Read and Reviewed

Thank you to HarperCollins and Katherine Tegen Books (via NetGalley) for the e-galley of Pretty Crooked.Willa Fox is a new student at an elite prep school in Arizona, which she and her mother just moved to. Willa is immediately taken in by the Glitterati - the rich, popular, pretty girls of the school - and thinks she's finally made it. She starts spending all of her time with the Glitterati, attending scandalous weekend parties and spending every afternoon at the mall, shopping at expensive stores. But then Willa starts to see the distinct line drawn between the students at the school: those who have wealth, and those that don't. So Willa decides to pull a Robin Hood-type thing, and rob the rich to provide the poorer students with something to "even the status quo". And that's when this book really went down hill for me.First off, I was leery about reading this book because I'd seen two separate not-so-great reviews. The issues they brought up were significant enough to make me think twice, but I decided to go ahead and read it anyway. And, ooh, boy, this book. Aside from Willa's really stupid way of trying to even the status quo, I had a VERY serious issue with the topic of bullying that's brought up, and the way it's never actually addressed. Bullying via Facebook or other online blogs or message boards is a very real threat to teens these days, and it's precisely what's going on in this book. There are exactly two times that someone says anything against said bullying, and both times it's brushed aside or causes such a huge rift in the Glitterati friendships that the topic is let go and continued to be ignored. THIS IS NOT OKAY. Willa stealing money and clothing, etc., from the rich to purchase new clothes for the "Busteds" (i.e. the girls who are "bussed in" from the city) does not even begin to address the true issue here. She's not fixing anything; she's choosing to ignore the real problem and trying to put a bandaid on it for an only temporary fix. I feel like the better way to go about this book would be to address what Cherise was trying to do, and the results it had on her social status (if you will) because THAT is the true problem here, not the fact that the less fortunate girls didn't have pretty expensive clothes to wear. Also, I didn't like that Willa automatically assumed Tre's record involved theft of some sort. And I didn't like that she just took Kellie's word for it, either. There was a lot of stereotyping going on here, none of which is addressed in any kind of real, useful way.However, there was enough question marks going on, particularly involving Willa's mom, that compelled me to keep reading. And then of course none of them are answered, because this is apparently the first in a series. Do not like.I will say, however, that the ending was completely and utterly cute, which is why I went ahead and gave this that second star. Still, not a favorite. I think the story could have been really great, if it just would have addressed the true problems inherent in this type of plot.Pretty Crooked will be released on March 13, 2012.