Title: Burn for Burn
Authors: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Published: September 18th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Source: BEA
Buy it from: Amazon
Goodreads summary:
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.
Review:
Mix one part Mean Girls with one part John Tucker Must Die, add the teeny-tiniest pinch of Carrie, and you’ve got Burn for Burn in a nutshell.
Told from the points of view of all three girls, it was really interesting to see them come together motivated by one thing: revenge. All on different people, of course. They didn’t require the added bond of uniting against a single foe. The simple fact that they all wanted revenge and agreed that each girl’s reasons were justified was enough. It’s interesting how a common purpose was able to unite three very different girls.
The girls’ plots for revenge (well, some of them, anyway) are undoubtedly funny… at least, in theory. I think that it speaks to Han and Vivian’s skills as writers that you can feel the twinge of a conscience pricking at them when they watch their first plan in action.
Remember that pinch of Carrie that you added to your Burn for Burn recipe? That element is important. Because while I love both John Tucker Must Die and Mean Girls, there’s no denying that for the most part, those movies are about hilarious revenge motivated by pretty small reasons. The girls in Burn for Burn have larger issues that push them this far and that gives a plot that could just be only good light-hearted fun a slightly darker twist.
Overall rating: 4/5. Burn for Burn perfectly fit my craving for a fun read with slightly heavier stakes.
