bookishnicole's review
4.0
This book was a super cute take on a senior tradition. I really loved that the tradition was a scavenger hunt that took place all through the night, and the entire time that I was reading it, I wished that my high school had a similar tradition where we would have one night to run around town and gather these things. It tested your knowledge of the area and the people in it.
As you expect with teenagers, there was bound to be hiccups and lots of drama long the way, from teams merging to lovers fighting, all of it was there in this book. I'm not sure that I totally liked Mary through this book, I really liked her enthusiasm, but it came to a point where it overshadowed her friends and what the challenge was really about.
In typical YA fashion there are a whole slew of topics covered including the bond with your BFF, bullying, and having a gay friend. I like that the book managed to touch on these things, and show how certain things were wrong or how things could be done differently. A lot of the challenges that they had were really fun especially the last one. All in all, this book is a fun quick read worth a shot.
As you expect with teenagers, there was bound to be hiccups and lots of drama long the way, from teams merging to lovers fighting, all of it was there in this book. I'm not sure that I totally liked Mary through this book, I really liked her enthusiasm, but it came to a point where it overshadowed her friends and what the challenge was really about.
In typical YA fashion there are a whole slew of topics covered including the bond with your BFF, bullying, and having a gay friend. I like that the book managed to touch on these things, and show how certain things were wrong or how things could be done differently. A lot of the challenges that they had were really fun especially the last one. All in all, this book is a fun quick read worth a shot.
nicoleisdistracted's review
4.0
This is probably more of like a 3/3.5 stars kinda book but I am about to graduate high school and parts of this had me really emotional.
There were some really nice thoughts on moving on (to various subjects) and remembering things that really matter.
This is not the height of literature but for me at this exact moment it worked perfectly and I am now in a book hangover.
((To be fair, there were some really annoying aspects to the story, like Mary’s obsession with Carson and the love situation overall was messy but you know... I didn’t really care 🤷🏼♀️))
There were some really nice thoughts on moving on (to various subjects) and remembering things that really matter.
This is not the height of literature but for me at this exact moment it worked perfectly and I am now in a book hangover.
((To be fair, there were some really annoying aspects to the story, like Mary’s obsession with Carson and the love situation overall was messy but you know... I didn’t really care 🤷🏼♀️))
missprint_'s review
5.0
High school is ending. After an entire life spent in second place, Mary Gilhooley hopes the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt will be her chance to finally come out on top. Jake Barbone may be going to Georgetown instead of her, cute Carson might be dating someone else, but this scavenger hunt is Mary's.
Even if her misfit friends decide to prepare by wearing the least practical scavenger hunt outfits ever. Sure, changing Dez's mind about anything fashion related was hopeless. But did Patrick really need knee socks with his shorts? Or suspenders? And why would Winter wear a dress and platform flip-flops? Doesn't the rest of her team know that Mary came to Win with a capital W?
One all-day scavenger hunt, two lawn ornaments, three meltdowns, four relationship fails, nostalgia, and one incredibly daring stunt stand between Mary's team and victory. Or utter failure in The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life (2012) by Tara Altebrando.
At 239 pages (hardcover) The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is the short, fast-paced read you would expect from a scavenger hunt odyssey. Filled with hijinks and tricky clues, Altebrando draws readers into the Official Unofficial hunt right along with Mary and her misfit friends that you can't help but love.
Between brainstorming sessions and high-action competition, Altebrando includes thoughtful musings on what the end of high school really means for old friends and new beginnings. Truly, this book is the quintessential end-of-high-school read as Mary and her friends all wonder what the future holds. The blend of excitement, adventure, and sometimes dread only adds to the delightful ride that is The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life.
Possible Pairings: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Graffitti Moon by Cath Crowley, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
Even if her misfit friends decide to prepare by wearing the least practical scavenger hunt outfits ever. Sure, changing Dez's mind about anything fashion related was hopeless. But did Patrick really need knee socks with his shorts? Or suspenders? And why would Winter wear a dress and platform flip-flops? Doesn't the rest of her team know that Mary came to Win with a capital W?
One all-day scavenger hunt, two lawn ornaments, three meltdowns, four relationship fails, nostalgia, and one incredibly daring stunt stand between Mary's team and victory. Or utter failure in The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life (2012) by Tara Altebrando.
At 239 pages (hardcover) The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is the short, fast-paced read you would expect from a scavenger hunt odyssey. Filled with hijinks and tricky clues, Altebrando draws readers into the Official Unofficial hunt right along with Mary and her misfit friends that you can't help but love.
Between brainstorming sessions and high-action competition, Altebrando includes thoughtful musings on what the end of high school really means for old friends and new beginnings. Truly, this book is the quintessential end-of-high-school read as Mary and her friends all wonder what the future holds. The blend of excitement, adventure, and sometimes dread only adds to the delightful ride that is The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life.
Possible Pairings: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Graffitti Moon by Cath Crowley, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
rkinnard's review
3.0
This was a much needed light read for me. The last few books I’ve read have been a lot more intense and involved, so it felt nice to read something that I’d classify as fun (not that all books aren’t fun to read, of course). I don’t remember how I found out about this one, I just know that it’s been on my tbr list since it was released.
My favorite part of this book was overall premise for the story. Though I never participated in one, kids at my highschool did scavenger hunts like this all the time. They were never nearly as intense as the one in the book, but they still looked like a ton of fun. I think the only word that sums of the scav hunt in the book is insane. There are easy items on the list, but there are also some incredibly difficult ones that take a lot of creativity to figure out. I loved the idea of the winner of each hunt planning the hunt for the next year. And the fact that it was annual. It’s a fun tradition for seniors to pass on.
Though the scav hunt is supposed to be a fun way to end senior year, this year’s hunt is anything but. Mary’s team is filled with a ton of drama. Every person on her team has a beef with someone at one point or another. How they manage to make it through the hunt is beyond me, considering the amount of tension that was a near constant amongst a few of the teammates, especially concerning romantic relationships. I found the characters to be a bit boring and lacking in depth, but this novel was mainly plot driven, so that’s understandable.
Altebrando had great plot pacing throughout the novel. The entire story takes place in span of hours, yet I didn’t really ever find myself getting bored. There was always plenty of action going on that it’s easy to stay involved. I can’t really identify any loose ends after finishing, either, which is always nice. When a story rests heavily on the plot, it’s important that everything is taken care of by the end.
This wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it wasn’t the worst, either. Like I said, it was a fun read with an interesting premise. I think it’d be especially fun to read if you were currently a senior, as it would be incredibly relevant.
This review (and more!) can be found at Rachel Reads
My favorite part of this book was overall premise for the story. Though I never participated in one, kids at my highschool did scavenger hunts like this all the time. They were never nearly as intense as the one in the book, but they still looked like a ton of fun. I think the only word that sums of the scav hunt in the book is insane. There are easy items on the list, but there are also some incredibly difficult ones that take a lot of creativity to figure out. I loved the idea of the winner of each hunt planning the hunt for the next year. And the fact that it was annual. It’s a fun tradition for seniors to pass on.
Though the scav hunt is supposed to be a fun way to end senior year, this year’s hunt is anything but. Mary’s team is filled with a ton of drama. Every person on her team has a beef with someone at one point or another. How they manage to make it through the hunt is beyond me, considering the amount of tension that was a near constant amongst a few of the teammates, especially concerning romantic relationships. I found the characters to be a bit boring and lacking in depth, but this novel was mainly plot driven, so that’s understandable.
Altebrando had great plot pacing throughout the novel. The entire story takes place in span of hours, yet I didn’t really ever find myself getting bored. There was always plenty of action going on that it’s easy to stay involved. I can’t really identify any loose ends after finishing, either, which is always nice. When a story rests heavily on the plot, it’s important that everything is taken care of by the end.
This wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it wasn’t the worst, either. Like I said, it was a fun read with an interesting premise. I think it’d be especially fun to read if you were currently a senior, as it would be incredibly relevant.
This review (and more!) can be found at Rachel Reads
ash_ton's review
2.0
more like 2.5 stars. i just. idk. i hate giving out low ratings but you can’t force yourself to like things. as mary has pointed out a few times.
dear god also. the characters. i kind of hated them all except for dez. he was the only decent character who had a smidge of personality.
dear god also. the characters. i kind of hated them all except for dez. he was the only decent character who had a smidge of personality.
karak's review
4.0
Cute YA, end of high school, finding meaning in your life in a small period of time type of book. A scavenger hunt in a small town, four friends- not the most popular kids in school of course- form a team and go out to find the clues (and themselves in the course of things, as novels like this are wont to be).
moseyrosie's review
3.0
The beginning of this book is hard to get through. Too many stock characters, too much sterotypical description, the setting up of the love triangles (that's right, triangles, as in more than one) was very obvious, and then played out predictably. Once the scavenger hunt started the story moved a lot faster and was hard to put down. By the end of the book I felt like there was a lot of character development for the main character, Mary, and I ended up liking the book a lot.