Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Busted by Gina Ciocca Published by Sourcebooks Fire on January 2, 2018
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Marisa wasn’t planning to be a snoop for hire—until she accidentally caught her best friend’s boyfriend making out with another girl. Now her reputation for sniffing out cheaters has spread all over school, and Marisa finds herself the reluctant queen of busting two-timing boys.
But when ex-frenemy Kendall asks her to spy on her boyfriend, TJ, Marisa quickly discovers the girl TJ might be falling for is Marisa herself. And worse yet? The feelings are quickly becoming mutual. Now, she’s stuck spying on a “mystery girl” and the spoken-for guy who just might be the love of her life…
I don’t read much young adult or stories about high school. And my issues here are why. The drama, the gossip, the back-stabbing, the endless manipulations, the wild emotions and the all-or-nothing attitudes all annoy me. For a town big enough to have multiple schools, the insularity of high school made it feel small town.
Busted is a really cute, quick read about Marisa who unwillingly becomes a spy to hunt down guys who cheat. Marisa and her best friend, Charlie, are good kids; they are easy to like. Some of the other kids, not so much. The character development beyond Marisa is limited; the villains are somewhat stereotypical.
Overall this was fun. It is very modern with technology and its pitfalls. I enjoyed the story with its twists and the banter between the friends.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 New Release Challenge
- COYER Winter Switch
You hit the nail on the head why I usually avoid YA novels, especially those set in schools. I tend to do better with dystopian, where schools are no longer a thing.