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The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life
An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory
With only a week until graduation, there's one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.
Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed "it" bully Jake Barbone, and she's not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team's all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy--and themselves--in order to win.
With only a week until graduation, there's one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.
Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed "it" bully Jake Barbone, and she's not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team's all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy--and themselves--in order to win.
239 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2012
42 people are currently reading
3457 people want to read
About the author
Tara Altebrando
13 books372 followersTara Altebrando is the author of numerous books for young adult and middle-grade readers. Her upcoming book, THE LEAVING (Bloomsbury), is a YA thriller that received a starred PW review and is a Junior Library Guild selection. Her other YA novels include ROOMIES, coauthored with Sara Zarr; Dreamland Social Club (A Kirkus Reviews Best Books for Teens), The Best Night of (Your) Pathetic Life, What Happens Here, and The Pursuit of Happiness.
Tara is a Harvard graduate who lives in Queens, NY, with her husband and children.
Tara is a Harvard graduate who lives in Queens, NY, with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
July 16, 2012
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is by no means The Best Book You’ve Ever Read in Your (Pathetic) Life, but it may just be the most original. This was a novel that was brimming with unique flavor, ideas, and creativity which I absolutely adored. While I wish that Altebrando had managed to take more command of her narration and further develop the more serious and deep aspects of this novel, I can’t deny that it was funny, realistic, and a novel that I simply could not put down till I had finished it. It was most definitely of my better reading experiences and it was a worthwhile break from the usual YA Contemporary of today.
Most high schools have graduation ceremonies, parties, and games to celebrate the end of senior year, but Oyster Point has their annual Scavenger Hunt. Mary and her friends, Winter, Patrick, and Dez, are determined to win this year and show their fellow teammates that they’re not the losers they are proclaimed to be. For Mary, this night is to be revenge on Jake Barbone, the bully whose family legacy got him into Georgetown instead of Mary. Not only is this night about revenge though, it’s also about love, for Mary is yearning to become the girlfriend of Carson, her long-time crush. But, while Carson is most definitely breaking up with his girlfriend, he may not be doing it for her and someone close to Mary may also have his eye on her. Unknown to Mary and her friends, this night will not only test their supreme scavenge hunting skills, but also the very bonds of their friendship itself.
I suppose I’ll start out by outlining what I liked about this story. For one, the idea was most definitely original. I’ve never heard of these types of scavenger hunts before although I found myself dearly wishing that I had had one in my own high school. I loved the manner in which Altebrando managed to sweep the reader into the thrill and excitement of this night, which simply added to the overall fun of the story. Furthermore, I thought the pacing of the novel was perfect and none of the quests to find objects were too rushed or too dragged out. In a novel such as this, pacing is key and the fact that it was spot on enabled me to keep flipping the pages frantically and eagerly.
Yet, what I loved the most about this book was the character dynamics and I admired the way Altebrando portrayed her cast throughout the book. I always find that in situations where a group of people are thrown together and forced to work together efficiently, problems are bound to arise. Altebrando combines the plethora of issues these students face on their quest in an extremely realistic manner, making this journey one filled with awkwardness, confusion, and constant bickering. Not only do Mary and Winter like the same guy, but Patrick likes Mary, Dez happens to get injured, and when Carson, the guy who Mary and Winter join them, things only begin to get more heated. While I often wanted to smack them all for all their unnecessary drama and tell them to mature up and work together, I realized that this type of situation was typical of high school students, which only added to my enjoyment of this tale.
But (there’s always a but isn’t there?), there were some aspects of this novel which I felt let me down. In the midst of this whirlwind adventure, Altebrando attempts to explore the differences that each of these teens have and tries to bring forth some depth into this novel by shedding light on their difficulties at home and school. While I appreciate her effort, I unfortunately believe it failed. In fact, I may have enjoyed this novel more if it were just a fun scavenger hunt with hormonal and nostalgic high school seniors. I believe that Altebrando failed to make the serious issues she brought up come to light and shine in this story as they were rather quickly inserted into scenes and were not developed themselves. This novel would have definitely been better if she had managed to further develop those ideas realistically, but as she did not, it took away from the story.
Overall though, I really liked this book. It was fun, snarky, and simply an enjoying read. Plus, I found that I enjoyed the few lessons that did manage to emerge throughout the story and the character development was excellent as well. If you’re looking for a story that is quick, relaxing, and entertaining, look no longer! The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is the one for you! ;)
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
Most high schools have graduation ceremonies, parties, and games to celebrate the end of senior year, but Oyster Point has their annual Scavenger Hunt. Mary and her friends, Winter, Patrick, and Dez, are determined to win this year and show their fellow teammates that they’re not the losers they are proclaimed to be. For Mary, this night is to be revenge on Jake Barbone, the bully whose family legacy got him into Georgetown instead of Mary. Not only is this night about revenge though, it’s also about love, for Mary is yearning to become the girlfriend of Carson, her long-time crush. But, while Carson is most definitely breaking up with his girlfriend, he may not be doing it for her and someone close to Mary may also have his eye on her. Unknown to Mary and her friends, this night will not only test their supreme scavenge hunting skills, but also the very bonds of their friendship itself.
I suppose I’ll start out by outlining what I liked about this story. For one, the idea was most definitely original. I’ve never heard of these types of scavenger hunts before although I found myself dearly wishing that I had had one in my own high school. I loved the manner in which Altebrando managed to sweep the reader into the thrill and excitement of this night, which simply added to the overall fun of the story. Furthermore, I thought the pacing of the novel was perfect and none of the quests to find objects were too rushed or too dragged out. In a novel such as this, pacing is key and the fact that it was spot on enabled me to keep flipping the pages frantically and eagerly.
Yet, what I loved the most about this book was the character dynamics and I admired the way Altebrando portrayed her cast throughout the book. I always find that in situations where a group of people are thrown together and forced to work together efficiently, problems are bound to arise. Altebrando combines the plethora of issues these students face on their quest in an extremely realistic manner, making this journey one filled with awkwardness, confusion, and constant bickering. Not only do Mary and Winter like the same guy, but Patrick likes Mary, Dez happens to get injured, and when Carson, the guy who Mary and Winter join them, things only begin to get more heated. While I often wanted to smack them all for all their unnecessary drama and tell them to mature up and work together, I realized that this type of situation was typical of high school students, which only added to my enjoyment of this tale.
But (there’s always a but isn’t there?), there were some aspects of this novel which I felt let me down. In the midst of this whirlwind adventure, Altebrando attempts to explore the differences that each of these teens have and tries to bring forth some depth into this novel by shedding light on their difficulties at home and school. While I appreciate her effort, I unfortunately believe it failed. In fact, I may have enjoyed this novel more if it were just a fun scavenger hunt with hormonal and nostalgic high school seniors. I believe that Altebrando failed to make the serious issues she brought up come to light and shine in this story as they were rather quickly inserted into scenes and were not developed themselves. This novel would have definitely been better if she had managed to further develop those ideas realistically, but as she did not, it took away from the story.
Overall though, I really liked this book. It was fun, snarky, and simply an enjoying read. Plus, I found that I enjoyed the few lessons that did manage to emerge throughout the story and the character development was excellent as well. If you’re looking for a story that is quick, relaxing, and entertaining, look no longer! The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is the one for you! ;)
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
March 22, 2013
This book just... Oh this book. I didn't like anyone. Seriously, I hated them all. Mary is crazy and obsessed with Carson, who's in love with Winter, who's also in love with Carson, while Patrick is in love with Mary, who isn't in love with Patrick, and Dez is just kind of in love with himself. That's what this book was about. It wasn't about an epic scavenger hunt that changed them forever, it was about some stupid fucked up love square with a little bit of scavenger thrown in to keep things interesting. Mary is crazy, Carson is a cheater, Winter is a cheater, Patrick is just kind of odd, and Dez is just.. Dez. I think the only person I could even consider liking is Dez. Why? Because he's not fucking batshit like Mary. Mary was seriously the worst YA character ever. I'm not kidding when I said that she was obsessed with Carson. She kept talking about how he was hers, and about how she knew that he secretly loved her, and how Carson's girlfriend, Jill, was getting in the way of their love. Then when she found out that Carson was in love with Winter, she was just like "THAT BITCH STOLE MY MAN! HE IS MINE AND HE
WILL
LOVE ME!" and she just got so much crazier. She's just so so so crazy. The only real distinguishable character in the book was Mary, and that's because she's lost ALL of her fucking marbles. This book gets no happy faces from me.
Want to read
July 9, 2012I'll read anything E. Lockhart recommends. And there's a scavenger hunt!
February 2, 2013
¡Ayúdame! How much I loved this book. What's kind of crazy is how there were a few moments of "WAKE UP MARY!" sprinkled in and I still loved it. I won't ruin it for anyone but honestly, scavenger hunts have never been more fun in a book. If you're looking for a movie...Scavenger Hunt with Arnold. Bless his heart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in one of his first real movies. Anyway, focus Eric, the book is fun. I like how it doesn't matter about who's smart or quicker, it's really about loving life (24/7!).
December 31, 2017
2.5 STARS
On the Saturday before the last week of senior year, Mary and her friends compete in an unofficial scavenger hunt for the coveted prize of Yeti (and the glory of beating their friends and frenemies). Over the next twelve hours crushes will be revealed (and crushed), friendships will be pushed to the brink and laws will be bent (okay, maybe broken).
Over the past year, I’ve become a big Tara Altebrando fan. THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR (PATHETIC)LIFE is my least favorite of her young adult novels. To be fair, the blurb didn’t sound like my kind of book, but because I trust Altebrando and wanted a year end light book, I figured I’d give it a whirl.
Mary had her flaws, but she’s certainly not Altebrando’s most unlikable narrator. I actually liked her a lot and empathized that although she had better grades and test scores, a jerky jock got the spot at Georgetown she coveted. I also felt for her being treated like the bad guy for not returning her friend Patrick’s romantic feelings.
The plot of gathering points for the scavenger hunt lost me at times, particularly toward the end. I’m generally more interested in characters and their journeys.
THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR (PATHETIC)LIFE is a light, enjoyable read.
July 11, 2012
I absolutely loved the first scavenger hunt in this story. Despite my lameness at them, I think scavenger hunts are pretty fantastic; mostly, I like the idea of them because it means clues and adventures and hauling weird crap around. I was excited from the moment Mary and her team got their list; I mentally went through all the items on the list that currently could be found at my house. I kind of wanted to go home and get them out, just because (I'm crazy)
While high school was never like Mary's experience for me, being a young woman who thinks of herself as upstanding and good while actually being a clueless jerk was totally me - and sometimes still is - so I could identify with her. I had friends but I wasn't very nice to them because I was mostly in love with myself and the image I'd created for me. My grades were good but I always felt like I was being overlooked for everything, like I shouldn't have to put forth any extra effort to get noticed, like I was good enough at the level I was at and why didn't everyone else get that, too? Yeah. I was a charmer in high school.
Ok, so, I was enthralled and excited all throughout this first scavenger hunt and I could not wait to get into my car every morning and evening so I could listen to more of this book.
BUUUUTTTTT...
So while I would highly recommend the first part of this book, I can't say I have a lot of love for the entire story. It just wasn't a satisfying ending to such a fun beginning. The thing that made me the most sad was that I was glad to turn it back into the library when I was done with it.
While high school was never like Mary's experience for me, being a young woman who thinks of herself as upstanding and good while actually being a clueless jerk was totally me - and sometimes still is - so I could identify with her. I had friends but I wasn't very nice to them because I was mostly in love with myself and the image I'd created for me. My grades were good but I always felt like I was being overlooked for everything, like I shouldn't have to put forth any extra effort to get noticed, like I was good enough at the level I was at and why didn't everyone else get that, too? Yeah. I was a charmer in high school.
Ok, so, I was enthralled and excited all throughout this first scavenger hunt and I could not wait to get into my car every morning and evening so I could listen to more of this book.
BUUUUTTTTT...
So while I would highly recommend the first part of this book, I can't say I have a lot of love for the entire story. It just wasn't a satisfying ending to such a fun beginning. The thing that made me the most sad was that I was glad to turn it back into the library when I was done with it.
July 30, 2012
The Best Night Of Your (Pathetic) Life was not quite what I expected. From the cover, title, and summary I expected a light, fun read. It definitely was a fun read but not quite as light as I expected. I was pleasantly surprised to find a mix of light and fun, and serious and contemplative between these pages.
Mary was the best thing about this book and the worst thing. She was such an easy character to relate to because she was far from perfect. She was not confident about herself or her dreams, crushing on a guy who was unattainable, and part of a fun buy flawed group of friends. Not a day goes by where I don't doubt whether or not my dreams are realistic, I always wanted guys I couldn't have in high school, and my friends are idiots but I love them. I mean, who doesn't share those things with Mary? Sadly she did get on my nerves at times. She was kind of mean at times (even if she didn't mean to be) and a lot of the time she complained about the things she didn't have and wasn't thankful for the things she did. She does eventually see the error of her ways but there were times where I couldn't stand her.
Winter, Dez, Patrick, Carson, and Barbone were quite the mixed cast of characters. Winter could have been the most popular girl but she had no self-confidence. However that worked out great for Mary because even though Winter made mistakes she was a good friend. Dez really made the book awesome though. He was funny, kind, a little flamboyant, and totally honest. He helped show everyone both their flaws and their good qualities. Patrick was a little hard to like because he was a lot like Mary; set in his ways. He couldn't see what he was doing wrong. Carson was a player but he was a surprisingly nice guy. Barbone seemed like a total jerk for most of the book but there was definitely more to him. I would have liked to know more about him. Really though The Best Night Of Your (Pathetic) Life had a great, varied cast of characters.
Now like I said earlier, this book was a little heavier than I expected (in a good way.) The book touches on lost chances, possibly crazy dreams, and growing up. All the characters kind of realize that they missed out on a lot in high school because they were afraid to take chances. The scavenger was their first and last big event in high school and it showed them what they missed out on and how they should take advantage of every opportunity in life.
Now the actual scavenger hunt part was awesome. The lists of things to do and get were crazy! Also, the clues were super confusing but fun to try and work out with the characters. There were some crazy stunts pulled in this book and it was pretty much a non-stop laugh fest. Now I'm dying to participate in a scavenger hunt!
Overall, The Best Night Of Your (Pathetic) Life is another fabulous book from Tara Altebrando. It's the perfect mix of fun and serious. Readers will devour this one and it will definitely leave you thinking.
Mary was the best thing about this book and the worst thing. She was such an easy character to relate to because she was far from perfect. She was not confident about herself or her dreams, crushing on a guy who was unattainable, and part of a fun buy flawed group of friends. Not a day goes by where I don't doubt whether or not my dreams are realistic, I always wanted guys I couldn't have in high school, and my friends are idiots but I love them. I mean, who doesn't share those things with Mary? Sadly she did get on my nerves at times. She was kind of mean at times (even if she didn't mean to be) and a lot of the time she complained about the things she didn't have and wasn't thankful for the things she did. She does eventually see the error of her ways but there were times where I couldn't stand her.
Winter, Dez, Patrick, Carson, and Barbone were quite the mixed cast of characters. Winter could have been the most popular girl but she had no self-confidence. However that worked out great for Mary because even though Winter made mistakes she was a good friend. Dez really made the book awesome though. He was funny, kind, a little flamboyant, and totally honest. He helped show everyone both their flaws and their good qualities. Patrick was a little hard to like because he was a lot like Mary; set in his ways. He couldn't see what he was doing wrong. Carson was a player but he was a surprisingly nice guy. Barbone seemed like a total jerk for most of the book but there was definitely more to him. I would have liked to know more about him. Really though The Best Night Of Your (Pathetic) Life had a great, varied cast of characters.
Now like I said earlier, this book was a little heavier than I expected (in a good way.) The book touches on lost chances, possibly crazy dreams, and growing up. All the characters kind of realize that they missed out on a lot in high school because they were afraid to take chances. The scavenger was their first and last big event in high school and it showed them what they missed out on and how they should take advantage of every opportunity in life.
Now the actual scavenger hunt part was awesome. The lists of things to do and get were crazy! Also, the clues were super confusing but fun to try and work out with the characters. There were some crazy stunts pulled in this book and it was pretty much a non-stop laugh fest. Now I'm dying to participate in a scavenger hunt!
Overall, The Best Night Of Your (Pathetic) Life is another fabulous book from Tara Altebrando. It's the perfect mix of fun and serious. Readers will devour this one and it will definitely leave you thinking.
August 7, 2012
eh, I finished this, but I can't say I wanted to. Then when I did finish it, I wondered why I had bothered.
July 11, 2015
2 stars
This review can also be found on my blog Blue-Eyed Bibliophile
When you read the summary, it sounds like it's going to be a fun, summery read with a super creative and original plot. But it's not. It's about a girl named Mary who has a horrible attitude about everything and cares about all the wrong things and throughout the book you have to suffer through her whines and complaints about what she has and doesn't have. Unfortunately, this book was ruined because we have to read it through Mary's narrative.
There were some things I liked, like the idea of the plot. A scavenger hunt on senior week sounds like a lot of fun to read about. And I like books that take place in a day, or in this case in one night. Plus the title was really intriguing, I must say. But those are just about all the things I liked about this.
The list of things I didn't like is much, much longer. Let's start with Mary. Horrible main character. She's so self-centered and a jerk and honestly a bit pathetic. She thinks that her team, a team of losers and misfits (that's how she describes her friends), needs to win the scavenger hunt to prove that they're not as losery as everyone thought they were. She complained about her social status the whole book. Honestly, it's your last week of high school. You keep talking about all your good memories there. Why does your social status ever matter, and why does it matter so much right now? New Flash: It doesn't. Stop.
Mary's also the kind of person who thinks you're a piece of nothing if you don't have a boyfriend or you're still a virgin, or, God forbid, you're a virgin who's never had a boyfriend!! What a tragedy! Not. Again, all that stuff doesn't matter. Whether your boyfriend count is 30 or 0 doesn't determine anything about you. You'd think that being 18 (or around 18) Mary'd be through her "I-need-A-Boyfriend-Or-Else-I'll-Die" stage, but I guess not.
Plus she's a jerk to everyone. She overreacts to things and gets preoccupied on things that aren't fair to her and ugh. The whole situation with Carson was horrible. She was insisting that Carson was in love with her even though her was dating Jill but he was going break up with Jill soon to be with Mary. I mean, how self-centered and bratty can you get?! Then her best friend Winter likes Carson and the whole world may as well have blown up. Mary was just such a jerk I can't even tell you.
And speaking of bad attitudes, I didn't like any of the characters attitudes about the hunt. They all (expect for, like, Patrick) acted like they didn't care whether they got caught or arrested or expelled. I mean, honestly?! It's your last week of high school, you really should care about getting arrested. They all were willing to do things that could have ultimately prevented them from going to college. Or at least the colleges they were already planning on going to. They need to understand that their dumb actions have consequences.
All I can really say about the story itself is that it would have been a lot better with different characters. You need a main character the reading is willing to root for. If the main character is a hot-headed, self-centered jerk no one is going to want to root for her. And then from there the story becomes tedious to read. The senior scavenger hunt was such a cool idea, but it was ruined by the characters and their attitudes.
This review can also be found on my blog Blue-Eyed Bibliophile
When you read the summary, it sounds like it's going to be a fun, summery read with a super creative and original plot. But it's not. It's about a girl named Mary who has a horrible attitude about everything and cares about all the wrong things and throughout the book you have to suffer through her whines and complaints about what she has and doesn't have. Unfortunately, this book was ruined because we have to read it through Mary's narrative.
There were some things I liked, like the idea of the plot. A scavenger hunt on senior week sounds like a lot of fun to read about. And I like books that take place in a day, or in this case in one night. Plus the title was really intriguing, I must say. But those are just about all the things I liked about this.
The list of things I didn't like is much, much longer. Let's start with Mary. Horrible main character. She's so self-centered and a jerk and honestly a bit pathetic. She thinks that her team, a team of losers and misfits (that's how she describes her friends), needs to win the scavenger hunt to prove that they're not as losery as everyone thought they were. She complained about her social status the whole book. Honestly, it's your last week of high school. You keep talking about all your good memories there. Why does your social status ever matter, and why does it matter so much right now? New Flash: It doesn't. Stop.
Mary's also the kind of person who thinks you're a piece of nothing if you don't have a boyfriend or you're still a virgin, or, God forbid, you're a virgin who's never had a boyfriend!! What a tragedy! Not. Again, all that stuff doesn't matter. Whether your boyfriend count is 30 or 0 doesn't determine anything about you. You'd think that being 18 (or around 18) Mary'd be through her "I-need-A-Boyfriend-Or-Else-I'll-Die" stage, but I guess not.
Plus she's a jerk to everyone. She overreacts to things and gets preoccupied on things that aren't fair to her and ugh. The whole situation with Carson was horrible. She was insisting that Carson was in love with her even though her was dating Jill but he was going break up with Jill soon to be with Mary. I mean, how self-centered and bratty can you get?! Then her best friend Winter likes Carson and the whole world may as well have blown up. Mary was just such a jerk I can't even tell you.
And speaking of bad attitudes, I didn't like any of the characters attitudes about the hunt. They all (expect for, like, Patrick) acted like they didn't care whether they got caught or arrested or expelled. I mean, honestly?! It's your last week of high school, you really should care about getting arrested. They all were willing to do things that could have ultimately prevented them from going to college. Or at least the colleges they were already planning on going to. They need to understand that their dumb actions have consequences.
All I can really say about the story itself is that it would have been a lot better with different characters. You need a main character the reading is willing to root for. If the main character is a hot-headed, self-centered jerk no one is going to want to root for her. And then from there the story becomes tedious to read. The senior scavenger hunt was such a cool idea, but it was ruined by the characters and their attitudes.
February 20, 2016
Reading this book again made me realize that I was too harsh on it the first time. It's really fantastic actually.
Read
March 1, 2018The best day of your pathetic life by Tara Altebrando is about these seniors and they are doing a scavenger hunt to win a yeti. Mary and her friends go to the oyster point scavenger hunt and compete with a bunch of other seniors with their groups. I personally liked this book because of the conversations that mary and her friends have in the book. Mary was a little too dramatic though she was too obsessed with someone who likes someone else. Besides Mary being obsessed and the pointless dramas i could relate to small parts. I could also relate to Mary's friend Dez because he's more mellow and chill.
January 7, 2013
Mary is tired of being in the backseat of her own life. And more than anything, she’s tired of being second best. That’s why she’s determined to win the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt: not only is it her last chance to leave her mark at school, but there’s no way that she’s going to let bully Jake Barbone come out on top again. But as the competition heats up, Mary’s team is no longer sure that they’re cut out for all of it, especially when every little tension between the friends comes to light. Mary thought that she was prepared to win this scavenger hunt at all costs, but with feelings and futures in the balance, she’s starting to reconsider just how far she’s willing to go—and how important winning really is.
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is a fast-paced story of scavenger hunt madness and more: basically the type of competition I’d love to be a part of in my head but would probably hate to do in real life. That’s probably the main reason I’m drawn to stories like these, because they allow me be along for the ride without running around and strategizing myself. And for the most part, I really enjoyed riding around with Mary and her friends and watching as they checked item after item off their lists. This story isn’t just about an epic scavenger hunt adventure, though; it’s also about Mary’s changing relationships with her closest friends. While I was certainly interested in this aspect of the story, I found that unfortunately, emotions and feelings often got drowned out by the manic pace of the plot and the urgency to get as many points as possible. As a result, I never truly connected with any of the characters of this story and the ending wasn’t nearly as satisfying as it could have been, even though it ends on a hopeful note. Despite this, I still found The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life a fast and fun read.
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life appeals to readers who also enjoyed Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg and One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life is a fast-paced story of scavenger hunt madness and more: basically the type of competition I’d love to be a part of in my head but would probably hate to do in real life. That’s probably the main reason I’m drawn to stories like these, because they allow me be along for the ride without running around and strategizing myself. And for the most part, I really enjoyed riding around with Mary and her friends and watching as they checked item after item off their lists. This story isn’t just about an epic scavenger hunt adventure, though; it’s also about Mary’s changing relationships with her closest friends. While I was certainly interested in this aspect of the story, I found that unfortunately, emotions and feelings often got drowned out by the manic pace of the plot and the urgency to get as many points as possible. As a result, I never truly connected with any of the characters of this story and the ending wasn’t nearly as satisfying as it could have been, even though it ends on a hopeful note. Despite this, I still found The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life a fast and fun read.
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life appeals to readers who also enjoyed Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg and One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
July 14, 2013
Was a bit disappointed with this, as I've liked the other books I've read by this author, and it's both a fun title and great idea. It did have a lot of fun things in it - especially the scavenger hunt itself , and the kids who'd won the previous year, who set the challenge. Little things (and one rather major one) kept bouncing me out of it though - like Mary's not having a clue what "first-world problems" meant. The major one was the way Mary's crush on Cameron was handled - at points it seemed her reading into little things he did or said was so obviously wrong it was downright embarrassing, and at others it seemed he'd been a jerk and led her on (and her friend Winter really wasn't being one). Of course the 'truth' is meant to be somewhere between those, but there didn't seem to be enough clarity about the difference between Mary's perception of things and the narrative's.
More positively, I really liked the fact that one of the possible outcomes of the night's big adventures was resisted . And the horrible bully really was awful, and yet even he got a bit of sympathy for something that had happened between him and Mary years before. All of the main characters had their ups and downs - their selfless and self-centred moments - over the course of the night, in a way that felt real to the heightened drama of the occasion. So, fun, but not as strong it could have been.
More positively, I really liked the fact that one of the possible outcomes of the night's big adventures was resisted . And the horrible bully really was awful, and yet even he got a bit of sympathy for something that had happened between him and Mary years before. All of the main characters had their ups and downs - their selfless and self-centred moments - over the course of the night, in a way that felt real to the heightened drama of the occasion. So, fun, but not as strong it could have been.
May 12, 2013
I had high hopes going into this book considering I was obsessed with Dreamland Social Club. SADLY I WAS LET DOWN. I was iffy about this book from the beginning but I felt I owed it to the author.
Here we go....
Okay first of all the description on the jacket is in no way an accurate representation of the novel. This was NOT a book about "coming-of-age" or "crushing-crushes".. it was more like "pointless-plot" and "psycho-love triangles".
One of the main things that pissed me off was the lack of depth especially to the main character Mary. There were things mentioned in the beginning, Georgetown, that had absolutely no other appearance in the rest of the novel. There were side notes and sub-plots, Eleanor, that had no affect on the actual story.
WHICH THERE WAS A LACK OF!!!!
No plot besides ooooooh lets go on a scavenger hunt ooh ooh AND EXCUSE ME THE ENDING OH MY GOD NO YOU JUST NO.
the love interests were just pathetic okay you don't go from loving someone and claiming to be their soulmate and then be okay when they move on nO THERE WAS NOT EVEN CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YOU TWO.
I was deeply disappointed but in all fairness I didn't have high hopes for this book in the beginning.
Here we go....
Okay first of all the description on the jacket is in no way an accurate representation of the novel. This was NOT a book about "coming-of-age" or "crushing-crushes".. it was more like "pointless-plot" and "psycho-love triangles".
One of the main things that pissed me off was the lack of depth especially to the main character Mary. There were things mentioned in the beginning, Georgetown, that had absolutely no other appearance in the rest of the novel. There were side notes and sub-plots, Eleanor, that had no affect on the actual story.
WHICH THERE WAS A LACK OF!!!!
No plot besides ooooooh lets go on a scavenger hunt ooh ooh AND EXCUSE ME THE ENDING OH MY GOD NO YOU JUST NO.
the love interests were just pathetic okay you don't go from loving someone and claiming to be their soulmate and then be okay when they move on nO THERE WAS NOT EVEN CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YOU TWO.
I was deeply disappointed but in all fairness I didn't have high hopes for this book in the beginning.
May 20, 2016
There was a lot I liked about this book, and there was a lot that I found annoying.
I dunno. I mean, I would definitely be down for participating in an epic night of scavenger hunting shenanigans. And I do think that one of the book's greatest strengths is that it manages to convey the sense of conflict and craziness that comes with graduating. I understand the whole "leaving your mark" mentality. But I'm not sure I buy into the whole "if we win the scavenger hunt, that'll really show Barbone and our other tormentors" mentality. It just seems dumb. Yeah, you managed to collect more arbitrary items than another group of people. That'll really stick it to them. It's even more irritating that Mary keeps trying to present her single-minded desire to win as a desire to gain victory for her friend Dez, rather than for herself.
(I guess that perhaps it boils down to Mary being a strong, clearly-defined character who is both unsympathetic and unlike me. Large parts of my personality are defined by my general apathy and disdain toward everything, whereas Mary is the kind of person who gets worked up about rites of passage and other people's drama and how people perceive her and just stuff. I'm all for non-conventional and unsympathetic protagonists, but I didn't really get along with her.)
I dunno. I mean, I would definitely be down for participating in an epic night of scavenger hunting shenanigans. And I do think that one of the book's greatest strengths is that it manages to convey the sense of conflict and craziness that comes with graduating. I understand the whole "leaving your mark" mentality. But I'm not sure I buy into the whole "if we win the scavenger hunt, that'll really show Barbone and our other tormentors" mentality. It just seems dumb. Yeah, you managed to collect more arbitrary items than another group of people. That'll really stick it to them. It's even more irritating that Mary keeps trying to present her single-minded desire to win as a desire to gain victory for her friend Dez, rather than for herself.
(I guess that perhaps it boils down to Mary being a strong, clearly-defined character who is both unsympathetic and unlike me. Large parts of my personality are defined by my general apathy and disdain toward everything, whereas Mary is the kind of person who gets worked up about rites of passage and other people's drama and how people perceive her and just stuff. I'm all for non-conventional and unsympathetic protagonists, but I didn't really get along with her.)
August 1, 2012
Verdict: Non-stop fun. While technically not a “summer” novel, it sure feels like one!
Perfect for: People who have had relationship drama. People who secretly like watching other peoples’ relationship drama (who doesn’t?). People who love lists and scavenger hunts (who doesn’t????)
Summary: Just before Senior graduation Mary and her friends Patrick, Dez, and Winter decide that they are tired of being semi-nobodies and that they will prove themselves by winning the annual end-of-year Senior scavenger hunt. Which is epic. Meanwhile, as the hunt goes on, MUCHO relationship drama happens because Mary had a crush on rival competitor Carson, who already has a girlfriend but might be breaking up with her maybe, but her best friend Patrick has a crush on her (Mary) and meanwhile Winter is acting weird and omg so much drama! But not annoying drama, don’t worry. Delicious drama, and totally relateable.
Read the rest of my review - and why I related to it so much personally - at LitHacker.com!
Perfect for: People who have had relationship drama. People who secretly like watching other peoples’ relationship drama (who doesn’t?). People who love lists and scavenger hunts (who doesn’t????)
Summary: Just before Senior graduation Mary and her friends Patrick, Dez, and Winter decide that they are tired of being semi-nobodies and that they will prove themselves by winning the annual end-of-year Senior scavenger hunt. Which is epic. Meanwhile, as the hunt goes on, MUCHO relationship drama happens because Mary had a crush on rival competitor Carson, who already has a girlfriend but might be breaking up with her maybe, but her best friend Patrick has a crush on her (Mary) and meanwhile Winter is acting weird and omg so much drama! But not annoying drama, don’t worry. Delicious drama, and totally relateable.
Read the rest of my review - and why I related to it so much personally - at LitHacker.com!
February 24, 2018
I would never claim that this is one of the greatest YA books ever, but wow, I enjoyed it! The scavenger hunt base is a great way to propel the story, and I loved that all the drama, tension, and angst of high school is explored in one action-filled day. I was instantly transported back to high school and all the feelings that are intrinsic to that period as I listed to this, and it made me overwhelming nostalgic for the optimism, fears, and hopes for the future that graduating seniors feel. At times, I wanted to yell at the characters to concentrate on the race instead of dealing with their issues, but those were what made the story meaningful.
June 1, 2014
I cannot believe how minuscule the ratings are for this book. I mean, COME ON. The book was fucking amazing. It was inspirational, it was fun. Mary may not be getting into Georgetown and Burke might be better than what we think of and Mary might be kind of a bitch and Mary might not be ending up with anyone BUT SERIOUSLY. This is the best book I've read in ages! I did not expect it actually. I took a break reading rock star romances and new adult dramas to make way for YA (because I read all genres) and look what that got me! SCAVENGER HUNT! AND BLUE OYSTER CULT!
This book is perfect! And no one will argue with me! End of discussion.
This book is perfect! And no one will argue with me! End of discussion.
March 13, 2013
What a great, fun, quick read! I loved the whole idea of this book, it being based behind a scavenger hunt. What a fun idea! I love reading the adventure the gang had. Of course there is girl drama along the way, but what high schooler doesn't have a little bit of drama in their life?
The only downfall I had to this book was I did feel a huge sense of character development in it and by the end I was wondering, well what now?
If your looking for a quick, fun read defiantly pick this book up!
The only downfall I had to this book was I did feel a huge sense of character development in it and by the end I was wondering, well what now?
If your looking for a quick, fun read defiantly pick this book up!
June 16, 2015
This book made me want to go on a scavenger hunt, and what a complicated scavenger hunt it was. This was just a fun light read, with a little teenage angst mixed in. Of course there was a complicated love triangle/Square, that left me wondering why any of these girls ever found that boy attractive, but fortunately I think they also came to that conclusion.it was about living in the moment, enjoying every day, and well just plain old growing up.
June 15, 2014
I have never hated a heroine like I have Mary Gilhooley-- and that includes Zoey Redbird from House of Night.
I wanted a fun, high-speed scavenger hunt with thrills and hilarity. I didn't really get it. I got a lot of whining instead.
I wanted a fun, high-speed scavenger hunt with thrills and hilarity. I didn't really get it. I got a lot of whining instead.
Read
March 5, 20153.5 i'd say
November 23, 2012
I didn't like the characters enough to excuse the teenagedness. Self absorbed twats.
October 6, 2014
This was one of those books where most of the characters were pretty horrible, and I couldn't understand why they had any friends or why I should care about what they did.
August 11, 2015
More like a 3.5
January 28, 2016
OHMYHECk!!! This book was crazy!! Super exciting!! Omg the love triangles and secrets. The ending was kind of disappointing and cliffhangerish but overall great!
September 28, 2017
I gave this book 3 stars because I absolutely love the whole scavenger hunt thing and I like books about road trips. While this wasn’t a road trip book per say, it did involve a group of friends driving around town together in the car so it still had that "this is the end of high school let’s make something of it!” vibe. It was a page turner and a super short read that you could do in one sitting if you want.
But all good books have to have some problems. First issue: the characters. I can honestly say that I didn’t like any of the characters except for maybe Dez. But of course Right out of the gate, I really disliked Mary. She was selfish and manipulative. She was obsessed with Carson and I hated how she just assumed that he was leaving his girlfriend for her. Mary also just felt too pushy with her friends. As I found myself being annoyed with her the characters themselves even seemed to be annoyed. I don’t know how many times there was a “let it go Mary” or “who cares Mary?” but it was often enough to show that she was a nuisance even to her friends. Then there’s Patrick. He seems like the kind of guy I would have loved to be friends with in high school. And overall he seemed like a pretty chill dude. What I didn’t like about him was how he kept throwing himself at Mary. Then there’s Winter. She was okay, I suppose. My biggest gripe was that she was just bratty most of the time. She wasn’t pleasant to read about for me. The rest of the characters were forgettable. As a group of four, the issue I had with them was that they were supposed to be four best friends and I didn’t get that. That close bond that I want best friends to have just wasn’t there. Maybe it’s just me and I’m being picky.
The other gripe I have for this story was the whole Jake Barbone thing. Mary HATES him the entire time and at the end of the day, he is a big jerk. But we find out later in the book that So I’m sorry Mary but maybe there’s a reason Jake hates you and your friends. Just sayin’.
Other than what I mentioned above I still enjoyed this story. I thought the ending was great I wish I had liked the characters a bit more, but hey, it was so short I was able to deal with them. I definitely would recommend this book to someone still in high school, especially a senior. Honestly the scavenger hunt thing sounds so fun and I have no idea why more high schools have never thought to do this! So if you go to high school try a senior scavenger hunt! Just don’t do anything illegal!
But all good books have to have some problems. First issue: the characters. I can honestly say that I didn’t like any of the characters except for maybe Dez. But of course Right out of the gate, I really disliked Mary. She was selfish and manipulative. She was obsessed with Carson and I hated how she just assumed that he was leaving his girlfriend for her. Mary also just felt too pushy with her friends. As I found myself being annoyed with her the characters themselves even seemed to be annoyed. I don’t know how many times there was a “let it go Mary” or “who cares Mary?” but it was often enough to show that she was a nuisance even to her friends. Then there’s Patrick. He seems like the kind of guy I would have loved to be friends with in high school. And overall he seemed like a pretty chill dude. What I didn’t like about him was how he kept throwing himself at Mary. Then there’s Winter. She was okay, I suppose. My biggest gripe was that she was just bratty most of the time. She wasn’t pleasant to read about for me. The rest of the characters were forgettable. As a group of four, the issue I had with them was that they were supposed to be four best friends and I didn’t get that. That close bond that I want best friends to have just wasn’t there. Maybe it’s just me and I’m being picky.
The other gripe I have for this story was the whole Jake Barbone thing. Mary HATES him the entire time and at the end of the day, he is a big jerk. But we find out later in the book that So I’m sorry Mary but maybe there’s a reason Jake hates you and your friends. Just sayin’.
Other than what I mentioned above I still enjoyed this story. I thought the ending was great I wish I had liked the characters a bit more, but hey, it was so short I was able to deal with them. I definitely would recommend this book to someone still in high school, especially a senior. Honestly the scavenger hunt thing sounds so fun and I have no idea why more high schools have never thought to do this! So if you go to high school try a senior scavenger hunt! Just don’t do anything illegal!
May 5, 2017
2 stars seems a little harsh for this 2.5 star book but here GR 2 stars means It was ok and 3 stars means I liked it and overall I really thought this book was ok.
Maybe I really am getting too old for YA because I feel like the characters in all the YA books I'm reading these days are these cringe-worthy hipsters. Maybe I just have to accept it? I really don't like them as protagonist though. It's sad...
There was one guy dressed with rainbow colored suspenders, high socks, a bowtie and I was just like WHAT?! Seriously?
Besides that the MC was whiny and mean. It's kind of acknowledged in the book but it doesn't make her change. The climax of the story felt a bit anti-climatic. I really though that Dez and that jock guy were secret lovers but it turned out not to be the case (was I the only one?).
The one thing I found refreshing was how the MC turned down this guy who liked her who in many other books would have been her stereotypical love interest. It was done in a natural way (kinda) and I thought it was interesting.
The concept of the scavenger hunt was very interesting but the groups didn't mess with each other enough so I didn't find it that fun. The two instances of one group messing with another group were mean and not funny. I felt like this story could have used some playfulness and humor. Instead it was bogged down by all this drama of unrequited love and high school nostalgia.
Oh well...at least it was a fast read :)
Maybe I really am getting too old for YA because I feel like the characters in all the YA books I'm reading these days are these cringe-worthy hipsters. Maybe I just have to accept it? I really don't like them as protagonist though. It's sad...
There was one guy dressed with rainbow colored suspenders, high socks, a bowtie and I was just like WHAT?! Seriously?
Besides that the MC was whiny and mean. It's kind of acknowledged in the book but it doesn't make her change. The climax of the story felt a bit anti-climatic. I really though that Dez and that jock guy were secret lovers but it turned out not to be the case (was I the only one?).
The one thing I found refreshing was how the MC turned down this guy who liked her who in many other books would have been her stereotypical love interest. It was done in a natural way (kinda) and I thought it was interesting.
The concept of the scavenger hunt was very interesting but the groups didn't mess with each other enough so I didn't find it that fun. The two instances of one group messing with another group were mean and not funny. I felt like this story could have used some playfulness and humor. Instead it was bogged down by all this drama of unrequited love and high school nostalgia.
Oh well...at least it was a fast read :)
October 28, 2025
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life follows high school senior Mary and her friends, Patrick, Winter, and Dez. They are planning to make this scavenger hunt their last hurrah after four years of being slighted and bullied by Jack Barbone and his popular crowd. But when alliances shift and all manner of drama breaks loose, Mary's team must come up with a new strategy to stay in the game.
The scavenger hunt was a good overarching plot, and it was fun to read the list of scavenger items. The hunt takes place over twelve hours with two separate scavenger lists.
The relationships in this book are quite interesting. There was friendship, romance, and unrequited love. The main character, Mary, was not the easiest protagonist to like, but she was only a high school senior, so I tried to remember that. I did enjoy the story even though I'm not the target audience for this genre. I liked the premise of the book and thought it was written very well.
This book was really quick and easy to read, so if you're looking for a quirky summer novel that really encapsulates the idea of doing something fun before you head off to a new stage in life, this book might appeal to you.
The scavenger hunt was a good overarching plot, and it was fun to read the list of scavenger items. The hunt takes place over twelve hours with two separate scavenger lists.
The relationships in this book are quite interesting. There was friendship, romance, and unrequited love. The main character, Mary, was not the easiest protagonist to like, but she was only a high school senior, so I tried to remember that. I did enjoy the story even though I'm not the target audience for this genre. I liked the premise of the book and thought it was written very well.
This book was really quick and easy to read, so if you're looking for a quirky summer novel that really encapsulates the idea of doing something fun before you head off to a new stage in life, this book might appeal to you.
September 21, 2022
2.5 Stars
This book is very suitable to people who want to feel nostalgic to their high school days, and I really wish if there are more books with this vibe
the story takes place in one night .. the night before graduation, when seniors decides to make a scavenger hunt to win the ultimate price, and we will follow Mary, who has a crush on her classmate Cameron, but he has a girlfriend, but he will break up with her soon, and her best friend Parker is in love with her but she can't return that love .. it will be an exciting night filled with adventure (and maybe some injuries) as we follow the four best friends Mary, Winter, Diz and Parker ..
I really wanted to give this book more than three stars, but man it was really pointless and nothing was happening .. it really dragged with me until the end, the story is simple and quick but no development was happening .. I think " Today, Tonight, Tomorrow" is a way better alternative than this one
This book is very suitable to people who want to feel nostalgic to their high school days, and I really wish if there are more books with this vibe
the story takes place in one night .. the night before graduation, when seniors decides to make a scavenger hunt to win the ultimate price, and we will follow Mary, who has a crush on her classmate Cameron, but he has a girlfriend, but he will break up with her soon, and her best friend Parker is in love with her but she can't return that love .. it will be an exciting night filled with adventure (and maybe some injuries) as we follow the four best friends Mary, Winter, Diz and Parker ..
I really wanted to give this book more than three stars, but man it was really pointless and nothing was happening .. it really dragged with me until the end, the story is simple and quick but no development was happening .. I think " Today, Tonight, Tomorrow" is a way better alternative than this one
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