THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR (PATHETIC) LIFE by Tara Altebrando

The school year is almost over and it's time for the annual senior scavenger hunt.  Although the students always have a terrific time, the hunt isn't exactly sanctioned by all adults.  Mary knows it's risky to trust her younger sister to cover for her, but there is no way she's missing a chance to participate.

Ever since Barbone snagged her dream spot at Georgetown University, Mary has wanted revenge.  If she can assemble a team and beat Barbone in the scavenger hunt, she is sure she can put her feelings behind and move on with her life in the fall.  The unlikely team she has in mind includes her best friends Winter and Patrick, and another friend, Dez, whose presence on the winning team would really put Barbone in his place.  Barbone will never be able to live it down if he is beaten by a team of misfits nerds.

The hunt is organized by the winners of the previous year's hunt.  Set up in two rounds, the object is to score a minimum of 1250 by the evening deadline in order to advance to round two which concludes after midnight.  Since some of the items and tasks can bend the lines between legal and illegal, many parents and members of the school administration don't condone the activity, but Mary and her friends are determined to beat the odds and succeed.

Readers of THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR (PATHETIC) LIFE become another member of Mary's team as the action takes them along for the ride.  The creativity of the group is evident as they unravel clues and seek out the necessary items to increase their point totals.  Author Tara Altebrando builds her story into much more than just a scavenger hunt as she reveals Mary's inner thoughts as she comes to terms with decisions she has made and what it will mean to move on to the next step in her life.  Friendships are tested and renewed as Mary reviews her high school years complete with fond memories and unfortunate regrets. 

This is the first book I've read by Altebrando, and I'm headed off to find the other two she's written, DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.