Bad Kitty

Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe young adult fiction This is NOT "Bad Kitty" by Nick Bruel. True Confessions time: I accidentally checked out this book and its sequel when I thought I was getting on hold for some books by Nick Bruel. Nick Bruel writes silly, illustrated cat books for elementary school readers. I accidentally read book 2 before this book (1). In this book we are introduced to ultra-hip Jasmine, teenage detective, and her crime solving friends. Jaz and family vacation in Las Vegas where she (literally) stumbles onto a mystery. Who is terrorizing a celebrity, her son, and their three legged cat? Can they trust the Russian and the bartender? Wacky fun ensues. This book is full of cultural references, contemporary language, and slang. If someone were to try to read this 50 years from now, they would have a hard time following all the references. Even someone reading it today may not be immersed enough in "teenspeak" to understand all the references. Good thing the author gives us some footnotes on many pages.