Pretty Sly

Gr 7–10—Willa Fox likes to steal things. She just got out of juvie for pilfering items from the rich, mean girls at Valley Prep High School, where she earned the nickname Sly Fox. That story was told in Pretty Crooked (HarperCollins, 2012), and this novel refers back to those events. As the story opens, instead of getting ready for her first day back at school, Willa is standing in the middle of her ransacked house looking for some trace of her artist mom. A cryptic email and a stash of cash are all she has to get her started. Along with her hunky friend Aidan, who has his own shady past; Tre, who is trying hard to walk the straight and narrow; and Cherise, who has become her ex-best friend, Willa determines to find out what has happened to her mother. She tries to follow her trail, but along the way loses the money, fights with Aidan, and runs into the seriously bad guys who are chasing her mom. Willa is a strong but impulsive character, more than willing to jump into the middle of the action before thinking through the consequences. The story moves quickly, with barely a break for readers to catch their breath. Fans of Ally Carter's "Heist Society" series (Hyperion) will enjoy this book. Be prepared to purchase the final installment in the trilogy as well.—Diana Pierce, formerly at Leander High School, TX