Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse

"Wonder Twins" on the run--and running amok--in Vegas. Road Trip!

Paisley and Beau are boldface names again. Last time, paparazzi called them the "Wonder Twins," two kids found alone but alive in the woods of exotic New Jersey. Three days after their mom's death -- and before their dad's criminal misdeeds.

Flash-forward to now: Their so-called lives? Suck out loud: Hating on their cougarized, Botoxic grandma, they're totally clueless about the location of ex-con Daddy. Till they discover a stash of old letters. That's when they decide to jack the Pontiac and hit the road. Holding up donut shops in Sin City might seem extreme, but if they can just get their pretty bad faces back on TV -- or TMZ -- they might wrap up their whole gaga saga with an Oprah-worthy reunion already!

Goodreads

This book was a rocking roller coaster of fun. Many thanks to the wonderful folks at Scholastic for sending me a copy to review.

What I liked:

The action, characters that were unforgettable, dialogue, plot and page turning aspect of the story. Paisley and Beau were perfect in their individual ways of dealing with the bad things that happen to them and their quest to find their Dad.

What I Didn't:

I think it is more of FYI, and not a dislike that there is some language and mature situations in this book. If you are a fan of Ellen Hopkins, then you will feel right at home.

Overall:

This book had me turning pages deep into the night when I should have been sleeping for an early wake up. That is one of the best compliments I can give a book. If I lose sleep for it, then you've got a winner. If I read for two pages and my eyes are shutting on their own, well...that was so not the case here.

The plot lines flowed beautifully, the action kept climbing and the characters of Beau and Paisley were charming even when they were at their worst. The "Skankmother" was great too. Just the snark and sheer cutting edge, raw aspect to the novel had me cheering for each new antic the twins concocted, even though it was kind of like watching a train wreck or a horror movie where you totally want to scream "Don't do it!"  Thumbs up on an exciting read!