The Naughty List
Grade 9 Up—Prompted by an incident in which the Washington High cheerleading captain was publicly humiliated by an "other woman," the squad, now led by Tessa Crimson, doubles as the Society of Smitten Kittens. At the request of girls who suspect their boyfriends of cheating, SOS will launch full-scale investigations, complete with surveillance equipment, and, if they find corroborating evidence, provide said evidence to their clients. So far all of the boys have been guilty. In the meantime, Tessa's relationship with her boyfriend, Aiden, is increasingly troubled because of her frequent absences on SOS business and her secrecy about it. Things are complicated further by the arrival of Christian Ferril, who begins a romantic pursuit of Tessa, and his sister Chloe, who has her eye on Aiden. This premise has great comic potential, and the Cheater Incident Reports from SOS to their clients, as well as the rules and guidelines detailed in its official handbook, are the most entertaining parts of the book. However, Tessa and the other cheerleaders aren't particularly sympathetic or likable characters. Tessa frowns upon use of profane or obscene language, preferring to use odd expletives such as "Jolly Green Giant!" and "Apple dippers!" to express her dismay. She and Aiden have an active sex life with no mention of birth control. Their relationship seems solely based on the fact that he's the captain of the basketball team and she's cheerleading captain. Likewise, Christian's motives in pursuing her are never fully explored. Additional, at best.—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.