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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
3 1/2 stars. I'm not sure I'm the right audience for [b:Don't Get Caught|24157427|Don't Get Caught|Kurt Dinan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445361821s/24157427.jpg|40016438], but I can't deny that this book is pure entertainment.
I don't really like to stick gender labels on books, but I think [b:Don't Get Caught|24157427|Don't Get Caught|Kurt Dinan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445361821s/24157427.jpg|40016438] would be a great book to get teenage boys reading. It's very silly, celebrates the underdogs and misfits, and is full of pranks, dirty jokes and hilarious misfortune. Some people are comparing it to [a:John Green|1406384|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1353452301p2/1406384.jpg]'s work, but I personally like Dinan's style more. He isn't too concerned with being deep, philosophical, and imparting a message - the book is just a whole lot of fun!
Don't get me wrong, though - the author is a great writer, despite the light, funny subject matter. I especially like how he frames the narrative in a series of heist rules - Heist rule, #1, etc. The story is immediately engaging and the narrator's humorous self-deprecation drives the novel.
As for all the John Hughes comparisons, that I can definitely see. This story about an unlikely group of high school misfits coming together and waging a prank war against the school's mysterious Chaos Club has eighties teen movie written all over it. Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink... [b:Don't Get Caught|24157427|Don't Get Caught|Kurt Dinan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445361821s/24157427.jpg|40016438] fits in perfectly among them.
The narrator is Max - a guy drowning in his own miserable averageness, until one night he receives an invite from his school's Chaos Club. Why would anyone single him out? It must be a prank! So, naturally, he goes anyway. And his life just gets crazier and crazier from that point on.
I think sometimes the jokes are milked a little too much, and the book lacks a lot of realism at points (the secret service? come on), but I didn't care that much. It was still an enjoyable read.
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I don't really like to stick gender labels on books, but I think [b:Don't Get Caught|24157427|Don't Get Caught|Kurt Dinan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445361821s/24157427.jpg|40016438] would be a great book to get teenage boys reading. It's very silly, celebrates the underdogs and misfits, and is full of pranks, dirty jokes and hilarious misfortune. Some people are comparing it to [a:John Green|1406384|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1353452301p2/1406384.jpg]'s work, but I personally like Dinan's style more. He isn't too concerned with being deep, philosophical, and imparting a message - the book is just a whole lot of fun!
Don't get me wrong, though - the author is a great writer, despite the light, funny subject matter. I especially like how he frames the narrative in a series of heist rules - Heist rule, #1, etc. The story is immediately engaging and the narrator's humorous self-deprecation drives the novel.
As for all the John Hughes comparisons, that I can definitely see. This story about an unlikely group of high school misfits coming together and waging a prank war against the school's mysterious Chaos Club has eighties teen movie written all over it. Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink... [b:Don't Get Caught|24157427|Don't Get Caught|Kurt Dinan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445361821s/24157427.jpg|40016438] fits in perfectly among them.
"Nobodies can be good people. They're just not very important. Like Dan over there. He's nice and people like him, but he's not special or anything."
I looked up from my notebook, wondering just who Tami was talking about because there isn't any Dan in our class.
Then I saw where she was pointing.
And everyone was looking my way too.
This is my life.
"My name's Max," I said.
Tami did a perfectly executed whatever shrug that made my face burn.
"We've been in classes together since kindergarten," I said.
The narrator is Max - a guy drowning in his own miserable averageness, until one night he receives an invite from his school's Chaos Club. Why would anyone single him out? It must be a prank! So, naturally, he goes anyway. And his life just gets crazier and crazier from that point on.
I think sometimes the jokes are milked a little too much, and the book lacks a lot of realism at points (the secret service? come on), but I didn't care that much. It was still an enjoyable read.
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i ignored this book on my shelf for years because red books just turn me off reading them.. idk why. Also minimalist book covers have the same effect so this book just looked ugly to me and YES i do judge a book by its cover.
But my history with Ugly Book Covers Are Written Masterpieces has yet again shown up and provided me with a solid 4 star read ! !
i didn't like everything and i usually would say this was an average 3 star book but it was so damn entertaining and fun that i can't not rate it 4 stars like WOAH
But my history with Ugly Book Covers Are Written Masterpieces has yet again shown up and provided me with a solid 4 star read ! !
i didn't like everything and i usually would say this was an average 3 star book but it was so damn entertaining and fun that i can't not rate it 4 stars like WOAH
I totally get why Don't Get Caught is popular with teen readers and I liked it for what it was, but it didn't wow me.
There was just too much going on in this book for me: too many characters, too many plot lines, too many pranks. I enjoyed the book while I was in the midst of reading it, but if I put the book down for more than a day, I couldn't remember anything.
That being said, I think lots of teens will enjoy the book, especially boys and reluctant readers. It's full of funny and creative pranks, self-deprecating humor, and dirty jokes. It's definitely a fun, light read.
There was just too much going on in this book for me: too many characters, too many plot lines, too many pranks. I enjoyed the book while I was in the midst of reading it, but if I put the book down for more than a day, I couldn't remember anything.
That being said, I think lots of teens will enjoy the book, especially boys and reluctant readers. It's full of funny and creative pranks, self-deprecating humor, and dirty jokes. It's definitely a fun, light read.
This was a fun read overall, although the pranks got a little dark. Only Max seemed to think the pranks had crossed a line. None of the other "Watertower 5" ever reached the same conclusion, or even considered the possibility, which did bother me a little. Still, I enjoyed reading the book very much.
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.
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!
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
it's pretty funny and @yasmine reminded me of it when she spilled the tea on this book (literally) OOFFFFFFFFFF
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.