The Naughty List (The Naughty List, #1)

Feb 06, 2010 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Here is my one sentence review for The Naughty list: Espionage, lively cheerleaders, and very naughty boys... equal one debut that I found unputdownable!

What an excellent debut and an entertaining start to a new series!

Young’s depiction of a cheerleading squad turned cheater investigators was ingenious. I mean, who would think a group of cheerleaders would be the masterminds, behind a secret group taking down one cheater at a time! I never would have. And yet it totally worked.

Characterization...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 14, 2010 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

Short and sweet, The Naughty List was an original and fun-filled read. Suzanne Young has a writing style that pulls you in and she can see right into the heads of teenagers. The characters were all believable and Tessa was an awesome main character. I loved her alternatives for cursing like “Ginger Snaps!” or “Cap N Crunch!”, they made me laugh out loud at times. There were quite a few times when I was laughing while reading The Naughty List, but my favorite parts were during the missions.

It wa...more Short and sweet, The Naughty List was an original and fun-filled read. Suzanne Young has a writing style that pulls you in and she can see right into the heads of teenagers. The characters were all believable and Tessa was an awesome main character. I loved her alternatives for cursing like “Ginger Snaps!” or “Cap N Crunch!”, they made me laugh out loud at times. There were quite a few times when I was laughing while reading The Naughty List, but my favorite parts were during the missions.

It was so fun hearing about Tessa and the gang scoping out cheaters with their high tech equipment. It was lucky Tessa’s parents weren’t home that often so she had more time for investigating and to be with Aiden. I really liked Aiden, he was the perfect guy for Tess, and actually really nice and down-to-Earth. The other characters were great, too. Kira was a terrific, at times clueless, best friend for Tess and Kira and the rest of the Smitten Kittens were always there for Tess, and each other, whenever one of them got upset or needed help. The plot was very original and I like these kind of novels that go off the beaten path.

I really liked how the ending of each chapter contained something to do with SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), whether it be a cheater report or donation thank-you. It was awesome that no one knew who SOS was, they were very stealthy :)

The main plot line was not only solving crimes of cheating boyfriends, but Tessa was learning a lot about both herself and her relationship with Aiden. There were some tricky characters that added twists in the plot- Christian and Chloe. I don’t want to give anything away but let me tell you the ending was very satisfying in terms of those siblings! I really liked the ending, although it left you wanting the sequel right away! There were quite a few sub-plots going on that weren’t tied up at the end of this book, so I can’t see where So Many Boys takes us. In the end, The Naughty List was “strawberry smoothie” in the words of Tessa.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of So Many Boys in June!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2009 Erica rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was awesome - there's no other way to put it. It had a enticing plot, spectaluar writing, and fabulous characters you can connect with. Every moment of it is fast paced and a total page turner. It's a book as cute as it's cover!

I loved the Smitten Kittens. The attitude and commitment they had to their cause took guts, and it was great to read about. All the expressions Suzanne Young throws in The Naughty List were great. Tessa, the main character, frequently deems things "so strawberr...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 17, 2010 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, signed

Do not be fooled by the pink cover. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young definitely ran the gamut of emotions, as ninja-Cheerleader-spy Tessa comes to suspect her too-perfect boyfriend Aiden of cheating. Basically the high school that Tessa goes to is a breeding ground for douchebags, as a large amount of relationships end because one person cheats on the other. Tessa and her cheerleader friends decide to combat this trend by starting a secret society known as SOS. What SOS does is investigate susp...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Dahlia rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Naughty List was fun, exciting and original. It was packed with cheating, backstabbing, romance, and spying on cheaters. The cover is eye candy, the first time I saw the cover I became eager to read it. From the cover you get cute, love relationships, cheating, drama, and hook-ups, which all complement the book.

Head Cheerleader and Smitten Kitten is Tessa Crimson. Along with her cheerleader friends run an undercover 2 year business that hunts, spies, and goes through odds and ends to catch c...more The Naughty List was fun, exciting and original. It was packed with cheating, backstabbing, romance, and spying on cheaters. The cover is eye candy, the first time I saw the cover I became eager to read it. From the cover you get cute, love relationships, cheating, drama, and hook-ups, which all complement the book.

Head Cheerleader and Smitten Kitten is Tessa Crimson. Along with her cheerleader friends run an undercover 2 year business that hunts, spies, and goes through odds and ends to catch cheaters on the act. The SOS is contacted by worried girlfriends with suspicions that their boyfriends are cheating. Sadly all cases always come back as 100% cheater. However, Tessa still believes not all guys will cheat, especially Aiden her love interest. Tessa believes Aiden will never cheat, that their love is too powerful. Later, Tessa is chocked to find he indeed may be cheating. Even then Tessa believes is not all over and battles her way to get back Aiden. Can it become a reality or just be her worst nightmare?

All together this book was well-developed and of huge interest to me. Young's writing was entertaining, amusing, and engaging. From the first few chapters, I was hooked. The overall idea and theme were original. The idea of girls going undercovered catching cheaters, their missions, and the romance fascinated me. Along the way when reading were surprising twist and turns, these held my attention throughout the book.

For the most part, all the characters had distinctive personalities, however the cheerleaders were too sweet with no attitude. It seemed as they didn't have attitude for cheerleaders. They would replace curse words with things like Strawberry Smoothie etc. At times it was way too cute and adorable. For too much cuteness it only gets 4 stars. Nonetheless, a great read.

The clever remarks, humorous dialogue, and the development of this book kept me entertained. It's safe to say, I'm a fan of the series. And, now waiting for the sequel to come out in summer 2010.(less)

like · see review

Dec 14, 2011 Liyana rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 03, 2011 Harmony Beaufort rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Naughty List was fun, quick, and sweet read about a girl named Tessa who runs a society called the Society of Smitten Kittens that catches cheaters in the act, though publicly known as the cheer leading squad of their high school. But when twins move into their town, one boy and one girl, they start stirring up trouble. Especially with her adorable boyfriend, Aiden.

The Naughty List is the type of book you read in one sitting, sweet and short. The writing is exactly like i've come to know Suz...more

like · see review

Oct 09, 2010 Jessica Lawlor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young tells the story of Tessa Crimson, head cheerleader by day, spy by night. Two years before, the head cheerleader was cheated on by her boyfriend, so the cheerleaders created a group called the Society of Smitten Kittens (SOS). Their mission is to investigate boyfriends whose girlfriends are suspicious of them to find out if they’ve been cheating.

Tessa is glad to help out fellow girlfriends, but her night job is taking a toll on her own love life. Her perfect boyf...more The Naughty List by Suzanne Young tells the story of Tessa Crimson, head cheerleader by day, spy by night. Two years before, the head cheerleader was cheated on by her boyfriend, so the cheerleaders created a group called the Society of Smitten Kittens (SOS). Their mission is to investigate boyfriends whose girlfriends are suspicious of them to find out if they’ve been cheating.

Tessa is glad to help out fellow girlfriends, but her night job is taking a toll on her own love life. Her perfect boyfriend Aiden is starting to wonder where Tessa disappears to each night.

When a pair of siblings, Christian and Chloe move into town, Tessa and Aiden’s relationship gets a bit shaky. Chloe is determined to get Aiden to like her and Tessa keeps running into Christian everywhere she goes. Tessa doesn’t know how long she can continue to lead the SOS with all of the problems in her own personal life.

I loved the idea of this book. I thought it sounded really cool and I was excited to find out how the SOS catch cheaters in the act. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, but there were two things that REALLY threw me off about the book.

First, Tessa freaks out whenever anybody curses. Let’s be real. These kids are seniors in high school; they curse. Plus, throughout the book, Young tackles other touchy topics, most notably, sex. If Tessa and Aiden are openly having sex throughout the book, I thought it seemed a little immature that Tessa would care so much about the cursing. It just didn’t seem realistic to me at all.

The second thing that bothered me was the awkward phrases that Tessa used throughout the story. Instead of cursing, Tessa would say, “apple dippers!” She referred to her relationship with Aiden as, “strawberry smoothie.” These random phrases appeared in almost every page and threw me off every single time. Again, this made Tessa’s character seem immature, when she clearly wasn’t since she was engaging in sex and spying on cheating boyfriends.

Other reviews I read loved Tessa. As a character, she sort of annoyed me. The two quirks I mentioned above played a huge role in me disliking her, but her perkiness just didn’t seem realistic for a high schooler.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the story and I plan on reading the sequel which comes out on June 10.(less)

like · see review

Sep 11, 2010 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Meet the Smitten Kittens. Sounds kind of sexy, huh? Alluring in that mysterious way. If you knew what they were doing, though, sexy wouldn’t even come into it. In fact, the Smitten Kittens are all about busting cheating boyfriends from doing the sexy with people other than their other half. The male adolescent population of Washington High is more than a little naughty, it seems.

The squad – which double as a cheer squad by day – have high tech spy equipment and have a well organized system of sp...more Meet the Smitten Kittens. Sounds kind of sexy, huh? Alluring in that mysterious way. If you knew what they were doing, though, sexy wouldn’t even come into it. In fact, the Smitten Kittens are all about busting cheating boyfriends from doing the sexy with people other than their other half. The male adolescent population of Washington High is more than a little naughty, it seems.

The squad – which double as a cheer squad by day – have high tech spy equipment and have a well organized system of spying on the boys at their school. They take requests from girlfriends who suspect their boyfriends are cheating, and investigate till the allegations are either cleared, or confirmed. Unfortunately, they’ve never had the opportunity to clear anyone’s name because every single suspect has been found guilty. Every single one.

Tessa is the only girl left on the squad who actually has a boyfriend. Over time, the others all dumped theirs because they were caught cheating. Then, Tessa’s boyfriend’s name shows up on the list, and with a one hundred percent confirmed cheating rate so far, it isn’t looking good for Tessa and Aiden. But maybe he’s innocent, he seems like a nice guy, after all. Could he be the first boyfriend to ever be cleared of all charges?

Initially, I couldn’t decide exactly how I felt about this book, or for whom exactly the target audience might be. Tessa comes across as a good, wholesome character. She doesn’t curse, and always corrects those around her that do. She uses expressions like strawberry smoothie, for example, instead of actual curse words. She’s an excellent friend to her fellow squad members, a great student, and an all-round shiny, happy girl. At first I thought this was going to be a clean and wholesome novel for younger readers, but then I discovered that Tessa sleeps with her boyfriend and sneaks around in the middle of the night, lying to her parents and Aiden about what she’s doing, and spies on people till dawn. And Tessa is the only one that doesn’t curse; it seems the book is littered with swear words and over active adolescent hormonal activity. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, either, I’m just saying that Tessa’s character confused me.

I found myself trying to decode the messages that came attached to Tessa’s character. By creating a character like Tessa, is Suzanne Young is attempting to send a message that teen sex is okay? After all, Tessa is a really nice girl that is seemingly good in every other way. Does the fact that she’s sexually active make her a bad role model for teen girls? I really couldn’t decide. I’m inclined to say no, but I felt uncomfortable making that judgement alone. What I did like about Tessa is that, especially at the beginning, she is committed to Aiden and although she is well aware of her sexual allure and uses that on Aiden a lot, she doesn’t really flounce it around in front of everyone else. She isn’t promiscuous and she obviously has a lot of self-respect, which I think is important when setting up a potential role model for teens today.

The whole book left me feeling a little uneasy, which I suppose is actually a good thing because I thought about it for hours after I finished it, trying to figure out whether I liked it, how to categorize it, what the underlying messages were. While there was obviously a formula that went into the plot, it seemed there was a lack of formula that went into creating the characters, setting, tone, etc. I found this quite refreshing and I think others will too.

I think this book would be a great jumping point for book clubs and discussion circles that wanted to talk and debate the issue of teen sex and teen relationships.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 01, 2010 Kari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, read-teen

Flirty and fun, The Naughty List is an entertaining read but holds plenty of drama and emotion. Young does an incredible job blending the various aspects of this book, investing the reader in the plot line early on. From the start, the reader is smoothly eased into the set up, falling into a well paced plot and wanting to know how things will play out.

Tess is a very lively character, full of pep and unique euphemisms. Though she’s head cheerleader and certainly has her vanity and ditz type of mo...more

Flirty and fun, The Naughty List is an entertaining read but holds plenty of drama and emotion. Young does an incredible job blending the various aspects of this book, investing the reader in the plot line early on. From the start, the reader is smoothly eased into the set up, falling into a well paced plot and wanting to know how things will play out.

Tess is a very lively character, full of pep and unique euphemisms. Though she’s head cheerleader and certainly has her vanity and ditz type of moments, she is an intelligent, strong willed character. She has a very interesting outlook on life and Young does a fantastic job bringing this character to life. As with any good character, Tess holds her own flaws and as the story progresses, she finds certain aspects of her life falling more out of control. Her story is an engaging one, pulling the reader on the same emotional roller coaster she experiences and though there is certainly a “stereotypical” couple set up, this book is anything but cliché and mundane. She is easy to like for any reader, no matter what their high school experience had been like. Though she may be popular, she is far from cruel and holds herself to very high standards in her appearance, behaviors and treatment of others.

Aiden is Tess’ boyfriend and the captain of the basketball team. They are the perfect couple, having a long two year relationship under their belts. Lust and love are intermixed for them, playing off smoothly for their situation. Tess has her boyfriend and perfect social life, but hidden beneath it is her SOS related activities. Aiden is attractive and certainly horny but he is very caring and sweet- and, despite being a jock, he has a brain! Once again, Young casts a perfect blend between stereotypical jock and realistic character holding his own ability to think and experience a range of emotions. Aiden is a very likable character because of how well developed he is and many of the scenes with him and Tess are cute, fun and enjoyable.

Christian is another very well built character, shifting between being likable and irritating. His motivations are not easily discernible as his actions switch often, helping build mystery with the book. He is attractive with a good sense of humor but holds darker qualities, making both Tess and the reader question him. He is a vital part of the plot and an intriguing addition in general and despite some of his actions, Young still pitches him in a way to garner at least some sympathy from readers.

Although her parents are not constantly around due to their musical jobs and therefore many late nights at gigs, they trust Tess- a trust she has earned. Tess’ relationship with her parents is refreshingly open apart from her secret regarding SOS. It is their late nights that allow her to sneak around and spy on potential cheaters but the reader never gets the sense her parents neglect her. This is a strong feature of the book for me, and despite their late nights and travel, it is clear how much Tess’ parents care for her and how active they are in her life.

The plot is amusing, propelled easily by Young’s strong writing and her innate ability to possess a very vivid YA voice. Tess’ mentality comes through easily, with everything sliding along smoothly on the pages, even when her comments are airheaded or shallow. Although some aspects of the plot were predictable, it’s to be expected with the story line and premise- and with the way Young chose to play things out. Although obviously and necessarily extreme in how many cheaters these girls found in their school, the number of cheaters and cases explored made for a great plot set up and the case reports were fantastic additions. The entire operation was well thought out and executed and it brought a certain spark to the book as a whole.

With some incredibly intense and emotional scenes to break up the flirty, overall fun nature of this story, The Naughty List is a fantastic read. Tess and Aiden’s relationship is a beautifully played out one, holding all the truth of teenage love and showing how two teens can be in a long relationship. Even when things start being turned upside down, Young continues to hold a teenage state of mind and responses. Everything leads up to a very fantastic ending, leaving the book open for the sequel but providing plenty of closure for the events of The Naughty List.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2010 Kirsty The Book Mogul rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, it was something different from the vampires and paranormal books that I had been reading at the moment. I liked how Tessa was a cheerleader with a secret, like all the other cheerleaders she is a SOS member. I really enjoyed that the SOS group where the main part of the book and the plot was based around the SOS and the cheerleaders involvement within the school.

I liked how the book unfolded and how Tessa was really happy with her relationship with Aiden to start off...more

like · see review

Mar 23, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wish I enjoyed this more than I did. I read some really great reviews about it and was extremely excited to get my hands on it, I even pushed it up on my TBR list. But this didn't do it for me. Tessa seemed like an impossibly perfect character, she was too perky and too optimistic all the time. It drove me nuts. Christian was a little too stalkerish-I probably would've called the cops on him! And although I thought it was a great idea that SOS tried to dispel cheerleader and other stereotypes,...more

like · see review

Mar 08, 2010 Brigita rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book isn't exactly my style. I found the protagonist, Tessa, a bit too perky and perfect for my taste and the humour too obvious and based too much on situational comedy to really appeal to me.

Tessa's exclamations like Gingersnaps! or Toasted ravioli! were cute and fun, but not when used in the middle of a scene that's supposed to be sad and emotional. I found that distracting and almost like it was making the whole story a joke.

Her dislike of any cuss words and impolitness while on the ot...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 10, 2010 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was another quick, cute read. When I first read the title, I thought it was going to be about something completely different. But a story about cheerleaders who are spies on the side to catch cheaters? I'm in! It was nice to read about cheerleaders in positive way. Most stories show all cheerleaders as airheaded (and coming from a girl who spent her whole childhood cheering, knows this isn't true!) I do have to say that the way Tessa spoke bothered me. Everything was all "Strawberry sm...more

like · see review

Dec 24, 2009 Shalonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Naughty List by debut author Suzanne Young is sure to be a hit! With characters that most readers will enjoy and a plot that never lets you down, this book is certainly entertaining.

While reading TNL, I became quite fond of SOS members Tessa, Kira, and Leona. Each character had a distinct personality and brought something new and creative to the table. What I liked most about the girls was that all three had depth. Rather than being perfect, perky cheerleaders, each was battling her own conf...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 03, 2010 Samantha (Harlequin Twilight's Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tessa Crimson (awesome name, right?) is more than just the captain of Washington High’s cheerleading squad. She’s also the leader of S.O.S (Society of Smitten Kittens), the cheerleader’s club that catches cheating boyfriends in the act, with evidence!

Lucky for Tessa, she has Aiden. Aiden is the perfect boyfriend, he’s sweet, kind, gorgeous, and totally loves her (I so want an Aiden!). He’s not just the perfect, he’s “strawberry-smoothie purrfect” (there’s a ton of adorable kitty references), the...more Tessa Crimson (awesome name, right?) is more than just the captain of Washington High’s cheerleading squad. She’s also the leader of S.O.S (Society of Smitten Kittens), the cheerleader’s club that catches cheating boyfriends in the act, with evidence!

Lucky for Tessa, she has Aiden. Aiden is the perfect boyfriend, he’s sweet, kind, gorgeous, and totally loves her (I so want an Aiden!). He’s not just the perfect, he’s “strawberry-smoothie purrfect” (there’s a ton of adorable kitty references), there’s just the matter that Tessa has been hiding her covert operations from Aiden for the past two years.

But now Aiden’s wising up and becoming a bit impatient with Tessa constantly being busy. Because of the busyness with more cases, Tessa doesn’t really take notice of Aiden’s frustrations. But The Naughty List is maxed out and every single suspect has been caught, every single one of them has cheated.

Then new girl, Chloe Ferril, shows up and she’s very different from Tessa. She’s provocative and crude and seems to have her sights set directly on the most unattainable guy in school, Aiden. Tessa knows that this is one girl that isn’t going to retract her claws until she hooks them into Aiden.

Tessa has never worried about her and Aiden’s “strawberry-smoothie purrfect” relationship, until his name shows up on The Naughty List. Now Tessa must investigate the one person she never considered to be as naughty as the other. Did Aiden betray her or are the still as “strawberry-smoothie purrfect” as she thought them to be?

If there’s one thing that is “strawberry-smoothie purrfect,” it’s The Naughty List! I fell so in love with Tessa, Aiden, Kira, and Leona that I didn’t want to see this story end. I love how Tessa doesn’t cuss and so she improvises with phrases like “Jingle Bells!” “Shake and bake!” and my personal favorite, ”Peanut butter sandwiches!”

Kira had some of the most reasonable advice out of them all, even though she seems to be a couple of kittens short of a litter most of the time. But Tessa would totally have to be my favorite. She’s adorable and hilarious, and despite her flaws, she has the sincerest of intentions.

Of course there’s always got to be the practical voice of reason and the one to keep organized, and that would be where Leona comes in. Leona is so funny! She tends to be the one to say exactly what Tessa is thinking, but won’t say herself because it’s un-kitten-like. Leona is that girl that doesn’t give a care what anyone says, she’s just going to say whatever she wants…I love that!

Of course I can’t forget Aiden. He’s sweet and adorable and the epitome of the dream boyfriend! He’s so supportive and patient (at least way more that I would be), at least for a long time. I mean, how many guys want and like painting their girlfriend’s toenails? But even the most perfect couples have their flaws.

The writing is fantastic and the story is uniquely adorable. It’s fun and quick and purrfect for any kitties out there that want to curl up with a fantastic story for a few hours. Summer better hurry, because I need the sequel, So Many Boys, like yesterday!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Claire rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

This was not good... It was easy enough to read, sometimes a little repetitive (how many times did Tessa need to tell us that she was uncomfortable with watching the cheating part? I would have thought once was enough). I didn't really understand Tessa, while is was nice to see a cheerleader who doesn't fit the bitchy stereotype. I just couldn't stand the sugary-sweetness and she was a total contradiction... it is ok to be, what 16(!?) and putting out to your boyfriend at the drop of a hat but g...more

like · see review

Apr 12, 2010 TheEagerReaders Violet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction, read-in-2010, series, humorous, contemporary, young-adult

Suzanne Young's debut novel is the first in a trilogy of books about Tessa Crimson, the head of a secret organization of cheerleaders dedicated to catching cheating boyfriends red-handed and gathering proof of their indiscretions to present to their wronged girlfriends. As a reader who tends to gravitate toward paranormal & fantasy novels, this book is well outside of my typical genre preferences, but I still found it entertaining. The Naughty List is a quick read that manages to be both fun...more Suzanne Young's debut novel is the first in a trilogy of books about Tessa Crimson, the head of a secret organization of cheerleaders dedicated to catching cheating boyfriends red-handed and gathering proof of their indiscretions to present to their wronged girlfriends. As a reader who tends to gravitate toward paranormal & fantasy novels, this book is well outside of my typical genre preferences, but I still found it entertaining. The Naughty List is a quick read that manages to be both funnier and more heart-wrenching than you might expect from the title and summary.

What I Liked:
- The idea of a group of somewhat stereotypical cheerleaders running an extremely organized non-profit service like the SOS is funny and clever. I like the concept of girls helping other girls, enjoyed the SOS's memos & letters to their clients, and admired Tessa's dedication to keeping the team both professional & perky.
- Tessa doesn't approve of cussing and using common slang, so she constantly replaces curse words and exclamations of surprise or approval with her very own terms like: "Strawberry smoothie!", "Sugarplum fairies!", and "Gingersnap!" That aspect of her personality is consistently amusing and helps make her a memorable character.
- The tension between Tessa and her boyfriend's mom is believable. It added to the complexity of Tessa's relationship with Aiden and made my heart go out to her.
- The Smitten Kittens' high-tech investigative missions are very entertaining!
- Tessa's parents' history added depth to her character and explained a lot about her intense commitment to maintaining her perky cheerleader persona all the time.
- There are lots of northwest-inspired references in this book, from Washington High's rival basketball teams including the Ducks and the Beavers to the Birkenstock-clad new kid. As a northwest native myself, those references were fun to see!
- I liked and respected Tessa & Aiden's relationship choice at the end of the book, and l look forward to seeing where the second novel in this series leads them both.
- The book is conclusive enough not to drive readers crazy with suspense, but there are still several sub-plots to be resolved and lots of character development to be explored in the two sequels, So Many Boys and A Good Boy is Hard to Find.

What I Wished:
- I really enjoyed SOS's investigative adventures, and I would like to have seen more of those scenes featured in the book.
- Knowing that this novel is about an organization of high school girls who spy on cheating boyfriends, I was not particularly surprised by the frequent sexual references, but the constant innuendo was still my least favorite aspect of the book. All the actual hook ups take place off the page so The Naughty List is not explicit in a romance-novel-ish way, but it does seem that everyone at Washington High is sexually-active and that 99% of the guys are unfaithful and/or unscrupulous. Those statistics seem a bit too depressing for the light and humorous tone of this book.
- While physical chemistry is important, I often wished that Tessa and Aiden's relationship was not so centered on their physical attraction to one another. After two or three scenes of them finding each other irresistible, their relationship began to seem a bit one-dimensional to me and I felt less motivated to root for them as a couple.

The Naughty List is a quick and funny read with an original plot and a memorable protagonist. I look forward to reading the next two books and am hoping to see more character development as Tessa moves into the next phase of her life at Washington High.(less)

like · see review

Nov 30, 2009 Peace Love and Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

So far I've seen nothing but good reviews about this book. Praises for Suzanne Young, indeed it is. The plot revolves around cute cheerleaders by day spy at night. They call themselves S.O.S Society of Smitten Kittens, they decided to omit the K because it doesn't sound right. The S.O.S is lead by head cheer Tessa Crimson.

What are they spying about?
They are a non-profit organization that gathers data / evidence; visual, audio and written (Yes, they have sophisticated state of the art spy gear....more

like · see review

May 07, 2010 Kari Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tessa Crimson is the captain of the Smitten Kittens, has an amazing boyfriend and a very big secret. Between writing cheers and getting her toe nails painted by Mr. Wonderful, she dons the black gear and the camera to catch some serious cheaters. The Smitten Kittens are also spies. They are doing charity work, for donations of course, to help bust cheaters. But now, someone is on to their sneaky acts and her boyfriend has been suggested as a possible cheater. With a 100% cheat rate, Tessa isn’t...more

like · see review

May 11, 2012 Liseth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Últimamente ando en plan devoradora de libros y este es uno de sus YA que simplemente me tienen ahí, de una manera francamente masoquista...
Honestamente, me provoca halar de los cabellos a la tonta de TESSA!! Es decir, que sea toda porrista, inteligente y con su regla de no maldiciones --->> Thumbs UP!, pero la chica necesita una dosis de madurez, autocontrol y sentido común ¬¬
Por qué? Bueno, porque está este chico Christian,un completo desconocido con tendencias acosadoras (normalmente e...more Últimamente ando en plan devoradora de libros y este es uno de sus YA que simplemente me tienen ahí, de una manera francamente masoquista...
Honestamente, me provoca halar de los cabellos a la tonta de TESSA!! Es decir, que sea toda porrista, inteligente y con su regla de no maldiciones --->> Thumbs UP!, pero la chica necesita una dosis de madurez, autocontrol y sentido común ¬¬
Por qué? Bueno, porque está este chico Christian,un completo desconocido con tendencias acosadoras (normalmente esto no me molestaría tanto en un personaje xDD) que viene a por ella, a destruir una relación estable de DOS AÑOS y ella simplemente sigue siendo una chica paz y amor, dándole pie a continuar con su pequeña (sí, claro) artimaña ¬¬ Que fuera amable no está mal, de hecho no hay por qué perder la compostura si hay un chico "cayéndote" cuando tienes novio, simplemente debes darte tu lugar, pero siento que Tessa no supo hacerlo y la detesto en un nivel, no del todo, pero estoy resentida con ella.. por ahora u.u
Aiden... bueno, el tipo es perfecto, la verdad es un personaje que poco conoce una como lectora, excepto por la imagen idealizada que tiene Tessa de él, pero hey, si lo tiene en tal pedestal, por qué dejar que la duda la carcomiera tan RÁPIDO? Siento que Aiden en ningún momento presentó los "signos" de infiel, digo, ella misma veía que cuando Chloe (bitch ¬¬) se le acercaba, él sólo era cortés, justo como ella con Christian.
El punto aquí es, me gustó mucho la nota de realismo en la historia de amor que se destruye aquí xD Bueno, no tanto se destruye, sino que llega a su punto más crítico. Pero no puedo evitar odiar ciertas cosas y por eso le doy 4 estrellitas.. A veces había muchas escenas de relleno que me habría encantado estuvieran enfocadas más en Tessa y Aiden, para entender su relación de pareja mejor, además de las ideas subliminales de la autora jajajaja

Definitivamente quiero leer el segundo porque NO PUEDO quedarme con la duda de cómo y cuándo volverán a estar juntos estos dos u.u aunque terminaran, fue de una forma tan romántica que no tuve tiempo de sufrir demasiado por el pobre Aiden u.u (less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 05, 2010 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, tour-1-arc-tour, read-feb-2010

The Naughty List is really what young adult fiction is all about, just simple fun with some meaning but not too deep or too shallow - it's just right and leaves you feeling good when you finish it. After reading a lot of books full of meaning and dealing with heavy subjects, it was very refreshing to read The Naughty List.

Centering around cheerleader friends who make up the Smitten Kittens, not only are they cheerleaders, but they are also girls undercover who find out whether your boyfriend is...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2010 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-books-i-read

What can I say about this book? Well let me tell you a little about it and you can decide for yourself. This story is about a high school where the group of cheerleaders decides to form a group. It is a group that is somewhat private eye mixed James Bond. After a friend finds out that her boyfriend isn't faithful the girls decide that no girl should find out this way. So anytime a girl is suspicious they go to investigate. The disturbing part I found about this story is the fact that all these h...more

like · see review

Mar 08, 2010 Robby rated it 3 of 5 stars

From first glance, I knew I was going to like this book. The Naughty List is a book about girls and secrets and how if you spend all of your time solving other people's problems, eventually you are going to be overwhelmed by your own. And that is what Tessa Crimson's life has turned in to.
For the past two years, she has run SOS, the Society of Smitten Kittens. Not Sex Kittens, but Smitten Kittens.
For the past two years, Tessa has been dating Aiden, the star of the basketball team. For the past...more From first glance, I knew I was going to like this book. The Naughty List is a book about girls and secrets and how if you spend all of your time solving other people's problems, eventually you are going to be overwhelmed by your own. And that is what Tessa Crimson's life has turned in to.
For the past two years, she has run SOS, the Society of Smitten Kittens. Not Sex Kittens, but Smitten Kittens.
For the past two years, Tessa has been dating Aiden, the star of the basketball team. For the past two years, she has been lying to him.
Tessa is a cheerleader, a good girl, a smart girl. Respectable, beautiful, wise-she's always looking out for people and not necessarily looking out for herself. She is the captain of the cheerleading squad and also the leader of SOS. And that's all she knows.
Until Christian and Chloe move in to Tessa's small Washington town.
Christian and Chloe are brother and sister, two people who very quickly turn Tessa's life upside down.
Christian starts flirting with her, following her. He tells her about himself and she finds herself telling Christian about who she is, things she's never told Aiden. And eventually she develops feelings for him, even if she tries not to and even if she denies it.
But Tessa's much better at lying now than she was a few years ago.
Chloe is fierce and intimidating, confident in the ways Tessa always tries to be. She goes after Aiden the way Christian is going after Tessa, and Tessa knows that she can't stop her. After a while she stops trying. After a while, after a few months, everything has changed.
This was a quick read about a girl who has been lying to herself and everyone around her for years. She finally has to tell the truth and she finally has to face her fears.
I liked this book. There were a lot of things I didn't like about it, like the way Tessa says "strawberry smoothie" and other things like that, the way she refuses to cuss and regards people who do distastefully. She seemed judgmental and intimidating, even if she didn't think of herself that way.
Suzanne Young is a great writer. This book was fast paced and interesting, a compelling read. Even if Tessa bothered me quite a bit, I can't deny that the writing in this book was near flawless.
I would be interested in reading the sequel and also the rest of the series, but I'm a little hesitant now.
I used to read books like this all of the time, fluffier books that are more sugar and spice than intensely moving. Tessa had a lot of problems and a lot of deeper issues than what appears on the surface and I definately noticed that, but this book still comes off as a summery beach read.
If you're looking for a fast read about being honest with yourself and protecting what's yours, then this is the book for you. If not, you should probably read it anyways.
You will laugh. I promise you that.

B (less)

like · see review

Nov 28, 2009 Yan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ll be the first to admit that I was petrified to read this book. I do not sit well with overly cute summaries. Just something about them gives me goosebumps and kicks up the gag reflexives. But partially into the book I was found giggling in a little corner with this sweetie.

The Naughty List is a perfect read when down in the dumps. It took a few chapters in before I found myself enjoying this book. This book is energetic, fast paced after the first few chapters, sexy (in the not overly so), a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Juliana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

Es una historia narrada desde la perspectiva de Tessa, líder de las porristas y del club secreto de espionaje de infieles. Y gira entorno a su relación amorosa y los conflictos internos que tiene respecto a ésta.

La trama no es muy interesante, de hecho, es sosa y desesperante, a pesar de que es una idea interesante. Y ésto sin duda se debe a los recursos estilísticos que emplea la autora. Porque es imposible no hartarse de continuas exclamaciones del tipo: ¡Pantalones de Seda! ¡Mantequilla de Ca...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2010 Sasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Naughty List is a sweet, inspiring read that ditches the superficial sterotypes of cheerleaders in vicious high school surroundings where each kitten can't wait to get their claws out. This book is fun, entertaining and will have you with your pom poms out once you've finished it!

One thing I loved about this book was the lead female protagonist and head cheerleader, Tessa. Usually in typical high shool based books, the cheerleaders are selfish, scheming and self-centred not giving a hoot abo...more The Naughty List is a sweet, inspiring read that ditches the superficial sterotypes of cheerleaders in vicious high school surroundings where each kitten can't wait to get their claws out. This book is fun, entertaining and will have you with your pom poms out once you've finished it!

One thing I loved about this book was the lead female protagonist and head cheerleader, Tessa. Usually in typical high shool based books, the cheerleaders are selfish, scheming and self-centred not giving a hoot about anybody except themselves. In The Naughty List, Tessa was not like that at all. I loved how she was not the same kind of cheerleader that has been portrayed about a billion times. Tessa really was a very sweet heroine who cared deeply about her friends and the wellfare of the other girls who had very naughty boyfriends. It was clearly shown throughout the book that each Smitten Kitten was not a perfect cookie-cutter image of how every cheerleader should be. It was good to see how each one had their own inner conflicts but still managed to be positive, cheery and just plain strawberry smoothie!

Suzanne Young has managed to create a gripping and mysterious plot with each twist and turn just pages away whilst also intertwining an inspirational story that will leave the reader begging for more. This is the kind of book that looks predictable but as a matter of fact was pleasantly surprising. From the first few chapters I was completely hooked delving into the engaging writing and refreshingly original take on school life.

The cast of characters and dynamic plot weren't just the great things about this book. I also loved how at the end of each chapter there were cute additions like the 'Cheater Incident Reports' and the 'SOS Official Handbook'. These features just put another unanticipated spin on things which made the experience of reading this even more enjoyable.

I have no major qualms with this book and can safely say I am a fan of the series. This novel was more than I expected and although it didn't have the ending I had hoped for, it left me craving more from the next installment.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 16, 2010 Ally rated it 4 of 5 stars

i loved the book the no swearing thing and the creative way she got around it. the sexy cover and the book, wait i already said that. aiden was a toal sweet heart he was sweet and painted her toe nails wow. the book was not predictable whih i expected it to be but after following young's blof i should have realised it would be anything but. (i especially like her nevada fall story and going green!) the story had me and i loved the kitties voices and the book name is hooot.
all in all a great boo...more

like · see review

Mar 26, 2010 Cheree Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Naughty List is the debut book from Suzanne Young, and this is the first in a series. Just after hearing the synopsis I had to read this novel. I thought the idea of cheerleaders doubling as spies to catch cheating boyfriends was a very original idea, and I was not disappointed.

Tessa Crimson is the captain of the Smitten Kittens (also S.O.S the cheating agency) who's dating captain of the basketball team, Aiden. She thinks everything's perfect until she gets an S.O.S text stating that Aiden...more

like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Naughty List was in one word, fun! Such an original storyline and a fresh cast of characters. MC Tessa is cheer captain & feels it's her responsibility to be perfect & upbeat all the time. And most of the time she is, until the new boy in school & his sister seem very interested in Tessa & her boyfriend Aiden. Tessa is a hoot & her detest of swearing leads to funny exclamations such as "Shake & Bake" & "Crocodile Dundee!". Young's story of a cheerleading squad by...more

1 like · like · see review

title link	preview: The Naughty List
avg rating	preview: The Naughty List Goodreads rating: 3.77 (766 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6396975-the-naughty-list?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347785820l/6396975.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6396975-the-naughty-list?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Naughty List by Suzanne Young[/url]

The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Suzanne Young

Books by Suzanne Young

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Naughty List

Quotes from The Naughty List