Project Sweet Life

by Brent Hartinger

For most kids, fifteen is the year of the optional summer job: Sure, you can get a job if you really want one, but it isn't required or anything. Too bad Dave's dad doesn't agree! Instead of enjoying long days of biking, swimming, and sitting around, Dave and his two best friends are being forced by their fathers into a summer of hard labor.

The friends have something else in mind, though: Not only will they not work over the summer, but they're determined to trick everyone into believing they really do have jobs. So what if the lifeguard doesn't have a tan or the fast-food worker isn't bringing home buckets of free chicken? There's only one problem: Dave's dad wants evidence that his son is actually bringing in money. And that means Dave, Curtis, and Victor will have to get some . . . without breaking the law and without doing any work!

Project Sweet Life is designed for the funny and lazy bone in all of us—a true comedy of errors (without any effort!) from seasoned storyteller Brent Hartinger.

Genres: Young Adult, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Friendship, Summer

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

I am Brent Hartinger, a novelist and screenwriter. I’ve published fourteen novels and had two of my books turned into feature films — with several more movies still in the works. One of my movies even co-starred SUPERMAN's David Corenswet.

I try hard to write books that are page-turners and commercial (and movies that are fast-paced and accessible). If I had to describe my own writing projects, I would say, “Strong central concept, strong plot, strong character and voice. Not artsy, self-indulgent, or pretentious, but still thoughtful and smart with something to say.”

I mostly write YA books — LGBTQ and thrillers, sometimes LGBTQ thrillers. My first novel, GEOGRAPHY CLUB (2003) was one of the first in a new wave of break-out LGBTQ young adult fiction, and it was adapted as a feature film in 2013.

My latest book is INFINITE DRIFT (2025), a mind-bending YA supernatural thriller with a bonkers bisexual love triangle.

Here are all my books:

STANDALONE BOOKS
* Infinite Drift
* Project Pay Day
* Three Truths and a Lie
* Grand & Humble
* Shadow Walkers

THE OTTO DIGMORE SERIES
* The Otto Digmore Difference (book 1)
* The Otto Digmore Decision (book 2)

RUSSEL MIDDLEBROOK: THE FUTON YEARS
* The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know (book #1)
* Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams (book #2)
* The Road to Amazing (book #3)

THE RUSSEL MIDDLEBROOK SERIES
* Geography Club (book #1)
* The Order of the Poison Oak (book #2)
* Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (book #3)
* The Elephant of Surprise (book #4)

I answer all questions, so feel free to contact me on social media, or through my website: BrentHartinger.com

Cheers!

Brent Hartinger

Reviews

[Miste · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't even get me started on the fact that the three boys in the book lied to their parents all summer. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why I didn't like this book. Then there is the unrealstic "adventures" the boys get up to to try an earn money (like a garage sale that nets almost $6000--get real). How about gay uncles that are so much cooler, understanding and helpful than the actual parents. Who likes stereotypes whether they are good or bad. This book totally bugged me and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (from the middle school reading list where I work--that is the only reason i read it or finished it once I started)

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're on the home stretch to summer, so here's a book about summer. More specifically, how fifteen year old Dave, Curtis, and Spencer work all summer so that they don't have to get jobs. I've read and enjoyed many of Brent Hartinger's previous books, but the first two chapters had me wary. First I had to get over the premise - their dads want them to work, they don't want to. Dave and friends act like at fifteen its optional to work in the summer, but at sixteen it's required. (Yes, once you start working you will be expected to keep it up, but there's no set date to start.) It just weirded me out how much these upper middle class kids considered summer jobs necessary even beyond what their parents thought about it. My friends and I lived in households with less income and didn't feel the pressure as much as these kids. Plenty of sixteen year olds, seventeen year olds, and so on don't get summer jobs.

Then, the second chapter is their first plan to get out of working: they'll sell their valuable personal belongings and use the money to fake an income. The flaw they don't acknowledge: they'd get to spend the rest of the summer palling around without possessions. After the sale they realize there's no longer any comfort in their hideaway, but before it's oddly a non-issue.

After that point their plans to get rich quick became more surreal and the book became more enjoyable as it detached from reality. For those who hate plots fueled by coincidence, PROJECT SWEET LIFE is not the book to pick up. For me, the device worked. The outlandishness and neatness kept me from picking too much at the premise.

Hartinger also uses the city's geography to good effect. I enjoyed the note at the end about the actual history of Tacoma as I was wondering what was real and what was made up. He weaved it in well, so that I didn't feel lost even though I've never been anywhere near Tacoma or to a city with similar infrastructure.

I enjoyed watching things fall together, as what seemed to be one-shot episodes pulled together into a cohesive whole. Dave, Curtis, and Victor all had fun personalities and it was interesting to see what each of them proposed as a way to earn money. (My favorite was using math for a jelly beans in a jar contest - I did that as a kid and won a couple of times, for a much smaller prize.) There are two love interests for Curtis and Victor, Haleigh and Lani, but they don't show up enough for actual relationships to be developed or for their characters to be explored. The most interesting side character is the Chinese restaurant waitress. I wish I knew where she got her information.

Overall, PROJECT SWEET LIFE was a fun book for summer. The contents may inspire you to go outside and do something with friends rather than stay in and read. (Not that you can't read with friends. This is especially fun if you go to a store and sit together, reading the same book for the first time.) It is available now from HarperTeen, as are Hartinger's previous books, including THE LAST CHANCE TEXACO and the oft-banned GEOGRAPHY CLUB.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave has gotten some horrible news from his dad. It seems that his father is going to require him to get a summer job. Everyone knows that the summer when someone is 15 years old is a time when getting a job is optional, but that is proving not to be the case. Some would find the fact that his best friends Victor and Curtis are getting the same requirement from their dads, but that quickly proves to not be the case. The three guys decide that they want to have one last summer to enjoy the sweet life before they fall into a lifetime of employment.

In order to do so, each of the guys agrees to take a job and pretends to interview for and get the job. They then just have to come up with the right get-rich-quick scheme so they can make enough money to prove they worked while leaving most of their time to just sit back and relax.

The novel then falls into a farcical and campy comedy of errors as the boys come up with one scheme after the next only to find it fall totally apart. They try everything from a garage sale (minus one garage) to guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar to treasure hunting and on to even trying to catch bank robbers.

I could easily see this being a wonderful comedy film with lots of physical humor. The storyline definitely relies on a series of coincidences, but the reader is willing to accept them to see just how bad the boy's luck really can get.

Dave, Victor and Curtis, are regular guys just looking to find some easy money and find themselves pulled into the flawed racial history of Tacoma, their city, while also coming to realize that sometimes you just can't get away from work and that work can actually be fun sometimes.

This is a nice light-hearted and fun read for those looking to sit back and just enjoy some time off. I would bet that goal is easier to get for the reader of this book than it was for the three guys starring in it.

[Cornmaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just a fun book! I laughed out loud many times, but that is probably my adult perspective.
Three 15 year old boys, who are best friends, are told by the fathers, who work with each other, that they must get a summer job, and they are not getting their allowance anymore. They are SHOCKED!! Because they feel this is such a grave injustice (the last summer of freedom before you HAVE to get a job), they embark on a scheme to make money fast without doing any work.

Their get rick quick schemes are so over the top and ridiculous that you just have to laugh. They reminded me of Ralph Kramden and his schemes on The Honeymooners. Of course, they all fail, and miserably. What I loved what Hartinger's portrayal of the 15 year old thinking process - totally clueless, and therefore dead on.

The writing's not Pulizter quality, and the outcome is way too neat, but it could be a great summer read, and a welcome break from teenage problem novels. These kids are all in well adjusted homes and are all well adjusted themselves. I don't think high school kids would enjoy it, even though the protagonists are high schoolers - it's really for middle school, and even a little younger, but more advanced reader.

Plus there's some historical stuff regarding Tacoma, Washington history and injustices brought upon Chinese residents/immigrants of the 1800s, and that was interesting to learn.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I was a bit weary when I began Project Sweet Life mostly because it was being narrated by a boy named Dave. As you may have noticed already, most of the books I tend to read are narrated by girls, so in reading this I was expecting a big change of tone. Though, by the end, I came to enjoy reading about Dave and his friends, and more importantly I came to love Project Sweet Life which was just as sweet as the title.

The characters were probably my favorite part. I loved how Brent created three very different guys in Victor, Dave, and Curtis. You see Victor was the typical goody two shoes who did what he was told and didn't think otherwise while Curtis was a type of boy who told lies or as he called it " avoided the truth." And Dave? Well, he was in between, since he was kind of a mix of the two. Anyway, I loved the dialogue and friendship between them. Plus, they got into plenty of funny situations. My only problems was that they seemed to be a bit immature at times, though now that I think about it most boys mature differently then girls.

The plot and writing were also well done. Project Sweet Life was filled with twists and turns and you were constantly rooting for them to find a way to get the 7,000 dollars they needed to trick their parents.

While Project Sweet Life was my first time reading a Brent Hartinger, it certainly won't be my last. This is definitely recommend.

Grade: A-

[Sarah BT · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another gem from the ALSC conference I attended several months ago, so thank you HarperTeen for treating us librarians to such great books! When I first read the summary, I immediately thought of my brother. He's fifteen and this sounded exactly like something he would try and plan.
When I finally got around to reading it, I wish I had started it sooner. This book was hilarious and had me turning pages to see what the next Project Sweet Life plan would be. The best part was that none of it ever felt like it was unrealistic-I really believed that the crazy adventures and money schemes could actually work!
Author Brent Hartinger has the perfect voice of teen boys. His characters sounded exactly like the teen boys I know. This would make a great pick for reluctant readers but is still a great treat for those who love reading. I can't wait to share this with my teens.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three boys embark on a journey to do as little as possible, but enjoy their summer instead of working as their father's have demanded. So, instead of getting a job, their job all summer is to find the money that they would generally make in the summer in a few shots. When their first turn sour (a high-end garage sale or guessing jelly beans at a mall contest) they have to get a little more creative and get involved in less plausible pursuits (foiling bank robberies and eventually discovering priceless coins worth millions). The reader continually thinks about when they will be caught, which only comes because the narrator spills the beans to his father after essentially being guilted into it, yet to the victor comes the spoils because their coin find nets them some sweet things back in their bomb shelter pad and some notoriety in the neighborhood.

[Angel V]

Project Sweet Life is about Dave and his two best friends and their crazy summer adventure. After their parents force them to get a summer jobs, they try to find another way they can get money without actually working. There goal is to raise at least 7,000 dollars. They come up with many ways, like selling their personal belongings, even trying to win a contest. After many unfortunate events they have to work harder and harder, which also means they have to lie more and more to their parents. After many struggles they manage to accurate the money just in time, but their parents find out about the lies. Although they were punished, they are still very satisfied with what the did during their summer vacation.

This story showed not just the character but also the readers. One of the main messages I got out of this book was that you should never gave because if you try hard enough you will get what you want. Me being almost the same age as the main characters this really impacted me. This book also showed lots of examples of teamwork. The three teenage boys worked along slide each to get what they all wanted. I can relate to this with me and my friends, when we want to do or get something, such as simply making a smoothie, we come up with ideas and work together.

In my opinion this is a great book, especially for the young audience. This book is told from the perspective of three young boys, this means that the younger audience can relate and understand the book easier. The book has a great message. A message that can really impact the reader. This book is also very entertaining. There are moments were you can't put the book down because you can't wait to find out the result.

I strongly recommend this book, especially to teenagers. This is a great book for people who like books that are adventures. The book is non-fiction, so if love adventures books that are not fiction, then this is the perfect book. 10/10 rating. 100% read Angel Villalon

[Davon Davon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was called Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger. The book took place in Tacoma, Washington the main characters are Dave's dad, Dave, Victor and curtis. I found this book in my school library looking for a book to read for my SSR unit Iread the first few pages and was interested.


The book started with Dave, Curtis and Victor's first day of summer vacation. While eating dinner that night Daves dad thought it was time for Dave to get a summer job. He thought he was old enough to start working. But Dave didn't agree Dave thought this would be his last summer to have freedom. So he hoped his dad would forget and he would be fine but then his dad remembered and his 2 friends' parents also thought it was time for their kids to also get a job. So they all started figuring out ways to get the amount of money they would make at a job over summer all at once and just lied about having jobs so they did that. Dave worked at a pool and Curtis and Victor also got a job in fast food. But little did their parents know they didn't actually when it was time to go to their jobs they would meet up at their bunker and come up with ways to make the money.


I thought this book was very interesting. The suspense would die off then shoot back fast. They would have ideas to make the money they need and go about those ideas but something would shut them down. So it was always wanting you to read more. My favorite part was when Daves dad wanted to come to Daves ‘’job’’ so Dave had to dress up as a lifeguard and go to the pool.


I would recommend this book to anyone that likes books that die off for a sec then shoot back. But also people that like problem solving.

[Truman Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My book was Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger. This book is about three teenagers who don't want summer jobs and find other ways to make money. In the book, I liked that it was an easy book to read and a fun book. I also liked how it was being told from the perspective of a kid who is my age. My favorite character was probably Curtis because he was that one friend who always knew how to lighten up a bad situation, and that made him feel real to me. The story/ plot didn't make me guess because the book felt very predictable, and to be honest, it was a rushed book. The ending didn't make a lot of sense to me. The book did not make me cry or laugh because I don't get into books that much, and two, it wasn't sad, but the book made me happy. The story did not make me keep turning pages, but it was interesting. One thing I didn't like about the book is how few characters were in it; in total, there were 11 characters in the whole book. No, I didn't find the end frustrating because it wasn't a cliffhanger. No, it was easy to care about the charter because they felt like my friends. The story focuses on themes that I did not find interesting. This book was overall okay. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers because it was a little childish.
I would give this book 3 - 5 stars.

[Blake Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The name of my book is Project sweet life. It is by Brent Hartinger.

Have you ever tried to make money by doing nothing? This book is about kids that are forced to get jobs over the summer. The kids that are forced to get jobs are not happy about that because their ideal summer is playing video games and hanging out. They make a plan to still be able to hang out and still make money. They all get different jobs and try their plan.


The internal conflict is character vs self because they are thinking if they should or shouldn’t skip the job because what if they got caught. The external conflict is character vs character because the dad are making the kids get jobs but the kids don’t want to get jobs so they argue. I liked this book because I could actually relate to the book. I would rate this book a 8 out of 10 because it was not really my level reading. I would recommend this realistic fiction book to someone in 4th-8th grade.

[IOmar Rangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserves a 4 star because it is really good and it’s a book that really catches your attention. It shows how young teenagers should actually work for what they want in life. But it also shows how much of a struggle making that much money can be. The reasons it’s not 5 stars because it’s missing a few small details. That matter like how far they went when they ran out of the building because they didn’t get the money.

[WKPL Children's/YA Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Lori read this book and thought it would be a great read for boys! All main characters are male and the idea they come up with is ingenius. Or is it??? 5th through 8th graders will enjoy!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying, funny read about friendship, choices, and growing up.

[Lisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age R: 12+
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Thoughts:
Project Sweet life is the story about fifteen year old Dave and his two best friends, Curtis and Victor. The day right before their summer vacation begins, their dads spring this crazy order on them, they have to get a job. They absolutely cannot have this! I mean they're only fifteen! They shouldn't have to work, besides they had everything planned out for the summer. Since they don't want this job thing ruining their vacation they decide to come up with the cash they would have made working all summer ($7,000 bucks to be exact) in a quick way so that they have the rest of the summer to do what they had been planning. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned.
I really liked this book. The story was very ...sweet. hehe It's basically about these three good friends going through an adventure. I absolutely love those kinds of stories and thankfully this book was just as good. It made me laugh out loud at times, gosh the things these kids think up! Hilarious. The three fellas were unfortunate enough to end up having bad luck in a bunch of the schemes they tried to make themselves rich quick. It was pretty fun to read about. I could easily picture this becoming a movie and trust me, I'd be one of the first to see it. :)
I loved the whole friendship subject, absolutely loved it! It's really great how each of the boys had their own funky personality but they were good together anyway, it's really cute. :)
A bunch of the schemes really seems like they would work and I was seriously thinking, "Whoa they make those seven grand that fast?" It really surprises you which is nice. Did I mention it was very funny? Gosh I just cracked up so much with the old lady part, you have no idea how much I laughed. Too funny.
The reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because I didn't like a few things about it. I didn't like that the mother was so..weak. The husband seemed to be the one to always call the shots while the mother just sat there quitely and did nothing. I hated that VERY much. tsk tsk Another thing I didn't like was that sometimes the story got slow. Thankfully it didn't so much that I didn't enjoy the book but it still happened. If anything I'm sure younger readers will love it more than its intended audience; young adults. I would have given this four stars if it weren't for that.

Some awesome passages from inside the book:

"The adults won't tell you this, but I absolutely knew it in my bones to be true: Once you take that first summer job, once you start working, you're then expected to keep working. For the rest of your life! Once you start, you can't stop, ever--not until you retire or you die."



Funny but so very true in many cases.

"So for the next three days, my friends and I hid in that diaper, watching Mrs. Shelby's house."

I recommend Project Sweet Life to those looking for a cute, semi-light read full of adventure and friendship. :D

YOU WILL ENJOY READING THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE:
-The Sandlot
-Stand by Me (Movie and Stephen King's Short Story)
-The Goonies
-friendship
-adventure
-humor
-old ladies
-Tacoma

[Isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

I am a huge Brent Hartinger fan, have been since I first stumbled across Geography Club. If you have not read his work and you like well written YA that can make you laugh, you have to read his stuff. I have read almost every book by him and I am still a fan, not many authors have inspired that loyalty in me.

This book follows the hi-jinks of three teenage boys trying to not have to work. Their dads set down the law of getting summer jobs and the boys did everything they could to not work, including trying to catch a bank robber. I was laughing really hard at parts of this book even though it is clearly written for a much younger audience. The book was still goofy and enjoyable. This is one of those books that even kids who don’t like to read will sit through. It keeps your attention because it is funny, you want to know what hilarious plan these three boys will try next.

It was interesting to read about the history of Tacoma. I knew nothing about it and I am ashamed to say that my Chinese-American history is really lacking. This book opened my eyes to a very serious issue that I will have to pursue further. I already knew the moral lesson the book sets out to show that avoiding work can be more work than work itself.

The only issue I had with the book is that most kids will not be given full time jobs because that requires benefits to be supplied. So the math the kids did was not quiet spot on, but if the number were lower then there would have been less comedy, so I am willing to overlook that issue.

I am still a fan and I hope you will be a fan of this author too.

[Books and Literature for Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer jobs for fifteen year olds are optional, but for Dave, Curtis, and Victor, their dads have different ideas. They would do anything just to have one more free summer before they go to work....for the rest of their lives. Soon it's a race against time to collect $7,000 dollars before the end of the summer-and without lifting a finger.
With a daring plan, Mr. Moneybags, and some very bad luck, Dave, Curtis, and Victor embark on their last free summer and a quest find the money, even if it means lying to their parents and chasing bank robbers. Project Sweet Life is an exciting humorous story of friendship, adventure, and growing up.

When I first saw this book several months ago, I hesitated to read it (even though it sounded funny). Three guys ditching summers jobs and faking it just to spend one last "free" summer? What a bunch of slackers, right? As it turns out, Project Sweet Life is much more than that. Not only was it just hilarious, it was full of adventure which felt like reading a modern-day teenage Indiana-Jones episode. The three guys tried all kinds of ways to make $7,000 dollars fast (and legally); from a no-junk garage sale, to trying to catch some bank robbers, to hidden treasure. Dave, Curtis, and Victor could have succeeded in the first try, but they kept running into all sorts of bizarre roadblocks.
It was fun to read a book from a guy's point of view, Dave (the narrator) has a very clear, distinct voice and the book was just written so well. Chances are, you'll never forget this entertaining trio and their whacky plans. Project Sweet Life is a super fun book for anyone and has become one of my favorites!


About the Author
Brent Hartinger has been writing novels, plays, and screenplays for many years. Like the boys in Project Sweet Life, Brent also tried to weasel out of getting a job, but at age sixteen his parent's finally succeeded in making him get a job as a lifeguard. He lives in Washington state.


Pages: 277 Year Published: Feb. 2009 Genre: Realistic/contemporary, adventure
Age Group: YA, ages 12+ Content: None Buy or Borrow? Both
Enjoyed It: 5/5 Rating: 5/5

Courtesy of BLT reviews: booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROJECT SWEET LIFE is fast-paced, funny, and a bit over-the-top ridiculous. But what can you expect, when the novel stars three hyperactive, slightly ADD, and overdramatic adolescent boys? Their frenetic scheming and failing occurs at a rapid-fire case that occasionally gave me headaches, but despite the too-fast-for-my-liking plot, I found myself cheering for Dave and his friends at the end.

Not everyone may share my problem with the plot and pacing, but I found myself too suddenly thrown into the story, into these crazy boys’ minds and actions. In the course of about 40 pages in the beginning, the boys have already gone through about three tried-and-failed moneymaking schemes. The speed of their plotting made me dizzy at first, but it got better once the story settled down into the exploration of their city of Tacoma, Washington. And by the end, I was definitely caught up with what was happening to the boys. PROJECT SWEET LIFE has a fantastic finale, the kind that is not too predictable and yet sweet enough to make readers smile and nod and say, “Yes, that is what you deserve.”

Dave, Curtis, and Victor are like the Three Musketeers, each with their separate personality. Curtis is the outgoing and talkative one, while Victor is the quieter, more geeky friend, and Dave is somewhere in between. Their different personalities don’t show themselves as well as other, similar group-of-male-friends-as-protagonists novels, but since the focus of this book is on its plot, it worked out alright in the end.

So I didn’t really like PROJECT SWEET LIFE, as too-fast pace and ridiculous schemes concocted by teenage boys are not really my thing. However, this book would make a great present for a middle school boy, one who can relate to the hyperactivity and drama of three male friends scheming to make money and thwart their parents.

[Alonso Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger is a story about three teens whose parents want them to waste their summer getting summer jobs. The teens are forced to miss their dreams of probably a last free summer of sweet living. Then they decide to fakle that they have jobs but, they would still have to get the money they would earn as if they did get jobs. Although for them things didn't go as planned.
I thought this book was really fun and it kept me interested. The teens just go through so many things just because they chose to fake that they had jobs. I liked how each character was different. Victor was the one focused on facts and Curtis just went the easy way, and the main character is in between. Faking jobs to have probably the last fun summer ever would be something i would definately do. I understand why these characters would go through so much just to have fun for the last summer. In the journey to getting the money the friends began to value their friendship even more which is another reason why i liked this book. Also, the three friends learn a great lesson. I never got bored reading this book. It was just good. I would recommend it to teens or anyone who is bored and needs something to read. This book i would say is, an adventure or drama book. It has lots of drama and feelings of adventure throughout the book. The ending of the book wasn't too surprising but, it was good anyway. What i would do differently to the ending is i would create a twist. Something the reader would not expect but still keep it simple. The tone of this book is somewhat sort of childish but the same time also devious. I think i wouldn't read this book again but its still really cool. I would really like to read a book by the same author though. This book taught me to work hard and have fun at the same time.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

This was going to be a great summer for Dave, Curtis, and Victor - until their dads decided they needed to get summer jobs. Everyone knows that fifteen is the last chance you get to enjoy your summer before you turn sixteen, and summer jobs are pretty much required. A summer job at fifteen is just unfair!

So instead of working, the friends decide on Project Sweet Life. All they need to do is somehow raise the money they would have gotten by working all summer, and once that's done, they get all summer to enjoy the sweet life.

But making $7,000 isn't as easy as it seems. Can they manage to hide their non-existent summer jobs from their parents? What happens when they want to visit? And can they make their money without breaking the law or working too hard and still have time to enjoy the sweet life?

When I first read the summary on the back of this book, I immediately thought of my brother. He's fifteen and this sounded exactly like something he would try and plan. I had high hopes for this book - and it didn't let me down!

This book was hilarious and had me turning pages to see what the next Project Sweet Life plan would be. There's plenty of mystery and adventure packed into Dave, Curtis, and Victor's summer. The best part was that none of it ever felt like it was unrealistic - I really believed that the crazy adventures and money schemes could actually work!

Author Brent Hartinger has the perfect voice of teen boys. His characters sounded exactly like the ones I know. This would make a great pick for reluctant readers, but is a treat for anyone. The story will have you laughing and cheering for the boys to get their sweet life.

PROJECT SWEET LIFE is a must-read!

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Towards the end of elementary school, I really enjoyed The Mad Scientists' Club and The Secret of Terror Castle for the camaraderie and the club houses. Although I'd never experienced one in my limited life, in fiction there were trios and groups of guys who haunted boy-caves decorated in a girls-keep-out style. All was innocent, Eisenhower-esque fun. The opening chapters of Haringer's book kindled my hopes by recalling those stories, as our fifteen year old heroes gather in a home bomb shelter and then plan for a summer of relaxation. Hi jinx ensue: banks are robbed, treasure is buried, plots are hatched and conducted. Cue references to "Stand by Me" and "Goonies."

Then, this didn't live up to my hopes. Took a long time to get going. Long shots stacked up on coincidence, piled up on top of flukes. Perhaps aging has spoiled my love of such things, now that I'm the old man shouting, "and I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for those darn kids!" Hartinger offers up a sweet story, but one that missed the sweet spot, as it were. The action kept up at a steady pace (straining credulity more than a few times) but the characters never did. The jokes were so-so, the conflicts were ho-hum. It was earnest, not energetic.

The book would be fine for younger readers, as I remember it being squeaky-clean (one character's invented swearing offered some chuckles), although it is too long for struggling readers.

[K. Thielen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Dave, Curtis and Victor have been friends for as long as they can remember. Their dads all work together and have decided that this summer, their sons are fifteen and that they should all get jobs for the summer. The boys, however, all believe that fifteen is the year of the "optional summer," the summer that they can get a job if they want, but they don't have to. They've already decided they don't want to - How will they reconcile this? Story is full of fun, adventure and a lot of good lessons.

Book Talk: I loved this book! Dave, Curtis and Victor have been friends for as long as they can remember. Their dads all work together and have decided that this summer, their sons are fifteen and that they should all get jobs for the summer. The boys, however, all believe that fifteen is the year of the "optional summer," the summer that they can get a job if they want, but they don't have to. They've already decided they don't want to, How will they reconcile this? Story is full of fun, adventure and a lot of good lessons.

The boys decide that they will pretend they have jobs and then they will look for a scheme to earn the same amount of money that they might have earned if they actually had jobs. First, they have a mega garage sale. They make almost enough money - more than $5000, but an accident leaves them in the hole. They try several other things, sometimes spending days and days to complete a scheme only to come up empty-handed. Now they are almost to the end of the summer and have nothing to show for it. What will they tell their dads when the summer is over?

[Jordi Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Project Sweet Life
In this book by Brent Hartinger the author talks to anyone who has ever been to school and knows that the best part of the year is summer. In this book Dave is the main character. He was just a normal teenager that had waited a whole year for school to end and summer to begin. He thought he had 2 whole months to do whatever he wanted but his parents didn’t thought (think) the same. That first night of summer when his dad said “ Dave this summer you need to get a job” he knew all his plans were ruined. But then realized that he could lie about the job and get the money. But where in Tacoma can you win money without working? Then he thought that he could sell all his stuff and try to win a lot of money. Will he win all the money?
The theme of the book is “lying isn't good because you can lose someone's trust”. These theme is something everyone should learn at a part of their life. The author focuses on this part of the book because constantly the characters always mention that they feel guilty because they are lying to their parents and that they should give up and tell their parents that they have been lying all the summer about having a summer job.
The author’s word choice in this book is really like a teens word choice. Why did he did it like that? Because he tries to pull all the teens attention or attention from everyone who had a summer job. His word choice is perfect for the kind of book he is writing about.
After all this book is really good written and has a wonderful word choice. And if you want to read a book that has a good them and talks about teens, this is a good selection.

[Aileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the type of book that I'd call a "feel-good novel." It just makes you feel pretty darn good at the end. This book was from the perspective of Dave, and it followed Dave and his two best friends Curtis and Victor. They are on a mission, a mission to save their last summer of freedom. They are fifteen and that's the last summer before they HAVE to get a job, they COULD, but they don't want too, so they set out to make enough money legally, and not doing any work!! I thought this concept was new and such a good idea!! You follow these three boys through ten weeks of the summer and the best part is how they just keep screwing up!! But, in the most comical ways!! One including getting held-up only to be saved by an old lady who claims all the reward for herself!! They need 7,000 dollars to fool their dad's into believing they truly have jobs but it may not be as easy as they once believed it to be. One of the best parts about this book however, was how well developed all the characters were, they all seemed to fit together and get along in the best way possible. I truly enjoyed this book and I think so many others would as well.

[Rourke Penn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Project Sweet Life" written by Brent Hartinger actually turned out being one of the better books that I have read. It all started when the main character "Dave" was told by his father that he needed to get a summer job. It had turned out that his father had talked to all his friend's fathers had talked earlier that day and made that decision together. They were not very fond of this idea. This is what started their idea of the "Project Sweet Life". Dave and his friends decided that they weren't going to have a summer job until next year. Therefore they made up fake jobs and together they think up this crazy ideas to try and gather seven thousand dollars. I really liked this book because I have never had a summer job yet I'm always trying to find ways to get some money and I could really relate to this story. I also think that my friends would enjoy this book because we are all teenagers living the struggle of not wanting to work but having money. Read this good book and see if the three can come up with ways to complete their "Project Sweet Life"

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, fun middle-grade book bout three 15-year old boys who are told they have to get a summer job. The protagonist's response is awesome:
"The adults won't tell you this, but I absolutely knew it in my bones to be true: Once you take that first summer job, once you start working, you're then expected to keep working. For the rest of your life! Once you start, you can't stop, ever--not until you retire or you die."

So they come up with a scheme where they pretend to get jobs (and lie to their parents all summer) and in the meantime try to come up with the money (legally) they all would have earned had they just gotten a job. A bit unrealistic and predictable at times, but overall it was a fun, quick read and I really was curious how they would pull it off. I also thought their friendship was very sweet, and I enjoyed when they discovered they were really good, honorable kids. I also thought I'd love for my own teenage boy to hang out with these kids.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're trying to find a book for reluctant guy readers, this is it! The book is about three 15-year-old boys, Dave, Victor, and Curtis, who are told by their fathers that they have to get a summer job. They decide instead of working, they will tell their families they got jobs and instead start Project Sweet Life, making $7000 with doing no work at all.

They encounter bank robbers, discover secret tunnels under the city, and even do makeovers for women at a retirement home but still find themselves coming up short in earning their money! It's a fast paced funny novel with adventure, intrigue, and clean verbage. There is no foul language and only a brief mention of homosexuality in that the main character, Dave, has Uncle Brad who lives with his friend Uncle Danny. And that's about all! It was a FANTASTIC book and I will recommend it to all of my teens!

[Dallin Warner]

this book is about 3 best friends are forced by their dads to get jobs. when they realize if they get jobs then this will be their last free summer to do a lot of fun things. so they lie and then decide to find a way to make a lot of money so they can pretend to have jobs. the first thing they do is they go to a store and find a really cheap statue of the monopoly money guy. then they have this little hide out in one of their backyards it an old bomb shelter. in there is a whole lot of things like nice couches a popcorn machine and a whole lot of other things. that's when they decide to sell all the stuff in the bomb shelter. when they are done with their garage sale they put a big pile of boxes in the front yard with the monopoly guy on top. then it get bumped and it falls on a nice car and the guy makes them pay for it so they didnt get that money.

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the improbable hole in the story (none of the boys' parents know exactly where their sons' "summer jobs" are other than Dave's job at the pool), this is a caper just right for lightweight summer reading.

Dave, Victor and Curtis' dads insist they get summer jobs. At age 15, the boys were hoping for one more summer of sweet freedom. They create an elaborate plan ("Project Sweet Life") to lie about the jobs they got while coming up with schemes to make $7,000 by the end of the summer without actually working. In the end their assorted and hilariously unsuccessful schemes cost them more in labor and effort than if they'd had real jobs. For the experience though, their bonds of friendship are tighter and Dave better appreciates the integrity they share. Well, the lying and deception aside.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised I liked this one. I mean, I liked the sound of it - I liked the cover, but once I started reading it, a number of plot elements didn't seem consistent, and I had a hard time with the believability.

But after I let go of that and went with the crazy schemes and twists and turns, I enjoyed the ride. Sure, the dialogue doesn't sound like realistic teen language, the parents are a bit stereotyped, and everything comes together a little too neatly at the end. But I enjoyed the local angle (it's set in Tacoma), and I enjoyed how the seemingly episodic tale resolved itself into a mystery I wanted to reflect back on once the climax was reached.

Worth booktalking, especially to jr. high and early high school (characters are 15).