Some people rob banks because they’re greedy. Others enjoy the adrenalin rush. Me? I robbed a bank because of guilt. Specifically: guilt and a Nepalese scented candle�
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When fifteen-year-old Dylan accidentally burns down the house of the girl he’s trying to impress, he feels that only a bold gesture can make it up to her. A gesture like robbing a bank to pay for her new home.
Only an unwanted Saturday job, a tyrannical bank manager, and his unfinished history homework lie between Dylan and the heist of century. And really, what’s the worst that could happen?
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A funny, cinematic, ill-advised comedy-crime adventure perfect for gamers, heist movie fans, and anyone who loves a laugh.
I picked this book up simply because the title was amusing and it seemed like a short and easy read. But actually, I enjoyed it more than I was expecting.
The narrative itself was fun and chaotic, and quite humorous at times, with lots of moments that made me smile. I especially liked that it was set in England, as the majority of stories I read are set in America or a fictionalised country, so it was nice to finally read something set in the country I live in. I also enjoyed the film references featured throughout the story, especially as the premise of the film was briefly summarised in case you are not familiar with it. The characters were good, although not particularly developed and the chapters were short, which kept the pace moving fast.
How to Rob a Bank was a fun, short and easy read that was more amusing and enjoyable than I was expecting, and if that is the kind of book you are looking for, then I would definitely recommend it.
Actually made me chuckle out loud reading this! Loved Tom the grinning guy! A great next step for kids at my school who like their funny books and are ready to move on from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates. I’ve felt there was nothing of that genre suitable for the intermediate age group plus until reading this. A few swear words I’m not worried about and some of the humour might go over their heads but in general I’m excited to be putting this in some hands this week. And to read the Kidnap one.
Ha sido francamente divertida la lectura de este libro. Lo he ±ô±ðûå´Ç junto con mi hijo de trece años y nos ha sacado buenas carcajadas Dylan con sus peripecias. Bien escrito, capÃtulos cortos, narrativa no demasiado "adolescente" y una historia refrescante Muy recomendable
What do you do when you're 15, and your gift of a Nepalese candle has caused the fire the burned down the home of the girl you like and are trying to impress? I'm not sure what most people would do. But Dylan Thomas - no, not the poet - decides he's going to rob a bank. It's a perfect idea. Nothing could go wrong. Okay, something could go wrong. But it won't because Dylan has watched several American heist movies. He's got a plan.
And so begins the humorous novel that is a how-to guide of what not to do when trying to rob a bank. It includes gems such as: make sure the note demanding money that you're going to hand to the person at the counter is legible; don't get locked in the bathroom when the bank closes; and, don't let your sister get involved. But even those are subject to change as some of them might offer up opportunities you wouldn't think about otherwise.
This story is written in the first person, with Dylan walking us through his robbing the bank from planning to execution. What makes the story great is that the actual bank robbing is a minor part of the story; the majority is taken up by Dylan's commentary on life, which is comedic gold. Dylan's life is full of fun moments that are recognizable from one's own teenage experiences, and I was laughing so many times while listening to the book.
And, yes, the audiobook is listening gold. It was narrated by Chris Nelson, and he did a fabulous job with the performance. His voice was perfect for a 15-year-old boy and made the book that much better. I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook. If you're like me, you'll also be setting it up to listen to a second time not long after finishing your first listen.
Bank robberies are a popular genre in film and literature, but I can't say I've ever come across one intended for an adolescent audience!
Dylan is determined to rob a bank. He's 15... so why this drastic crime? It's not greed, its desperation, and a girl - he's accidentally burned down her house and needs to make amends. And money. Quickly deciding that the best way to do this is to rob a bank, he must work out a way to gain access to the building and then the money itself. Cue a Saturday job
Dylan makes this book. Not only is the story a refreshingly different idea for the age group, but Dylan is a slightly self-conscious, tech-savvy, wise-cracking but still unexceptional lead character. He's not a superhero or in possession of any special skills. He is very smart and offers us plenty of laughs, with many random lines making me smile:
"I did want a drink but i didn't want coffee. I was worried that occee was a gateway drug to adulthood - I'd start wearing corduroys and reading the paper and dressing up in Lycra to go cycling in the countryside."
There are a lot of references that the author expects his readers to be familiar with. While actress Emma Stone may be on the radar of a 12-15 year old, the film/play Glengarry Glen Ross is unlikely to be well-known.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters surrounding Dylan too - his sister plays a significant role in proceedings, he has a co-worker and boss who for differing reasons are memorable and very funny. All would make great roles for actors.
I was very keen to see just how far Dylan would take the robbery idea - would he go through with it? And just how, in a time of high security and technological advances, could a teenager hope to pull it off?
Very humorous, with a super protagonist. Hope to read more original ideas from Mitchell in the future.
With thanks to Netgalley for the sample reading copy.
This book follows Dylan Thomas (not that one, although everyone does ask him how his latest poetry is coming along), a 15-year-old Crystal Palace supporting boy who robs the local bank. Yep, that is what he does "because of guilt. Specifically guilt and a Nepalese scented candle." You see he gifted a girl he likes a candle, discarded it in her bin and her family's uninsured house burnt down, so he wants to help her out. At least that is the initial motive for robbing the bank, the novel is a bit cleverer than that and he ends up robbing the bank for another reason. But how do you rob a bank? "Best get Googling."
The story comes across well with Dylan having the voice of a typical teenager. There are lots of references to pop culture things like films and Emma Stone. And he gets embarrassed by girls and other things, plus has a bit of nativity about him. Also the foibles of his family members come across well.
The novel is funny in places and really keeps you on tenterhooks as the suspense builds through the planning phase and the early failed attempts at pulling off a heist. But it all comes off in the end and there is a happy ending, without any major crime having been committed (although the bank was robbed).
This book is a fun, light hearted middle grade novel about a middle schooler in the UK who hatches a plan to rob a bank to help his friend pay for the damages he caused when he accidentally burned her house down. It's light, with bits of action and drama but lots of jokes and lightheartedness in it, plus some solid character development for our main character Dylan Thomas. A nice and happy read! Reccomend for middle grade students!
Good book I enjoy it and I don't normally like reading it gets boring but this out of very few books I enjoy has got up to one of the best it has been nice to read and ocupie me
Dylan Thomas feels incredibly guilty. His close friend Beth has just lost everything to a house fire, and despite it being ruled as due to ‘Faulty Wiring�, Dylan blames himself. Even though Beth is trying to be brave and positive about it all, Dylan can see how losing all ‘her stuff�, has affected her.
He is soon determined on making it right again, and the only way he can do that is with money. His family aren’t rich by any means, and he has only 8p in his own pocket. Where will he get the money to help Beth?
Dylan’s dad is a movie buff, and when he’s not working likes nothing more than to sit in front of one of his favourites, more often than not, asking Dylan to join him. Using movie plots and characters as a reference, his dad gives him life advice. At only 15, Dylan is only focused on Beth (who he thinks looks like movie star Emma Stone), how he can fix things for her, and maybe even get her to see him more than a friend. The movies do give him an idea though. He needs to rob a bank.
Thus begins, multiple ideas and plans that do little to add to his required sum, but do give him life advice:
eg. He gets his first job and how a little white lie (huge) helped with that.
How a cash machine works.
Finish your homework.
His big sister isn’t really all that bad.
Be careful to never get locked in a toilet.
How to catch a pigeon and just how much they can poo when stressed.
...and last but not least � how little white lies can come back to bite you.
This is a refreshing and funny story about how to impress a girl. Dylan is immediately likeable as he tells his story, sharing his thoughts on his quest to rob a bank. Each chapter begins with a short sentence of advice for any potential bank robbers who may be reading his story, and with one disaster after another, (some small, but one including the fire brigade), he achieves his goal� sort of.
I feel bad rating this book because I feel as though my feelings on it are based entirely on the fact that I am Too Old TM for it.
I think this is definitely aimed at a middle grade/very young adult audience and I didn't really realize that going in (probably should have). I've read and loved middle grade books in the past but because this one was more of a comedy it did feel pretty juvenile and for the most part I didn't connect with it. None of that is the book's fault because I am really and truly not the target audience but I also felt kind of misled by the synopsis because for a book about robbing a bank there wasn't really much "heisting" happening at all. I was just expecting something different and didn't get.
Overall, I don't think the book is bad, I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it but it really wasn't for me.
I found this so average. Really, the only reason I finished reading it was to check for appropriateness. There were a couple of moments that were entertaining for me, but for the most part I was just waiting for it to end... It was okay, but not nearly as good as I was hoping.
Honestly, it was not what I expected. Usually not the type of books I go for but it surprised me. I enjoyed the book through out the chapters. At the beginning it was a bit slow for me but it started to build up and it was amazing! Love the characters and love the plot!
Read with my teenage book group who liked it, especially the research into how to actually rob a bank! Hopefully they haven’t been led too astray. I was a bit too put off by the cat incident to enjoy it.
I loved the overall concept of the book and the characters were amazing and funny so it was a humorous book but I didn’t like how Dylan got the hack so easily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
How To Rob a Bank for me was a comical, super speedy, whimsical, fast paced read that I didn't want to put down. I found myself laughing out loud through many parts and couldn't believe some of the sticky situations that Dylan was thrown into. It had the sort of humour that I feel a lot of children find funny and that has to be one of the stand out aspects of the book.
Going on from that, I also loved the fact that the story was based in UK, on the outskirts of London. Reading MG and YA fiction that is based in my home country is something that I relish in. In my opinion it just makes the whole story seem more realistic. It's also good for young people, as they are able to understand the setting entirely without getting confused with different sayings or words. The descriptions of your typical British post office and bank throughout the book were spot on and had me thinking about my local branches of both establishments. It was so typically British and I adored that feeling.
The plot itself was so fast paced and right from the first page we are put right into the heart of the story. As someone who loves a fast moving plot I was in my element. After each chapter I just wanted to keep reading more. It really pulls you in with cliffhanger chapter endings that end up intriguing you, until you can't fight it anymore and you have to carry on reading. When a book does that you know you've found a great one.
Dylan, was such a realistic teenage character. He was your classic teenage boy and that was a breath of fresh air. Some teenage characters (especially boys) in fiction are so unrealistic and almost godlike that young male readers can't relate to them. This was certainly not the case with Dylan. He made mistakes, he got himself into sticky situations, embarrassed himself countless times and longed to do well in whatever he did. A lot of young boys will maybe read this and see parts of themselves in Dylan, and I for one can imagine that will be a great feeling.
How To Rob a Bank, overall, was an amusing, chucklesome, wild read and one that I'll be recommending to my year 5 and 6's at work. It's speedy plot and realistic setting and characters make it the perfect read for a young person.
Funny and witty, this book should definitely be in your shelf if not for the cover alone. Considering the author wrote the book, when he was still in high school, this book has many off-putting teen jokes which only a teen will relate to. Our main character Dylan Thomas wants to rob a bank, for reasons which are kinda revealed in the synopsis. If you are expecting to read about a heist gone wrong, then you should definitely consider reading this book as a light read. It is a funny twist to all the serious brainstorming heist movies we have seen over the past few decades. Heist is fun minus the ethics. Try telling that to a teenager though.
True to the title of the book, this book definitely teaches you how to rob a bank, But it doesn't tell you exactly what does the author rob from the bank, and that revelation is what a teenager will relate to the most.
I had a hard time reading and not laughing, this book certainly made me remember many of my school anecdotes minus the dry British humor with few life lessons in between the scenes when the parents wanted to act like parents.
This book made me wish that I was a teenager again.
In this, after burning down his friend Beth's house which had no insurance despite being a mini model of the whites house, Dylan then comes up with a plan.
He later thanks to his dad's love of films comes up with the master plan of robbing a.bank inspired by Al Pacino and George Clooney, after all at fifteen and being jobless he has no cash to help his friend.
After his plan goes awry in a really hilarious way, his sister agrees to help him on his next attempt with usb code in a bank's cash machine...
If you love Mark Lowery and his Roman Garstang series you will enjoy this immensely it had me laughing and despairing in parts after his dedication to stealing from his accidental job goes so badly wrong every time he tries. Obviously stealing isn't good but this level of dedication was hilarious and he only wanted to honestly help his friend and was unable to being without enough money!
I chose this book as I liked the front cover, although they do say ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover!� When fifteen-year-old Dylan accidentally burns down the house of the girl he’s trying to impress, he feels that only a bold gesture can make it up to her. A gesture like robbing a bank to pay for her new home. How To Rob A Bank was a fun, short and easy read that was really amusing, I would say that its perfect for heist movie fans and anyone who needs another book after Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
I chose this book since the title seemed funny and it appeared to be a quick and easy read to take on holiday. Truth be told, I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. Growing up in England, I was also able to relate to a lot of what Dylan thought and did at various points. The fact that the story is writtenÌýin first person from Dylan's point of view offers a further layer of hilarity to it. Dylan's life commentary is hilarious, and the actual bank robbery is such a minor detail. I laughed out loud several times while reading this book.
A British lad thinks he is the cause of causing the house of a gal he likes to burn down, his idea to fix things...ROB A BANK!!! or win the lottery? (Not old enough.)
Having seen some American heist movies he becomes an 'inside Man' where the plot revolves around...the bathroom! His dad is lazy and mom and sister are drunks. Ho hmmm.
I am a 8 year old boy. I just finished reading this book and I loved it ! The book is awesome and really funny!I picked it up from my library not knowing anything about this book or the author but I was so surprised by how captivating this book has been and I also love how intense this book is.by siddhant😎😀
Such a funny and refreshing book! The character Dylan and the setting are very relatable. My boys howled with laughter throughout. Parents will enjoy it too.
I enjoyed this book a lot! It is very silly and an easy read, with crazy storylines and fun adventures. I think it is aimed at young teens/tweens as it is a good transition between childrens books and older teenage books.
I quite enjoyed how this turned out as Dylan was a fun character to explore the world with. His incentive to rob a bank is deeply entertaining, and his repeated attempts to stick to the plan are endearing in the way of any person who really wants to do good even if the means aren't quite aligned.
it was a fast book for me , i guess i enjoyed it , i liked the plots because they surprised me , i thought i knew what was going to happen but nah , well good book in general
Exceptional first book by this superb new author. Loved the scene in the Post Office! Looking forward to reading Tom’s new book, That Time I Got Kidnapped.