Sometimes in war, there are no winners…

Sometimes in war, there are no winners…

Peyton Brentwood is pretty, popular, and Harvard-bound. Or so she hopes. Her only distraction from AP classes and entrance exams is the prank war with her ex-best friend, Jess Hill. Peyton is used to getting what she wants, and she’s not about to let a loser like Jess gain the upper hand.

For Jess, the prank war is an outlet, a way to get revenge on the best friend who left her behind. As if Peyton has the guts to do what it takes to win. Please. There is no way in hell Jess is going to lose this one, even if she has to hit Peyton where it hurts.

These two girls are about to discover it’s best to keep your friends close… and your enemies closer.

When I purchased Getting Caught I didn’t know much about it, other than the fact that it was co-written by Mandy Hubbard. I loved her book Because I Love Him (written under the pen name Amanda Grace) and thought what the heck. It’s was only a couple bucks on my Kindle. And it has sat there since it was released last fall. A few weeks ago, on a mission to get through books that I’ve owned for awhile (at least on my Kindle, because let’s face it, my actual bookshelf is going to take me years), I decided to give this book a go. And I’m so glad I did.

Getting Caught is a story about two high school girls, Peyton and Jess, who are polar opposites and at war with each other. Told from the POV of each girl (alternating chapters) we learn about themselves, each other, and the “war” they’ve created. It’s their senior year and they’ve been in this back and forth prank war for years, both girls thinking it started for a reason other than the real one. And both having their own reason for keeping it going for as long as it has.

First there’s Peyton. She’s smart and tends to take things for granted, including her friends and family. Too bad she can’t get her nose out of the air long enough to see who truly cares about her. People like her once best friend, Jess, her new best friend, Bryn, and her clueless father and step-mother.

Then we have Jess. Before the prank war she was the dress wearing best friend of Peyton. But after a miss communication, she’s branched out on her own. Now she uses a snarky go-to-hell attitude combined with combat boots and fish nets to keep herself just out of arms reach from, well, everyone. Even her mother doesn’t seem to know who she is anymore. If I had to pick a favorite between the two, I’d be on Team Jess. She’s her own person and she doesn’t make excuses or apologize for it. To anyone. Not even the gorgeous David Ashworth whom she’s been in love with forever.

What I love about this story is the distinct characterizations through the novel. Not just by their appearance, but their personalities. They stay true to themselves, no matter what. Jess doesn’t conform to get the attention of her popular crush and Peyton doesn’t let her family drag her down.

The most surprising thing about the book was the ending. I love a book that wraps up almost how you expect. I feared while reading that it would be one of those that really pissed me off with a horrible ending, but that wasn’t the case. So glad I finally gave this book a read.

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