The “creepy thing.” A good description for this novel but it is what Caz and Lucy do for an adrenaline rush in their boring English town. They sneak into the homes of elderly people, not to steal anything but to do the “creepy thing.” After they break in, one of them puts her nose a centimeter away from the sleeping person and holds it there for fifteen seconds. Lucy and Caz choose the elderly so they can outrun the alarmed pensioner if he or she happens to wake up. All goes terrifyingly wrong when it is Caz’s turn and she is caught by Mrs. Tranter, who clamps a mysterious bracelet on Caz’s wrist. Upon returning home, she tries to remove the bracelet with no luck and falls into a fitful sleep disturbed by nightmares about the bracelet. In the morning Caz discovers that the bracelet has mysteriously disappeared only to be replaced by a blue-black shadow like a tattoo on her wrist. The novel unfolds with many subplots but the most compelling is the aftereffects of the tattoo and her decision to go see Mrs. Tranter for answers about the bracelet. In the process Caz learns things about herself, her mum, and her friends including her boyfriend. The plot and character development are strong and keep the pages rapidly turning. ( )

14 year-old Caz and her best friend Lucy like to play a game. They break into old people's houses in the middle of the night just to watch them sleep. They don't steal anything for that would be "such a chavvy thing to do" and they pick old people as they should be able to get away easier if one of them ever wakes up. But plans have a habit of going awry and one particular night during Caz's turn their victim wakes up and grabs hold of Caz before she can escape. The old woman slaps a bracelet around Caz's wrist and then seemingly just lets her go. The next morning the bracelet has disappeared but left behind a mark that looks suspiciously like a tattoo and it seems from here on out Caz's luck takes a turn for the worse although she can now also seem to tell when people are lying to her as well. Has she been cursed by an old witch and is there more to the bracelet than first appears? And why does a strange woman that nobody else can see seem to be stalking her now? But the worst thing of all is that her mum is now dating her maths teacher!

This is a supernatural/magical realism tale aimed squarely at the young adult market although the author never talks down to his audience. There are some very serious issues touched upon throughout the narrative and his characters are not averse to swearing or having tongues pushed down their throats. It's very much a coming-of-age story as Caz has to learn to accept and deal with the consequences of her actions. It's a very easy read which I finished over the course of one night in work but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. ( )

Caz and her friend Lucy to the Creepy Thing at an old ladies house and Caz ends up with more than she bargains for. The lady has snapped a bracelet on Caz's wrist that "curses" her.

This was pretty good. I liked how the story turned out.
Id recommend to anyone who wants a quick fun read. ( )

This book was okay, but not the best that I've read by this author. I have read and enjoyed a few other books that were written for young adults, but it was obvious to me that this one was written for younger readers than myself. It was good enough for me to keep reading because I wanted to see what happened with the bracelet. The story did get a bit interesting to me as I got closer to the end of the book. ( )

Great book about Caz and Lucy who "do the Creepy thing"instead of the right thing. They sneak into people's houses while they are asleep and watch them; getting high on the adrenalin rush that comes with their fear of being caught. This is all well & good until they visit a grumpy old lady who clamps a bracelet on Caz's wrist. The bracelet disappears and becomes a tattoo and Caz discovers she can see inside people to know if they are telling the truth and what is hurting them. She also sees a strange girl called Fizz everywhere (her other self)She also needs help - will Lucy help her or will her new boyfriend Mark? Will Caz find the bracelet and give it back to the old cursed woman, or will she use its power for good? Fantastic book with a real twist in the curse scenario.p.32 -40 when the woman clamps on the bracelet.