I loved, loved, loved this book! I struggled to put it down so I could at least do my chores for the day! Resnik's writing and characterization is clear and sharp, her characters witty and are *extremely* relatable, both in their current and past situations. Her plot is well-crafted, and even I didn't see that twist coming at the end, and I can't say anything about it except that was a good play on a well-known trope!

A fun romp of a book! This book had me at "queer sci-fi heist" and it did not disappoint. I was a little worried when I began that the rotating first-person POVs would throw me, but as I read I found that each individual character was distinct enough that I could tell who was narrating even without looking at their name at the top of the chapter. I loved the variety of the relationships the main characters displayed, the asexual and sapphic representation, and the handling of how romance and sex and consent can look so different to different people. All the characters were genuinely attentive to their partners' needs, even as they worked throughout the book to establish what their relationships could be. The heist part of the story was fun with lots of casino antics and enough suspense to keep me turning pages. Would recommend to sci-fi and romance readers alike.

The Elysium Heist is centered around a hodge podge group of women who are all trying to make amends with their pasts and change their futures. Each character in this book is so fastly different from each other that it makes the differing views easy to read. Every character has so much depth and the author did an amazing job of fitting so much backstory in to the book without it feeling clunky. I am really hoping that we see future books by this author that focus on what the futures of this group look like.

Earlier this spring, I read a very queer, very Jewish, very cute short story in the 2022 We’re Here anthology by indie publisher, Neon Hemlock. The author was one Y. M. Resnik, and the story was The Chavrusah Worlds of Possibility. When I saw that her debut novel was up for grabs on NetGalley, I instantly smashed the “Request” button.

The Elysium Heist is a delightful, queer, clever sci-fi casino heist that has been accurately described as a “Sapphic Ocean’s Eleven in space” (Eli Snow). There really is no better way to describe it, and I can’t begin to recommend it enough. Resnik’s prose is witty and hilarious while addressing topics like sobriety, bodily autonomy, faith, and ace-spectrum sexuality with frank gravity.

There is also an extremely spicy sex scene that. Wow. All my thumbs up.

Resnik is definitely an author I’m going to be following very closely. Her stories check all my boxes, and I’m excited to see what else she has in store for us.

Extended review to be linked at a later date.

This is billed as Ocean's 8 in space with lesbians, and this novel really nails that! Five separate women, all of whom get POV chapters, want a chance to take back what should've been theirs: each wants her own life back, in some way or shape. But none of these five can agree on anything, and trusting one another? Ha!

The Elysium Heist is definitely a character-driven heist novel, so those of you seeking full on thrills with no emotional beats, keep moving along. For those who love when characters are more than their actions, this is definitely a book you'll want to read. I loved each character, and her reasons for trusting (momentarily) or distrusting each of the other women is well-grounded and believable. The plan to rob the AI casino is a decidedly bold one, but also the only available means open to them.

Honestly, I say it's character-driven, but one of the joys of this book is that it neatly balances character and plot, so much so that I was compelled read and finished this book in a flash. I didn't want to put it down!

As for how it pans out...I was a little dismayed at first by the conclusion, and the way that the heist went sideways. Not that it DID go sideways (which, let's be honest, we all know it's going to do that, right?), but the manner in which it did just threw me, and left me a touch dissatisfied. However, I also couldn't stop thinking about the book, and my odd reaction to it, and after a day I figured out the "why" of my reaction, and realized that actually, it was a PERFECT ending. None of these women are criminals, none of them wanted to grab $$ or glory--they only wanted their own freedoms. So the ending I at first disliked became a resounding "oh!" as my delayed enlightenment occurred, and now I'm rating this 5 stars.

This is a delightful, fun romp of a book! Five women, each with their own baggage and hopes, meet to pull off a heist in an AI-controlled casino (and one of them might just be in love with the casino's AI...). The characters are unfailingly kind to one another, which feels like such a gift (when much of real life right now is heavy and unkind). This is the kind of book where everyone gets what they deserve (in the most satisfying ways). I'll be hoping for more from Resnik!

I first went into this for the sapphic sci-fi but omg it was so much. A sapphic sci-fi CASINO HEIST. I just finished neon nights so I was in a casino las Vegas ish mode lol but make it IN SPACE this was such a fun story I flew through it. Normally sci-fi world building takes longer for me to get into right away but this you can jump right in easy peasy. Pit story begins with our FMC she is one of the highest paid hostess at the casino she is tick their due to her inherited debt from her deadbeat dad. The only way to escape is to try to find a way to rob the casino. Then she’s home free. Part of her escape team is a disgraced heiress seeking to rescue her family business, a recovering alcoholic card counter, a religious Jew whose abuse husband refuses to grant her a divorce, and Psalome younger sister who is dating the casinos AI long story lol. Sparks fly with with the Jewish wife and Psalome starting chaos with her husband. Just a story you need to read 🥹 so much happens it’s a must for any sci-fi and queer romance lover.