What do you think?
Rate this book
Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player
I feel like I'm about to pass out, but that won't do much for my new reputation as a non-dork, so I bury my head in the Book instead. There's not much there, really―just the senior portrait of every girl in my class, and below each photo, space for me to record her measurements―once I get her measurements, that is. From his flute-playing prowess to his nerdy reputation, Kevin Mopsely epitomizes uncool. When popular jock Brandon Trent appoints Kevin to compile the Book of Busts―a record of the bust, waist, and hip measurements of every senior girl―Kevin fears he's out of his league. The Book, however, is the key to his popularity, so Kevin accepts the challenge―uncovering much more than he bargained for in the process. Busted is a hilarious and provocative debut that tackles the intricate issues of first love, testosterone-laden peer pressure, feminism, and "GRRL power" with a fresh and unique voice that will appeal to both male and female teenage readers.
- GenresYoung AdultHumorFiction
264 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Antony John
16 books429 followersAntony John was born in England and raised on a balanced diet of fish and chips, obscure British comedies, and ABBA's Greatest Hits. In a fit of teenage rebellion, he decided to pursue a career in classical music, culminating in a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Duke University. Along the way, he worked as an ice cream seller on a freezing English beach, a tour guide in the Netherlands, a chauffeur in Switzerland, a barista in Seattle, and a university professor. Writing by night, he spends his days as a stay-at-home dad—the only job that allows him to wear his favorite pair of sweatpants all the time. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 5, 2009
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to others. The author has a great knack for making the characters believable, and the humor is spot on. There were many places where I laughed out loud - always a good thing in a book!
Kevin, the main character, is a flute-playing dork who longs to be considered cool. With only a few months left before he graduates high school, this doesn't seem likely... until he accidentally volunteers (a funny scene in itself!) for compiling the "Book of Busts" (measurements of all the senior class girls) for the popular jock crowd. Suddenly, he's one of the cool guys and, by association, one of the most desired guys on campus; girls are inviting him out, guys want to hang out with him, and so on. Since this is his first taste of popularity, Kevin doesn't quite know how to handle it all; he's oblivious to the games the popular girls are playing with him, and he doesn't know how to balance his new friends with his old friends, who aren't very happy about his involvement in this sketchy project.
What I loved about this book is that I could feel everything Kevin felt, wanting to fit in with the crowd and not thinking rationally enough to understand when people are messing with his head (although I did see it, I could understand how he missed it). The humor was perfect - not overstated or drawn out, but simple and very, very funny. I loved how the characters were not just one-dimensional; even the minor characters were well thought out and believable. And I loved how the book also showed Kevin interacting with his parents instead of ignoring his family dynamics for a book centered only on students.
Although I had a feeling I knew how the book would end (and I was right), that wasn't the point of the novel; how it got to the end was fun and kept me turning pages. There aren't a lot of teen books with a male main character - at least not in comparison to those starring a female - and even fewer that would appeal to readers of both sexes. This is one of those books that I think anyone could enjoy. I am excited to read the next book the author comes out with!
Kevin, the main character, is a flute-playing dork who longs to be considered cool. With only a few months left before he graduates high school, this doesn't seem likely... until he accidentally volunteers (a funny scene in itself!) for compiling the "Book of Busts" (measurements of all the senior class girls) for the popular jock crowd. Suddenly, he's one of the cool guys and, by association, one of the most desired guys on campus; girls are inviting him out, guys want to hang out with him, and so on. Since this is his first taste of popularity, Kevin doesn't quite know how to handle it all; he's oblivious to the games the popular girls are playing with him, and he doesn't know how to balance his new friends with his old friends, who aren't very happy about his involvement in this sketchy project.
What I loved about this book is that I could feel everything Kevin felt, wanting to fit in with the crowd and not thinking rationally enough to understand when people are messing with his head (although I did see it, I could understand how he missed it). The humor was perfect - not overstated or drawn out, but simple and very, very funny. I loved how the characters were not just one-dimensional; even the minor characters were well thought out and believable. And I loved how the book also showed Kevin interacting with his parents instead of ignoring his family dynamics for a book centered only on students.
Although I had a feeling I knew how the book would end (and I was right), that wasn't the point of the novel; how it got to the end was fun and kept me turning pages. There aren't a lot of teen books with a male main character - at least not in comparison to those starring a female - and even fewer that would appeal to readers of both sexes. This is one of those books that I think anyone could enjoy. I am excited to read the next book the author comes out with!
May 19, 2009
i really wanted to like this book.
kevin is an average guy with major flute talent who has made it to his senior year of high school without dating anyone. he's got good friends- abby, for instance, who lives next door, but he abruptly decides he wants to become popular for the last few months of school. he does this by joining some popular dudes in the Senior Rituals, a stupid school tradition in which the soon to be graduating senior guys do three idiotic things:
1. write horrible things about girls on bathroom stalls
2. compile an alternative yearbook- there aren't really any details on this
3. compile the book of busts listing the measurements of every girl in the senior class.
kevin accidentally volunteers to be in charge of the third, misunderstanding what is meant by "busts." thus kevin is magically and unrealistically deemed popular! by the head jock, brandon, and suddenly cheerleaders start asking him out on dates so that they can use him to sneak "better" measurements for themselves into the book. meanwhile, kevin must hide his involvement from his mom, a feminist professor, who has come to his school to teach sessions on gender studies for the rest of the semester. but she finds out and kevin is forced to reexamine his involvement.
i liked that this book urges students of both genders to be intolerant to the sexism so commonly found in high schools. but i hate HATE HATED the ending, in which kevin saves a cheerleader from being pawed by brandon at the prom. he does this by throwing brandon across the room, and the cheerleader then thanks kevin for saving her.
DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS???
kevin is an average guy with major flute talent who has made it to his senior year of high school without dating anyone. he's got good friends- abby, for instance, who lives next door, but he abruptly decides he wants to become popular for the last few months of school. he does this by joining some popular dudes in the Senior Rituals, a stupid school tradition in which the soon to be graduating senior guys do three idiotic things:
1. write horrible things about girls on bathroom stalls
2. compile an alternative yearbook- there aren't really any details on this
3. compile the book of busts listing the measurements of every girl in the senior class.
kevin accidentally volunteers to be in charge of the third, misunderstanding what is meant by "busts." thus kevin is magically and unrealistically deemed popular! by the head jock, brandon, and suddenly cheerleaders start asking him out on dates so that they can use him to sneak "better" measurements for themselves into the book. meanwhile, kevin must hide his involvement from his mom, a feminist professor, who has come to his school to teach sessions on gender studies for the rest of the semester. but she finds out and kevin is forced to reexamine his involvement.
i liked that this book urges students of both genders to be intolerant to the sexism so commonly found in high schools. but i hate HATE HATED the ending, in which kevin saves a cheerleader from being pawed by brandon at the prom. he does this by throwing brandon across the room, and the cheerleader then thanks kevin for saving her.
DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS???
September 6, 2009
Not quite as good as I'd hopd, but afun read, nonetheless. Kevin is a likeable guy, but some of the characters are a bit too stereotyped and in some cases, just plain unbelievable (his dad, for one!). Still, I continued on with the book, if nothing more than to cheer on the GRRLS.
March 23, 2010
I couldn't finish this story about an uncool boy who desperately wants to be cool and how he betrays his friends to get there. It was all just too obvious. He's going to be really stupid and then really contrite and finally he's going to grow up.
March 1, 2018
AWESOME!!!!!
This book is completely different from all of the books I read. It's full of drama and things that make you say, "Why did he do that!?!?" I also got this as something I could read occasionally but I ended up reading it and finishing it in the same night. Awesome book and I definitely recommend it to people who love to read. But more specifically middle school and up.
This book is completely different from all of the books I read. It's full of drama and things that make you say, "Why did he do that!?!?" I also got this as something I could read occasionally but I ended up reading it and finishing it in the same night. Awesome book and I definitely recommend it to people who love to read. But more specifically middle school and up.
March 12, 2014
If you only read the first half of this, you'll think it's a terrible misogynistic book. But then you realize that things like The Red Pill exist in the world, meaning that some people actually act this way (which is pretty saddening, quite honestly).
Kevin is innocent, inexperienced, and desperate. He also has a really skewed idea of popularity. Some parts were pretty funny (like the ending scene!). Others were way too melodramatic and angsty. I really liked the premise of the book, but it wasn't carried out very successfully.
The thing is, I can't tell if this book was meant to be satirical or not. I'm not sure how seriously it took itself. Because if this was all an intentionally overdrawn farce, it was perfect. If not, it tried critiquing gender roles, sexism, sexuality, and feminism with a really distorted perspective that only propagates sexist behaviour. I think a lot of it was meant to be exaggerated, but some of the underlying assumptions about society detracted from the story. I don't think it's fair to assume that so many more men are male-elitist and self-righteous. There's the other side of the coin too (kind of depicted in Paige, but definitely not to the same extent as the Brandons, Jeffries, Zachs, and even parents). You can't say "boys will be boys," because that's what prevents different behaviour. It's a disservice to men to say that Kevin should be held outside the norm as someone "different from the rest." Even Kalowski's behaviour treats the young men as lost causes. And if no one is there to wake them up, these issues will only continue to fester. Putting them aside or punishing them does not change anything.
Also, there were some seriously bad parents here. Some scenes physically and mentally repulsed me, but I think (or at least, I hope) that was the point.
Rah rah, GRRLS...?! Maybe...?!
Kevin is innocent, inexperienced, and desperate. He also has a really skewed idea of popularity. Some parts were pretty funny (like the ending scene!). Others were way too melodramatic and angsty. I really liked the premise of the book, but it wasn't carried out very successfully.
The thing is, I can't tell if this book was meant to be satirical or not. I'm not sure how seriously it took itself. Because if this was all an intentionally overdrawn farce, it was perfect. If not, it tried critiquing gender roles, sexism, sexuality, and feminism with a really distorted perspective that only propagates sexist behaviour. I think a lot of it was meant to be exaggerated, but some of the underlying assumptions about society detracted from the story. I don't think it's fair to assume that so many more men are male-elitist and self-righteous. There's the other side of the coin too (kind of depicted in Paige, but definitely not to the same extent as the Brandons, Jeffries, Zachs, and even parents). You can't say "boys will be boys," because that's what prevents different behaviour. It's a disservice to men to say that Kevin should be held outside the norm as someone "different from the rest." Even Kalowski's behaviour treats the young men as lost causes. And if no one is there to wake them up, these issues will only continue to fester. Putting them aside or punishing them does not change anything.
Also, there were some seriously bad parents here. Some scenes physically and mentally repulsed me, but I think (or at least, I hope) that was the point.
Rah rah, GRRLS...?! Maybe...?!
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Rebecca Wells for TeensReadToo.com
Brookbank High is a typical high school, complete with jocks, cheerleaders, and social misfits, including one Kevin Mopsely.
Kevin has the misfortune of playing the flute - and playing it well. He has never been popular, until an accidental encounter with the senior class's infamous Graduation Rituals committee leaves him in charge of compiling the notorious Book of Busts, a book containing the physical measurements of each girl in the senior class.
Suddenly, Kevin finds himself in with an entirely new crowd, and he's finding that his newfound popularity isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. It seems as though everyone is beginning to hate him, including his best friend, Abby White, a girl with whom he just might be in love.
Can he figure out how to make things right before it's too late?
Antony John plunges the reader deep into the treacherous waters of high school with this lighthearted book. His characters are genuine, and his dialogue is quick and snappy. While some situations appear contrived, and the plot progresses predictably, BUSTED remains an entertaining and fun read.
Brookbank High is a typical high school, complete with jocks, cheerleaders, and social misfits, including one Kevin Mopsely.
Kevin has the misfortune of playing the flute - and playing it well. He has never been popular, until an accidental encounter with the senior class's infamous Graduation Rituals committee leaves him in charge of compiling the notorious Book of Busts, a book containing the physical measurements of each girl in the senior class.
Suddenly, Kevin finds himself in with an entirely new crowd, and he's finding that his newfound popularity isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. It seems as though everyone is beginning to hate him, including his best friend, Abby White, a girl with whom he just might be in love.
Can he figure out how to make things right before it's too late?
Antony John plunges the reader deep into the treacherous waters of high school with this lighthearted book. His characters are genuine, and his dialogue is quick and snappy. While some situations appear contrived, and the plot progresses predictably, BUSTED remains an entertaining and fun read.
June 28, 2015
A book written by a man about a teenager tasked with collecting the breast measurements of the girls in his year - you would think you would know who the target audience is. Well not exactly.
Starting off with the positives - its a really easy read and considering this is the authors first published book he has done a great job.
The negatives: it gets very preachy during the final third of the book with a strong feminist message being given to the reader. The fact that the cheerleaders kept giving Kevin their measurements did not seem to be that unusual to him where to me this was very odd and something was clearly being planned by the girls.
You would think the book is aimed at young adult males, and yet the message given seems to imply the book is intended to be read by females - although I'm not sure if this is something they would read either. But what do I know.
One last comment. The book cover is poor and the writing is better than the cover suggests.
Starting off with the positives - its a really easy read and considering this is the authors first published book he has done a great job.
The negatives: it gets very preachy during the final third of the book with a strong feminist message being given to the reader. The fact that the cheerleaders kept giving Kevin their measurements did not seem to be that unusual to him where to me this was very odd and something was clearly being planned by the girls.
You would think the book is aimed at young adult males, and yet the message given seems to imply the book is intended to be read by females - although I'm not sure if this is something they would read either. But what do I know.
One last comment. The book cover is poor and the writing is better than the cover suggests.
July 25, 2014
This story is about a boy named Kevin who is nerdy and a genius when it comes to the flute. But this all changes when he goes to a meeting about graduation rituals with the "popular" boys at school. Everything is going great until he gets a little too prideful and his best friend, Abby, and his other classmates put him back into his place. I think the book was good. I think the book was good. I didn't like the beginning because it was kind of dry and boring but towards the middle it gets really interesting.
Kyla, Age 13
Kyla, Age 13
November 27, 2010
This book moved along so quickly, telling a very interesting story about a high school senior who tries to live a double-life and keep both groups he is hanging out with from knowing that he still hangs out with the other. That's a great source for conflict. Having been outside the popular group myself, I understand some of what the character is thinking. I do think this is a book I'll have my kids read when they get a little closer to high school.
October 9, 2012
It was sooo funny! I loved all the awkward situations this guy was put into, especially
July 3, 2009
this was in okay book i have read a lot better
October 16, 2012
It was pretty good, it had funny parts, but the ending was pretty lame. Over all recommended for young men and women.
March 23, 2014
oh, ech. This book just sucked in an extra-ordinary way.
August 24, 2009
Fantastic!
January 26, 2011
Cute, fun but not earth-shattering. I'm a sucker for male pov. He was a cutie.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews