‘Cheating Lessons’ by Nan Willard Cappo was a cute read that invested me in the outcome from early on in the storytelling. Bernadette, the main character, finds out that her school, Wickham High, has made it into the ultimate quiz bowl, and she and some of her fellow classmates had some of the highest scores on the test that got them there. However, those high scores came at the downfall of their biggest competitor – Pinehurst – a school that beats Wickham more often than not, and which all the students of Wickham want to beat at any cost.

The issue is that the cost becomes too evident when Bernadette begins to suspect foul play – cheating on the part of someone at Wickham. The average score of the students who made the Classics quiz bowl contest seems too high to Bernadette, and she finds herself searching for answers, unsure of what she’ll find. Between the principal, librarian, and English teacher – Mr. Malory – the answer is not becoming apparent. She doesn’t want to say too much, lest she find herself digging a deeper hole for Wickham. Talking to her best friend, Nadine, doesn’t too much to allay her fears, as Nadine just wants to go and win and be done with it.

As answers begin to unfold and events transpire at the competition, Bernadette realizes that sometimes finding the right answers can be the courageous thing to do, while other times it casts you in a bad light in the eyes of those around you. When she comes to terms with what really happened and who was responsible, she begins to see everything and everyone in a new light, and struggles to do the right thing despite the ramifications to which it might lead.

I appreciated the symbolism of the novel’s title – ‘Cheating Lessons’ – as it could be construed as being about lessons regarding why cheating is bad, or it could be about teaching how to cheat, which the book did touch on at times. I love the ability to see double meanings, and therefore this compelled me into reading more. I also really enjoyed the fact that, unbeknownst to me when I picked up the book originally, the novel took place in Michigan. It was fun to read about cities, streets, and other locations around me, as I live in southeast Michigan myself. Even though the name of the main schools and city they lived in were fictional (as far as I know based on my knowledge of this area after living in Michigan for 30+ years), it was nice to read about where I’m from and feel a stronger connection with the novel as a result. This was especially true of the novel having the final quiz bowl competition take place in Southfield, which is the city I grew up in.

I recommend ‘Cheating Lessons’ to anyone who wants to read about the struggle to do the right thing even when others are focusing on what can be gained by avoiding the truth.

You can find ‘Cheating Lessons’ by Nan Willard Cappo here.