Don't Get Caught

Loved this book--somewhere I saw it described as "Oceans Eleventh Grade" and I love that tagline. Max is a junior who loves heist movies and con-artist tv shows like "Leverage," and wants to be like a character in them badly enough that he risks getting caught sneaking out to meet at the water tower when summoned by "The Chaos Club," his school's infamous top-secret prankster group. He and four other teens he barely knows end up not invited to join the club, as they had thought, but the victims of a prank--and are in big trouble as a result! But they decide to get revenge the best way possible: by taking down The Chaos Club. What ensues are some very funny, silly, and sometimes mean pranks, some juvenile male humor, friendships forged show more and revenge schemes initiated and thwarted. This was a fun book! Max is conflicted and grows as a character; the other four main characters are distinctly defined and also change. There are also some good ethical discussions and consequences, that sort of thing, and a cool teacher character. And surprises. I thought of it kind of as a male, lighter version of [the Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks], and it has some similarity--secret society that pulls pranks on school grounds--but it's really different too. And funny, did I mention funny? Good book for boys. Some language, but no f-bombs. Author lives in Ohio, would love to meet him someday. show less

from James:

What a fun book. It draws from all your favorite heist movies (Ocean's Eleven, etc.). And who doesn't like a good prank? I wish I'd had the gumption in high school to be such a practical joker. Really, when you think about it, a prank and heist have a lot in common. There's tons of planning. Dinan lays out the 25 rules that you have to follow, from "Don't get caught" to "Know when to walk away."

Side note: don't miss the flip book cows on the corners of the page :)

Publisher's blurb:
"Get even. Get revenge. Just don't get caught. Max Cobb is sick of being "Just Max"—the kind of guy whose resume boasts a measly 2.5 GPA and a deep love of heist films. So when an invitation appears in his locker to join the anonymous, untraceable, epic prank-pulling Chaos Club, Max jumps at the opportunity. Except that the invite is really a setup, and Max, plus the four other misfits who received similar invitations, are apprehended by school security for defacing the water tower. Max has finally had enough. It's time for payback. Time to unmask the Chaos Club. Let the prank war begin."
My comment:
LOVED this book. The philosophical questions this book raises are fantastic as the main character struggles to find his show more truth in the middle of the prank war - does revenge solve anything? I have to admit though, I guessed who was Chaos Club very close to the beginning, and also the truth about the Water Tower 5, so the story for me was waiting for Max to put 2 + 2 together to work out what was going on, That being said, I think teenage boys will LOVE this book - for older readers due to language and adult themes. show less

Don't Get Caught is a great book for readers who are enticed by a heavy dose of sarcasm and fast paced action. If you've ever been a kid who loves to pull pranks or admired those who did, then this book is the one for you. However, it's highly recommended that you don't try to recreate any of these pranks in your own school. Some of them are way over the top and are sure to get you in a heap of trouble.

The story centers around a group of teens who have nothing in common but whose lives collide after falling for a prank by a clandestine group called The Chaos Club (or so they think). No one knows the identity of its members but Max and his new friends decide to get into the pranking business themselves in an attempt to unmask the Chaos show more Club. Of course no high school prank story would be complete without the numbskull administrator who tries to bring them down. It very much reminded me of the 80s film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

All in all its a fun story that will entertain those who are less moved to pick up a book. Main character, Max, frames the plot within the context of movie heist rules which is clever. The story moves quickly with little time to think before the next prank is in the planning. I did notice a credibility flaw in the phone heist because we all know that it's virtually impossible to break into someone's phone. I wish the author had done a better job with that. Some pranks were questionable (cows on the roof) and I preferred the ones that were more realistic, like the football players puking all over the gym. Oh and there are some plot twists at the end which every good heist story must have. show less

The prank war was fun reading, but the moral ambiguity bothered me. I couldn't get past the fact that they destroyed a man's career, after tormenting him all year. Whether we liked him or not, that final "prank" was pretty despicable, and he didn't deserve it.

Max gets a mysterious note and finds four other students invited to a meetup by the Chaos Club, a secret group that has been doing epic pranks at his high school for years. The meetup is a setup. Soon the unlikely group becomes friends with the goal of exposing the Chaos Club. Twists, turns, creativity, fun, moral dilemmas. An enjoyable read.

This was a fun, quick read. Good for some giggles and ideas. I'd like to say I'm too mature to seriously consider pulling detailed pranks like this, but I'd be lying