Don't Get Caught (Paperback)

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Don't Get Caught By Kurt Dinan Cover Image

Don't Get Caught (Paperback)

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Staff Reviews


The Hollywood elevator pitch for this book would be "The Breakfast Club" meets "Ocean's Eleven", but actually the book is much better than that. Plain-old Max Cobb and a random few of his classmates think that they have been invited to join the super-secret Chaos Club, a group notorious for playing outrageous pranks at their high school.  In reality, it was all a set-up, and after getting caught, the group decides to band together for revenge against the CC. The pranks get more and more elaborate until it is hard to tell who is pulling the strings. This is a laugh-out-loud book with great characters.  A wonderful debut!

— From Deb's Picks

Oceans 11 meets The Breakfast Club in this funny book for teens about a boy pulled into an epic prank war who is determined to get revenge.

10:00 tonight at the water tower. Tell no one. —Chaos Club

When Max receives a mysterious invite from the untraceable, epic prank-pulling Chaos Club, he has to ask: why him? After all, he's Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life. He's Just Max. And his favorite heist movies have taught him this situation calls for Rule #4: Be suspicious. But it's also his one shot to leave Just Max in the dust…

Yeah, not so much. Max and four fellow students—who also received invites—are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security "catches" them. Definitely a setup. And this time, Max has had enough. It's time for Rule #7: Always get payback.

Let the prank war begin.

Perfect for readers who want:

  • books for teen boys
  • funny stories
  • heist stories and caper comedies

Praise for Don't Get Caught:

"This caper comedy about an Ocean's 11-style group of high school masterminds will keep readers guessing."—Kirkus Reviews

"Genre-savvy, clever, and full of "Heist Rules"…this twisty tale is funny, fast-paced, and full of surprises. Fans of Ocean's 11 or Leverage…will find a great deal to enjoy in Dinan's debut."—Publishers Weekly

"Not only is Don't Get Caught the best kind of underdog story—heartfelt and hilarious—but it's filled with genuine surprises up until the very last page, which features one of my favorite endings in recent memory. I'm highly inspired to prank someone right now." –Lance Rubin, author of Denton Little's Deathdate

"Witty, charming and always surprising...Call it Ocean's 11th Grade or whatever you like, Don't Get Caught snatched my attention and got away clean." –Joe Schreiber, author of Con Academy and Au Revoir Crazy European Chick

Kurt Dinan is a high school English teacher. He’s had several short stories published, including one in 2010’s The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife, three young sons, and baby girl. Don’t Get Caught is his first novel.

Product Details ISBN: 9781492630142
ISBN-10: 1492630144
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: April 1st, 2016
Pages: 336
Language: English
"Genre-savvy, clever, and full of "Heist Rules" like "If questioned, be evasive" and "Play to your crew's strengths," this twisty tale is funny, fast-paced, and full of surprises. Newcomer Dinan brings in numerous classic heist elements, including sleight-of-hand, code names, flashback sequences (to show what really happened along the way), and elaborate schemes, leading to one revelation after another. Fans of Ocean's 11 or Leverage—properties Max himself holds dear in his personal playbook—will find a great deal to enjoy in Dinan's debut." — Publishers Weekly

"This caper comedy about an Ocean's 11-style group of high school masterminds will keep readers guessing. " — Kirkus Reviews

"Teen readers will delight in the way such totally different individuals begin to cooperate to triumph over their wrongs." — VOYA Magazine

"Pop culture references, short chapters, and laugh-out-loud narrative moments make this an additional purchase for reluctant readers or fans of films like The Perfect Score." — School Library Journal

"Funny, clever, and playful, this debut is an enjoyable romp that pairs high-stakes cons with a ragtag gang of highschool misfits." — Booklist

"An engaging and fun read. " — SLJ Teen