The Scam List

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Pub Date 3 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 12 Aug 2020

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Description

Meet the best teen con artist team around.

  Boone McReedy: high school conman, smooth-talking charmer, and the idiot who just got scammed out of $15,000 of his mom's money. 

  Darby West: ass-kicker, straight-shooter, and Boone's ex-girlfriend. 

  Now, they must team up to save their parents' business, one con at a time. 

  That is if they don't kill each other first. 

  Of course, they're only going to scam people who deserve it. 

  That's a promise. 

  Would they lie to you? 

  As he did in his award-winning debut, DON'T GET CAUGHT, Kurt Dinan brings laughs, twists, and heart to THE SCAM LISTS' funny world of teen con artists, exes, and outrageous five-dollar bets.

Meet the best teen con artist team around.

  Boone McReedy: high school conman, smooth-talking charmer, and the idiot who just got scammed out of $15,000 of his mom's money. 

Darby West:...


Advance Praise

"I highly recommend The Scam List to both young adult and adult readers alike for its fast-paced fun and high stakes humor. It was a fantastic read, the kind you must put in the Favorites" section of your bookshelf or app." - Readers Favorite Review

"I highly recommend The Scam List to both young adult and adult readers alike for its fast-paced fun and high stakes humor. It was a fantastic read, the kind you must put in the Favorites" section of...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781734912708
PRICE US$6.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 84 members


Featured Reviews

What a fun book! Sometimes you just need to read something lighthearted and enjoyable for sheer amusement, and this story is it! I read "Don't Get Caught" by this author last year and thought it was a blast, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this one - and it didn't disappoint! Engaging characters, an entertaining plot, and an easy read - this one is sure to appeal to even the most reluctant readers!

(I'll be posting a blog about this book either this Wednesday or the next.)

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Picture Leverage but with teens and a morally gray main character and you have The Scam List. Perfect blend of comedy, sarcasm, tears, and a dash (or two) of something extra special. This book was a wild ride I’m sad to see end. I’m looking forward to reading more of Kurt Ronan’s writing!!! Don’t Get Caught here I come!

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The Scam List, wow this a book you will not regret reading. It grips you from the first page and takes you an whirlwind ride. It has suspense, humour, angst and sarcasm, what more could you want?

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I loved this book! The characters felt like people I knew, the story was interesting and the writing was top-notch. Some of the lines were just perfect-like these ones: ”I find Mom seated at a middle table in the restaurant, which is crowded with old people gumming their grits and pretending The Grim Reaper isn’t standing right behind them.” This book is full of them. It was funny and touching. I cannot recommend highly enough. I cannot wait to read the next book by Kurt Dinan and am grateful to #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read #TheScamList”.

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I literally read this book in a day. Great, easy to read writing style, and the story line is different from your standard YA fare. It wasn't an anxiety builder, but still made me want to know what happens next! If you are looking for a lighter YA read that isn't filled with romance and teenage angst, this is the book for you. My absolute favorite parts are the scams, or "cons". The author either knows from experience, or did quite a bit of research!

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When is started this book, I knew that I would like it, but I didn’t know I would like it as much as I’d did. This book was really good! It was a light and fun book to read.

I really enjoyed how the story went through Boone’s maturity and how he grew as a person. Boone was such a fun character and I enjoyed him even when he was not being a very good person. I also loved all the little odd characters he’d describe like Roadie, Kay, and Opal. It just made the story a lot more fun. The overall story was great! I was never bored during it and there was always something new happening. It was actually kind of cool to learn about all the different cons too.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book. It was an easy and fun read. If you like funny stories or just a good read, this is for you.

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From the very start of this Ocean's Eleven style con caper, I was drawn in by the fast-paced and witty narrative. Boone McReedy is a shady, narcissistic, unreliable narrator who, along with the kick-ass Darby West, needs to pull off enough cons to make up $15,000 of money scammed from his mum's business. I loved the originality to this idea as well as the colourful world Dinan has built around Boone's life - the weird and wonderful booth owners in Golden Mountain flea market (aka Garbage Mountain) along with Boone's friends, enemies and frenemies, were all characters who had distinct personalities and were a complete joy to read.

The zippy pace of the different cons kept me completely immersed in this book, rooting for Boone despite his obvious flaws. The fact I wanted him to succeed regardless of some of his unlikable tendencies (influenced by his jailed dad perhaps?) highlights how cleverly Dinan crafts Boone's character development. The fact he turns into some sort of Robin Hood/ Jigsaw vigilante, only scamming those who deserved it, at Darby's insistence, definitely helped his cause with the reader.

For me, this ended up being a 4 star read because I struggled to truly invest in saving Garbage Mountain. The stalls are lovably wacky but Boone continually admits that the building is dirty and off putting for customers in comparison to the luxury building across the road. I wanted to root for the underdog, and the stall holder's livelihoods, but I was baffled as to why Boone's mother wanted to buy what seems like a complete money pit and why their focus throughout is survival rather than improvement. Perhaps a prequel focusing on the beginnings here and Boone's dastardly dad is what we need next? I'd read it! Plus, any sequels Dinan fancies throwing our way.

Overall, this is a really fun read and I will definitely be recommending it to my school libraries. All in all, Dinan holds the reader at just the right amount of knowledge about each scam which is unfolding, ensuring there are plenty of surprises along the way. Don't trust everything you read... but enjoy the thrill of the ride as you do!

Thank you to NetGalley who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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A witty and funny read, with some insight to life and scams so simple I was in awe! Some laughter out loud moments, but a little heavy on the narration and exposition for my personal prefrence.

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First of all—everything I’m about to say is what I TRULY feel and I’m being honest with you (I’m winking at you from the screen—no, I’m not scamming you!)

I didn’t have high expectations for this book when I started reading it because it’s not the usual type of book I would normally go for and even when I was actually having fun reading it, I was still preparing for the point where the book disappoints me. BUT GUESS WHAT, it never happened!!

This book literally made me Laugh Out Loud from the very beginning up until the last line. It’s the perfect read whenever you feel like picking up something light and whenever you just want to laugh. I especially loved the way the characters talked to each other. I felt like I was listening to my friends while they’re playing around.

This book deserves to be read by so many people.

Now as Boone says,

“You have my word.
Would I lie to you?”

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This was probably one of the funniest book I've read in a while. It was clever and witty and had me laughing out loud at so many moments.

THE SCAM LIST revolves around a smart and sharp-tongued kid named Boone. His thoughts and descriptions of people and places were probably my favorite part of this whole book. If I could have him narrate me through life, I think I'd always be laughing.

Something I loved about this book was the many different ways Boone knew how to scam people. And I love that we learned these tricks as a reader from him. It made me feel like I was in on the scam with him. Before reading this, I kinda just thought I'd tag along for one big scam and that would be the book, but I like that I was able to experience multiple small ones as well.

One thing that kept me from giving this book five stars was the pace of it. The book took longer to get to the actionable parts of the story than I would have liked. Sure, there were some small adventures along the way, but I kept finding myself thinking, "Okay. But when are we going to do this thing?"

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The humor was top-notch, the story-line was fun and wit-driven, and there were so many characters to love. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a laugh-out-loud comedy and adventure.

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I was given this book to review via Netgalley. Thank you for this opportunity.
I love this book!
It is laugh out loud funny but has a big heart too. The writing is sharp and witty, with jokes slipped in throughout that make you smile and chuckle. I devoured this book in one sitting. Boone is the main character who lies for a good proportion if the novel but I couldn't help liking him especially as the novel went on and we learn more about his father and past.
Darby is also an excellent character, being a strong, fearless and intelligent young woman. The eccentric characters of Gold Mountain are an unlikely but fabulous cast of characters in this novel.
I feel that YA readers and older readers will enjoy this book that does not subscribe to common tropes but explodes onto the scene with its own don't care attitude, golden mountain heart and awesome story that stays with you for a good while. I will be recommending this book to my friends and family as I look forward to reading the author's (Kurt Dinan) other books.

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Rating: 4.5*
Plot: 3*
Characters: 5*

Before getting into the actual review, I just need to say that this book made me laugh so hard I almost cried. I adored our main character Boone and his voice was so refreshing and amusing at the same time. I loved how he handled everything with a healthy dose of sarcasm and his relationship with his mom (and even dad) was pretty touching. I think I highlighted almost all of his clever remarks and especially parts where he and Darby fought because it made me chuckle and I will definitely want to reread it. I enjoyed learning about different cons and actually seeing how they pull them off.

That brings me to the part of the story I didn’t exactly love. I loved the idea of Darby, I mean who wouldn’t want s badass fighter girl? But for me, Darby felt a little too preachy and some of her actions felt very abusive and not so funny (like the scene where she gets Boone to volunteer to teach girl self defence class and she encourages a little girl to kick him in the groin, while reading that I was pretty disgusted). Later in the books she addressed her anger issues and I liked that but I feel like she should’ve maybe also apologized to Boone because for the most of the book she was pretty rude to him. Also, I felt like Boone changed quite a lot for her but she didn’t do anything for him. All that talk through the book that he doesn’t deserve her or that she is too good for him just rubbed me the wrong way cause I didn’t see what’s so good about her, other than her so-so moral compass. But as I said, I started liking her more as the story progressed and I love how she let herself be vulnerable in the end. I wouldn’t mind reading more about Boone and her where they go to college and get themselves into more trouble.

Another part that felt a bit unconvincing for me was the ending, especially the part where they “convince” Parker not to show that girl's pictures by threating him with a beating from a little girl. That felt a bit too campy for me because the rest of the con was actually very clever and subtle and I love how it was pulled off. Actually I found myself wishing the last con was a lot longer because I loved watching Boone make Parker paranoid and see all boothers from Garbage Mountain working together. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone looking for a clever and funny main character, great snark and just all together a fun read.

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Boone McReedy was a notorious conman, and many have been his victim. This time, he's the victim and his family's business lies in the balance. Now, Boone and his ex, Darby, must race against the clock as they embark on a scam-spree, but will they be able to save Golden Mountain?

The main reason I wanted to read this book was because I LOVED Dinan's Don't Get Caught. It was hilarious, and as expected, so was The Scam List. Packed with wit, humor, and quirky characters, I found myself lost in this story and totally invested in its outcome.

Boone's narration was probably one of my favorite things about this book. The kid was snarky, wry, self-depreciating, and fluent in my mother tongue - sarcasm. I loved being in his head. I was bit worried about him with his laissez faire attitude, but the conman being conned humbled him a bit. Spending time with Darby (who was phenomenal) was also good for him. She helped him gain some perspective on things, and it was a pleasure seeing him grow.

The whole scam spree was brilliant. It resulted in so many pitch perfect comedic moments, and I always welcome a good laugh. I am also not privy to the world of scammers, and therefore, found all these plans quite intriguing. The plotting of the BIG CON was especially fun and gave me some heist-like vibes. It was quite a trip being with these two as they delivered their brand of justice scams, and I loved every second of it.

Life inside the Golden Mountain flea market was a hoot too. To have that many zany characters in one place was a treat for me. I found myself looking forward to meeting each and every one of the boothers and adored them all.

When I picked up this book, I was looking for something that was laugh-out-loud fun, and Dinan delivered. I had an amazing time getting to know Boone and the rest of the Golden Mountain family, and am grateful I got to tag along on this caper.

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At first, I thought of this as a book I couldn't see myself recommending. It's entertaining, and Boone is an easily likable character despite being an obvious rogue, but it feels unrealistic. Not a lot of people running old-school cons in this day and age - this isn't "The Sting" or that one episode of "The Simpsons" with the carnies. But the more I think about it, I think this kind of thing would really rope in kids - boys especially - who don't want to read fantasy or sci-fi, and used to love reading "funny" or "gross" books when they were younger and allowed to be immature. Well, some of those kids are still immature, and they need this in their hands.

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one word...amazing, This book had me guessing up until the very end. It was an easy read and I would definitely recommend it to others.

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Short and Sweet
After Boone gets scammed out of $15,000 of his mom’s money, he has no choice but to get the money back one con at a time. Boone decides to team up with Darby his ex-girlfriend. These two have to work together to get the money back without killing each other in the process.
Characters
Boone: Boone is out main character, and he’s known for being a conman. Boone means well but he gets a kick out of doing cons. After losing his mom’s money he knows he has to pull out the scam list which is a little book full of cons his dad used to pull.
Darby: Darby is feared by most of the people in town, she has a tough exterior but she tries to do good. Darby agrees to help Boone with his cons as long as the people they’re conning deserve it. I liked Darby as a character she’s about empowering women and she tells it like it is.
Romance
Boone and Darby: Boone and Darby went out on three dates and after that she started ignoring him. But now that they have to work together we see that they do have chemistry and they’re both good people they just go about things differently which was the reason for the split in the first place.
My Thoughts
~ Golden Mountain is the flea market Boone’s mother owns and with the $15,000 stolen Golden Mountain is under the risk of shutting down.
~ It was interesting seeing how Boone got scammed out of the money and it was even better seeing who was behind everything.
~ Boone’s father is in prison for running cons and Boone goes to visit him to catch up and get advice for how to get the money back.
~ I liked seeing each of the cons, Darby and Boone make a good team.
~ We get to meet a lot of characters and one of my favorites is Roadie he has a booth at the flea market and he ended up helping Boone a lot in this book.
Overall
I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and it had a bit of a mystery and I loved seeing how the cons would play out and I just wanted to see if Darby and Boone would reach their goal. If you wanted a bit of background on Boone and Darby there’s also a novella out with a few short stories! I would recommend this book it was funny and held my attention until the very end!

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The Scam List by Kurt Dinan: A boy is conned out of his family business' money, and has to use all his skills to get the money back.

What a really fun, laugh-out-loud book! There were moments where I found myself so immersed in the dialogue, I felt like I was back in high school. The characters words and actions were so believable. Their snark, their anger, their insecurities, all of it. I wish there were more YA books like this one being published. It seems the last few years, the YA authors have been trying to one-up each other on how dysfunctional an environment they can create for their characters. Characters who, usually, have Olympic sized obstacles to overcome, some sort of abuse or addiction, and on and on. The Scam List was a very refreshing change from all that darkness, a wild ride of shenanigans, hoodwinkery, and, of course, scams.

100% recommend this book, and not just to young adults. Life is too serious most days folks, take a break and step into a novel that will make you laugh and forget about being an adult for just a little while.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC of The Scam List by Kurt Dinan in exchange for my honest review.

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Firstly thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC of this book, I was immediately drawn in by the synopsis and knew that I would be in for a treat reading this.

I've never read anything like this book before, it was so different and I think that's why I loved it so much! From start to finish it was excellent.

We read this book from Boone's POV, the whole way through. It's written very cleverly and I felt as though we were looking at the world through Boone's eyes. The only disappointment with this is that it felt like we missed a couple of things because of how unobservant he is.

The plot itself was brilliant, and the work and writing that went into every chapter and scam was second to none. It was so engaging and would make even a reluctant reader want to keep turning the pages.

Throughout the book I was laughing out loud, it was so cheeky and lighthearted. Which was only enhanced by the interactions between Boone and Darby, I thought they worked perfectly together!

I really enjoyed watching Boone grow the book and his realisations, it added a "grown up" feel to the book, and it helped me really connect with Boone as a person.

The final scam made me SO EXCITED, it had this really excitable feel to it. It was as if the book was buzzing with excitement, I didn't want the book to end but I wanted to see what happened. I loved how everything seemed to wrap itself up too, and we got answers to everything.

On the whole, I absolutely loved this book. It was so lighthearted, cheeky and funny and I was sorely disappointed when it ended!

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This book was such a breath of fresh air! I had a lot of laughs reading about the different scams Boone and Darby come up with to save their mall. Boone's humour was incredibly funny and I kept chuckling after every few sentences. I really loved his character and how flawed he was. His character arc was really well done, especially his relationship with his father in prison. I also liked the writing style which added to the humour. I didn't see the last con coming though because it was so hard to believe the reader could be scammed as well! It was really funny and I had a great time reading it. Darby's character was solid too and it was nice knowing she could handle a careless guy like Boone.
I definitely recommend reading this book if you need something to get you out of your slump or if you just need some laughs at someone else's expense! This book is worth adding to your TBR!

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I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Overall 4.5/5 stars. This book was great! If you’re looking for a light-hearted story, full of humor, but not devoid of theme, this one’s for you. The plot kept my attention, without being saturated with tension. It remained unpredictable in a satisfying way— the twists are clever and appropriate, such that they make sense without being obvious. On the heavier side, the themes include parental abandonment and defining morality. The writing itself was tight. There was enough description to immerse the reader, but not enough to hinder the pace. Similarly, the characterization was wonderfully balanced. Darby, and her anti-misogynistic agenda, (especially from a male author) were both hilarious and welcome. A strong female character who is actually strong and capable? Love it. Even better was her small/young martial arts student who could take down guys much bigger than she was (and had no reservations doing so).

Despite the great characterization and plot, with characters growing throughout the story without changing who they are fundamentally, I still wanted more. Namely, I wished more of Boone’s changes (and perhaps more change to occur in general) came from an intrinsic desire, rather than pressure from those around him.

While I highly recommend this book, I give it a 4.5 instead of a 5. Beyond the aforementioned character growth issue, I also know it’s not going to be a favorite of mine. Some of this is likely personal taste. I like characters who are empathetic and want to be the best version of themselves. Some of it is also the fact that while I was entertained while reading, the characters and plot haven’t stayed with me beyond the ending. The themes were great, but there wasn’t a profoundly different take on them, nor anything else to keep me thinking. Which is great if that’s what you like in books!

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What a fun read! Take TV series "Leverage" or one of the "Ocean's [number]" films, make the central character have a slightly off-centre moral compass and buckle up for an easy, laugh-out-loud read.

This book originally caught my eye whilst on the lookout for something new for my book-mad early teen who I'm trying to convince that there is more to literature than dystopian fantasy. I'm glad that I read it before suggesting it to him as, in contrast to many YA novels, I think that this one is aimed at an age slightly higher than his, but, as he's a huge fan of Leverage, I think I may just trust him on this one, being prepared to answer a few questions on the way.

The characterisation was really good and I found myself buying into each of the players. The only thing that I failed to really get on board with was the purpose of the main caper - saving Garbage Mountain. Perhaps it's the influence of shows such as Leverage which so strongly steer the moral compass, but I think I needed a little more by way of explanation of the effect of the closing of the Mountain to really buy into the project.

As with so many YA titles, readers should not be put off by that classification - this book will be a few good hours, well spent!

With thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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I am really enjoying this book and cannot wait to finish it. It is great so far and is very funny. I will update my review once i have finished reading it.

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‪ I really enjoyed this! The characters are fascinating and I loved the interactions between Boone and Darby: like a sexy, troublesome double act of con artists. I loved how smart this was and how Boone explained the cons so you were in on it... or were you?‬

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This was so fun! Very similar vibes to Kurt Dinan's other book that I've read, "Don't Get Caught" which I really enjoyed. His books are just so easy-going and entertaining, and sometimes that's all you need.

This book had such a fast-paced and action-packed plot that it's really easy to read. Well at least I think it's action-packed. I don't know who wouldn't love a book full of scheming and conning. The schemes they pulled off were my favourite part. I also really enjoy YA books that don't obsessively focus on the romance aspect. It's way more fun to have a book like this where the characters are doing a specific thing, in this case "conning", and they do that thing without a teen angsty romance taking away from it. A really fun light read that I would recommend!

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I want to technically give this book 4.5 stars and I decided to round up instead of down. I really enjoyed this book! Mr. Dinan has a humor that I really like. I do feel I should mention that there is a short prequel available if you join his mailing list that gives a nice pre-intro to Boone and Darby and their relationship before the start of the book. While it can be read after and it’s not necessary to the enjoyment of the story, I thought it helped me get a better idea of who they were and how they worked as a team.

I went for the 4.5 rating because I really liked this book but there were just a few moments that kept it from being a full 5 stars for me. Some meh moments in the middle of scammy goodness. The plot was certainly interesting though and there were moments that had me questioning some of my morals. Boone, Darby, and the rest of the characters were very entertaining (special shout out to Kimberly). If you’re looking for something light, funny, and just different (in a good way, I say check this book out. I mean “Would I lie to you?”

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this is such an interesting read! I had so much fun reading this, the book started off as thrilling and mysterious to me as I am very curious to see how things unfold. I absolutely love the plot but I find the ending and wrap up quite abrupt for my liking. It was fun piecing together the story and I definitely would recommend this to anyone who wants a quick read!

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This was a fun book. I’m a sucker for a conman story and it was fun to have the character be a high school student. I hope to read more with this lead character.

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Why did I wait so long to read this?! I loved it, couldn't get enough of it, and wish there was more. The scams are so much fun and watching Boone and Darby play them out was awesome. The plot is engaging and pulls you in from the beginning and the pacing was well done.

Boone is a funny guy, he's always cracking jokes or being hilariously cocky. He's a charmer and has learned from his convicted conman dad how to manipulate any situation to benefit him. Boone straddles the line of fairly harmless scams and bigger cons where people suffer. He can't stop from suckering someone out of ten bucks at the bar, but he isn't sure about taking people's life savings. Luckily, his ex Darby comes back into the picture to be his partner and moral compass.

Darby is a badass, she trains in a dojo and teaches young girls to defend themselves. She's great at scams, but doesn't want to be. Darby is a pretty honest person and I liked when she kept Boone in check.

The story is fun and exciting and I flew through it. The ending wasn't quite what I wanted, more hopeful than certain, but I was still happy. I'll definitely check out the prequel story and I'm looking forward to more books from this author.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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**FULL REVIEW**

I'm always pleasantly surprised when reading a book by a male author. Dinan delivered a fun, yet intense storyline with The Scam List.

Written in the male voice, not just the male point of view has a different vibe...one I rather enjoyed. Making them young was a bonus. I expected to be bored; just another punk kid making trouble for his mom when in reality, I get this complex and layered life of a boy who's a victim of his circumstances...but has fully embraced them and in the end, well, you'll have to read and see to find out.

Boone is a con-artist...well, a budding one. He toes the line of criminal and practical joker in a clever way that keeps him from fully experiencing the consequences of his actions. Darby keeps him in check...most of the time, but in reality, she truly likes him for who he is. It's just about balance with her...and I really enjoyed reading her character too...she's a take-no-prisoners, tell-it-like-it-is kinda girl with some great fighting skills. She and Boone make a great team; she keeps him grounded, he pushes her out of her comfort zone.

I felt the stresses Dinan pursued in this story too, the life of a single mother struggling to make ends meet...having a child that causes her more headache than she deserves, an absent father that a son just can't seem to let go of...frienships and rivalries between businesses and personalities. It was well worth his five-year writing stint to bring this young-adult novel to life. Full of details and little nuances one might've overlooked had it been rushed.

This book played out like a movie, one I'd be happy to watch multiple times because surely I missed something the first time around. Great job.

**4 Now You See Me, Stars**

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This is exactly that kind of book you need when you just finished a big and tough book!
It is so lighthearted and fun to read! I really enjoyed it!

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i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I loved the humor in the book. It had me laughing for hours.

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Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a fantastic read that had great element of YA banter, a little bit of romance, con artistry, and getting the bad guys in the end. I loved every minute of this book and was cheering for Boone and Darby. The character name, Gompers, had me chuckling every time. Fantastic book and will DEFINITELY read more by this author!!!

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I LOVED this! It's clever, charming, realistic, funny, and hits you right in the feels. Would highly recommend this to anyone who likes con artist movies, Robin Hood vibes, enemies-to-lovers, that show Lie To Me, charming teenage boys who are whip-smart with a streak of dumb AF, teenage girls who literally will kick your ass, subverting expectations, great single parent fam rep, and the working poor taking the rich fucks to the cleaners. Will definitely be getting Kurt Dinan's book ASAP!

ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Boone McReedy is a smooth-talking, too-smart-for-his-own-good conman just like his dad. Who is in jail. For a con that went too far. Boone helps his mother manage a flea market that is on the verge of going out of business when he makes an epic mistake and loses a sizable deposit that would have allowed the business to stay open for another month. On the verge of losing it all, Boone convinces ex-girlfriend Darby and booth friends from the flea market to help him pull off a Big Con to get the money back and save the business.

I always love a story about a con - mainly, I think, because I wish I was smart enough to pull one off! Although it could be argued that Boone's ethics and morals fall on the shady side, his heart is clearly in the right place as his cons very seldom are for him; they are to help others. Throughout the story, Boone worries that he is too much like his dad who shows no remorse for his cons and doesn't worry about who he "takes." Boone and Darby's rules are more of a Robin Hood style in that the people they con are ones who are shady and a little unethical themselves. Good book - kept me hooked to see how he was going to get away it!

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Cute, quirky, funny, and a little weird. A great book when you need a light read. The idea behind this book was interesting. I look forward to more from this author!

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I wanted a quick book to read in a day, and I'm so glad I gave this one a go. It's a light-hearted read with a lot of fun characters. Recommended!

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I enjoyed this book. Dinan did a great job bringing his characters to life. I felt connected to the main characters and I was rooting for them. Even though they were scamming people, I wanted them to succeed. Great lessons throughout the book.

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I liked it. Not my typical book genre but it’s very well done. I think my child would enjoy it as well. I would recommend it.

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This was so light hearted and quick to read! I felt like it was a breath of fresh air when I finished the book because everything was resolved and I loved every minute of it

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A breath of fresh air, especially with everything that was going on with the covid situation. This book was a much needed distraction. I love books that are easy and light to read and yet entertaining. Get this if you want a light,fun holiday read.

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"The Scam List" by Kurt Dinan is a fast-paced and entertaining young adult novel that combines the excitement of a heist with the relatable struggles of high school life. Dinan, with his sharp wit and clever plotting, delivers a thrilling narrative that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

One of the most captivating aspects of "The Scam List" is its protagonist, Alex. As a smart and resourceful teenager navigating the complexities of high school, Alex is a character that readers will instantly root for. His quick thinking and dry humor make him a joy to follow, while his vulnerabilities and insecurities add depth and relatability to his character.

Dinan's writing style is engaging and accessible, with snappy dialogue and vivid descriptions that bring the story to life. He expertly balances moments of tension and suspense with moments of humor and heart, creating a narrative that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. From the adrenaline-pumping heist scenes to the quieter moments of self-reflection, Dinan keeps readers engaged and invested in Alex's journey from start to finish.

Moreover, "The Scam List" is not just a thrilling adventure—it's also a nuanced exploration of friendship, betrayal, and the complexities of teenage life. Dinan deftly navigates the social dynamics of high school, exploring themes of loyalty, identity, and the pressure to fit in. Through Alex's interactions with his friends and classmates, readers are reminded of the importance of staying true to oneself and standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity.

The novel is also notable for its intricate plot and well-developed cast of characters. Dinan keeps readers guessing with a series of twists and turns that keep the suspense high until the very end. As Alex and his friends embark on their daring scheme to expose a corrupt teacher, they encounter obstacles and challenges that test their courage and ingenuity, making for a thrilling and satisfying read.

In conclusion, "The Scam List" by Kurt Dinan is a must-read for fans of young adult fiction and heist novels alike. With its engaging characters, clever plotting, and heartfelt message of friendship and redemption, it's a book that will appeal to readers of all ages. Dinan has crafted an entertaining and thought-provoking novel that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers long after they've turned the final page.

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