Review: The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Title: The Naughty List
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Razorbill
Pub. Date: 2/4/2010
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Spying, Cheating, Relationships, Love, Lies
Pages: 272
Plot (from GoodReads):
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?

Suzanne Young's debut novel was so unbelievably fun! I loved the entire premise and the characters and dialogue had me laughing aloud! THE NAUGHTY LIST has prompted me to make sure I always have room on my bookshelf for Young's novels.

The most noteable aspect of Young's novel is the creative language. Tessa, the main character, doesn't curse, but uses substitute words and phrases. I too use substitutes for swearing, so I found Tessa's practice entertaining - and I picked up a few more phrases to add to my repetoire! And that is so strawberry smoothie!

My favorite part of the novel was all the spy tactics and undercover work the girls do to catch cheaters in action. The action was great and I could clearly imagine all of the sticky situations they found themselves in!

I really identified with Tessa, especially her hopelessness about guys and their faithfulness. I definitely understood why Tessa slipped into her negative mindset, especially with all the cheating she observes. I liked that Young kept readers unsure about Tessa's boyfriend's faithfulness... I really wasn't sure if her was cheating or not until near the end of the novel.

I feel that I must mention that this book is not as "fluffy" as the summary may lead you to believe. Yes, it is an extremely fun read, but I feel that it has some substance too!

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality:10
Total: 48/50 (A)

Cover Comments:
I thought that the cover of THE NAUGHTY LIST fits the feel of the book. The pink was eye-catching and as cute as the Smitten Kittens themselves. The fact that the shades are partway down draws attention to spying aspect of the novel. Plus, I love the tagline: Is your boyfriend on it?