Ratings16
Average rating4.1
Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, this suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of the man he’s been stealing from—think Portrait of a Thief for YA readers.
Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.
Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.
As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both could be his greatest triumph—or it could be his downfall.
Reviews with the most likes.
Reading this book gave me like ASMR brain tingles I think??? It just like activated me. I love pretentious fictional teens. The premise is so like over the top but I was along for the ride. I think a certain flavor of teen could make this book their whole personality.
I am docking one star because it's supposed to be set in an American “small town” where “everyone knows everyone” but it has a bus that runs every 30 minutes? This is stolen small town valor.
Marvelous and strange. The love story was to die for, but the chapters in which Icarus's “classroom friends” evolved into real friends were arguably my favorites. I'm a sucker for a lonely boy who finds support and caring in a high school setting (god knows I never did), especially from jock bros.
I yield the floor to my esteemed colleague ancientreader for her eloquent review, without which I would have missed this wonderful fever dream of a novel.
Beautiful. The kind of prose you sink into. I saw someone in a review say that this book reminded them that they love language, and I agree.
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3,955 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...