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High school senior Hallie Mayhew spends her days traipsing from one lavish Montecito estate to the next . . . spraying ant poison.
Between her dad’s pest control company, her mom’s pond cleaning service and her side gig at Caddysnack (Santa Barbara’s premier small plates and minigolf destination) Hal puts the “work” in working class. But Hal has qualms about gassing gophers. She’s tired of ditching friends to skim dead fish from fountains. And she’s freaking weary of divorced-parent politics. So Hal has a plan: win the prestigious Verhaag Scholarship, go to an east coast school, never come back.
But the Verhaag Scholarship has a proud history of nepotism and a last-minute contender just crawled out of the woodwork. Hal’s parking lot nemesis usurps Yearbook Committee, depriving Hal of her only extracurricular credit. Her Montecito clients are in a defensive frenzy over a rash of estate burglaries and, if her jobs keep making her tardy, she may not even graduate. To salvage her scholarship, Hal needs the help of Spencer Salazar, the dim, infuriating (and kinda hot) rich kid next door. To save her college prospects, she must restore the natural order of Yearbook Committee. To preserve her graduation eligibility, she needs a happy first period history teacher. And, ideally, she’ll avoid death by doberman. Now, in her non-existent spare time, Hal is adding private eye, matchmaker, and rat commando to her list of side gigs and wondering—maybe too late—if she misjudged the boy next door.
“Hal’s determination and drive add spice to the sweet story, while her work experiences pepper the tale with hilarity and incredulity. This is a great fit for a fun read.” —Seattle Book Review
“Laugh-out-loud funny . . . Cheering for this scrappy underdog will appeal to younger and older adults alike.” —Washington Post
“Foscue’s debut young-adult novel is bursting with humor and charm, and readers will enjoy following and rooting for Hallie as she tries to escape the many burdens of her world.” —Booklist
"I love underestimated outsiders who come out on top through wit and gumption, and Elizabeth Foscue delivers! Pest is a quirky, fast-paced YA read with a strong, self-determined protagonist, relatable characters, witty dialogue, and a satisfying ending." —USA Today bestselling author Kelly Stone Gamble
“With a charming nod to Veronica Mars, Foscue’s lively writing style and creative plot twists will keep those pages turning. And when you get to The End, you’ll want more.” —Robin Reardon, author of the Trailblazer series
“Wry, funny, and full of heart, Pest takes you on a nimble-footed tour of Santa Barbara’s ‘dark side,’ while remaining true to its coming-of-age roots. Recommended for readers who like their teen angst leavened with laughs.”—Bruce Hale, bestselling author of The Chet Gecko Mysteries and Clark the Shark
“Elizabeth Foscue’s coming-of age tale simply oozes charm. Locals will instantly recognize the incredibly detailed look at life in Santa Barbara (boy, you just can’t believe how accurate!), and all will be equally captivated by Pest’s Hal, and her spirited nature.” —Valerie R. Rice, author of Lush Life: Food & Drinks from the Garden
“In Pest, Elizabeth Foscue portrays an insidiously wealthy enclave, crawling with teen drama and teeming with unwanted legged creatures lurking inside mansion walls....Ripe with socio-economic rifts and teen angst, the misunderstood girl next door, Hallie, presents a unique ‘most likely to succeed’ protagonist who isn’t afraid to face the task of college applications—or pick up dead critters along the way. A YA read that is both entertaining and intriguing.”—Liz Ruckdeschel, author of the What If… series