Book Review: Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Title: Pretty Crooked
Author: Elisa Ludwig
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: March 2012
Pages: 368
Series: Pretty Crooked #1
Source: library
3 Stars: I Liked It

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

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My Thoughts:
There were some things I liked and didn’t like in Pretty Crooked. It was an interesting plot idea, a modern day Robin Hood. I don’t think Willa came across as noble as Robin Hood though which maybe wasn’t the intent or moral of the story anyway. Robin Hood was back in Medieval Times right? He was kind of like a police office in a corrupt monarchy. Willa, on the other hand, is a modern teenager trying to give retribution to girls that definitely deserve it, but breaking the law really isn’t the best way to do it.

Willa is interesting. I’m not sure if I like her that much. She makes some really dumb decisions. She’s been through a lot so it’s understandable that she’s having a hard time. Willa and her single mom had a good relationship until they moved to the rich neighborhood, and her mom got secretive and busy. The biggest pull for me to read the next book in the series is to find out more about her mom’s secrets, very intriguing.

This book brings up the modern issue of cyber bullying. This definitely wasn’t a problem in my day. (Which, by the way, I’m not ancient or anything. My 10 year reunion is coming up soon. Hmm maybe that does make me ancient.) I’m sure this happens in high schools all over, and it’s truly appalling. Willa definitely had her heart in the right place when she tried to help these girls being bullied for being the scholarship kids at a rich private school.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: moderate ( dialog: lust, boobs, sex, and skanks; rude sexual comments/jokes, kissing )
Language: moderate ( God-18, Jesus-1, Christ-1, h***-16, a**-6, b****-4, d***-1, a couple replacement words: effing, shiz, and byatch )
Violence: none
Other: cyber bullying, teen party drinking, teen drinking and driving

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Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction