Book Review: Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner

Thief Eyes
by Janni Lee Simner
Non-series

Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-375-86670-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-86670-8
Publication Date: April, 2010
List Price: $16.99

Review: Spellbinding, mysterious, and secretive describe Thief Eyes, an exquisite book written by Janni Lee Simner. Haley, a 16 year old girl, convinces her father, Gabriel, to take her to Iceland where her mother, Amanda, furtively disappeared, and was last seen. When she gets there she finds a coin with an ancient rune symbol on it, and she decides to keep it. But what Haley doesn’t know is that that the coin has a spell on it (cast by her old ancestor Hallgerd a sorceress) that entangles her in a fiery envelope. If she wants to get rid of the spell and find her mom, she must get help from her dad, Katrin (her father’s partner for work), and Ari (Katrin’s son). Haley then embarks on an epic quest to find Hallgerd and her mother with Ari. They both soon find out that Hallgerd’s spell, and Haley’s mother’s disappearance is connected to a chain of events that might consume the world--- IN FIRE! Haley must try hard and win this silly little game, but she needs help to do it. Do you think she can do it? Read the book and find out.

Thief Eyes is a mesmerizing story with sharp twists and turns. It is a very forceful book and it made me want to keep reading. My favorite part in the story is when Hallgerd and Haley switch lives for less than a minute. This part is my favorite part because it contains a surplus of action, and suspense. Thief Eyes should go on everybody’s summer reading list for 2010. Thief Eyes also earned many accolades from many readers such as Justine Magazine, The Reading Zone, and Jane Yolen (World Fantasy Award Winner). Also, I agree with what Jane Yolen said about the book “Pure, stunning, it is impossible to put down or forget.” This is true because Janni Lee Simner made this fantasy book look real, by making “…a completely original world that you will not be able to leave until you turn the last page.” – Justine Magazine. This book was really a good read!

Review written by Karan (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Thief Eyes for this review.

Have you read Thief Eyes? How would you rate it?