Crookhaven: The School for Thieves

By Author / Illustrator

J.J. Arcanjo

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Hodder Children's Books

ISBN

9781444965735

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-03-2023

Synopsis

The first book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.

"So this is really a school for criminals." It was meant as a question, though it came out more as an accusation.
"We are so much more than that," Caspian said, sitting in a plush leather chair and gesturing for Gabriel to sit in a similar one across the table. "We are a home for the forgotten, a sanctuary for the lost and ... yes, a training ground for the greatest crooks of the future."

13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty. And then one day, he's caught. But instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven - a school for thieves. At Crookhaven, students are trained in lock-picking, forgery and 'crim-nastics', all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent. But ... can you ever really trust a thief? With a school wide competition to be crowned Top Crook and many mysteries to uncover, Gabriel's first year at Crookhaven will be one to remember...

An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.

Full series: Crookhaven: The School for Thieves (book 1); Crookhaven: The Forgotten Maze (Book 2); Crookhaven: The Island Heist (Book 3)

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Reviews

Jennifer

Crookhaven: The School for Thieves is a superb start to a great new fantasy adventure series. Crookhaven features a boarding school cast of 'criminals in training' but this "bad education" is all about learning how to fake, deceive, hack and pickpocket your way to becoming a crook with a conscience.

Every sly skill is taught with the best intentions; as Headteacher Caspian Crook tells new recruit Gabriel, "we do wrong to put the world right". Parentless and impoverished pickpocket Gabriel finally finds himself in a place where his talents (previously used as necessary survival skills to make enough money to take care of himself and his elderly grandmother) are admired and nurtured and seen as the start of a successful and worthwhile career.

Crookhaven follows some familiar and well-loved themes in its narrative: a disadvantaged young main character with a hidden past; a crew of new school friends who become a loyal gang; and a completely unique and secretive boarding school experience that is hidden from the wider world. Author J.J. Arcanjo, however, uses these genre must-haves to create an entirely unique world of its own. The story seamlessly blends a sense of an older world and the years of history that lie behind Crookhaven school with its rich ceremonies, traditions and competitions (such as the annual 'Crooked Cup' presentation) and the contemporary, up-to-date style of criminal pursuits that its pupils can display their talents for; computer-hacking twins Ade and Ede make up the infamous Brothers Crim and are soon delightful key characters that the reader is charmed by.

The world-building is lavish, detailed and provides cinematic scenes and attention to detail and the young characters are bold, feisty, quick-witted and incredibly lively. The shadowy tales of past Crookhaven scholars, the Nameless, who have turned to the darker side of crime, flit through the storyline and hint at more to come from this captivating and intriguing world. A gripping and entertaining adventure that has only just begun!

336 pages / Reviewed by Jennifer Caddick, teacher