The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Thief
Book Review: The Thief
Summary: 5 Stars
When I learned of Megan Whalen Turner's The King of Attolia during this year's Newbery buzz, I thought it sounded intriguing. To fully appreciate it however, I was advised to start at the beginning of her tale with The Thief. Boy, am I glad I did.
The story follows Eugenides, or Gen, a cocky thief living in ancient Greece. Because of his constant bragging (he can steal anything) he is captured and locked away in the King's prison. Months later, the King's scholar, the Magus approaches Gen with an opportunity. The Magus believes he knows the location of Hamiathe's Gift, an ancient treasure hidden away by the gods themselves. While many have tried, no one has ever successfully stolen Hamiathe's Gift and Gen is just cocky enough to think he can. He accepts the Magus' offer and sets off across the ancient Greece landscape (beautifully described by Whalen Turner) with the Magus, his two students Ambiades and Sophos, and a bodyguard, Pol.
I have to say, I'm a sucker for big epic tales of adventure and I have a feeling that The Thief is just the beginning of a great one. The world that Whalen Turner has created is well thought out and very complex. You'll want to pay attention when the Magus and Gen are discussing the politics that govern their world. It may seem like small talk between the two but trust me, it plays a very key role in the resolution of this story.
Adding extra layers to this journey are the rich, three-dimensional characters. Gen is of course, the star. He's devilishly clever and full of snotty retorts that put the Magus in his place. While I found myself siding with Gen throughout the story, I cannot say he'd be someone I would want to become friends with. The Magus is the boss. What he says, the group does and in the beginning of the story, you'll find yourself laughing out loud as Gen lays into him. But Whalen Turner is a master storyteller and she hasn't quite shown all there is to see. Sophos is the youngest. He is naïve and eager to learn all he can. Pol is Sophos' bodyguard and will stop at nothing to see to it that he returns home unharmed. Ambiades, Sophos' older brother, is the most boring character, coming off as jealous and deceitful right from the beginning.
The Thief is labeled "young adult" and as a fifth grade teacher, let me tell you, this book would go straight over the top of many of my students' heads. If you enjoy a quick read that requires little to no thinking, this probably isn't the book for you. If you enjoy slow moving, but well-written and complex historical pieces, look no further. There are scenes of great action, but they are not written for "action's" sake. They just add to the broad depth of writing Whalen Turner has on display. The characters and their relationships are what drive this story and in the end, if you have been paying close attention, you'll be rewarded with a surprise ending, more precious than Hamiathe's Gift. I for one, am hooked and can't get my hands on The Queen of Attolia fast enough.
Book Review: The Thief
Summary: 1 Stars
I did not like this book because I thought it was boring. The first half of the book is them just walking. Then the middle is pretty cool but then they just walk back.Book Review: The Thief
Summary: 2 Stars
The Thief was a fairly decent book. At the time your reading it it dosent seem that exciting but, you always want to find out what will happen next. The writing in it is very long-winded and there was a lot of filler. It made it seem like the Author was just trying to stretch out the story to make the book longer. The plot seemed to dissolve at times and stray away from the plot. There was also a twist at the end that didn't make much sense.
The Thief is about a boy named Gen, who at the beginning of the story is in prison. Gen is a theif, apparently the best thif in the world, who's bragging has led to his capture. The story is set in ancient times, mabey somthing like ancient greece. Gen is taken out of prison by the "Kings Magus" whatever that means. He is taken out to go on a long journey to steal somthing for the king. He won't tell him where their going or what their stealing.
This book is appropriate for 6th through 8th graders, but I personally would not reccomend it.
PARTY!!!
Book Review: The Thief
Summary: 4 Stars
The Thief is written in the view of a young thief named Eugenides. He was in fact, the Queen's Thief of Eddis, one of three neighboring countries. The story begins where Gen (Eugenides) is in the King of Sounis's prison. The King's advisor, the magus, then takes him out of prison in order to force Gen to steal something for him. Hamiathes's gift, which is believed believed to be the stone of Immortality. So the magus, Gen, and three others go on an expedition across all three countries to find the hidden location of Hamiathes's gift, where true loyalty is found.Book Review: The Thief
Summary: 5 Stars
The book The Thief is the best! It's a little complicated. My favorite part is when Gen tells the stories of the gods. It has a weird ending. Go ahead, read it!