Jessie reviewed Greetings from witness protection! by Jake Burt
Review of 'Greetings from witness protection!' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
13-year-old Nicki Demere has been part of a lot of families in her life: first her birth family, then various foster homes. But nothing is quite like her home with the Trevors, a family in witness protection after mother Elena sent several members of her notorious crime family to prison. The U.S. Marshals hope the addition of an extra child will make the family harder to trace, and Nicki is renamed Charlotte and tasked with keeping the family safe. Of course, it helps that she's whip-smart and a skilled pickpocket, a fact that becomes useful in surprising ways.
I loved everything about this book, starting with Nicki as a character. She hides her anxiety and vulnerability beneath a mountain of snark, and she's clever and great at reading people, so it's lots of fun seeing inside her head. I think this is the first realistic portrayal of kleptomania I've ever …
13-year-old Nicki Demere has been part of a lot of families in her life: first her birth family, then various foster homes. But nothing is quite like her home with the Trevors, a family in witness protection after mother Elena sent several members of her notorious crime family to prison. The U.S. Marshals hope the addition of an extra child will make the family harder to trace, and Nicki is renamed Charlotte and tasked with keeping the family safe. Of course, it helps that she's whip-smart and a skilled pickpocket, a fact that becomes useful in surprising ways.
I loved everything about this book, starting with Nicki as a character. She hides her anxiety and vulnerability beneath a mountain of snark, and she's clever and great at reading people, so it's lots of fun seeing inside her head. I think this is the first realistic portrayal of kleptomania I've ever encountered, which was fascinating as well. I loved shy best friend and gamer Brit as a character also. The emotional realities of this unique situation play out in realistic ways, as do the specific challenges the characters face (like when the school principal turns out to be from the part of Ohio the family pretends to have moved from and Charlotte has to improvise a response about the area). The book is full to burst with action, suspense, and a surprising amount of humor, and everything remains at the highest possible stakes, since something as seemingly minor as a school election could be life or death for the Trevors. A fast-paced, action-packed read perfect for reluctant readers and fans of excellent protagonists.