I really enjoyed the sequel to Crookhave: The School for Thieves! The characters have really developed since the beginning of the first book and the end of the sequel and it made for the characters making some really interesting choices and the introduction of new characters was great too. I thought the plot was fantastic and brilliantly executed.

This is the second book in the series. At Crookhaven school you would be getting top marks if you were able to steal something without getting caught. It is a different kind of school!
Gabriel Avery returns for his second year at Crookhaven. He must deal with a impossible break in and conquer a forgotten maze.
There is teamwork, danger, mystery and deception. There is a moral element to it with a Robin Hood vibe.
Full of adventure and action. Highly recommend for KS2 readers.

Another charming school mystery, though the main character may make you roll your eyes.

Much like the first book, this was a lot of fun, packed with charming school antics, mystery and action. I particularly loved the supporting characters this time, and Arcanjo gives them such endearing charm that you can't help but feel completely sucked into their friendship together. They bounce off each other well and have plenty of banter between moments of seriousness. There are several other characters as well that are a lot of fun, Villette Harkness the rival, Gabriel's sweet grandmother, and plucky new character Val.

Unfortunately my biggest gripe is the do-no-wrong Mary Sue main character Gabriel, who seems to be perfect at literally everything. He's top of his class, deals justice to bullies in ways that make him look epic and cool, and figures things out precisely when he needs to – it was most egregious when he manages to connect two dots about Villette Harkness' past completely left-field. Gabriel is never wrong, and when he is, in one instance at the end of the book, he faces zero repercussions for it. The only thing Gabriel isn't perfect at is Crimnastics, Tech-nique and Forgery... which happens to be the three disciplines his four friends are best at instead. Obviously this is done to hammer home the message that friendship is magic, but darn, could you make it more obvious?

He also does that obnoxious 'I won't tell my friends my master plan until after it's done' thing that bothers me so much. You succeed in something significant and then decide not to tell the friends who helped you? Kind of a jerk move.

Overall this was a lot of fun, and the ending heightens a lot of the stakes for the third book. I hope in the sequel, Gabriel has some comeuppence and faces someone who genuinely challenges him.

I haven't read the first book in this series but that didn't detract from my understanding of the story. The characters of Gabriel, Penelope, Amira, Ede and Ade are so clearly described both in terms of their appearance and of their specific traits that it was very easy to get to grips with who was who. They are so different from each other that there is certain to be someone to appeal to everyone. There is also the highly mysterious Villette who clearly has secrets to be revealed.
Throughout the story, there is clear emphasis on the value of teamwork and being better together than working as individuals. Each of the characters is clearly on a journey to develop their unique skills and talents whilst still working towards a common goal - uncovering the secrets hidden in the centre of the maze.
I will definitely be catching up with book 1 and eagerly awaiting book 3 to see what happens next for our intrepid bunch.

What a cliffhanger to be left on by JJ Arcanjo in Crookhaven The Forgotten Maze.

Gabriel, Penelope, Amira, Ade and Ede found their way into my heart last year with their thieving, hacking and crimtastic ways and there they stayed until I could join them for their 2nd year at Crookhaven, the School for Thieves.

Things are different this year. Penelope is not allowed to be part of the crew as her father believes she should be a solo crook but Gabriel and the team make a deal to win the heist and find their way through a seemingly impenetrable maze for her freedom to join the crew.

In order to do both those intense jobs, they need to practice constantly, Gabe needs to learn to swim and they need to meet secretly. Amidst their crew is Villette, a cruel girl who Gabe believes is hiding something huge. His mind is incredible as he pieces things together that took me by surprise as I was reading.

This is a superb story and I love that it is developing into an incredible series. Bring on more of this crew, however, note to future self….re-read the series again from start to finish as the cliffhanger is leaving you desperate for book three!.

A great sequel to the first Crookhaven book. I would definitely recommend reading that one first. I loved returning to Crookhaven, school for thieves, for Gabriel’s second (miscreant) year. This year Gabriel and his crew face 2 big tasks, to break into the teachers’ section of the library in order to win the Crooked Cup, and also to secretly try and conquer the maze, a giant labyrinth which lies underground, created by legendary crook Maravel, littered with secrets and challenges, which no crook has ever managed to reach the centre of. I loved the growing friendship and camaraderie as well as the character development. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Crookhaven: School For Thieves got 2023 off to a cracking start. Now, after eagerly reading the second book in the series, which is due to be released next week, I have only one word to describe it: seamless - rather like the crooks themselves.

Gabriel Avery is returning to Crookhaven for his second year. But with an impossible break-in to negotiate and a forgotten maze to conquer, the challenges facing him and his crew appear insurmountable.

But one thing Gabriel has is confidence. If anyone can do it, surely they can? But perhaps Gabriel needs to be wary of attracting too much attention...

Building on the first novel, J.J. Arcanjo weaves an hypnotic and enthralling storytelling web with criss-crossing strands that all intersect brilliantly. Ensnaring the reader with a cast of loveable characters and a razor-sharp plot which is hard to put down, there's banter, danger, mystery, deception and some seriously epic teamwork. I loved the loyalty of Gabriel, the softness of Amira and the hilarity of the Crim Brothers, which is completed by the gruff but vulnerable genius that is Penelope. There's also a great cast of teachers and various other adult characters that bring either an extra layer danger or warmth.

Crookhaven is an edgy, familiar-yet-unique take on a boarding school set-up. Great for fans of Harry Potter or Skandar, it is also a great choice for those that love villainy and the darker side of adventure. Yet, the Robin Hood concept also gives the book a moral slant and offers up a great point for discussion: is doing wrong justified when you're trying to put things right?

I'm certainly counting down the months until the next instalment in this quest for justice.

Second book in the series and every bit as good. This had me reading under the covers in the middle of the night. I haven’t done that since I was ten!

Full review for the series will go on my blog shortly.

Up on goodreads already

Perfect action/adventure for young readers, with enough filling to satisfy those that are older as well. Crookhaven is a school where you wouldn’t be expelled for stealing the answers to the exams, in fact you would be given a A+ if you managed without being spotted. Gabriel has skills, pick pocketing for one. Being able to see the best in those he chooses to call his friends is another. And he is going to need his friends as they work to beat the maze and work to defeat the Nameless. Thank you to Hachette Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.