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sunshinebacon's review against another edition
4.0
I truly loathe pranks, so my enjoyment of this book is testament to Dinan's writing. The characters ring true, and it is a LOT of fun.
heathercottledillon's review against another edition
4.0
I adore this book! Of all the YA I've read recently, "Don't Get Caught" has my favorite narrator, and I loved the other characters as well. They feel like real teenagers, and they had me cracking up on almost every page. The pranks-war plot is a lot of fun. The ultimate conclusion is kind of predictable, but I was surprised by several twists along the way and I really didn't care anyway because it's just so much fun. I will definitely be recommending this to teens and adults alike at my library. I think it's an especially good pick for teen boys and reluctant readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!
xarinda's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
samabenamer's review against another edition
5.0
it's pretty funny and @yasmine reminded me of it when she spilled the tea on this book (literally) OOFFFFFFFFFF
alizalondon's review against another edition
3.0
This book is highly entertaining.
5/18/16:
Don’t Get Caught was a very entertaining book. It held loads of promise, quirky characters, and fun moments, but not much of serious substance. It was, in every sense of the word, a “fluff” book, meaning that it wasn’t too deep, but overall, a nice break from dark, depressing fiction.
From the start, we are introduced to the Chaos Club, a mysterious school organization that is known for their epic pranks. So when Max and his friends walk right into a setup, they’re out to get revenge. How? By creating pranks of their own to outcompete the Chaos Club and draw them out of hiding.
Just from this blurb, it should be obvious what type of book this is. A fun one. And on that, it delivers. The pranks these kids pull are entertaining to read… if you don’t think too hard about it. This books is not without its plot holes, but they’re quickly moved away from by the next prank. Another great thing about this book is that the clichés, although there are plenty, work, because of the nature of the book. Advantageously, the clichés read like jokes and enhance the story, when generally, clichés work against the book. This book also made me smile and maybe even chuckle a bit multiple times, which is quite an accomplishment.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to immerse myself into the story as well because it was so light. This novel had a lot of potential to explore themes like justice vs. revenge, and the fact that things were kept merely at the superficial level was a lost opportunity. However, that level of deeper thinking that I look for in a book is not compatible with the style this book has been written in, so therefore, I don’t have much of a right to complain. Regardless, if there was more to the story than just random pranking, it would have increased my liking of this book a lot more.
Overall, Don’t Get Caught was a “fluff” book that was fun to read, but lacked deeper substance. If you’re looking for a light, fun, read, I recommend this one.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
5/18/16:
Don’t Get Caught was a very entertaining book. It held loads of promise, quirky characters, and fun moments, but not much of serious substance. It was, in every sense of the word, a “fluff” book, meaning that it wasn’t too deep, but overall, a nice break from dark, depressing fiction.
From the start, we are introduced to the Chaos Club, a mysterious school organization that is known for their epic pranks. So when Max and his friends walk right into a setup, they’re out to get revenge. How? By creating pranks of their own to outcompete the Chaos Club and draw them out of hiding.
Just from this blurb, it should be obvious what type of book this is. A fun one. And on that, it delivers. The pranks these kids pull are entertaining to read… if you don’t think too hard about it. This books is not without its plot holes, but they’re quickly moved away from by the next prank. Another great thing about this book is that the clichés, although there are plenty, work, because of the nature of the book. Advantageously, the clichés read like jokes and enhance the story, when generally, clichés work against the book. This book also made me smile and maybe even chuckle a bit multiple times, which is quite an accomplishment.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to immerse myself into the story as well because it was so light. This novel had a lot of potential to explore themes like justice vs. revenge, and the fact that things were kept merely at the superficial level was a lost opportunity. However, that level of deeper thinking that I look for in a book is not compatible with the style this book has been written in, so therefore, I don’t have much of a right to complain. Regardless, if there was more to the story than just random pranking, it would have increased my liking of this book a lot more.
Overall, Don’t Get Caught was a “fluff” book that was fun to read, but lacked deeper substance. If you’re looking for a light, fun, read, I recommend this one.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
books4biana's review against another edition
3.0
I will admit to you....I picked this book because of the cows. Absolutely.
It's the story of a group of high schoolers who are setting out to prank the world, or at least their little academic corner of it. There are interesting characters, with the broad range of teenage issues right down to the Mean Girl student and Too Hip To Teach teacher tropes. But that's okay, what do you expect to find in a high school.
I was impressed to find that this small town school has it's own campus security/police, a water tower, lacrosse, and reasonable student parking despite being a public school and the only one in the town. But in make believe land, some things need to be over looked.
The three star rating is because it was a brilliant idea. There wasn't romance, just peripherally, sports fever was present and important but not to the story line, crude/horny humor was present and it all worked. The capers were fun to watch unfold. The thoughts that occurred in Max's head will funny. But.....the message was a little heavy handed. And sometimes the story was hard to follow.
It's the story of a group of high schoolers who are setting out to prank the world, or at least their little academic corner of it. There are interesting characters, with the broad range of teenage issues right down to the Mean Girl student and Too Hip To Teach teacher tropes. But that's okay, what do you expect to find in a high school.
I was impressed to find that this small town school has it's own campus security/police, a water tower, lacrosse, and reasonable student parking despite being a public school and the only one in the town. But in make believe land, some things need to be over looked.
The three star rating is because it was a brilliant idea. There wasn't romance, just peripherally, sports fever was present and important but not to the story line, crude/horny humor was present and it all worked. The capers were fun to watch unfold. The thoughts that occurred in Max's head will funny. But.....the message was a little heavy handed. And sometimes the story was hard to follow.
latelykelsey's review against another edition
3.0
Hm. I really liked aspects of this book, but I hated a lot of the book. I loved the 80s nostalgia with the whole Fake Chaos Club, Wheeler is a hoot, and the clueless parents. The mystery and pranks were a fun twist. The final prank was written quite well. My main problem is 2 fold: 1) I feel like the romance was just kinda thrown in and was just so-so 2) THE ENDING. *Insert angry emoji* *heavy sigh* I hated the ending. Like a lot. I almost wish I stopped reading before the last chapter. I think in the back of my mind, I kinda saw this coming, especially after Malone mentioned to Max about Ellie and her lying. I just felt like her character to a total 180 within a chapter, and she, as Max pointed out, "was the devil". I'm just kinda uneasy about the whole book, but I'm glad Max grew up as the book progressed.
bluebeereads's review against another edition
5.0
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
That's it. This is going on my all-time-favorites list. But Bee, isn't this the second one you add to that list this year? Why yes it is, thank you for noticing! You might be wondering why it gets a spot on that list, and I'll tell you. I have much to say about this book and by the end of it, you'll hopefully know why I loved this so much.
Don't Get Caught is about Max. Max is Just Max, a nobody, nothing special at all. So when he gets a mysterious invite from the untraceble epic-prank-pulling Chaos Club, he can't help but go. Because why him? His favorite heist movies have always taught him a situation like this calls for Rule #4: Be Suspicious. But also because it might be a way to leave Just Max behind him. When Max and four fellow students are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security catches them. It was a set-up and this time, Max has had enough. It's time for Rule #7: Always Get Payback.
I had zero expectations going into this. None. Zilch. Nada. If I'm being very honest, I thought it would suck. I hoped it wouldn't because come on, that blurb is very tempting. That and it was pitched as The Breakfast Club meets Ocean's Eleven on Netgalley. That's just way too tempting. But then I started reading and my god am I happy I did. This book was all kinds of awesome. That pitch is spot on. It's exactly what this book is and it kept me reading until late into the night because I had so. much. fun. I laughed a whole lot and I even teared up a few times because I was so invested in Max's life. I love heist stories and this one was perfect. To me anyway.
Obviously the writing is great. I don't have to tell you that, do I? Good, because it is. There is so much humor in this book and I laughed so much! But there are also a few moments where things got unexpectedly emotional. And once again, it's the characters that made it as perfect as it is. Yes, we sort of get the five Breakfast Club types. The nobody, the goody goody preacher's kid, the jock, the class clown, the artistic protestor. But they were so much more than that! They grew so much throughout this book and were so well-developed. Even the side-characters were awesome. Especially one of their teachers, Mr. Watson, who's hilarious and makes hilariously awful puns.
I feel like the five main characters deserve a bit more attention so I'll go over them one by one. First we have the jock, Adleta. He's a lacrosse player (bonus points since I recently fell in love with Teen Wolf and lacrosse is a big thing in that show) and not really a jock, but he's the closest thing to a jock the group has. Hah. He's actually very loyal and cool. Yes, his dad pressuring him into playing the game may be cliche a tiny bit, but who cares? Next we have the class clown, Wheeler. He's not just a dumb joker. He's actually pretty smart and has a wide variety of awesome skills. By the end I did love him, even his dirty jokes. Then we have Malone, the "artistic protester". Yes she's amazingly skilled at arts, but she's also very sensitive and deliciously snarky. Up next is Ellie, the goody goody preacher's kid who's actually not that goody goody. I also liked her a whole lot, but I didn't really trust her? Because people aren't that nice and she was quite the actress. And last but certainly not least, there's Max, the nobody, our main character. He smart and funny and sweet and he grew the most throughout this book. I was rooting for him all the way from start to finish and he's now on my favorite characters list.
Don't Get Caught is the perfect read for anyone who loves heist stories. Fans of The Breakfast Club and/or Ocean's Eleven are likely to love this book. It's a ton of fun and there's potential for a sequel, which I'm so hoping for because I want to spend more time with this characters. Go read this. Seriously.
That's it. This is going on my all-time-favorites list. But Bee, isn't this the second one you add to that list this year? Why yes it is, thank you for noticing! You might be wondering why it gets a spot on that list, and I'll tell you. I have much to say about this book and by the end of it, you'll hopefully know why I loved this so much.
Don't Get Caught is about Max. Max is Just Max, a nobody, nothing special at all. So when he gets a mysterious invite from the untraceble epic-prank-pulling Chaos Club, he can't help but go. Because why him? His favorite heist movies have always taught him a situation like this calls for Rule #4: Be Suspicious. But also because it might be a way to leave Just Max behind him. When Max and four fellow students are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security catches them. It was a set-up and this time, Max has had enough. It's time for Rule #7: Always Get Payback.
I had zero expectations going into this. None. Zilch. Nada. If I'm being very honest, I thought it would suck. I hoped it wouldn't because come on, that blurb is very tempting. That and it was pitched as The Breakfast Club meets Ocean's Eleven on Netgalley. That's just way too tempting. But then I started reading and my god am I happy I did. This book was all kinds of awesome. That pitch is spot on. It's exactly what this book is and it kept me reading until late into the night because I had so. much. fun. I laughed a whole lot and I even teared up a few times because I was so invested in Max's life. I love heist stories and this one was perfect. To me anyway.
Obviously the writing is great. I don't have to tell you that, do I? Good, because it is. There is so much humor in this book and I laughed so much! But there are also a few moments where things got unexpectedly emotional. And once again, it's the characters that made it as perfect as it is. Yes, we sort of get the five Breakfast Club types. The nobody, the goody goody preacher's kid, the jock, the class clown, the artistic protestor. But they were so much more than that! They grew so much throughout this book and were so well-developed. Even the side-characters were awesome. Especially one of their teachers, Mr. Watson, who's hilarious and makes hilariously awful puns.
I feel like the five main characters deserve a bit more attention so I'll go over them one by one. First we have the jock, Adleta. He's a lacrosse player (bonus points since I recently fell in love with Teen Wolf and lacrosse is a big thing in that show) and not really a jock, but he's the closest thing to a jock the group has. Hah. He's actually very loyal and cool. Yes, his dad pressuring him into playing the game may be cliche a tiny bit, but who cares? Next we have the class clown, Wheeler. He's not just a dumb joker. He's actually pretty smart and has a wide variety of awesome skills. By the end I did love him, even his dirty jokes. Then we have Malone, the "artistic protester". Yes she's amazingly skilled at arts, but she's also very sensitive and deliciously snarky. Up next is Ellie, the goody goody preacher's kid who's actually not that goody goody. I also liked her a whole lot, but I didn't really trust her? Because people aren't that nice and she was quite the actress. And last but certainly not least, there's Max, the nobody, our main character. He smart and funny and sweet and he grew the most throughout this book. I was rooting for him all the way from start to finish and he's now on my favorite characters list.
Don't Get Caught is the perfect read for anyone who loves heist stories. Fans of The Breakfast Club and/or Ocean's Eleven are likely to love this book. It's a ton of fun and there's potential for a sequel, which I'm so hoping for because I want to spend more time with this characters. Go read this. Seriously.
ruthelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Max Cobb stars in this caper "Don't Get Caught"! In this fun and prank filled novel, Max Cobb along with four other students (Ellie Wick, Dave Wheeler, Kate Malone, and Tim Adleta) get set-up for a big prank by the Chaos Club that gets them cleaning duty. Now known as the Water Tower Five, Max and the gang decide they want to get even, and go on to framing the Chaos Club for pranks.
This book is definitely fit for reluctant readers, and it has a great pace for keeping readers interested. While the gang starts out a bit lighthearted, the pranks that they devise are both funny, but humiliating for the kids involved. Max feels his conscious speak to him, and he learns to be himself and not what other people want him to be.
I think middle and high schoolers will find this book to be a great read. Especially if they enjoy contemporary fiction, heist movies, and a small dose of mystery. The subject matter in this book is pretty true to teen issues (bullying, nude pics, feeling trapped) and each character works through their issues in their own, positive ways. This book should also find its way into the hands of reluctant readers, as the language and sentence structure keeps readers interested and reading. I mean, not many books actually say "boner" in them, so that should be enough to keep giggling kids reading it!
This book is definitely fit for reluctant readers, and it has a great pace for keeping readers interested. While the gang starts out a bit lighthearted, the pranks that they devise are both funny, but humiliating for the kids involved. Max feels his conscious speak to him, and he learns to be himself and not what other people want him to be.
I think middle and high schoolers will find this book to be a great read. Especially if they enjoy contemporary fiction, heist movies, and a small dose of mystery. The subject matter in this book is pretty true to teen issues (bullying, nude pics, feeling trapped) and each character works through their issues in their own, positive ways. This book should also find its way into the hands of reluctant readers, as the language and sentence structure keeps readers interested and reading. I mean, not many books actually say "boner" in them, so that should be enough to keep giggling kids reading it!