I had no idea what to expect from this, but I was very intrigued by the idea of a heist set on the Titanic ship, especially one performed by teenage girls. Although this is the first book from Jaigirdar that I have read, she is a well-established YA author, and now I can see why! The writing was incredibly strong throughout, and I found it very impressive that she was able to write A Million to One from four different people's perspectives at times, with mostly equal amounts of depth and character development. I did find the first half of the book to be stronger than the latter half, and I also personally wasn't a fan of the pacing of some of the storylines involving the four girls and what happened to them, however. I felt that the heist plot became quite convoluted, and when added to the inevitable sinking of the ship, it possibly became a bit too ambitious of a story to undertake.

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
3 Stars / YA LGBTQ Historical Fiction / ARC

What do you get if you cross Titanic, Ocean’s 8, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club? Maybe something like A Million to One in which four young women plan to pull off a daring heist aboard the doomed Titanic while trying to come to terms with feelings for one another they daren’t embrace in public. This was a fast-paced and fun book that blurred the lines between fiction and reality perfectly and had me double-checking what was real and what was made up just for the book. The item the women are attempting to steal is the legendary jewelled Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam which is presumably still somewhere at the bottom of the Atlantic, but could it possibly have been whisked away by a determined thief that night and be somewhere else instead today? Unless James Cameron finds it on a future submersible trip, then why not? Thanks to Hachette Children’s Group for providing this ARC to me.

Amazon / Bookshop

This novel features four characters with distinct motives for a life-changing heist. Josefa, the mastermind, recruits Violet, a skilled actress, Hinnah, a contortionist, and Emilie, a painter with forging abilities. The plot unfolds with a Titanic backdrop, adding suspense. The diverse group's dynamics are explored amidst their mission, addressing racism in a white setting. While the premise is intriguing, the book leans towards plot over character development due to its multiple POVs in a concise format. Consider it if the Titanic setting appeals to you, acknowledging its inevitable conclusion.

I loved Jaigirdar's first two books, but unfortunately this one was a bit of a let down for me. I didn't feel like the stakes were high, knowing how it was going to end, and what should have been sad wasn't

Who doesn't love a good heist caper? Honestly, I would read pretty much anything with a heist in :D

This book is a lot of fun, but also has the bonus of you KNOWING how some things must end - after all, it is set on the Titanic! That lends the book something that I'm not sure I've seen before, in terms of foreboding and certainty. I did like our four main characters, but they didn't feel like I understood them enough. Their drives and hopes didn't quite work for me - especially when it came to the relationships between all four.

There were also a lot of side plots that I'm not sure quite worked, probably in order to put all the characters at peril at the key point, but honestly, the book wasn't quite long enough to sustain it all. So while I did enjoy it, I really did want more overall.

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

But careless mistakes, old grudges and new romances threaten to jeopardise everything they've worked towards. And with the Titanic sailing ever further north, the girls' chances of survival are a million to one...

Brilliant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jaigirdar never misses and this book adds to their already stellar repertoire! I didn't think a sapphic titanic heist book was on my bucket list but honestly lol here we are - adored this!

I was so excited to read a sapphic historical fiction by a favourite author but sadly this missed the mark a bit. There was no suspense to this story at all, I liked the characters and I wish there had been more chemistry between them and just more romance to be honest. The sinking of the titanic was inevitable and yet was almost hardly included in the story line, it took so long to reach the sinking that the ending felt rushed. I'm sad to say I'm disappointed with A Million to One but this definitely won't stop me from reading more of Adiba Jaigirdar's novels.

I was a bit hesitant about this - whilst I adore Adiba Jaigirdar, I'm not the biggest historical fiction fan, and this was my first heist novel. However, my fears were completely unfounded! This was a really fun read, action-packed yet full of gorgeous character-driven moments. I think at times it was a little too fast-paced, and whilst I liked all of the four main characters, I do feel that some of them were under-developed, particularly Josefa (who gave me major Jo March vibes). I also struggled to understand the physics of it all sometimes?! That being said, this was a great read, and has only made me even MORE excited for whatever else we are lucky enough for Jaigirdar to put out into the world.

“It’s tucked away in my cabin in an unbreakable safe.”
“As unbreakable as this ship is unsinkable”

Pitched as the Titanic meets Ocean’s 8, A Million to One follows Josefa, a runaway pickpocket, Emilie, a Haitian-French painter mourning her father, Violet, a Croatian immigrant desperately trying to support her brother and Hinnah, an acrobat from 1912 India, working in the circus with a hidden past. What brings these women together you might ask? Well, the heist to end all heists of course! When Josefa discovers the Rubaiyat, a jewel-encrusted book, will be aboard the Titanic she devises a plan that might just solve all their problems.

Historical fiction is hard to get right. The line between focusing on the plot within the historical context and the characters themselves often ends with an author focusing on one aspect more than the other, and unfortunately, that’s what happened here. I’m a big fan of Adiba Jaigirdar but one thing she nailed for me previously is the character development and how characters like Hani and Ishu just work their way into your heart. However, when it came to A Million to One, I found it really hard to make a connection with any of the characters in this rag-tag team of girls.

Furthermore, when I did start to feel invested, the setting (I clarify THE TITANIC) felt manipulatively used to provoke emotional responses. Annoying, firstly because this wasn’t a natural progressive connection to the characters, you're upset because of the situation (and impending doom helpfully noted by a countdown at the beginning of each chapter) rather than because you're invested in them. Secondly, the Titanic was a real-life horrific disaster that saw so much life needlessly lost yet I don’t think it was done justice.

There was also a missed opportunity to further develop a bond between the characters (my absolute favourite trope is found family and this was so close but yet not quite) any conflict was overcome far too quickly and there wasn’t enough of a ‘kick-ass heist team against a foe’ because they were hardly ever on the same page (except when they all seemed to agree to this crazy heist without too much reflection or hesitation). Although to be fair this is very Ocean’s 8. It was also a fairly speedy read with short chapters and a relatively fast pace as you raced to see if they could pull off the stealing of the Rubaiyat on a ship destined to sink.

I did enjoy the representation, I’m always here for Sapphic rep and the commentary on, especially Emilie’s experience as a mixed-race woman in Europe, was an interesting perspective. So much of history has been washed over and loved what Adiba was aiming to achieve. I know, that having more sapphic rep I could consume when I was younger, being able to see myself in history (especially as a budding historian) and queer exploration would have meant the world to me.

All in all, I loved this idea but the execution, especially when it came to the characters was lacking. I don’t think this is an accurate example of what Adiba can write and will definitely keep checking out what she publishes!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

<b>Four friends, one sapphic romance, a heist and the Titanic.</b>

When I read the premise of this book I knew I had to read it right away. So far I’ve read and loved every single book written by Adiba Jaigirdar, but I’m afraid to say this is the first one that didn’t meet my expectations…

Did it deliver what the premise promised? Probably yes. Was it well executed? I have my doubts…

A Million to One is a historical fiction novel for a young adult public, and considering the setting (the sinking of the Titanic) being a YA novel probably doesn’t work in its favor because the author couldn’t explore all the horror surrounding it. And while some of the characters come from underprivileged backgrounds and struggle with being poor, I don’t think the book reflects a critique towards social class inequality and how that set the fate for most of the Titanic passengers.

I did like and empathize with the characters most of the time, I think they complimented each other and they didn’t feel flat. However, it was the plot that felt slightly lacking for me. There were several times when I thought things didn’t make sense or I found there to be inconsistencies in the plot (which I won’t name here as they would be spoilers).

One thing I would have liked is more descriptions of both the characters and the Titanic. It took me half of the book to be able to picture the characters in my head due to the lack of descriptions. The Titanic was easier to imagine (thanks to the film and the historical archives) but I still would have liked some detailed descriptions of the boat and the rooms they visit.

Overall I will say I did enjoy the book even if it didn’t meet my expectations and I thought the plot was slightly inconsistent. Nevertheless, I still believe the main problem with this novel is that it was too childish for an older audience and perhaps too dark for a younger audience.

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the eARC of this book.

It pains me to give Jaigirdar a less than glowing review - I really wanted to enjoy this. I loved Hani and Ishu, and I was excited to see her try her hand at historical. Unfortunately this didn't land. I found the heist blurry at best - it is immediately clear that the girls are completely out of their depth, that they will be caught if they try, and that even if they do succeed, there will be no way off the ship. What their actual strategy is doesn't seem to come through either. The book seems almost self-aware that the boat is going to crash, and so doesn't spend too much time on technicalities.

I think an overall lack of depth is this book's most trying part. Whilst I'm always delighted to see a sapphic romance and diverse cast of characters, this book feels like its trying to achieve too many things. We get the barest bones of their cultural backgrounds and motivations, all of which feel a bit by the book. Even though it feels very much like it's flirting with social class and racial commentary, we never get it in much detail, as if Jaigirdar was too worried about losing pace to build a compelling world . The boat itself only seems to come to life in very technical ways as the characters go from A to B. I just think the whole thing could have done with 200 more pages.

I think that perhaps this book was just trying to deal with too many competing demands. It hasn't put me off Jaigirdar, however, so am still looking forward to the Dos and Donuts of Love.

The premise of this really got my attention, as a huge Titanic girlie. But sadly the execution was way off.

There was very little to pinpoint the location as the Titanic, which I felt was a main selling point to this book. It could have realistically been set on any ship at all - sometimes it didn't feel like it was even on a ship.

Great in theory, a bit of a let down in practice.

Oh Adiba Jaigirdar you absolute star!

This was so different from what I've read from Adiba but still so good! I can't wait to read more from this author. A Titanic retelling based on 4 girls who board to ship to steal a rare item, this was so heartfelt and emotional.

The main characters were great and lovable and their stories were so endearing.
Edit Review

A heist book by Adina Jaigirdar? HELL YES. This was everything I wanted from that premise and more. Instant favourite!

I’m going to start this review worh the ending because it was much sadder than I anticipated - though I knew it would be a possibility! Having read Jaigirdar’s other books I had hope for a happier ending but aggh this book was SO GOOD! I loved the whole heist and the fact it wasn’t smooth sailing for the characters (pun intended). I loved all the main characters, and I think my favourite has to be Violet! They all had their reasons for carrying out this heist and I wanted them to succeed and get what they want/need from it. I definitely grew attached to these characters and I loved this book! It was pretty tense at times too.

So far, I have enjoyed all of Adiba Jairgirdar’s books and I am looking forward to reading The Do’s and Donuts of Love, as well as any other book she comes out with!

I am giving A Million to One 4 stars and I definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy a heist, a mystery or generally enjoy some history!

3.75 stars, rated up.

Characters
Josepha: the thief. Ran away from boarding school and steals stuff because she's ‘not like other rich girls’

Violet: The actor (*but not an actual actor). Immigrant from Croatia who wants to get back to her brother but has no money. Besties with Josepha.

Hinnah: From Karachi, kicked out of home at age 12 and joined a travelling circus.

Emilie: Haitian who grew up in France with a rich (now dead) father. Wants money to move to Haiti to find her mothers family.


The good
Sapphic heist on the Titanic. YES YES YES. As a kid I was obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic. I think it was the fact that people spent SO much money on such a beautiful ship and it sank on the first run and no one could find it for 70ish(?) years. I watched the movie for the sink, not the insta love romance that made me gag.

I also love a good heist. Oceans 8 but ACTUALLY sapphic. Sounds great.

At the start of every chapter we get a countdown to the sinking….. So that kept me excited because apparently I’m a horrible person and I couldn't wait for the boat to sink.


The bad

If you can’t picture the ship in your head this book isn’t going to show it to you, as it’s very character driven. Considering the four girls were running around 2nd and middle class we didn’t really get any idea about how fancy first class looked.

I suggest looking at reviews written by BIPOC reviewers who speak more on the diversity of the book and how it was written given the time period.

The girl's motives for agreeing to the heist were a bit flat. Hinnah just seemed like she’d do anything to please her new friends and didn’t have any other personality. They way they all agreed to do the heist was very fast without any having any good arguments against it was very convenient. I know we wanted to get on the ship ASAP but there wasn’t enough build up.

I’m all for strong friendships and reading about girls/women fighting for one another but they also didn’t seem very ride or die.


Final Thoughts

Reads really well as a young young adult book. Would be good for middle grade as the romance is light and sweet. The horrors at the end are mild considering what happened but didn’t shy away from the death toll. As much as I had issues with parts of this book I still cried a bit at the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A group of young women from different backgrounds; a thief, an actor, an artist and a circus performer, join together to pull off an amazing heist onboard the Titanic.

If you like fast paced books then this is definitely for you, the tension and action just keeps on going. Most of the tension is at the start of each chapter, which is counting down the days, hours, minutes until the Titanic sinks.

The women are on a mission to steal the Rubiyat, a jewelled book of poetry, which could set them up in America. I loved the female friendships and action as their plan comes together and then, falls apart!

The descriptions of when the Titanic sank were horrifying. It made me read up about the disaster.

When I was younger I played a PC game, Titanic: an adventure out of time. You could run around and explore the Titanic whilst solving the mystery of the Rubiyat accompanied by scary music. This book is similar. It also felt like a sapphic Six of Crows.

I couldn't put it down, if I could read and walk to work I would have!

I really enjoyed A Million To One, and the fourth characters we explored the titanic with.

A high stakes heist, with each of our core cast truly depending on the elusive Rubaiyat, to be able to get to where they feel they belong… but first, they must take a trip in the not so unsinkable ship… the Titanic.

With a sapphic side story, and tales of female friendship, this was a heart wrenchingly brilliant story featuring the book built in the city I live!

Adiba Jaigirdar never fails to create fantastic fiction that I find myself entirely submerged in from cover to blurb.

Reimagining the titanic with a heist thrown into the loop was enough to get me hooked to this plot.

The first half of the book was introducing us to our four main characters who’ve had a rough past and are sharing a boardinghouse together. Josefa (the troublemaker of the gang) comes with the idea of stealing a poetry book Rubaiyat bejeweled with gems that can keep them warm and fed for years to come. She convinces the other three girls to join her on this heist and board the titanic.

It doesn’t take them much time to come up with a solid plan to steal the book. They get many of their bases covered and set the plans to action. While they are almost close to stealing the book their plans come to a halt courtesy of Josefa’s ex-friend.

I was enjoying the book till it reached 50% mark. Emilie’s morality made me lose interest in her character. Very ironic, I know but I’m this context she should have just gone with the original plan. Also somewhere I felt like she was vilainaised but still I didn’t warm up to her character.

On the other hand I was rooting for her to end up with Josefa. Together they balanced out each other.

Violet and Hinnah were actually my favourite characters. Both we’re trying to find a way to see the mission through despite having their doubts. The four girls were the glue to keep this plot going forward.

Since we know what happened to Titanic, the book also carried the same tone but mostly in the second half. I was on the edge when the ship hit the iceberg because our characters were in a crucial position and they had to get out unscathed before they sank with the ship. But just like the movie, this one has a bittersweet ending too.

However, I enjoyed the author’s note more than that ending. I didn’t know Ireland’s history was closely connected to the Titanic.

Anyhow, this is worth one time read. It’s a good spinoff of Titanic with a sapphic touch.

thanks to the author and the publisher for the free DRC of this book!