Book Review: Burn For Burn by Jenny Han

BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY…
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she’s ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. And she’s ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won’t stop until they each had a taste.

My Rating: 4 cupcakes

I love revenge stories. There’s just something so liberating about exacting your revenge upon someone who has wronged you – or so I’d imagine, considering I’ve never actually followed through with any of my elaborate schemes. Of course, even with the best laid plans, revenge is often messy and involves heavy consequences, which is a lesson that the girls learn the hard way.

At first glance, the three girls couldn’t be more different: Lillia is the pretty, popular cheerleader who seems to want for nothing; Kat is a strong, brash outcast with a rough home life; Mary is sweet, shy new girl with her fair share of secrets. As their desire for revenge brings them together, they slowly grow to care for one another and truly become a force to be reckoned with. The girls each have distinct voices and compelling stories, so you can’t help rooting for them even if you don’t support the idea of getting even. The supporting characters are just as fleshed out, blurring the line between “friend” and “foe” as the story progresses.

The revenge itself certainly can’t be described as “sweet.” It starts out as a series of pranks that are mostly innocent but quickly escalates as the reasons why each girl desires retribution come to light. The final revenge scheme is taken too far, causing everything to quickly spiral out of control.

Burn For Burn is primarily a contemporary novel, though small hints of paranormal activity crop up every once in a while. Towards the end, this paranormal aspect becomes more important (and more intriguing), culminating in a game-changing, cliffhanger ending. Although this twist was fairly unexpected, I loved it and can’t wait to see what it will mean for the girls and their schemes.

Overall, Burn For Burn is a dark, suspenseful tale of revenge and unexpected friendships. It’s an excellent start to a series, and I can’t wait to read the sequel!

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