Customer Reviews

The Naughty List

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
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You may never think about cheerleaders in the same way after reading Suzanne Young's debut novel "The Naughty List." She flips nearly every cheerleader stereotype on its head in her tale of a cheerleading-squad-turned-secret-society-to-catch-cheating-boyfriends. Rather than rely on the overdone image of a cheerleader as a ditsy blonde backbiter, Young paints a refreshing, nuanced and hilarious portrait of Tessa, the head cheerleader and head spy. Tessa takes cheering very seriously, but not because it's a path to popularity. Because she truly believes in school spirit. And she believes in washing your mouth out with soap too. Rather than swear, she creates her own endearing four-letter phrases like "peanutbutter pickles" or "strawberry smoothies." The story zips along at a quick pace with each chapter punctuated by a "cheater's report" full of witty asides on the cheater's behavior or tacky taste. But the complexity in this breezy tale comes in Tessa herself when she must confront what to do when she's asked to investigate her own boyfriend's possibly naughty ways. The Naughty List is a sparkling debut!

The Naughty List is a fun and flirty read, just what I needed after finishing my last YA book.

The premise is very simple. Tessa Crimson is head cheerleader but she is also the ringleader for a very important, but secretive, school service. She leads SOS which helps high school girls find out if their boyfriends are cheating. Fortunately for Tessa, she has a great boyfriend who adores her and would never cheat on her. Right? The more Tessa investigates the cheating habits of her high school classmates, the more pessimistic she becomes. Could Aiden be hiding something from her?

While reading this, I couldn't help but get the impression that this book is kind of like a romance novel in reverse. At story's beginning, Tessa has an amazing boyfriend and life, kind of like her happily-ever-after, already, but by story's end, things are not so simple and happy.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a nice light read but it also has enough depth where I don't feel like I'm reading the equivalent of cotton candy. Most notably, it has Tessa who starts off feeling entirely certain and in control of her world, and as the book goes on, finds out that her world is spiraling out around her. Despite this, I really felt like Tessa developed into a stronger character by story's end. She had to start relying on herself more, and much as she loved Aiden, she started to realize she had to figure out who she was without him.

And I mentioned how fun this book is, right? Because I really enjoyed the amateur spying techniques of the Smitten Kittens. I mean, they had a grappling hook! How very her awesome is that? The memos interspersed throughout the text are also funny and sad. It certainly did seem like a high percentage of males at that school cheated, yikes!

I also liked the female friendship aspects of the story. Even when Tessa was around a girl she didn't like, one in particular who was gunning for Aiden, she managed to keep a smile on her face and some measure of politeness. There wasn't a whole lot of catty behavior which was a nice change of pace from some of the "mean girl-esque" novels I've read.

I do want to say, from a librarian's point of view, rather than my own personal enjoyment factor, that some parents may have issues with this book because while it is not explicit by any means, there's quite a bit of sex going on with the main character. I thought the author handled the subject very well and let's face it; sex is a reality of teenage years, no matter how many parents want to shield their teens. But, it is an issue that I can see cropping up in a public library setting.

Aiden also calls Tessa "Baby" quite a bit as a term of endearment. I don't mind it but I can see some readers being annoyed with that. However, this book is written for teens and heck, that's how teen guys talk sometimes to be cutesy so I felt it was realistic.

I'm already anxious to read the second book in the series, So Many Boys: A Naughty List Novel which comes out in July, then the third book, A Good Boy is Hard to Find (Naughty List). I expect even more growth of Tessa as a character and hopefully, a happy ending for a couple I really like.

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 jerks, 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 suspected cheaters after being asked and then they deliver results to their patron. So far all of their investigations have led to an answer of guilty. All of the cheaters are basically put on a jerkface-roll aka Naughty List.

Ya'll I will be the first in line to pick up So Many Boys when it comes out. The Naughty List was FANTASTIC. I love that the girls in this book take charge of a situation and do what they can to help out women-kind. The feminist in me jumps for joy. Also, while Tessa can be kind of annoying with her refusal to swear, it grows on you after awhile, especially the phrases she uses instead of curse words.

This book definitely goes fairly deep into how being cheated on can hurt and affect a person's self-esteem. You guys know that feeling you get when your chest clenches over something terrible? I mean, maybe you've been in a relationship and have been on the verge of a break-up. You know that feeling you have during that stage? Well, I had that feeling several times during this book. Oh, man, did I feel for Tessa, especially as she had to deal with a character who I shall call the queen of the skanks. I'm sure plenty of people have had this same feeling when you perceive someone to be flirting with your partner, and your partner to be flirting back. ACK. It's definitely not a good place to be in. However, I loved that The Naughty List could evoke that feeling in me, for such a frilly-covered book.

So as far as teenagers go, the characters definitely felt real to me. Aside from Tessa, the characters curse quite a bit, just like real high schoolers. (Yay for swears!) Also, there is sex in the book. I like how real they felt, because yeah, a lot of teens do those things. Granted not very many teens are ninja-Cheerleader-spies, but I can't complain about that part of the book, since it was rather fun to read.

The writing is fast-paced and uncluttered. The characters winning, and the experience completely awesome.

Gold Star Award Winner!

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 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 perfect, he's "strawberry-smoothie purrfect" (there's a ton of adorable kitty references. There's just the small 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 who 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 others. Did Aiden betray her, or are they 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 curse and instead 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 always has to be the practical voice of reason and the one to keep everything and everyone 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 who doesn't give a care what anyone says; she's just going to say whatever she wants - I love that!

And 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 than 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 who 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!

Reviewed by: Samantha Clanton, aka "Harlequin Twilight"

After the last cheerleader captain is publicly humiliated, when she finds out that her boyfriend has an "other women". Tessa Crimson takes over the cheerleading squad and starts Society of Smitten Kittens. At the request of girls who suspect that their boyfriends of cheating, SOS will launch a full-scale investigations. If SOS finds any evidence, they will provide it to their clients. So far all of the boys have been guilty. Tessa's boyfriend Aiden is troubled by her frequent absences and the secrecy that comes with SOS. Things become a bit more complicated by the arrival of Christian Ferril and his sister Chloe. Christian is interested in Tessa and Chloe has her eye on Aiden. Then Aiden's name shows up on the list. She starts using her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as the rest of them?
I found this book to be extremely cute. Tessa and her friends are like able. They were really sweet and original. Their voices brought depth and realism to the cheerleader stereotype. I love secret societies and SOS was ran awesomely well. The reports were through anonymous cell phone and top-secret correspondence. The SOS then receives cheater reports and goes on missions. I found the way that SOS was ran to be clever and plausible for a teenager. I would love to be in a Secret Society like that and it helped me get engaged further into the plot. I also loved the fun alternative cuss words that Tess came up with. This book was so original and I fell in love with it. Young is a fantastic writer that created a clever and unique story. I highly recommend this book, you should buy a copy right now. I can't wait for the sequel So Many Boys. I bet it will be just as amazing.

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 strawberry smoothie!" or when things don't go quite right "sugarplum fairies" - they're so catchy! I wouldn't be suprised if I start using them everyday! Tessa, Kira and Leona are the three you here from the most, and I loved the depth they all had. They weren't just the perky cheerleaders who help other girls out. They weren't perfect and each had their own battle to face.

The first time I read the summary for The Naughty List, I thought the plot sounded adorable and it was! There were so many moments I was laughing as the girls went on their cheater exposing missions.

The Naughty List is a book to make you smile and feel good about yourself. This is definately a series you don't want to miss!

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 chemistry is great, 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 is a quick read with an original plot and a memorable protagonist. I look forward to reading the next two books in this series - So Many Boys: A Naughty List Novel and A Good Boy is Hard to Find: A Naughty List Novel.

About the Book: Think you know cheerleaders? Think again! The Smitten Kittens aren't just the school spirit squad, they're a secret society that will spy on guys to see if they're cheating. Think your guy is on The Naughty List? Text the Society of Smitten Kittens (SOS) and they'll find out for you. Everything seems to be going great until head cheerleader Tessa's own boyfriend Aiden shows up as a suspect on The Naughty List. Now things aren't so strawberry smoothie...

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I love the idea for this book-spying cheerleaders and cheating boyfriends. And while the book is unique and fun, I was left a little disappointed. It was a fun book, but I just wanted more substance and character development. The Naughty List reminds me of something that could easily be adapted as a CW TV show.

Tessa and Aiden were the only characters I really got to know-the rest of the squad all blended together and I had a hard time keeping each girl straight. You also don't learn much about anyone else and I would have liked to know more about the Smitten Kittens as well as Tessa and Aiden. That being said, I did enjoy what was there. I loved the background for the forming of SOS and I loved the idea of these girls going out and finding cheaters. And the reports they wrote up for clients cracked me up! And Tessa's pretend curse words were always fun and creative-I don't know how Ms. Young came up with so many.

While I liked Tessa and Aiden, I got frustrated with them. They never tried to talk about things and instead sex was their way of communicating. I wanted them to just talk to each other and work things out instead of assuming things. But then again, that's the formula that makes chick lit work-not talking and misunderstandings-so I shouldn't complain too much. I really hated Chloe and Christian-they were icky and swarmy and I really couldn't stand them! Again, I would have liked to know more about them, but they were great characters to dislike.

Even though I had the story figured out, I still had fun reading it. The ending wasn't my favorite, but it leaves the book open for the next in the series, which I'll be looking forward to reading. The Naughty List is a fun frothy read that chick lit readers will be sure to enjoy.

What a hilarious and adorable debut!


Suzanne Young's creative idea of a cheerleading squad turned cheater investigators was brilliant. I mean, who would ever suspect that a group of cheerleaders are the masterminds behind a secret society focused solely on taking down cheaters. I sure wouldn't have! But it was so entertaining to read the crazy, and sometimes awkward, situations the girls got themselves into during their "investigations".


Each character was unique and their own way. Tess Crimson - head cheerleader of the Smitten Kittens and leader of the SOS (Society of the Smitten Kittens) - was a likable and fierce character and definitely the kind of person I would want to be friends with. I loved all the characters, buy my favorite was Kira. She just made the book so much more fun with the crazy things she said and did.


Another element of The Naughty List I enjoyed were Tessa's adorable phrases like: "sugarplum fairies" and "strawberry smoothie" that she would use instead of bad language. Normally, I would find those phrases to be annoying, but they worked really well in The Naughty List and with Tessa's character.


A great debut and an excellent start to a new series! Can't wait to read more!

I enjoyed reading The Naughty List--a cute, peppy book that had more depth than I was expecting from the premise. Tessa, the cheerleader-turned-covert-operator main character, is consistent and well-drawn, with an emotional range to match her school spirit (though I do have to wonder about her spy skills...). The book is fluffy, sure, but it's also steamy. The pacing was perfect--a quick and entertaining read. Rah-rah-rah! for Tessa and the Smitten Kittens!