The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: February 4, 2010

Language: English

Source: Around The World Tours 

Synopsis:  As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn't enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson's the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn't be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty! When Tessa's own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa's sneaky ways end in catastrophe? The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

As head cheerleader, Tessa Crimson's always expected to set a good example for her squad and to always have a positive attitude. This is something she does well, always being cheerful and encouraging everyone around her to be the best they can. No one would ever suspect that by night, this sweet do-gooder runs a top-secret society of spies! The Society of Smitten Kittens (SOS) dedicates itself to rooting out the cheaters and ensuring that their clients get the truth. Unforunately, every case that gets through to the SOS has proven to be a disappointment--all the parties in question are proven guilty and this has Tess majorly bummed. The only thing that keeps her smiling is Aiden, her perfect boyfriend. Unfortunately, a dilemma soon pops up: Chloe Ferril. She makes it obvious that she's on a mission to sink her claws into Aiden and Tessa's not going to let that happen. But then Christian, Chloe's brother stirs up some more trouble when he finds out about SOS...

I must start out by saying that holy crap, what high school does Tess go to? The cheating around those parts is rampant! The number of cheats reported kept Tess and her crew busy--which also creates a widening rift between her and Aiden, who I found to be a little too perfect. But not so unbelievable that I automatically disliked him; he really cared about Tessa and it was obvious in his actions. I just cringed at how cutesy they could be sometimes. Speaking of cutesy, Tessa had a thing for not cursing and replacing swear words with more creative expletives like "Ginger snaps!", for example. At first, this little habit of hers irked me but as the chapters progessed, I grew accustomed to it and I started to enjoy the story even more. I loved whenever the girls had a mission; they would combine their cheerleading skills along with technology and the missions certainly were interesting to read about! There was a lot of scandolous two-timing, that's for sure. But don't think that this book doesn't have any depth; the central idea about this book is Tessa and her friends catching cheaters but it's also about the emotional growth that Tessa undergoes once her double life begins to affect her relationships, especially with Aiden. The Naughty List is a promising start to a series that's sure to be imaginative with a flirty twist to it.

Rating: 4.0