The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life

Gr 10 Up—At the end of every school year at Oyster Point High, some seniors participate in The Hunt, an unsanctioned scavenger hunt where teams obtain objects, solve clues, and engage in optional activities such as skinny dipping and petty theft. Mary Gilhooley and her teammates are the self-professed good kids, students who earn high grades, scholarships, and have decent family relationships. In fact, participating in The Hunt is the first time Mary has gone against parental directives. Her motivation stems from her desire to best the team headed by class bully, Jake Barbone, a star football player who has regularly targeted Mary and her friends. Tara Altebrando's story (Dutton, 2012) is often slow-paced, especially scenes that include reading through several scavenger hunt lists item-by-item. Mary's musings and her friends' dialogue provide information about several unrequited crushes and concerns about the future. The pace accelerates somewhat during the second half of the hunt, as a teammate is injured, several betrayals come to light, and pressure to win builds. Mary and her friends are likeable, nice kids and many students will relate to their place in the high school hierarchy. Ali Ahn does a good job of differentiating the characters, although the nasal, childlike voice of Mary's best friend, Patrick, is somewhat unusual. A realistic, enjoyable listen.—Rebecca James, Currey Ingram Academy, Brentwood, TN