Release Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Own
Interest: YA, Debut Author, Retellings
Challenge: 2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge, 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon
Willa's secret plan seems all too simple.
Take from the rich kids at valley prep and give to the poor ones.
Yet Willa's turn as Robin Hood at her new high school is anything but. Bilking her "friends"—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to break into lockers and Beemers is as hard as she'd thought it would be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are bullied just for being different, is more fun than she'd expected.
The complication Willa didn't expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, VP's most notorious ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her—evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There's no time for flirting, especially with conceited trust-funders like Aidan. But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?
Elisa Ludwig's Pretty Crooked is the first book in an adventurous teen caper series filled with mystery, humor, and heart.
I was really excited about Pretty Crooked when I first heard about it. I am a big fan of re-telling's and it seems like lately they have exploded onto the YA scene. This one had me particularly intrigued because I've always loved the story of Robin Hood and it's one I have never seen attempted in the YA genre.
When I got sick this week, this seemed like the perfect book to pick up and keep me entertained. The main character Willa lives with her single mother who is an artist. After one of her painting's sells for a decent chunk of change, the pair move from Colorado to the picturesque Paradise Valley, Arizona. Willa's entire world changes when they move to a fancy house with a swimming pool and her mother enrolls her into a very prestigous private school. For the first time in her life she's one of the IT girl's and is hanging out with the infamous Gliterterati ( think Mean Girls! ) who live to ridicule those less fortunate. Willa takes it upon herself to level the playing field by stealing from the rich, and giving to the poor, or in this case the scholarship students who don't own designer clothing.
I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't quite all that I was hoping it would be. I found it to be an easy read, and compelling. I could totally identify with Willa and she really did have good intentions, although they may have been misplaced. I loved the relationship she has with her mother, their closeness was refreshing and for me I could see Willa's world take a turn for the criminal when her mother started acting really shady.
For some reason this book kind of dragged for me, I wish I could put my finger on why, but I can't. It really picked up in the last 100 pages and I found myself totally engrossed in it. Yes, Willa is completely frivalous, and I personally would've liked to see her do something meaningful with the money she stole and not just buying designer clothing with it. Who REALLY needs a $400 shirt? BUT reading frivalous books, or about frivalous character's can be highly entertaining, and this was just what I needed!
At the end of the day, I really liked this book and was entertained. I liked the character's and understood what motivated them and why. The ending was a total cliff hanger for me and left me with many more questions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series Pretty Sly when it hits the market!
When I got sick this week, this seemed like the perfect book to pick up and keep me entertained. The main character Willa lives with her single mother who is an artist. After one of her painting's sells for a decent chunk of change, the pair move from Colorado to the picturesque Paradise Valley, Arizona. Willa's entire world changes when they move to a fancy house with a swimming pool and her mother enrolls her into a very prestigous private school. For the first time in her life she's one of the IT girl's and is hanging out with the infamous Gliterterati ( think Mean Girls! ) who live to ridicule those less fortunate. Willa takes it upon herself to level the playing field by stealing from the rich, and giving to the poor, or in this case the scholarship students who don't own designer clothing.
I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't quite all that I was hoping it would be. I found it to be an easy read, and compelling. I could totally identify with Willa and she really did have good intentions, although they may have been misplaced. I loved the relationship she has with her mother, their closeness was refreshing and for me I could see Willa's world take a turn for the criminal when her mother started acting really shady.
For some reason this book kind of dragged for me, I wish I could put my finger on why, but I can't. It really picked up in the last 100 pages and I found myself totally engrossed in it. Yes, Willa is completely frivalous, and I personally would've liked to see her do something meaningful with the money she stole and not just buying designer clothing with it. Who REALLY needs a $400 shirt? BUT reading frivalous books, or about frivalous character's can be highly entertaining, and this was just what I needed!
At the end of the day, I really liked this book and was entertained. I liked the character's and understood what motivated them and why. The ending was a total cliff hanger for me and left me with many more questions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series Pretty Sly when it hits the market!
The parts where she was shopping and hanging out with the Glitterati were a little slow for me, but I also thought they were necessary. She's sort of taken in by them and then realizes that they're awful.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that cliffhanger. I wasn't expecting that! Very curious about Willa's mother and the mysterious stranger!
I felt the exact same way! Those parts dragged for me as well but they were essential to the story! I loved the last half of the book and am DYING to know what her mother is up to! lol I was texting Loretta as soon as I put it down going WHAT??? lol
DeleteI hate that sometimes a 3 star makes people think a book is not good, but a 3 star is actually a GOOD rating! I just would've given it a 4 if it hadn't dragged for me there in the middle but I reeeaaally enjoyed it!!! :)
This book sounds like a good entertaining book to read. I will read it when I get time I think. Thanks for the wonderful review!!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll really like it Amy! It was quite entertaining. I'm really looking forward to the second book! :)
DeleteI accepted a lot of things in the book because it is a series. I just loved it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like Pretty Sly more, I cannot wait until it comes out. I am sure it will feel in the cracks. OR at least I hope.
xoxox