in 1961. Outside of the time he spends with his tutor, Charlie wiles away his hours alone—until the day he observes a group of child pickpockets at work and realizes he's been one of their marks. Instead of being angered by this, Charlie is curious. After following the boy who stole his pen and saving him from the police, Charlie asks Amir to teach him how to be pick pockets too. The more Charlie learns about the group, known as the whiz mob, the more he feels like he's finally found some friends and a place to belong. But as Charlie gets pulled further into their world, he discovers that this is no ordinary band of thieves. The whiz mob originates at the School of Seven Bells in Colombia, where all the group members were trained and tested. The whiz mob he knows is only one of many located all over the globe. Charlie's relationship with the mob changes dramatically when his new hobby suddenly has global implications and he finds that those he considers his friends may not have his best interests at heart. Meloy offers detailed descriptions of both Marseille and the young thieves. The unusual vocabulary makes the glossary at the end a necessity for understanding whiz mob dialogue. VERDICT With equal doses of humor and action, this is likely to attract a fairly wide range of voracious readers, especially fans of Meloy's "Wildwood Chronicles."—Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT
NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Bronson Pinchot creates a distinct accent for each member of the Whiz Mob gang, a network of young pickpockets who are trained to steal from wealthy folks all over the world. When well-to-do Charlie meets a young pickpocket named Amir and strikes up a friendship, he decides to delve into the life of petty crime and join the Whiz Mob gang. Pinchot balances an evenly paced narrative with moments of exciting dialogue, sometimes even taking a break from the story to speak directly to the listener about what will happen next. Listeners will be intrigued by Charlie’s struggle to keep his friendships but also protect his affluent father from becoming a victim of his newfound lifestyle. M.D. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-07-17
Charlie, the shy son of an American diplomat in France, discovers a thrilling, dangerous underworld whose young denizens prey on the unsuspecting elite of 1961 Marseille. Watching Amir, a gifted young pickpocket, in action, the 12-year-old white boy is impressed and, after helping him avoid arrest, asks Amir to teach him his trade. With Amir's support, Charlie is admitted to his gang, the multiracial Whiz Mob of Marseille: kids who hail from Lebanon, the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Africa. In their lair under a derelict bar, the mob plots elaborate heists, targeting the wealthy where they congregate. Neglected by his estranged parents (German heiress mother, remote Anglo dad), Charlie's thrilled to belong. But the deeper he's drawn in, the higher the stakes become, culminating in a perilous journey to the remote School of Seven Bells in Colombia. Meloy takes his time moving pieces on his elaborate chessboard, describing the vivid scenery, human and otherwise, and introducing characters whose dialogue is adorned with colorful pickpocket argot (glossary provided). Patient readers are rewarded as Charlie is pulled into the whiz mob and suspense mounts. Even then the omniscient narrator will interrupt with comments on authorial choices: Charlie refuses a glass of champagne, readers are told, to meet the expectations of librarians and booksellers. Ellis' charming illustrations (finished art not seen) adeptly capture the playful tone and decidedly period setting. A gleefully metafictional caper and middle-grade picaresque bound to appeal to discerning young readers. (Adventure. 8-12)
