Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player

John, Antony. Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player. 2008. 264p. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Kevin Mopsely is a high school senior, but more importantly, he’s a geek and a dork. He plays the flute and only has one friend, Abby. She’s also a senior, she lives next door, and she plays with Kevin in a quartet at school. They’ve never dated, but they’re together all the time.

With two months to go before graduation, Kevin overhears the popular crowd discussing the upcoming meeting for the graduation rituals. Uncharacteristically, he decides to attend. His very presence is immediately noted by Brandon, the alpha senior, who entrusts Kevin with the task of writing the Book of Busts. Kevin has less than a month to get the mensurations of every senior girl in class.

Thrust in a position of power, Kevin quickly begins to get dates with the popular girls, as they hope to inflate their figures. But as the weeks progress, Kevin begins to notice that he’s turning into a monster. His relationship with his mother begins to slide. Worse, his friendship with Abby moves to shaky grounds. All the girls hate him, and even the boys begin to drift away. This assignment is turning into a nightmare, and Kevin is not sure how to get out of it with some of his dignity and self-worth intact.

Fans of this book will appreciate Andrew Smith’s books, Winger & Grasshopper Jungle and Jesse Andrews’ Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. And for a close look at teen angst, rock and roll, sex, and a mystery rolled into one, check out King Dork.