Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery

by Susan Juby

Sunglasses. Check.
Binoculars. Check.
Notepad.
Check.
Mom's pink bike.
Check. Check?

Meet Sherman Mack. Short. Nerdy. Amateur P.I. and prepared to do anything for Dini Trioli.

Nobody knows who began it or when it became a tradition, but every girl at Harewood Tech fears being D-listed, a ritual that wipes her off the social map forever. When Sherman believes Dini is in danger of being D-listed, he snatches up his surveillance gear and launches a full-scale investigation to uncover who is responsible.

Could it be the captain of the lacrosse team?

The hottest girls in school, the Trophy Wives?

Or maybe their boyfriends?

One thing is for sure: Sherman Mack is on the case. And he's not giving up.

Part comedy, part mystery, and with all of Juby's trademark tongue-in-cheek humor, Getting the Girl takes on one of the cruelest aspects of high school: how easy it is for an entire school to turn on someone, and how hard it can be to be the only one willing to fight back.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Humor, Teen

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 2008

About the author

(from her website)

I was raised in Smithers, BC, Canada and lived there until I moved to Toronto at age 20. I had a brief and unsuccessful career as a fashion design student and, after I worked at a series of low paying jobs, such as server, record store employee, etc., I began a degree in English Literature at University of Toronto, which I finished at the University of British Columbia. After graduating I became an editor at a self-help/how-to book publishing company based in Vancouver. Later, I did a master’s degree in publishing.

When I was a kid I wrote fiction but gave it up for a life of crime. Okay, that’s not true, but I did get seriously sidetracked. That time in my life is the subject of my memoir, "Nice Recovery". When I was twenty, until I got myself together and when I was about 26 I started writing, in the morning before work, first on the bus, then in a coffee shop. This writing became my first novel, "Alice, I Think", which was published by Thistledown Press in 2000.

When I first started writing my intention was to write a book about a teenager who doesn't fit in, but doesn't allow that fact to crush her. The Alice MacLeod series is my homage to oddballs. I wanted to create a character who has the courage and integrity to find her own way and define herself independently of other people. I've always admired people who can do that.

After finishing three books about Alice and her family, I decided that my goal is to write every kind of book I love to read. I’ve always loved horse books. I was a lunatic for horses when I was younger. I owned several horses over the years (for a time when I was quite young I was convinced I was a horse, but let's keep that between us) and I became obsessed with an equestrian sport called dressage. I quit riding when I left home to go to college, but part of me always thought I could have been a "contender". (In retrospect, I'm not sure why I would have thought that.) Anyway, I got a nice pay day when Alice, I Think was made into a TV series, and the first thing I did was rush out a buy a horse and start working on a book about two young dressage riders. The story was initially about two girls, but soon I fell in love with a secondary character, a boy named Alex, and the book became mainly about him. That one is called "Another Kind of Cowboy".

I’m also a maniac for detective novels, which led to "Getting the Girl", a comedy about an inept detective and a high school conspiracy he is determined to stop. Book number six is my memoir. I developed a bit of a substance abuse problem when I was thirteen and I ended up getting clean and sober when I was twenty. Nice Recovery is about that time. The book includes information for people with addiction problems and interviews with amazing young people in recovery. My love for satire and the End Is Nigh novels led me to write "Bright’s Light", which is that rarest of things: a funny dystopian novel about young dunderheads in the last fun place on earth and the alien who wants to save them.

"Home to Woefield", as it’s known in the U.S. and "The Woefield Poultry Collective" as it’s known in Canada, is a comedy about a young woman from Brooklyn who inherits a derelict farm on Vancouver Island. It’s the first of my novels published specifically for adults, though I’d say at least half the readers of my other books have been adults. I hope all my readers will like it. (It does contain quite a bit of swearing. Just be forewarned!) I’ve always wanted to be self-sustaining and able to grow my own food. All I lack is land and skill. The sequel, "Republic of Dirt", is scheduled to be published January 2015 by HarperCollins.

My next teen novel is called "The Truth Commission". It will be published March 2015 by Penguin Canada and Viking U.S. The story is about a group of teens who attend an art high school who start a truth-telling club with consequences both dire and funny.

In addition to my writing, I teach creative writ

Reviews

[Ying · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK. LIKE. SERIOUSLY. Lol, it was honestly an extremely good book. It was pretty much hilarious and I am still cracking up at certain parts. I thought there was an excellent plot line and even though the ending was a bit rushed, it still came out well- written and like I hoped it would. I'm a sucker for happy endings :) I loved this book and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys slice of life comedy and something very much resembling reality. Getting the Girl was able to touch and go in depth into what happens at almost every high school, showing how a simple action can ruin a person's life. All in all, excellent book, would definitely recommend it.

[Lucille · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt fake, forced, and far too fictional. All of the characters and situations in the story were completely unrealistic, especially the whole social hierarchy that the school has going on. I mean, seriously, real high schools do not have special sections that only the popular people are allowed to go, and that insanely perfect trio that the whole school is in love with does not exist in the real world, and even if it did, the personalities and interest of the 'trophy wives' were so conflicting and just would not happen. Ok, enough of a rant about how much this was just a stereotypical book about what adults think that teens today are like.
The plot started out with some promise. It had intrigue and mystery with the concept of defiling, but I think that the mom's burlesque dancing was a bit unnecessry, and everything just kind of of rushed in the end. I can see and reapect the message that was being presented- don't judge based on rumours because you might ruin an innocent life- but overall, the delivery jet wasn't there.

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I heard a book talk for this title at a librarians' conference, I put the book on the to-buy list for my school library. The premise seemed so interesting, and I've always been a sucker for a good detective story. I just could not get into this YA novel, though, and on a Monday morning that did not include a cup of coffee I find I do not have the strength to quantify my dissatisfaction any further than that.

[The Library Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, perhaps I am the only librarian on earth who thinks that Susan Juby is a crappy, over-rated writer. Perhaps the teens think she is the best thing since Stephenie Meyer--and perhaps she is, but that ain't saying much.

I hated her "Alice" books, but I gave this one a chance. And I can't even be bothered to continue to read it. Her premises and plots always sound good, but her writing is flat and her characters may be believable to adults, but I can't possibly believe they ring true for the average YA reader these books are SUPPOSED to be for.

Hopefully, she will soon turn to adult fiction and then the fatuous reviewers who 5 star her books can have a really good time.

But unless (kain ahora) she wins the Prinz and I HAVE to buy her next book, I'll save my budget money for better authors.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely adorable. I don't know that Sherman had the most realistic voice for a 14 year-old boy, but he was a sweetheart, if a bit confused, and fun to follow along through the events of the book. I liked the message that all it takes is one person to stand up against injustice and make a difference, and even if his original motivation was a bit selfish (all for the love/lust of a girl), Sherman's genuine concern and caring really shone throughout his investigation of the "defilers". The ending was a twist I wouldn't have suspected, which added to the message.

Juby adeptly weaves humor and fun throughout a book about an unfortunate subject that is sadly common in schools today, which makes this an entertaining and effective read.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot. I like Susan Juby's sense of humour and it returns full force here. Once again her main character is slightly wacky and appealing. I'm looking forward to hearing Susan read from this one this weekend because I think she could really bring it to life.

[Janssen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just incredibly stupid. I seriously considered just giving up on it, even though it was a fast read. I didn't care for the characters, I thought the plot line was trite and shallow, and the ending was pretty rushed.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery that hasn't aged well. Guys who are "into the ladies," even severely inexperienced ones, feel kind of ick now.

Still, with Juby's sparking prose there were redeeming things about this book.

[Mr.Popadoplis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't a bad read persay, but just read it too late in life I suppose. For sure is a younger read. Quick read if nothing else. Very anticlimactic.

[Alexia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have qualms with the title and cover art for this book which are lame and irrelevant to the story

[Lyddie Barnesky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, didn't like the execution.

[Shel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juby, S. (2008). Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery. New York: HarperTeen.

9780060765255

Not to be confused with (My future husband) Markus Zusak’s YA novel Getting the Girl which focuses on the relationship between two Australian brothers, THIS Getting the Girl is set in a school where girls are occasionally declared “defiled” and considered ghostly outcasts. Fearing that his crush may be the next girl to be defiled, ninth grader, Sherman Mack decides to investigate who does the defiling and why.

Humorous and well written, this mystery reminded me of the works of John Green (another would-be husband, but alas, he didn’t wait for me and has already gotten married), but a little younger and a little lighter. The book includes quirky characters, many great lines and some social commentary.

One of the other things that I also like about this book is that not all of the characters are assumed to be middle class. Sherman doesn’t know who his father is and his mom is a bartender interested in burlesque dancing (Quirky!) who got pregnant when she was sixteen.

Juby seemed to do a good job of writing from a boy’s perspective. Of course, my ability to judge this is limited, what with not being a boy either. Most of Sherman’s masculinity is expressed through being attracted to various female characters. Despite that, this book is begging to be examined in terms of the way gender is constructed.(particularly since girls are often considered potential victims).

While I think this book would be perfect for eighth or ninth graders, the length of the book (341 pages) could scare a lot of students that age away. But at the same time, not many eleventh or twelfth graders will want to read about a ninth grader. Plus a few secondary characters smoke pot, another character is a dealer.


Activities to do with the book:

Since the word defiled is used to describe the girls cast out of the high school social scene, a great project would be to research the significance of the word defiling among different cultures and ethnic groups. Who or what gets defiled in different societies and why? Does the fact that only girls had been ‘defiled’ previously at the start of the novel seem significant thinking both historically and in contemporary society?
(As a side note, I went to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary: the super-dictionary for super-nerds which considers word origin and shifts in meaning). Apparently, the word ‘defile’ has been around in English since the 1400s.)

Also, after reading this book and given the right context, maybe a teacher could provoke an honest conversation about school cliques in schools within literature circles. They can consider how socio-economic status influence the popularity and power of various characters.

This book could start a discussion on the theme of transgression in literature, since Sherman transgresses gender roles and social groups.

If a teacher ever examined mystery and detective novels with high school students, this novel could be paired with a Raymond Chandler novel, the movie Brick, or the TV show Veronica Mars, or other detective narrative.


Favorite Quotes (There were a lot to choose from, so I went with those quotes that made me chuckle, giggle, laugh out loud, cackle, snort, etc.):

“I am very interested in girls. I actually study them. I am almost like a scholar of women. My friend Vanessa says I’m a scholar of stalking, but she’s quite cynical, probably from all her crime reading which has given her an abnormally dark view of life” (p. 15).

“You’ll be happy to hear that Sherman is finally going to do something useful with his life” (p. 64).

“My masculine esteem didn’t appreciate that very much” (p. 66).

To help pass the time, I tried meditating. Our health teacher says deep breathing can help with the stress of being an adolescent, but in my experience it just makes me think about girls” (p. 70).

For more of my reviews, visit sjkessel.blogspot.com.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert in this review.

I have to admit, I figured out who the Defiler was when it was mentioned that one of the girls was in to drugs. It made perfect sense, especially since the defiler was in the bathroom a lot. Even if he wasn 19t the defiler, you would think he would know who it was since he 19s basically always in that one washroom. I liked the mystery in finding out who it was though and I have to admit, I thought it was the 18Trophy Wives 19 at one point because girls can get really jealous and mean. I do wish the uncovering of the defiler made me go 1CWow, I wouldn 19t have suspected him/her 1D but unfortunately it did not. Still, I like the process in which the main character tried to find out who it was, then, at the end, it was actually his friend, Vanessa who uncovered the main case. Yet when Sherman mysteriously (and some-what randomly) comes to the conclusion out that the other girl is involved kind of surprised me because the narration didn 19t mention him knowing that (that I recall, anyways). It mentioned him suspecting the Trophy Wives but it didn 19t really specify just one or anything that would point to her.. Overall, the defiler will get what he deserves but I think the school was a bigger part of it. If the rest of the school weren 19t bystanders and if they did not just go along with the crowd, the whole thing could have been over once it started. I think that showed a bigger message how if we do nothing to stop a situation, we are edging it on, not stopping it. At the end, when everything is assumed to be good, I couldn 19t help but thinking if someone else took it upon themselves to start Defiling again. Just like there were two culprits in the defiling, someone might continue it. A close friend of one of the Defilers perhaps?

The characters in this book were witty and interesting. The author, Susan Juby, puts most of the characters in to groups such as 1CTrophy Wives, Jocks, Goths, etc.. 1D which is really typical in a lot of books but that didn 19t make it too boring. She made these characters stand out more so. I never really got bored reading what each character had to say. It was fun to follow in the main character, Sherman 19s life as he tried to solve the case with his friends. One of his friends, was Vanessa. I felt that Vanessa didn 19t really have a lot of depth, especially being a close friend to Sherman. We did find out things about her but I wish we could have seen more of her in the book. Perhaps if the author writes another book, he will focus on her as well? As for Ashton and Bennett, I thought those two were quirky and added a touch to the story. Sherm 19s mother, a dancer, was at the least amusing. I could feel the embarrassment of Sherman with his mother sometimes and also his protectiveness of her. They have a relationship where they might not spend a lot of time with each other but they still share a family connection. The father wasn 19t an important part of the story so it was good that he wasn 19t mentioned too much. The Trophy Wives seemed a bit stereotypical at times (like at the party) but they added humour which also kept the story very interesting. So overall, the characters were interesting, quirky, witty and kept me amused throughout the book.

I would rate this book a 7.5/10.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juby, Susan. 2008. Getting the Girl.

Getting The Girl is about as subtle as a skunk. That's not to say it stinks. It's just that the topic of this one--social hierarchies, school bullies, self-esteem--is in your face and a bit over the top. I'm not even saying that the book is unrealistic or unbelievable. I think kids--rather you want to call them tweens or teens--can be cruel. This cruelty can manifest itself in several ways--either the cool iciness of making people invisible OR in the more direct confrontational style--using words and physical actions. Or in this day and age--online bullying through social network sites and blogs. And I think situations like the ones in the book could exist in that extreme.

You don't want to get D-listed. Trust me. That's the fear of all teen girls attending Harewood Technical School. Sherman Mack is a boy-on-a-mission. A ninth grader who is out to save his crush from getting D-Listed by the Defilers. Once you're "D-Listed" or "Defiled" no one--no matter how cool or uncool will talk to you. You essentially vanish from the hierarchy altogether. Not even teachers want to acknowledge those unfortunate students.

Sherman Mack is a wanna-be detective. He's read a few detective stories--mainly borrowed from his good friend, Vanessa--and he's watched more than his fair share of cop shows like the three Law & Orders. When his crush, Dini, begins dating Lester, Sherman is more than flustered. He fears that she'll be D-Listed. Lester's previous girlfriend, Farrah, was D-Listed last year. Vanessa thinks it's a good idea--at least at the first--but she thinks his motivations are all wrong. He should be investigating this cruel caste system--identifying the nameless Defilers--for the sake of all girls, not just one in particular.

So he begins his investigation.

Sherman is more than a little dorky. More than a little awkward. Yet his quirky voice works most of the time. To be honest, I spent half the time thinking that the book was clever and funny in just the right amounts. But the other half thinking that it was just too much--too silly, too unrealistic. While I can admire much of the book, I felt that it was uneven in times. Sherman I loved. But his friends weren't as developed as they might have been. Particularly Rick. Something about him just felt flat to me. I did enjoy the secondary story line, however, Sherman's interest in cooking. At first, I felt it didn't quite belong. I couldn't quite see the connection, but the ending made it work for me and tied it all together.

[Reader Rabbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harewood Tech is just like every high school. It has it's pretty and popular girls, it's nerds, it's drama geeks...everyone, really. Except it has one extra group. The Defiled. At Harewood Tech, being Defiled is the worst fate that can befall a girl. It happens when, someone (no one knows who), posts a girl's picture in the bathroom with the letter "D" on it. From then on, that girl is a social leper. Because, of course, everyone starts to ignore and shun her.

The horrible act of defiling has gone on unchallenged for a pretty loonnnng time. That is, until Sherman Mack (a geeky, yet original, freshman learns that his crush, the beautiful and nice, Dini Trioli(despite the fact that Dini will neverever see him as a potential boyfriend..), might be next up on the list to be Defiled. And of course, Sherman doesn't want that to happen.

All it takes is the urging of his good friend, Vanessa, and Sherman Mack is investigating the who, the what and the why behind the Defiled.

I've always been kind of iffy with authors writing in first person from a perspective of the opposite gender of themselves. Oftentimes, it just comes off as completely and utterly unnatural. However, in Getting the Girl, Susan Juby's Sherman Mack is hilarious, realistic and completely easy to relate to. He's quirky, funny and as he relays the story of this investigation, he leaves nothing out. Even his fantasies about random female characters in the book.

The story idea itself, well, it's pretty terrific. There are many books on the hierarchy of high school; however, I think this one is one of my favorites. The problem is tackled uniquely and hilarity ensues along the way. I was laughing out-loud as I read Getting the Girl!

Along with Sherman Mack, Susan Juby's cast of characters is widespread and varied. Sherman's mother is a bartender who has a thing for burlesque dancing. Definitely not your typical mother...

His friends, those he has and those he meets along the way, all add extra flavor to the book. From the Trophy Wives that he befriends (or who befriend him) to his friend Vanessa, every single character is vital to the novel. Sherman's developing relationship with Vanessa is particularly interesting to read about...

I really don't have any qualms at all with Getting the Girl. In fact, it may as well be my favorite Susan Juby novel to date! Make sure you pick up Getting the Girl at a store near you! It's in paperback so it won't do too much damage to your wallet!

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA novel is set in a school where a female student's life can be irrevocably ruined if her picture is put up on the bathroom mirror with a "D" in the corner. The "D" stands for Defiled. If this happens, she is an instant pariah and any person who dares speak to or even acknowledge her risks that same fate. The main character (Sherman Mack) begins to fear that a girl he likes is on the verge of being Defiled, so he determines to take on the system and identify, then expose, the Defilers.

Sherman Mack is kooky, almost supernaturally confident and pretty much hysterical. In addition to the humor of the book, Susan Juby also manages to make a statement about complicity. During Sherman's investigation, he interviews one of the girls who has been Defiled and when he asks if she knows who the Defilers were, her response is that every student at the school Defiled her and it doesn't matter who posted the picture. She's right, of course. A system such as the Defiling system in this novel only works if the entire population in question cooperates. One person or subset of people could not effectively Defile, but one person or subset of people can incite the entire student body to Defile if that student body complies when they are asked to Defile.

This novel put me in mind of two things, one more silly and one more serious.

Silly association: When the ants in A Bug's Life discover that the grasshoppers may be bigger and stronger individually, but that the ants have strength in numbers.

The serious association is Martin Niemoller's quotation:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

The stakes are vastly different, but in national politics, international politics and high school politics it is true that all that is needed for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Ninth grader Sherman Mack loves the ladies even though, for the most part, they are scarcely aware of his existence. It is precisely this fixation that lands Sherm smack in the middle of his high school’s most dreaded, and shameful, tradition with the valiant goal of putting an end to it once and for all. When Sherm’s crush, “older woman” Dini Trioli, starts going out with lacrosse star Lester Broadside, Sherm is not only disappointed but also alarmed that she may become the next victim of Harewood Tech’s cruel practice of “Defiling” random girls. And what would he do if that ever happened to his friend Vanessa, he wonders. What begins as a crusade to protect one certain girl becomes, for Sherm, a chance to oppose something that he knows is wrong. It is also an opportunity to practice his skills as a private investigator (honed from reading Vanessa’s detective novels), to show off his cooking abilities and to hide out in a bedroom closet with the Trophy Wives! With a little help from his friends, Sherm makes some interesting and unsettling discoveries about himself, his fellow students and the realities of modern high school life.

In Sherm, Susan Juby gives us a quirky, affable new character not unlike Alice MacLeod from her earlier books. His slightly offbeat perceptions make him endearing and utterly likeable. The author also manages to maintain a light and humourous tone throughout the book while offering serious food for thought regarding how cruel teens can be to one another, especially when hiding behind the mask of anonymity that a group seems to provide. Slow though he may be on the uptake, Sherm readily recognizes that individually everyone he speaks to despises the custom of “Defiling”, but collectively the students, year after year, participate in its continuation. This is an intriguing look at the dynamics of high school as seen through the eyes of one semi-clueless but well-meaning boy whose investigations give readers uncomfortable insights into the whole issue of personal responsibility and accountability.

Reviewed by Lisa Doucet in Canadian Children's Book News
Fall 2008 VOL.31 NO.4

[Rachel McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the novel Getting the Girl A Guide To Private Investigation, Surveillance and Cookery, the author Susan Juby does a remarkable job of explaining the social castes in a typical high school setting. Because of Juby’s foul language and cruel high school sense of humor, this book is easily able to relate to any teenager. The story is written from the perspective of an average teenage boy, Sherman Mack. Sherman is not popular, isn’t the best looking, nor does he interact well with girls. Due to the fact that his mother is a burlesque dancer Sherman has a strong interest in girls. At Harewood Tech High School there is something different going on within the students, defiling also known as the fear of being D-listed. When a student, usually always girls, gets D-listed they are wiped off the social map and every student and even teachers ignore or harass them until they disappear completely. No one knows why these girls get defiled but Sherman set out to investigate why. The tasks he encounters on his case can easily be seen throughout any high school such as, parties, being thrown in the trash by the jocks and chasing the girl of your dreams. Sherman originally started this case because he thought the girl he loved, Dini, was going to get D-listed. I really liked this book because of Juby’s humor and relatable situations. But I think the ending happened too quickly and she could’ve done much more with the plot. Juby seemed to take her time explaining the stake outs but rushed the action parts. I would’ve enjoyed the book more if Juby did something interesting to the end, maybe have a twist. The reader could easily foreshadow the events. Overall, I think this is one of the better books I’ve read but not the best. I suggest reading it.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Sherman Mack likes sophomore Dini Trioli. He thinks he stands a chance with her; at least he thought he did, until uber-cool Lester Broadside moves in and shows an interest in her. Sherman gives up his dream of Dini until he thinks she's on a collision course of being D-listed. D- Listed = defiled.

At Harewood Tech, there is an unspoken tradition of girls being D-listed. Simultaneously, pictures appear in the bathrooms and the photographed girl is marked as bad news, forever tainted and shunned at the school. With his precious Dini possibly marked, Sherman takes on the job of secret surveillance to uncover who is behind the defiling.

Sherman enlists the aid of a ragtag group of friends. He is convinced Lester is behind the defiling, and seeks out girls who have been D-listed in the past. Everything comes to an unbelievable conclusion at a dinner party Sherman has to host at school.

I LOVED Sherman Mack. He's the epitome of freshman geek-turned-cool-guy by the end of the story. I'm dating myself here, but I can picture a young Anthony Michael Hall (think Sixteen Candles) portraying Sherman in a movie version. Just picturing someone like that hiding in Ben's mother's closet with the Trophy Wives trying on clothes and shoes makes me laugh out loud even now.

GETTING THE GIRL was originally published as a hardcover in 2008 but was re-released in paperback in 2010. Whichever version you pick up, be prepared for a fun romp of freshman boy detecting!

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen year old Sherman lives with his mum, who happens to be a burlesque dancer and was very young when she had him. Entering his first year of grade nine at the local high school, he, along with the rest of his old class mates, are worried about the horrendous act of "Defiling" which has gone on at the school for years. Many think it is just a rumour until they see their first defiling themselves. A picture of a girl appears on bathroom mirrors all over the school, with a letter "D" on it, then tales of the girl's s*xploits, STD's and general skankiness are spread through the school within minutes. The girl is then both shunned and bullied forever and they often leave the school emotional messes.

Sherman, your regular red-blooded Canadian teenager, decides to investigate to find the Defiler before the girl he likes becomes defiled herself, plus he finds himself getting into closer and closer contact with the 'hot' girls during his quest.

I was really surprised with the detective aspect of the book. It was what I mainly found myself interested in and it was quite funny. In fact the book had several laugh out loud moments. I really enjoyed Sherman's voice; he was a real kid dealing with puberty, hormones and friendship. The book had a very fast pace, the chapters were short so it was always easy to keep telling myself just one more chapter. The book is well written and I'm sure the intended audience will love it.

Personally, I would have loved it; if not for the fairly frequent vulgar language and the very frequent s*xual talk and innuendo between 14 year olds.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I Came To Read This Book: I am a member of the Harper Collins First Look program - where you get free advance release copies of books in order to generate publicity and feedback for the books. This was the book I was sent this month.

The Plot: Sherman Mack is a ninth-grader on a mission - to save the woman he (thinks he) loves from being 'D-Listed', the ultimate expulsion from his school's social scene. He decides to undertake a mission to not only find out whose behind the mysterious D-Listings (which are declared once a photo of a girl shows up in the bathrooms at school with the letter 'D' on it), but also how to stop them.

The Good or Bad: I honestly warmed up quite a bit to this character - and this book - by the end. It was a bit different than I had anticipated (I thought it would fall into my girly books category) but I still really enjoyed it. Juby did a great job of capturing the immaturity and randomness of high school students - particularly nerdy freshmen like Sherman. The writing was blunt - frequently referencing Sherman's inappropriate 'feelings' as he interacted with various women in the book - but still appropriate for the age group. I laughed out loud a fair bit, and thought Juby wasn't trying *too* hard for the most part to get the lingo down.

Anything Memorable?: Nothing so much in the last few days, no.

Bottom Line: A sweet, charming, actually very amusing young adult book.

50 Book Challenge?: Book #36 for 2008

[E. Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherman Mack just started 9th grade at Harewood Technical High School and even though it means he can now pursue "older women," the social hierarchy at Harewood is pretty terrifying. Every once in a while a girl's photo appears on the bathroom mirrors with a big D on it. The D stands for Defiled, and once you're on the D-List, there is no way to recover from social leprosy. No one talks to you, looks at you, acknowledges your existence: you disappear. But this doesn't sit well with Sherman, especially when he thinks the girl he's interested in might be the next one to be defiled. With the help of his friend Vanessa's detective books and a few tips from Law & Order, Sherman starts an official investigation. But the defilers, whoever they are, aren't the type of people you mess with, and it's not long before Sherman worries not only about his own social stature, but that of his closest friends as well.

While at times Getting the Girl verges on corny, Juby's characters are likable and funny, and the mystery really doesn't reveal itself until the very end. Social politics in high school is a very real issue, and while a cliche in teen fiction, Juby's approach is new and refreshing. On the whole, Getting the Girl is delightful and fun, a good read for guys and gals.

[Klarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really funny to me. I feel that it relates to students. It's funny that this book uses a lot of terms that us teens use now like "mack daddy," even though this book came out not too long ago. This book made me realize that waiting for someone is better because it will turn out great. I know sometimes, we can all get a little impatient but it's best to wait. I've read a few high school romance type of books like this, but I think this is by far the one I mostly enjoyed reading. A lot of the characters remind me of my past high school. You can say I was in the "popular" group, but I still had many friends outside. Not only was I close to my main friends, but also to people who I talked to during class. I enjoy being friends with everyone, yet I know its also bad. Drama can happen. I'm fortunate that I had very little experienced with it and I hope not to be in one in the near future. I already have a lot at home, I don't need in a place where I'm learning. I can't really imagine myself being in drama, but I have. It was way back in middle school. That's when everything started to change because of the fact you're going to high school. In the end, I enjoyed reading it because there was humor, romance and drama involved.

[Marnie Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Juby’s Another Kind of Cowboy but was disappointed by Alice, I Think. So I wasn’t sure what to expect in picking up this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. The protagonist, Sherman Mack, is charming from start to finish, and his burlesque dancer/bartender mom is one of the more original mothers I’ve encountered in YA fiction. The book clips along at a nice pace, although one scene involving Sherman’s going to a party drags after a while. The mystery is well developed, with several plausible suspects. Although I figured out part of the solution fairly early on, the ending delivered a twist I didn’t predict. The conclusion also addressed the story’s main themes, including Sherman’s love of the ladies, without wrapping everything up too neatly. I have just a couple of quibbles, one being that sometimes, characters disappear for long stretches. I would have liked to have seen more of Sherman’s mom and his mentor, Fred, in Part One. Also, like many authors, Juby doesn’t always describe her main characters’ physical appearance clearly. If I’m going to spend an entire book with a set of characters, I like to know what they look like. The only description of Sherman is that he’s short. Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this book for YA fans.

[Saskia Marijke Niehorster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a PI book. Sherman Mack is a high school boy with a penchant for mystery and cooking and more importantly, girls! He lives with his very young mom who is a burlesque dancer, and has little time for cooking or kids. When he gets interested in finding out who is the mastermind behind the cruel "D" list, he gets a warning to back off. However, when his paramour is threatened to be added to the list, he plunges into the mystery behind this horrible "curse" to try and stop it from happening again. The Girls already on the list have become such social outcasts that some even drop out of school. This novel has a lot of funny jokes and very creative thinking. I love the way the character, a short and spunky boy has the guts to get into almost anything, including a closet full of fancy clothes with the three hottest girls in school, the "Trophy Wives", and lets them dress him up in girl outfits just to be close to them and to find information! His positive attitude and creative problem solving are fun and inspiring!

It has a similar quality to "Carter finally gets it" from Brent Crawford.

[Mia Polisky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Height challenged freshman Sherman Mack loves the ladies. “Sometimes I think I might die of girls. Like one will get too close and I’ll just be over.” He blames this everlasting love of all female kind on his young mom, a burlesque dancer, who he worries “may be trying to make me gay…my mother is into glitter. This is very damaging for a developing male.” Still, “living with my mother and her dancing and dressing up…has been an education in the ways of womankind.”
At his high school, a mysterious “Defiler” posts their picture on all the bathroom mirrors and that bothers him more than it might to the average teenage boy. So when his crush, Dini Trioli, looks like she may be in danger of becoming Defiled, Sherman creates “Mack Daddy Investigations,” his own detective operation, planning to expose the Defiler once and for all. When you get “Defiled” at his high school, it is basically a murder of the girls’ social life.
I really enjoyed this book, because even though at our school we don’t get “Defiled” social lives of girls get ruined too and I really connected to the book! I love the authors writing style, also!

[Marlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank God I don't live in the Juby-verse. She has no mercy for her main characters and it's amazing they ever survive with any sense of dignity.

Her books are always funny in what I feel are thoughtful and original ways. Juby has the skills to put her characters in ridiculous positions that would embarass the absolute hell out of me. What I admire is how these situations she creates aren't forced or done in some 'Who's the Boss/Family Ties' sort of way that I find in a lot of teen fiction. Although absurd, the events feel like they're unfolding naturally. That being said, in Getting the Girl, I was kind of suprised to see her go a little too far at times; so it did seem kind of forced after all.

I recommend the 'Alice, I Think' series and her 'Another Kind of Cowboy'. Getting the Girl is good if you need a Juby-fix, but is a bit weak compared to her other work.

Will the teens like it? I think they would, but I don't think this will win the Peach Award. Similar to the 24 Girls, etc book.

[Coffeeboss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherman Mack, who is almost 15, is a self-proclaimed ladies man. He adores the ladies, and thinks he has the smooth moves to be irresistable, that is if girls ever bothered noticing him. In his new high school, he hears about, then witnesses first hand, a horrible unspoken trend of public shaming, called "D-Listing" or "Defiling" where a girl's photo gets posted in all the bathrooms with a "D" written on it, and her reputation is completely ruined. Rumors fly, people speculate, but no one ever doubts that she deserves the complete and utter exile that is thrust on her by anonymous accusations. Sherman thinks this practice is pretty rotten, so uses his amateur sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of who is behind the defiling. It is a really heavy (and frankly realistic) topic about high school shunning, but Getting the Girl actually has a lot of charm and humor because of the narrator, Sherman, who has lots of self-confidence and earnestness, even if he is kind of a sweet dork. He is a fabulously funny protagonist.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been trying to decide why I don't think this book quite pulled it together all the way and I think it's because it couldn't decide how serious it wanted to be. The treatment of the Defiled at some points is so severe that it seemed to call for a more serious treatment than it got, but the tone throughout remains quite light and breezy. I also have trouble believing that this precise system would be allowed to exist in a high school. I did feel that Sherman was a very believable and likeable character, but everything else was so quirky. Also, if you're trying to market your book as a mystery, which seems to be the aim with this one, there should be some more actual detecting. Sherman mostly stumbles around without finding anything out. I think in part this was just not what I expected and so suffered some in my estimation. Still good and fun - probably best for those who are fans of Juby's other work - it will be interesting to see if she goes with a sequel to this.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worried that his new crush might get d-listed. Sherman Mack starts an investigation to find out who is defiling girls in his new high school. It was very funny book with a mix of mystery, romance and teen drama.


Sherman’s a little nerdy, a little naïve and overall a hilarious character. He’s always thinking of a new girl fantasy or a new fetish of his that he has just discovered. There are scenes that made me laugh out loud especially when he first starts his investigation and subsequently botches it. The mystery aspect is written in a light tone and wasn’t particularly suspenseful or thrilling. Sherman somehow always manages to get himself into some weird situation.

In the end everything is tied up nicely. There was a nice twist in the end where Sherman wasn’t even the one who figured out who the “Defiler” was. I would have never guessed that it was who it was until it was finally revealed.