What a well-written, exciting thriller!

City of Saints & Thieves is set in Kenya, where Tina - a Congolese refugee - is a member of the Goondas, a gang of street thieves. Tina looks out for her beloved younger sister, Kiki, whilst also longing for revenge against the man she knows murdered her mother: the wealthy Mr. Greyhill.

With the help of the Goondas, Tina plots her revenge, but when she is caught trying to steal files from Mr. Greyhill's computer - by his son, Michael - she is forced to make a deal. Michael will assist her in finding out what really happened to her mother, in exchange for her holding off on unveiling the files and exposing his dad's shady antics.

A diverse cast of characters find themselves digging deeper and deeper into the past; a journey which will take them to a tiny village in Congo, and reveal ever darker secrets. Alongside the fictional mystery that gets more nail-bitingly tense by the second, Anderson shines a light on some real world atrocities: real tales of greed, crime, and the way women's bodies become the spoils of war.

As far as I know, the author is not Kenyan or Congolese, but it definitely feels like a lot of research went into this book. She presents the dark sides of both countries, but also paints them in rich, beautiful detail. All of the characters are carefully-developed with thought and sensitivity; Tina, for example, has had to get tough to survive as long as she has, but she is also realistically flawed and driven by anger and sadness. Her narrative is split into thief "rules", as she educates the reader in how to be a good street thief, and reveals the story at the same time. It's quite punchy and effective.

City of Saints & Thieves contains a vivid world that will be unfamiliar to most readers, as well as memorable characters, and an intriguing mystery. Predictably, some romance does surface, but it isn't until the later chapters of the book and is kept to a minimum. Recommended for those looking for a YA thriller that sits outside the norm.