Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Timesbestselling author Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.Review:
Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.
KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.
LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.
MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.
None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.
With an unlikely alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.
Ever since this book was announced last year, I have been dying to read it based on the following aspects...
(1) Jenny Han is one of my favorite authors ever (case in point: the Summer trilogy! If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?!)
(2) The premise sounded amazing. I love revenge stories!
(3) The cover...it's just great and after reading the book, I feel like it really goes with the story.
Because of that all, when I saw this book at the library the other week, I checked it out and dived right in, dying to know whether or not I would enjoy the story. Thankfully, I did! It was mysterious and suspenseful, and better yet, it contained three characters and a setting I came to love!
Burn for Burn is the revenge story of three high school students- Mary, Kat, and Lillia. Mary, Kat, and Lillia are very different girls. Lillia is the a start cheerleader and part of the popular crowd at school who loves her life. That is until one end of the summer party. Kat is a tough, street-smart girl who faced her fall from the social ladder back in freshman year. Then there's Mary, a shy, somewhat socially awkward girl who fell as prey to one of the most popular boys back in elementary school. He almost ruined her life, and now she's back to ruin his.
From the start, I was captivated by their stories. I loved the fact that Siobhan and Jenny switched back and forth between each character, because not only did it establish them fully, but it allowed for me to really get to know each one. While each girl was different, at the core, they were very similar. They were three girls who had been given the worst of luck...who had seen that life isn't always that great. And because of it, they didn't know what to do besides retaliate back.
The plot in was equally good. I'm always up for a good revenge story, as mentioned above, and with that, that was definitely achieved. It was fun to see the girls plan each of their acts of revenge as well as carry out the plan. What I enjoyed most, though, was seeing them have to deal with the consequences as well as karma that came from their revenge. It allowed for the book to have a more realistic feel, in my opinion, as the girls continually wondered if what they were doing was the right thing. The one aspect of the book, though, that I was a little confused about, though, was the hinting of a somewhat paranormal ability of Mary's. It was mentioned briefly a few times, but never really fully addressed, so I'll be intrigued to see what comes of it in future books.
The writing was also decent. Jenny and Siobhan did a great job of meshing their voices together on this one and creating an intriguing story. Better yet, I loved that they weren't afraid to throw in some good curve balls. The one at the end especially got me, and while I'm mad that I'll have to wait until the fall of 2013 to find out what happens, it was a great way to end the book.
In all, Burn for Burn is a fun, fast paced book perfect for fans of Pretty Little Lairs and the Fury trilogy.
Grade: B+
Burn for Burn (Amazon, BN, Goodreads) is now out!
Source: Library
