Review: Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan

Title: Don't Get Caught 

Author:  Kurt Dinan
Publisher: Sourcebooks

Publishing Date: April 1st 2016

Pages: 340
Genre: YA Contemporary/Humor

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: ARC 

 

10:00 tonight at the water tower. Tell no one. -Chaos Club

When Max receives a mysterious invite from the untraceable, epic prank-pulling Chaos Club, he has to ask: why him? After all, he's Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life. He's Just Max. And his favorite heist movies have taught him this situation calls for Rule #4: Be suspicious. But it's also his one shot to leave Just Max in the dust...

Yeah, not so much. Max and four fellow students-who also received invites-are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security "catches" them. Definitely a setup. And this time, Max has had enough. It's time for Rule #7: Always get payback.

Let the prank war begin.

Okay so here is the deal with this book. The cover caught my attention. Its red, it's bright, it has cows. I liked the cover and then I thought that title sounds intriguing. So I read the synopsis. I thought. Okay sounds like my kind of book and something a little different. So I read it. I laughed, I liked it. 

There is a group in Max's highschool. The chaos club. They play pranks on the school and have been doing it for decades. This book is about Max, his revenge against the chaos club, a group of misfits that decided to take the chaos club down, and a principal that wants nothing more than to catch the chaos club. No one knows who they are, where they will strike, or what they will do next. This is a book about Max's junior year and how he leaves his mark, makes new friends, finds out how to have fun, and possibly get the girl of his dreams. 

This book was fun. It really was. I had quite a few laugh out loud in public moments that earned me some questionable looks. Like it isn't obvious I am reading something funny with book in hand. Anyways it was fun. It had some background issues too that come to light in a very light and relaxed way. I did like that. Some serious but not too much to take away from the funny and little to give it just a tad bit of depth. 

What made this book so fun to read for me... well the pranks, the misfits, the rules that Max is always reciting from heist movies, and of course the pranks. I know I said that already, but the pranks were great. The entire book was great. There was even a tad bit of mystery thrown in over who was in the chaos club. So a bit for everyone. 

The book did have some romance,  very little and very light and I wouldn't even bring it up except some one that likes romance or doesn't like romance might wonder. There is a very tiny bit but its really not worth going on about. I didn't focus on the romance because its not really imperative for the enjoyment of the read but it does give a bit of something to the ending. So there is that, but like I said. Very little romance. 

The characters were fun. I didn't like them all in the way I wouldn't be friends with them. They were just a tad bit out of control, but I did like them in the way they added great fun to the story. If that makes sense. Max, the main character was a bit dense in my book. He was slow on the take but he made up for it in other ways... like is snarky thoughts and strange ideas. He was really loyal too and I did like that. In a group that wasn't friends to begin with and decide to rely on each other to prank the the school and its fearless leaders, loyalty is a must but can be hard to trust is there. Max did well. They all did actually. 

There really isn't much to mention about each of the characters. There is the school tramp (at least that is what her classmates think of her - but really she isn't) the school loner, the school jock, the good girl, and then Max, the invisible. So a little cliche at first but then there are things that are brought to surface that gives them their own voice and some depth. 

The principal was kind of funny. He may have been the vice principal I think. He reminded me of the principal on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. So that was fun too. He was dumb and always on the hunt. There were some other adults in the story that added to the good of things but not really worth mentioning them all.

The pranks were just fun and hilarious and creative and imaginative and I loved them. I loved the planning and trying to figure out what was going to come out of the planning. When the planning stage was in play, it wasn't known what the prank actually was and that I liked. I never could figure them out but it was cool. Each prank had different code names for the players too. Code names that had to do with their part of the prank. Yup again, fun.....just fun. 

It was a very quick and easy read. Writing was good for the type of story. Each character had a unique voice going on. So all in all it was a good read. Oh and the ending. It had resolution but it left it open for a sequel. I hope we get one. 

It was a great read and really good for anyone looking for a easy breezy full of laughs kind of read. 

Kurt Dinan is a high school English teacher living in Cincinnati. His debut novel, DON'T GET CAUGHT, will be released in April of 2016. He is represented by Kerry Sparks of LGR

Delightful Discoveries: Mystery/Thrilers

Delightful Discoveries are books that I have discovered recently... old, new, just released... from blogs, Goodreads, libraries, friends, or bookstores. 

We Know It Was You by Maggie Thrash

It’s better to know the truth. At least sometimes.

Halfway through Friday night’s football game, beautiful cheerleader Brittany Montague—dressed as the giant Winship Wildcat mascot—hurls herself off a bridge into Atlanta’s surging Chattahoochee River.

Just like that, she’s gone.

Eight days later, Benny Flax and Virginia Leeds will be the only ones who know why.

The Safest Lies by Megan Miranda

Can fear be inherited?

Kelsey was raised to see danger everywhere. Her mother hasn’t set foot outside their front door in seventeen years, since she escaped from her kidnappers with Kelsey growing inside her.

Kelsey knows she’s supposed to keep a low profile for their own protection, but that plan is shattered when she drives off a cliff and is rescued by volunteer firefighter and classmate Ryan Baker.

A few days later, she arrives home to face her greatest fear: her mother is missing. She and her mother have drilled for all contingencies—except this one. Luckily, Ryan is as skilled at emergency rescues as Kelsey is at escape and evasion. 

To have a chance at a future, Kelsey will have to face all her darkest fears. Because someone is coming for her.

And the truth about the past may end up being the most dangerous thing of all.

With Malice by Eileen Cook 

A read about a teenage girl who wakes up in a hospital bed and cannot remember the last six weeks of her life, including the accident that killed her best friend--only what if the accident wasn't an accident?

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last 6 weeks should be. She comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident while on a school trip in Italy three days previous but was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident...wasn't an accident. Wondering not just what happened but what she did, Jill tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

The Leaving by Tara Alterbrando

Six were taken. Eleven years later, five come back--with no idea of where they've been.

Eleven years ago, six kindergarteners went missing without a trace. After all that time, the people left behind moved on, or tried to.

Until today. Today five of those kids return. They're sixteen, and they are . . . fine. Scarlett comes home and finds a mom she barely recognizes, and doesn't really recognize the person she's supposed to be, either. But she thinks she remembers Lucas. Lucas remembers Scarlett, too, except they're entirely unable to recall where they've been or what happened to them. Neither of them remember the sixth victim, Max. He doesn't come back. Everyone wants answers. Most of all Max's sister Avery, who needs to find her brother--dead or alive--and isn't buying this whole memory-loss story. 

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

John "Smoke" Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn't the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke's new home and the only one he believes he deserves.

But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they're asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn't care that the "threads" that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name. 

Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink's help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he's willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.

WOW: Never Missing, Never Found b Amanda Panitch

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Jenn's Pick :I Can't wait for:

Never Missing Never Found by Amanda Panitch
June 28th 2016

                 

A juicy thriller about a girl who returned from the missing. . . . Hand to fans of We Were Liars, Bone Gap, and Vanishing Girls.

Some choices change everything. Scarlett chose to run. And the consequences will be deadly.

Stolen from her family as a young girl, Scarlett was lucky enough to eventually escape her captor. Now a teen, she's starting a summer job at an amusement park. There are cute boys, new friends, and the chance to finally have a normal life.

Her first day on the job, Scarlett is shocked to discover that a girl from the park has gone missing. Old memories come rushing back. And now as she meets her new coworkers, one of the girls seems strangely familiar. When Scarlett chose to run all those years ago, what did she set into motion? And when push comes to shove, how far will she go to uncover the truth . . . before it's too late?

One of my favorite genres and this one sounds so so good. love the cover too. 

Review: Kill The Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

Title: Kill The Boy Band 

Author: Goldy Moldavsky
Publisher: Point

Publishing Date: February 23rd 2016

Pages: 320
Genre: YA Dark Humor/Satire

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: Audio

 

From debut author Goldy Moldavsky, the story of four superfan friends whose devotion to their favorite boy band has darkly comical and murderous results.

Okay, so just know from the start that it wasn't supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near The Ruperts, our favorite boy band.

We didn't mean to kidnap one of the guys. It kind of, sort of happened that way. But now he's tied up in our hotel room. And the worst part of all, it's Rupert P. All four members of The Ruperts might have the same first name, but they couldn't be more different. And Rupert P. is the biggest flop out of the whole group.

We didn't mean to hold hostage a member of The Ruperts, I swear. At least, I didn't. We are fans. Okay, superfans who spend all of our free time tweeting about the boys and updating our fan tumblrs. But so what, that's what you do when you love a group so much it hurts.

How did it get this far? Who knows. I mean midterms are coming up. I really do not have time to go to hell.

This book grabbed my attention from the get go. I love the simple but bold cover. I was intrigued by the synopsis. I thought hmm now this book sounds different than anything else I have ever read. So I grabbed it on audio. 

There are four crazy fan girls. They like to stalk and talk and walk the life the of this boy band. Each girl in love with a different boy. Well they get a hotel where the boys are staying... you know to catch a glimpse... but they end up kidnapping a boy from the band and eventually he ends up dead. This is their story. How it all went down. 

I knew this book sounded crazy and I wanted to read it. I didn't expect to love it. It was such a nice break from everything that is out there. I enjoyed it from cover to cover. I don't know if this book is for everyone but it was for me. My mind can go to the dark and funny. I can fully wrap myself in a story that is so absurd and so crazy that it can't be real so I know it's unrealistic and I can throw myself into just enjoying it for what it is. And that is what I did with this book and what most will need to do to enjoy this read. It is unrealistic. It is crazy. It is dark. It's funny but yet its serious. It's a lot to take and enjoy if you are not ready for the absurdity of it. It's nuts. 

The story is fast paced and there is a mystery around the entire story. How did the girls plan this, how did they pull it off, what will they do with the boy and finally who killed the boy. Each comes into play and plays all the way out at different times. So there is no waiting until the last page to figure it all out. It unwraps as it goes but each time one question is answered another one comes up. So it kept me very interested. 

The girls were all crazy. I didn't like a single one of them but then again for their part in the story I did. I would never want to meet these girls on the street for sure but without even one of them, the story would not be complete. 

Now let me say. This book is crazy and like nothing I have ever read but there are some cliches too. Especially with the characters. Some stereotyping, Some not so nice things. But its a satire story and so yest there are some cliches. There is the mean girl, the follower, the overweight, and the bossy. They all fit their parts and they all fit for the story. It didn't bother me in the least. 

The story could be said to make fun of fan girls. Yes it does but it also brings to light just how crazy girls and fans can get and when they get crazy they get stupid. None of these girls had parents that looked out for them.None of these girls had lives beyond the boys.None of these girls were truly accepted for who they were. On top of that... the boys weren't all that great either. So add all this to fan girl crazy and you get one unpredictable teen.Not saying this is the norm but it does bring to light maybe someone should have noticed these girls need so professional help. 

In the end I was satisfied. There is some kind of ending but the reader was left with the big question.... did this all really happen the way its is told or even at all. I love those endings. Its a bit unbelievable and truly its hard to know. But the fun was watching it unfold. Fiction int he fiction or truth in the fiction.... who knows who cares. It was a wild ride. 

I truly enjoyed it and it was worth the read.

Goldy Moldavsky writes YA fiction from her hometown of Brooklyn. She studied journalism in college, where she got to interview some cool celebrities for her school paper. After a bit she realized it’d be more fun making up stories about celebrities, so that’s what she does in her writing. Some of her influences include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the esteemed works of John Irving, and the Mexican telenovelas she grew up watching with her mother.
Her debut novel, KILL THE BOY BAND, is forthcoming from Scholastic (Spring 2016).

Waiting on Wednesday: Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Jenn's Pick- I Can't wait for:

Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker

                 

Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab . . .  

ten minutes after he met a girl. A living, breathing girl named Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him.

Jaxon's first date. Ever.

In rehab, he can't blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He can't slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has just four days to earn one million points by learning real-life skills. And he'll do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, steal, even learn how to cross-stitch—in order to make it to his date.

If all else fails, Jaxon will have to bare his soul to the other teens in treatment, confront his mother's absence, and maybe admit that it's more than video games that stand in the way of a real connection.

Prepare to be cured.

The geek in me is calling out for this book now. I ran into it on Goodreads the other day and I can't stop thinking about it. I want it now. It looks like just the type of book I will totally get and love. 

Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring Outlook

Top Ten is an original feature/weekly meme created here at

The Broke and the Bookish that features a great bookish top ten every week.

Top Ten Books I am excited to read this spring!