GOING WILD

A middle school thief feeling trapped in her new life rescues endangered animals with help from a friend.

Frankie Lorde, former international thief–turned–Connecticut middle schooler, is back for another adventure with her best friend, Ollie, as they take on a local exotic animal ring. While volunteering at a local pet rescue facility over winter break, Frankie and Ollie find out that their last mark, Christian Miles, left behind an illegally owned pet Bengal tiger. Guilt-ridden, as she feels partly responsible for the tiger’s plight, and feeling like a trapped animal herself, Frankie is determined to take down Sam and Emma Brasko—the wealthy celebrity twins who sell exotic pets—while learning that she doesn’t have to change who she is in order to grow in her new environment. Frankie’s first-person journal gives a detailed, almost co-conspiratorial account of her latest heist and her adjustment to life in Greenwich with her police detective uncle. With her snarky comments about contemporary music and references to older pop culture, Frankie often sounds more like an adult than a tween. While not required reading, those who enjoyed the series opener, Stealing Greenwich(2020), will better understand references in this entry. The fast pace and facts about the exotic animal trade may hold some readers’ interest. Frankie is White; Ollie is cued as Latinx.

A thriller for fans of plot-driven stories.