The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Title: The Naughty List	Loved it	Graded
Author: Suzanne Young
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Razorbill
Elements: Cheating
Series: Book 1 of The Naughty List series

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?

I had my reservations getting into this book. The cover looks like one of the Babysitter's Club books, and a naughty list in high school? The idea is absurd, yet strangely possible. Glad to say that I got over them quickly, because THE NAUGHTY LIST has one of the most authentic and engaging teenage voices in YA right now.

The plot is well constructed, with a lot more subplot that I thought it would have. This is such a well thought out and executed book that the cover doesn't justify. I like the cover, but it seems so light and fluffy compared to the story, which has substance.

Tessa is very likeable. She's a cheerleader who seems to have self taught herself good morals, and I respect that she knows the stereotypes that cheerleaders face, and works hard to overcome those and build herself a good reputation. What I really like is that she's an optimist. It's nice to read from the point of view of a character who doesn't dwell on the negatives and look at everything with a critical, distinctive eyes.

In fact, her whole life is like one big stereotypical, teenage fairytale romance. She is in a long lasting relationship with the captain of the basketball team, which sounds just peachy. What got this plot out of teenage romance-land is that Tessa is running SOS, a non-profit organisation that aims to catch cheaters. That's where the shenanigans truly happen.

The supporting characters are delightful. All of them play a part in moving the plot forward. One character I do take note of is the antagonist. He's nefarious, and his actions just make me really, truly angry with him. Seeing his motivations however made him more relatable and well rounded, and despite wanting to side-eye glare at him, he does earn my sympathy.

What Young does is that she crafts these little nuances and tidbits that make it seem like it's actually possible and real. I thank her for making the ever jaded me appreciate that some things can be good and true. Great debut. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.