Bad Kitty (Bad Kitty, 1)

Jasmine is trying to enjoy her family vacation in Las Vegas. All this would require would be avoiding her cousin, Alyson, and her friend, Veronique, prove to her dad that she is indeed a Model Daughter, and, oh yeah, meet the hot guy she spotted across the pool. Then all of a sudden, Jas is thrust into the middle of a Las Vegas mystery. Luckily, she enjoys amateur sleuthing, and her friends come into town to help her find a murderer, save a little boy and a woman, and maybe themselves, in an experience that is so totally Mastercard (priceless). And just for the record, it's all the cat's fault. Michele Jaffe's debut novel for young adults will not disappoint fans of Meg Cabot and Louise Rennison. Humor, intrigue, and a hot guy: what more could a reader want?

I'm serious, this book is awesome. Filled with wit, adventure, details, and hilarious scenes, Bad Kitty, by Michelle Jaffe is the best book I've ever read. Jas, the 17 year old main character, is humorous, spontaneous, and curious. When her family goes on their annual, "Let's torture Jas and make her leave behind all her precious friends," vacation, Jas is dragged to the Venetian hotel, and a mystery starts to sprout when a gigantic three--legged cat jumps on her at the outdoor pool. When her friends Polly, Roxy, and Tom come to save her from finding out her "certain doom" via email, things just get even crazier at the Venetian hotel, and the mystery story of an innocent boy, celebrity scandal, and a creepy cate start to form together, things get confusing. Read Bad Kitty!

I normally don't read teen chick lit, but I was intrigued by the title (having experienced badly behaved kitties myself), so I read it. I'm glad I did. It was one of the best books I've read in years--fabulously well-written, ferociously intelligent, and very, very funny. This is not a typical action-driven, slyly plotted mystery. At times it is as much farce as mystery. Its charm lies in Jas and her friends, their unique personalities, and Jas's inimitable voice in telling her story. If you understand that, you'll like this book. Don't expect depth in this book, just go for the ride.

This book had me laughing so hard, I almost snorted my beverage out of my nose. I am a Teen Librarian, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any teen girl.

Bad Kitty is a fabulous book. It is totally mastercard (priceless)! Jaz Callihan is on vacation in Vegas, with her anthropologist dad and perfect stepmom (but nobody, not even Jaz, hates her) and unfortunately with her cousin and her "Evil Hench Twin." But that doesn't get Jaz down; it is a crazed cat's misbehavior that gets her into the whole mess that makes her vacation out of the ordinary. Fans of Meg Cabot will love this romp in Sin City that is part mystery, CSI, major crush, and seeped in pop culture. This is definitely an A+ for Michelle Jaffe's first foray into teen fiction.