*Stolen Hearts* by Michelle Castleman is a gripping young adult thriller that weaves together mystery, family secrets, and the quest for identity. Seventeen-year-old Ella Gatz is left to fend for herself when a thief breaks into her family’s mansion on Halloween night and steals her mother’s cherished painting, *Her Heart*. The loss of this artwork represents not just a theft but a painful reminder of her mother, leaving Ella determined to reclaim what is rightfully hers.

Castleman effectively portrays Ella's fierce resolve as she embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the identity of the thief, guided only by the clue of a distinctive pink-and-blond hair. As she delves deeper into the mystery, Ella uncovers shocking family secrets that threaten not only her father's reputation but also their financial stability. The tension builds as she navigates a dangerous game of wits, forcing her to confront the complexities of her family's past and her own sense of self.

With its engaging plot and well-developed characters, *Stolen Hearts* captures the emotional turmoil of adolescence while delivering a suspenseful narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Castleman crafts a compelling tale of loss, determination, and the strength it takes to reclaim one’s identity amidst chaos.

The quick cut: A girl ends up in a game of wits with the thief who stole a painting from her father's house.

A real review:
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

Some possessions are more prone to being stolen than others, like art. What would you do if someone stole something of yours? For Ella, it's just about anything when a thief comes in and steals a favorite painting of her mom's.

Ella has spent her life in the privileged cage that her father has made for her. With no real friends and her every move being watched, she rarely does anything other than play chess or hang out at home alone. All that is thrown off when someone breaks in and steals the painting named "Her Heart" - her mom's favorite. Will she find the thief and get it back?

The premise to this book is very intriguing and from the description, I thought it would be more cat and mouse games with the thief. While it sort of started that way, it was anything but by the end. It got real messy by the final page in a confusing way.

Ella is presented as a lonely girl, but she's definitely not what she appears to be. She lies about who she is and why her life is the way it is. I found myself actively hating her by the end. You don't like your life? Then take responsibility for it. Having an abusive parent doesn't absolve you from your decisions.

There's a fine line between a twisty story and an overly complicated one. This one definitely went deep into too complicated territory and the main character thinking so highly of herself didn't help.

An overly complex thriller that fails to create a thrill for the reader.

My rating: 3 out of 5

Stolen Hearts follows Ella Gatz as she tries to unravel the mystery of an art theft in her home while her family secrets unravel around her.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. At no point did I know what was going to happen next, but I thought it was cool that we were essentially following Ella trying to attack life like a giant chess game. I also love when books have chapter titles!

The characters were all a little unreliable, which added to the intrigue, but I felt like it took away from my attachment to any of them. The plot was a little slow at times, but the mysteries kept me interested.

This was an interesting book that wasn’t exactly what I expected. Definitely note that this one should have trigger warnings for child abuse. The narrator was hard to connect with although I did have a lot of empathy for her. Ella lives with her rich, powerful, and abusive father. She hasn’t seen her mother in years. One Halloween the security team is away when a thief breaks in and steals a painting that was valuable to her mother, almost all she has left, and despite a quick tussle the thief escapes and her father refuses to report it or follow up. Ella has plans in motion and is counting down until her final play, treating life like a giant chess match. The writing style was interesting as was the story overall. It was definitely one that will be sticking with me and made me think.

<i>digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc.</i>

So, I found it funny that after I finished Icarus, a story about a thief, I came across a story about someone whose possession was stolen. It kinda the opposite, but sadly, this one's a confusing one to read and review.

Ella had an altercation with a thief who stole her mother's beloved art. Said mother was 'away' in a facility because she tried to hurt Ella the same way she hurt themselves, and now Ella lives with her abusive dad. Rich, but abusive. And now, Ella swore to get the art back.

Why? I asked. Oh, because Ella missed her mom.
Why? She has little memory of her mom, and even then it was muddled with her dad's story on how deranged her mom was and all.
Anyway, that's just one thing I couldn't get from the story. The motivation, for everything.

The blurb and synopsis made me think that I would get a cat-and-mouse chase with strategies from Ella and the thief, and for a while there was; but then, to me at least, it took a weird turn and ended up where the story ends. Not necessarily bad, but just... weird. Maybe the marketer need a better proofread for the synopsis?

Apart from the art thingy, which frankly, didn't interest me, Ella had to deal with her dad, security, school situation-stuffs that couldn't even help me to understand Ella. She was resourceful and smart and at least for an almost 18 year old, she was mature enough (but not enough).

In the end, I didn't really know where the book kinda went and just read along. Writing's not bad, often I felt Ella's anger (as a girl myself), and there's that. Could be repackaged (thus, edited more) as a YA thriller, might be more interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Book, Inc. for the ARC

Stolen Hearts is a unique YA mystery. Is dark and explore psyche and emotional trauma. The trauma part was tackled really good, which I highly appreciated. In addition it had both asexual and sapphic representation, another plus in the book for me. The book was really interesting and fast paced. I'd love to see more from the author. A book I really recommend for the spooky season.

Woohoo for the fact that this book takes place in Michigan and asexual representation alongside sapphic representation.The rest of the plot and the twists involved went off the rails for me a little bit, as I struggled with the motives of the characters.

This was really a different read for me. I had a hard time staying with the story, however, once I got into it, it developed into a very interesting mystery. I was surprised at the ending. Overall, a decent read.

This was a very interesting read. It was nothing like I expected. My intrigue really had me flying through this book.

This book was not what I was expecting and that's not a bad thing! So many twists and turns that I found myself stopping to try and work it all out and just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Its always fun when we have a unrelatable narrator and seeing the true events unfold at the end.

I'd definitely recommend this to young adult readers and fans of darker young adult.

Hot dog! This book is a trip. All the kudos to Michele Castleman. She's written an extremely thought provoking mystery with layer upon layer of deep and dark elements. You'll definitely have issues with the main character, but I was so thoroughly impressed with this story and its structure that its ultimately all forgiven. Overwhlmingly enjoyed this topsy, turvy read.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Stolen Hearts” by Michele Castleman is a gripping, unpredictable YA mystery that defies expectations and keeps you on the edge of your seats. This is not your typical fun, light-hearted heist novel—it's a deeply layered story that combines psychological tension and emotional depth. With an unreliable narrator at the helm and unexpected twists at every corner, “Stolen Hearts” is perfect for readers who love morally complex characters and enjoy being kept guessing until the very end. Be aware that this book does show parental abuse/neglect, so make sure to check content warnings before reading.

The protagonist, Ella Gatz, is a 17-year-old chess prodigy who serves as the book’s unreliable narrator. From the very first page, it's clear that Ella is playing her own game, keeping secrets and manipulating not just the people around her but also you as you’re reading the book. The more you learn about her, the more you realize just how deeply scarred she is by her past—particularly her childhood marked by domestic and emotional abuse. Castleman expertly weaves these darker themes into the story without making it feel heavy-handed. While the book maintains a quick, engaging pace, there's an undercurrent of tension and unease throughout, largely due to the trauma Ella has experienced.

Ella's unreliability as a narrator adds an intriguing layer to the storytelling. As the plot unravels, you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s part of Ella’s deceptions. The twists come fast, and they’re hard to predict. Every assumption you might make is flipped on its head, especially as you try to piece together the mystery of the stolen artwork and the secrets within Ella’s life. Her complexity makes her a fascinating character to follow—she’s morally grey, deeply flawed, and yet you can’t help but sympathize with her.

The story is also rich in LGBTQ+ representation, with Ella identifying as sapphic asexual and several other sapphic side characters. This adds a refreshing dimension to the book, enhancing its diversity without overshadowing the main plot. The romance takes a backseat here, but the exploration of identity and relationships still plays an essential role in defining who Ella is. I loved the representation in this book, and readers may be able to relate to the different characters throughout the book.

One of the standout elements of “Stolen Hearts” is its narrative structure. Castleman uses Ella’s tendency to lie or omit details as a clever device to keep you in suspense. This unconventional storytelling approach may be jarring at first, but it makes for a unique and thrilling reading experience. As the mysteries begin to unravel, the second half of the book picks up steam, delivering satisfying payoffs for all the twists and turns.

“Stolen Hearts” is an easy yet thought-provoking read, perfect for fans of fast-paced mysteries with unreliable narrators. If you enjoy stories where nothing is as it seems and love uncovering secrets buried within the characters’ pasts, this is the book for you. Michele Castleman has crafted a multi-layered novel that is as much about psychological manipulation as it is about art theft, with enough twists to keep even the most seasoned mystery readers on their toes.

Stolen hearts is such a cool book. Loved to read this story. I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the story is immaculate.

Dark but fun

Ella’s determined to find the thief who broke into her well secured family home and reclaim the artwork they stole that is her last connection to her mother. Her father is CEO of a security firm and their relationship is complicated, but because he refused to report the theft, Ella has big decision to make when she starts uncovering family secrets.

The story had great representation for younger characters with Ella only being 17, and explored different sexual identities. I loved the focus of the story, always being heavily centered on Ella’s emotional connections to the situations or whatever was being revealed. It made the mystery of finding the thief deeply personal and I quickly got invested in all Ella was trying to achieve. She had such a quirky personality that could change in an instant, but was also so smart and highly determined. There were lots of characters for her to interact with, but the two most focused were Sunny, and her thief.

It was really interesting how Ella and Sunny’s friendship compared to the disruption in her relationship with the thief. With the thief things were daring, playful, cryptic, and really kept me on my toes and wondering how far Ella would get swept up in it all. But Sunny offered grounding and a reminder that Ella had someone she could trust and rely on, no questions asked, who would be her ally. The thief was flighty and I loved how she challenged Ella to loosen up, take charge of her life and break free from the situation with her father. There were shocking moments when extra issues kept coming to light as the mystery continued to unravel way past the stolen artwork!

A great mystery, and a fun story even with the darker elements that were upsetting and all handled with care, but made it clear why Ella was so determined and made the choices she did to find happiness and freedom.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to get an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

I had very different expectations from this book going off of the genre tags and the description. I found myself being constantly confused and caught off guard by the developments in the story (NOT a bad thing) because the FMC is just a completely unreliable narrator. So many lies and deceptions which only she knew until the very end of the book when the reader would be informed. It was very different from any narration l'd ever read before and I loved it.
As you go learning about Ella's life and what lead her to be that way made her such a complex character which at first glance she doesn't seem like at all and I could not fault her for her actions. Morally grey is my favourite type of MC!

Content warning - This book does reference to domestic/ child abuse, off page, but is hinted at/reference to frequently throughout the book and does give off a very tense atmosphere

Hi
I really enjoyed how you portrayed the abuse indirectly but still got the feelings of it within the story and the chess game and strategy playing into her choices and her life. I never guessed the twist towards the end of the roommate of her mum and the thief and then Reggie! A great read. Not my typical type of read but it was enjoyable

Stolen Hearts by Michele Castleman was pleasantly surprising. My expectations and hopes for this book were high, wanting a lot from a queer romance with a crime based storyline but this book wasn't at all as I expected and on this rare occassion it was a good thing. Very easily the plot and characters could have fallen into stereotypes and stayed on a base level that could have been annoying, especially when considering the main character being a chess genius. Having a character with such an expertise could become grating but as someone who has zero chess knowledge it was easy to follow and understand, without taking anything from the character or plot. Having many queer characters surrounding this story both in positive and negative lights was refreshing, along with the main asexual characters sexuality being expressed clearly and positively without it being the main plotline. As someone on the ace spectrum, I wish this was the type of book I could have read earlier to see a character that shows clearly problematic behaviours however her sexuality isn't ever considered one of them.

Stolen Hearts follows Ella Gatz’s story and her countdown to a mystery date. Ella Gatz is a 17-year-old student who is the only witness to an art theft on Halloween night. When her mother’s favorite piece is stolen and her father refuses to report it, the onus of finding the thief and painting falls on Ella. Ella serves as the narrator for the book and is quite unreliable. She also leaves out bits and pieces which paved the way for many twists and turns throughout the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the latter half which is when the pieces all begin to fall into place. If you’re looking for an easy, quick YA read with several unraveling mysteries and queer representation woven throughout, this is the book for you.

The twists and turns in this book drove me crazy but in a good way. It starts fast and just keeps going as you see the characters move throughout the book to see where it all ends up.

It reminded me a lot of Veronica Mars as you see the main character grow throughout the book as they try to survive. The author handles the trauma well and I felt they handled it well to make their way to the end.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

First of all: this book is partly dedicated to the author's cats, and frankly, I think they should have included pictures. I want to see Salt An, Peppa and Frederica Bimmel.

I think when you read the blurb and the tags for a book, you automatically make some assumptions about the plot. This book didn't match any of my assumptions. It was almost impressively how different it is from the fun thief romance shenanigans I visualized.

You know those narrators who are so unreliable, they basically lie to your face in first person POV? Ella Gatz is one of them. This occasionally made for a confusing or frustrating reading experience, but interesting at the same time. This girl is a chess prodigy, and she's playing 3D chess in real life with real people as pawns. I had some pretty wild theories for where the plot was going, and none of them were right (still kinda sad about one of them), but it came with its own wild plots instead. Ella is a complex and maybe a bit morally grey character who is NOT a reliable narrator by any means, but you can see the childhood that led her to become this person, and she's a great character.

I do need to mention that this book deals with domestic abuse in a significant way. It's pretty "closed door" and more implied than explicit in description, but it gives the whole book a threatening, tense air.

The protagonist is sapphic asexual, and there are multiple sapphic side characters.