Busted

I really enjoyed this book! Full of mystery and great relationships, Ciocca creates a likeable character in Marisa. with good intentions, Marisa finds herself catching some cheaters in action, one of them being her best friends boyfriend. This leads Marisa to make a bit of a name for herself regarding her skill set. When a ex friend returns to town and asks for her help in figuring out what is up with her boyfriend, Marisa reluctantly decided to help, but she doesn't expect to fall for the object of her new job. This story has so many different twists and turns and at the center of it all is Marisa, trying to figure out how to do the right thing when her feelings are trying to force her to do what may be the wrong thing. This was a fun read and I already preordered a copy for my classroom!

"Busted" is a really fun YA detective fiction. Marisa is a budding journalist and high schooler who is hoping to get into a great college (although they are often expensive). When she is out and sees her BFF's canceled date buying ice cream her BFF (Charlie) would hate, she follows him and catches him making out with another girl. As the story gets around, a former friend, Kendall, asks for her help to figure out what her boyfriend is up to. Thus begins the tale of Busted. The comparison to Veronica Mars felt particularly apt, as Marisa doesn't just tail potential cheaters, but she also is investigating a cheating scandal at Charlie's school to clear Charlie's name.

Things spiral out of control as the investigations and mysteries heat up- and the book becomes impossible to put down. The high school drama (with relationships, budding friendships, etc.) is also top-notch in this book, and I found it all delightful. This was a delicious read that I absolutely devoured quickly- I could definitely see this becoming a must-watch TV series and/or movie. The characters were all so fun and mostly easy to like (Charlie and Marisa's brother were stand-out side characters), and I really hope this book gets a sequel or two. I'd love to follow more of Marisa's investigations!

Overall, this was a delightful and fast-paced detective-style novel with plenty of drama and clues/steps to keep the reader guessing the whole way through. I absolutely recommend it to any fans of Veronica Mars and YA fiction! Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I am a self-professed YA contemporary romance cynic. It is so hard for me to fall in love with the genre, despite many efforts to try. I probably sound like a broken record about it actually, but...
I. Loved. This. Book.
I finished it in two days flat, barely able to put it down. The story was a fresh take on the typical high school scene and the drama that always seems to come with it. The arcs for characters are believable, relatable, and a joy to follow. The plot itself was something new and actually quite intriguing. I wasn't expecting a little bit of mystery but I'm very glad with how it all ended.
Marisa was a wonderful MC. I admired her for the things she went through, both for herself and the people around her. I related to her with the old friend showing up that you wondered how you were ever friends in the first place. The friendships she has, and the relationship with her younger brother, really help make the book. The romance was great as well. Usually, the romance is what turns me off in this genre. The girl always does or says such stupid things that make me think she is naive or the boy does all this cheesy stuff that would have made me throw up if it had happened to me. Not the case here, so thank you Ciocca! I might even buy it when it does come out.

I really really enjoyed this book! The main character Marisa was so likable you can’t help but to root for her throughout the book. One of the things I liked most about this book was all of Marisa’s relationships. She has some really great friends, a close relationship with her brother, and she tries to help people because she’s generally a nice person. Her relationship with TJ is so sweet and is very believable. You really do hope they wind up together. There was a lot going on in this book, but it all tied together really well from cheating, to spying, relationships blooming, and an old frenemy coming back into the picture. This book had me flipping quickly through the pages and even though it was a little predictable at times, there was still a lot that was a mystery and it was extremely entertaining.