First of all—everything I’m about to say is what I TRULY feel and I’m being honest with you (I’m winking at you from the screen—no, I’m not scamming you!)

I didn’t have high expectations for this book when I started reading it because it’s not the usual type of book I would normally go for and even when I was actually having fun reading it, I was still preparing for the point where the book disappoints me. BUT GUESS WHAT, it never happened!!

This book literally made me Laugh Out Loud from the very beginning up until the last line. It’s the perfect read whenever you feel like picking up something light and whenever you just want to laugh. I especially loved the way the characters talked to each other. I felt like I was listening to my friends while they’re playing around.

This book deserves to be read by so many people.

Now as Boone says,

“You have my word.
Would I lie to you?”

A witty and funny read, with some insight to life and scams so simple I was in awe! Some laughter out loud moments, but a little heavy on the narration and exposition for my personal prefrence.

Unfortunately stopped reading this as it just wasn’t for me, due to this I don’t feel it’s fair to write a full review as I appreciate the potential for the novel and I can see a lot of people enjoying it. The overall plot just didn’t grip me as well as I hoped. I also don’t like the cover of the book,

I’ll try and pick up again in the future and hopefully I am able to finish!

From the very start of this Ocean's Eleven style con caper, I was drawn in by the fast-paced and witty narrative. Boone McReedy is a shady, narcissistic, unreliable narrator who, along with the kick-ass Darby West, needs to pull off enough cons to make up $15,000 of money scammed from his mum's business. I loved the originality to this idea as well as the colourful world Dinan has built around Boone's life - the weird and wonderful booth owners in Golden Mountain flea market (aka Garbage Mountain) along with Boone's friends, enemies and frenemies, were all characters who had distinct personalities and were a complete joy to read.

The zippy pace of the different cons kept me completely immersed in this book, rooting for Boone despite his obvious flaws. The fact I wanted him to succeed regardless of some of his unlikable tendencies (influenced by his jailed dad perhaps?) highlights how cleverly Dinan crafts Boone's character development. The fact he turns into some sort of Robin Hood/ Jigsaw vigilante, only scamming those who deserved it, at Darby's insistence, definitely helped his cause with the reader.

For me, this ended up being a 4 star read because I struggled to truly invest in saving Garbage Mountain. The stalls are lovably wacky but Boone continually admits that the building is dirty and off putting for customers in comparison to the luxury building across the road. I wanted to root for the underdog, and the stall holder's livelihoods, but I was baffled as to why Boone's mother wanted to buy what seems like a complete money pit and why their focus throughout is survival rather than improvement. Perhaps a prequel focusing on the beginnings here and Boone's dastardly dad is what we need next? I'd read it! Plus, any sequels Dinan fancies throwing our way.

Overall, this is a really fun read and I will definitely be recommending it to my school libraries. All in all, Dinan holds the reader at just the right amount of knowledge about each scam which is unfolding, ensuring there are plenty of surprises along the way. Don't trust everything you read... but enjoy the thrill of the ride as you do!

Thank you to NetGalley who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest, and say that I wasn't able to finish this book. Right off the bat, I could tell this book just wasn't my cup of tea. The description sounded great, and I was so excited to read this. I would recommend this book if you want a quick and easy read, due to the easy to read writing style. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with this book, but that's just me and anyone else could easily love it.

This was my first time reading something by Kurt Dinan and I was pleasantly surprised! I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did because the cover just didn't make my style and the first couple of chapters didn't seem like my type of story. However, I'm glad I didn't give up, because this was a quick, entertaining and fun read! This book follows Boone, our sassy teenage narrator who has to partner with his ex-lover Derby in order to scam people like his father used to do, all so he can get back his mother's money and prevent the bankrupcy of the family's business. The plot is fast-paced, accessible, light, but surprisingly smart, with notes on psychology and the technical aspects related with those scams. "The Scam List" doesn't focus too much on romance and it actually features a fair share of complex family dynamics and how our parents' actions may affect our abilities to trust and be trusted. I would like to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for their kindness on giving me the opportunity to review the ARC!

When is started this book, I knew that I would like it, but I didn’t know I would like it as much as I’d did. This book was really good! It was a light and fun book to read.

I really enjoyed how the story went through Boone’s maturity and how he grew as a person. Boone was such a fun character and I enjoyed him even when he was not being a very good person. I also loved all the little odd characters he’d describe like Roadie, Kay, and Opal. It just made the story a lot more fun. The overall story was great! I was never bored during it and there was always something new happening. It was actually kind of cool to learn about all the different cons too.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book. It was an easy and fun read. If you like funny stories or just a good read, this is for you.

If the young adult in your life needs some humor and a fun, down-to-earth read with relatable characters and a mix of morals thrown in, Kurt Dinan has written the book for them! (Although I will caution, there is a bit of language, alcohol use in here too.)
As a mom, I try to find books I hope will keep my young adult's attention - and if I'm lucky, will result in some laughter -- and if I'm super lucky, will have some good life lessons intertwined throughout the story.
As I began reading the The Scam List, I was quite entertained myself and quickly caught up in the lives of Boone and Darby and couldn't wait to finish the book to see what happens! I was truly captured from the very beginning.
This book is not sappy or full of teeny-bopper romance, but rather realistic characters that you really wish could be your friends in real life by the time you turn that very last page.
The main character, Boone, is a con-artist young man who helps out with the family business and has a close relationship with his mom. But then when Mr. Dinan brings in Darby, a strong, tough female who challenges Boone and his choices and morals and relationship patterns - but who also believes in second, third - and maybe even fourth - chances, I found myself so impressed with both of them.
But wait till you meet the other characters that are their friends - and enemies - and I swear you will be sure you know someone just like that person from your own school days!
You are quickly drawn into the story from page 1, especially the fun of learning how Boone plays out his "cons" to make money and how Darby finds her way to release her pent-up anger and frustration as an awesome, kick-butt karate master, but who has a hidden heart of gold.
The novel brings to light some very real issues teens and young adults face with broken families and tragic circumstances and finding their way in the world and moving forward, despite challenging circumstances, but in a very reachable way to question the reader as to their choices and how life isn't always fair - but you never give up.
Between the realistic imaging of the family business - The Mountain, an indoor, flea-market type place with a plethora of booths that sell just about anything and everything, to the jumbo talking Dinosaur at the entrance Boone sits in and welcomes and teases new visitors, to the people who maintain those booths and their eccentric personalities -- you learn it does take a village to support and raise children into adults - even when that village contains some questionable and passionate old-timers!
As you follow Boone and Darby in their effort to save The Mountain against a very competitive, across-the-street, modern booth flea-market you will feel joy and happiness and anger and frustration at just how far a son will go to help protect his mother, try to figure out how much he may or may not be like his con-artist father, watch Boone realize how important a role Darby plays in his life and adventures, and the very real way life can take on so many twists and turns, you will see the con-artist perform at his very best - and also be a victim to cons himself!
I very much enjoyed this book - and truthfully, most especially the psychology behind how and why the cons work so well on people was a bonus.
This was my first book of Mr. Dinan's and I am certainly looking forward to seeing what else he has in store for his readers next!

(I'm very grateful for the digital ARC from #NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review of #TheScamList.)

I really enjoyed “getting to know” Boone while reading this story. It really shared a lot of the types of things that I believe a lot of children struggle with in terms of allowing themselves to be open about who they are.
I was so impressed with the way the authors style - it was very chatty and kept me hooked from the very first page. I found myself cheering for the main characters and hoping for something to happen between them.
I devoured this book in two sittings; I just couldn’t get enough!
It was a very lighthearted read, with some very prominent messages. I felt they were conveyed in a way that allowed it to feel acceptable for readers to follow suit (not in the conning, but in the helping others and accepting yourself for who you are;) )

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of a few hours with Boone McReedy...he isn’t the most scrupulous of characters, but boy was he entertaining.
From the outset we know Boone is not whiter than white. As the son of a man in prison for running cons, his reputation precedes him and Boone definitely enjoys the thrill that comes with running a successful con. However, when he has £15,000 dollars stolen from his car (because he was trying to hit on an attractive young girl) Boone realises he has to step up and play his part in helping to save his mother’s business.
What follows is dubious and definitely not to be encouraged, but it was entertaining. Done with a cheeky grin, and knowing he’s got one over the people who were trying to take advantage of his family, much against our better judgment we may side with Boone.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the first few pages of the book, I found it really funny and I'm enjoying it. Unfortunately, I dropped it halfway. Maybe it just doesn't fit my taste or it was not what I expected it to be. Boone is a smart guy as described in the book but I after he was scammed by a girl he doesn't really know well, I lost interest in his story. His relationship with Darby got curious but I found it predictable. It's not a bad story but maybe I read too much stories like this one and I looked for something more.

I literally read this book in a day. Great, easy to read writing style, and the story line is different from your standard YA fare. It wasn't an anxiety builder, but still made me want to know what happens next! If you are looking for a lighter YA read that isn't filled with romance and teenage angst, this is the book for you. My absolute favorite parts are the scams, or "cons". The author either knows from experience, or did quite a bit of research!

I loved this book! The characters felt like people I knew, the story was interesting and the writing was top-notch. Some of the lines were just perfect-like these ones: ”I find Mom seated at a middle table in the restaurant, which is crowded with old people gumming their grits and pretending The Grim Reaper isn’t standing right behind them.” This book is full of them. It was funny and touching. I cannot recommend highly enough. I cannot wait to read the next book by Kurt Dinan and am grateful to #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read #TheScamList”.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read but the pacing of the book felt just right. You're introduced to the story by the main character narrating and he is a very unreliable narrator for sure. But it's interesting to how he gets the reader to trust him. I kept looking for the answers to the cons and trying to solve it before the book told me the answers. The characters all feel very real and something you'd see in a small town. The way all the boothers take a part in raising Boone too really brings out the "takes a village" feeling. My only negative that's sitting on my mind is the whole "In 20 years..." bit. I guess I just didn't like the line and the call back to it a few times. Then it disappears about halfway through. Maybe they just ran out of characters to introduce or maybe they just abandoned the callback? Either way, it's the only thing that pops in my mind as sticking out in a negative way. Another review said this reminded them of the old Nick at Nite movies and since reading that I really can't get the analogy out of my mind. So if that's the vibe you're looking for then look no further!

The Scam List, wow this a book you will not regret reading. It grips you from the first page and takes you an whirlwind ride. It has suspense, humour, angst and sarcasm, what more could you want?

Picture Leverage but with teens and a morally gray main character and you have The Scam List. Perfect blend of comedy, sarcasm, tears, and a dash (or two) of something extra special. This book was a wild ride I’m sad to see end. I’m looking forward to reading more of Kurt Ronan’s writing!!! Don’t Get Caught here I come!

Its never easy when one of your parents does something bad. People judges you for it and will always look bad at you. When someting goes wrong they start pointing fingers. Thats what happes to Boone. His dad was a con artist and when the money of his moms business goes missing right after meeting a mystirus girl, everyone thinks Boone stole the money. He is hell bend on getting the money back to save his moms business. Its fast reading story with all the right amounts of action, fun, secrets and lies in it. Its just suckes you in until the end.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Scam List has such strong Nick At Night Movie vibes and I loved it for that.

It's fun, funny, and uniquely zany in a way that never once feels forced or cringey despite the campy feel of the story.

If you're looking for something light and hilarious, I'd highly recommend this. Because of its shorter length and nostalgic feel, it'd also make a really excellent read for reluctant readers or to help you get out of a reading slump.

What a fun book! Sometimes you just need to read something lighthearted and enjoyable for sheer amusement, and this story is it! I read "Don't Get Caught" by this author last year and thought it was a blast, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this one - and it didn't disappoint! Engaging characters, an entertaining plot, and an easy read - this one is sure to appeal to even the most reluctant readers!

(I'll be posting a blog about this book either this Wednesday or the next.)