Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn, #1)

Sep 03, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

Sorry Karma, we're taking things into our own hands! Kat, Mary, and Lillia are out for revenge. These three incredibly different girls - both in personality and social status - help each other right some wrongs. A great balance of friendship, drama, and intrigue; Burn for Burn is full of entertainment value, and high in sass!

The girls: We've got three convincing voices made up of three distinctive personalities. In a style that will appeal to fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, we swi...more Sorry Karma, we're taking things into our own hands! Kat, Mary, and Lillia are out for revenge. These three incredibly different girls - both in personality and social status - help each other right some wrongs. A great balance of friendship, drama, and intrigue; Burn for Burn is full of entertainment value, and high in sass!

The girls: We've got three convincing voices made up of three distinctive personalities. In a style that will appeal to fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, we switch from one POV to the other, making us understand these girls individually, in a personal manner, in addition to what led to them wanting to seek revenge. Even though they aren't all sweet and delightful, or even likeable in one case, I found them all remarkably enticing. They have such strong characters that breathe life into the story, each giving it different dashes of charm - and attitude. They're also paired with a fantastic cast of side characters who constantly keep you on the fence, not knowing if you should like them, or hate them.

Revenge is sweet? These girls are definitely finding out. At first I thought the revenge acts were a tad lame. I actually felt sympathy for the first victim as I didn't find he was all that deserving, and the acts themselves were a bit too personal for my taste. However, as we move on to the other two sorry souls, the acts get much more consequential, on top of being a great deal more justifiable. Not that I condone what they're doing, but I can at least see why they thought it was warranted. They soon learn, however, that with every act of vengeance, you have to deal with the consequences.

What I wasn't expecting from this novel was the hint of something paranormal. I was thrown off at first, wondering where it may lead up to, though by the end I was highly intrigued. We only get glimpses; it's not a monumental part of the story for the most part, keeping the novel almost completely contemporary, but eventually, this small paranormal aspect evolves until it completely changes one whole aspect of the plot. And to be honest I kind of loved it! I'm very excited to find out more about this mysterious side that unexpectedly reminded me of one of my favorite horror movies. Expect to be highly anticipating its sequel after this crazy cliffhanger ending!

Burn for Burn is like a guilty pleasure; you should know better, but you're secretly enthused by the anticipation of seeing these people get what's coming for them. Han and Vivian's writing styles blends flawlessly together, leaving us with an enchanting story full of energy and spice.

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Aug 09, 2012 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya, thank-you-bea-or-ala, girls-gone-wild

bitches get even

now, usually i am a little leery about reading books that it took two people to write. but this one didn't seem cobbled together the way Beautiful Creatures did. and i don't read a lot of realistic YA, but the guy at the s&s booth at ALA assured me i would like it. and i did. thank you, guy whose name i have forgotten. we had a very nice conversation and i am sorry i have forgotten your name and i thank you for pushing this book on me, even though i made a frowny face at the...more

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May 07, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, asian-american-authors, i-ve-just-read-you-and-i-love-you

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."
-Confucius

"Oh, here go hell come."
-Calvin Tran

I love revenge stories. Whether it's Edmond Dantes in Count of Monte Cristo or Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill, there's just something about characters who say, No. Not anymore. Not again.

In Burn for Burn, we meet three characters -- a princess, a basket case, a brain. The chapters alternate between their points of view as we discover how they end up on a collision course of revenge. The book op...more

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May 04, 2013 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-what-i-expected, not-bad-but-not-good-either, worst-endings, teenage-drama

Well ill start off with what I didn't like;

-The ending.
-The fact that NOTHING happened between Alex and Lillia.

Ok, other than the ending I was glued to these pages but I was so disappointed by the end.
It was not what I expected, it was a let down to be honest.
This would have worked better as one book. A series on this plot? Boring!

It was real, real good nearly all the way through and if it ended as one big blow out it would have been totally worth five stars, but the ending sucked and a seri...more

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Dec 21, 2011 I heart MOLDY APPLES marked it as to-read

Now I'm pissed! Jenny Han was one of the best Contemporary, Realistic fiction writers ever! Why must she go and write Supernatural, fantasy fiction???? This is so upsetting because most fantasy-fic writers, do not really write good books. so if she writes a crappy book and I read it, I won't remember her for the awesome We'll Always Have Summer but for the crappy job she did with a fantasy book. Ugh. For some, you might think this is stupid of me and petty. It most definitely is. Guess I will fi...more

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Oct 02, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, 2012-faves, amazing-authors, badass-heroines, books-i-want-to-marry, creatively-original, deserves-the-hype, faves, heroines-i-adore, made-me-smile, all-time-faves

This review is also available over at my blog.

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Actual rating is 4.5 stars.

I cannot even tell you how excited I was to read this book. The beautiful cover and the badass blurb was way too hard to resist. I can safely say that this book didn't disappoint me at all. I ended up reading it so fast because it just pulled me in that much. But I have to take away half a star due to a tiny little detail that I'll explain later in this review.

So the book is told from the POVs of Mary,...more This review is also available over at my blog.

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Actual rating is 4.5 stars.

I cannot even tell you how excited I was to read this book. The beautiful cover and the badass blurb was way too hard to resist. I can safely say that this book didn't disappoint me at all. I ended up reading it so fast because it just pulled me in that much. But I have to take away half a star due to a tiny little detail that I'll explain later in this review.

So the book is told from the POVs of Mary, Lillia and Kat. Mary is a girl who had left Jar Island because of a boy, who tormented her and hurt her badly, but now she's coming back to prove to him that she isn't the same girl anymore. Lillia is beautiful and popular, but this summer a boy went way too far, and she'll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister Nadia and not let the same thing happen to her. Kat is sick and tired of all the ridicule she's been getting in her school, and the only one to blame for it all is her ex-best friend Rennie, the school's most popular girl, and Kat is ready to make her pay. Three very different girls who unite from wanting the same thing: revenge.

I loved all three of the girls. I thought their voices were very distinct, and they never meshed together. Mary was a little meh during the first few chapters, but I grew to like her more eventually. Lillia was also a very likable character, and I actually liked her overprotective-ness over her little sister. Kat was awesome and badass, and she was I guess the glue that kept the three girls together. The mastermind, if you will.

There wasn't really a romance in this book. Kat had this thing going on with one of the guys in the book, but it was pretty complicated. And it also seemed like that same guy wanted to be with Lillia. As far as Mary goes, she had feelings for the guy who tormented her, despite everything he did. I felt bad for her, and I kind of want her to get a love interest of her own so she doesn't seem so sad all the time. But the romance was the last thing I cared about or paid attention to when reading the book.

Okay, I need to address the whole supernatural thing. It was extremely subtle. Like, it was barely even there until near the end, when everything pretty much blows out of proportion. And it also seemed to be tied to just one girl in particular, not all three of them. It really confused me. If I used percentages, I would say this book is 98% contemporary and 2% supernatural. I do hope it gets addressed more in the sequel, though, cause I really am confused.

The ending, as I just mentioned, was insane. Everything just explodes─(view spoiler)─and it ended so abruptly. It was a very massive cliffhanger indeed, and I've no doubt it'll make the wait for book two extremely painful.

Overall this was a very very good book. I pretty much liked everything about it. I had to take away half due to the confusing and slightly too subtle supernatural aspect, but I'm definitely excited to see where this series will go in the future.(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

A tale of three girls wronged, now looking to get back some of their own. As with other stories of this type there are those blind spots and little (then not so little) matters they fail to foresee so that you just know that something big was coming at them… and when those things finally do become clear, they’re all little prepared to deal.

Of the three, I enjoyed Lillia’s the most. Popular girl but doesn’t lord it over everyone else, she seemed most stable of them except perhaps not so sta...more 3.5/5

A tale of three girls wronged, now looking to get back some of their own. As with other stories of this type there are those blind spots and little (then not so little) matters they fail to foresee so that you just know that something big was coming at them… and when those things finally do become clear, they’re all little prepared to deal.

Of the three, I enjoyed Lillia’s the most. Popular girl but doesn’t lord it over everyone else, she seemed most stable of them except perhaps not so stable after all because she’s angry girl, too: over what could have been done and angry over what wasn’t. Then couple that with mama bear tendencies as well as friends who don’t act like friends and I was on the edge of my seat seeing things unfold. Then there’s Kat who reads much angrier than Lillia. She’s outside looking in, but tougher for it. And finally Mary, who reads sadder and definitely more damaged than the two. It’s her history that solidifies their intent because if at first about getting back some of their own, after there’s a whole layer other protective feeling created over her. It was more than interesting to see their plans go from one mildly funny prank to the next then progress toward to something else altogether.

Told by each, it’s their memories that lay down each their need to get even. So we see their why’s (with one story after another proving that revenge is indeed a personal matter.) But more than that it’s also their memories that provide for a sharp contrast between what was and where they each are now. Clearly, Lilia has had it good; clearly, Kat used to as well; and clearly, Mary has had it the roughest… so that they don’t make it easy on a body to like or dislike them completely. In fact the very same thing could be said for the people in their crosshairs, especially with each (not so) little discovery made along the way.

Except coming totally out of left field was a certain paranormal element. A game changer if ever there was one, it switches the story from what’s already fascinating (if getting even is your thing) to something else entirely. To be honest, I don’t know how I feel about it: on one had, I’m dying to see where the authors take it; on the other, I wish they’d have stuck to it. Keep it simple with mind games, property damage and taking people down a peg or two (or a whole lot more) and setting them in their place seems far more plausible therefore far more terrifying than any paranormal what’s-it being introduced.

Good start… I am definitely picking up the next one.

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Aug 02, 2012 Purcheria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-my-e-reader, emotional-baggage, netgalley-arc

3.5 stars

Okay. This book had the potential to be epic. How could it not given the premise? Three young ladies avenging each other after having been mistreated or lied to by their friends and foes.

So, after reading the synopsis I settled down to hopefully read a light-hearted "revenge" story full of humor and excitement. But that is not what I got. Although I did like reading this book, light-hearted and funny it was not. Instead I got an enjoyable, heartbreaking and sometimes frustrating book.

T...more 3.5 stars

Okay. This book had the potential to be epic. How could it not given the premise? Three young ladies avenging each other after having been mistreated or lied to by their friends and foes.

So, after reading the synopsis I settled down to hopefully read a light-hearted "revenge" story full of humor and excitement. But that is not what I got. Although I did like reading this book, light-hearted and funny it was not. Instead I got an enjoyable, heartbreaking and sometimes frustrating book.

The enjoyable part was for a few reasons including the budding, unlikely friendship between Lillia, Mary and Kat. Although friends before, Lillia and Kat had in fact parted ways and it was nice to see that when they started on this journey of revenge together, there were some aspects of their former relationship that they missed. And even with very different personalities and a very different upbringing, each girl is able to bring a certain amount of drama to the story. The book was well-paced and kept me intrigued from the beginning to the end.

The heartbreak came with each of their stories. I felt for all three of them, especially Mary. I had tears in my eyes when she was telling hers. All the hurt and betrayal she must have felt if doing what she did was the only way she thought she could deal. It really hit close to home because having a daughter starting HS and possibly going through something like this is a mother's worse nightmare.

But what frustrated me was how one-sided this all was. It's like some of this was done with blinders on. For example with Alex and Lillia, how much trouble would it have been if Lillia (supposedly Alex's friend) had just opened her mouth and asked what was going on. He went through all of that for nothing. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely a proponent for someone getting theirs, but only if it deserved. And I don't think that he deserved what they did to him, if only because a real friend would ask what the heck was going on before trying to ruin the other. Another thing was how they did not think through the last plan they came up with. That was some serious stuff they messed with there, especially with someone's life in the balance.

And the end, gawd the end! I loved it and hated it at the same time. I loved where the story was going, and then it ended with a semi-cliffhanger. (Pouts)

That being said, this book did in fact intrigue me, I had a hard time putting it down. I will continue to read the series, because well, it was still a really good read.(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Jen Bigheart (I Read Banned Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Uh, there better be a book #2! What an ending!

Every now and then I love a good bitchy book with drama and this one delivered! From the get-go we see that friendships are strained and not so peachy. Told from three points of view, Lilia, Kat, and Mary, life on Jar Island is anything but breezy. Lillia and Rennie are the schools Queen B's, but their relationship is more of a love/hate kind of thing. Lillia is tired of Rennie's selfish behavior and the way she treats the entire school. Kat was cas...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Annabel ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: want-so-bad, adore, all-time-fav-s, girly-and-mindless, five-stars, amazingness, i-cried-or-almost-cried, in-my-shelf-completed, inspiring, no-shit-heroines, lol, cover-love, idea-is-genius, review, speechless, why-didn-t-i-read-this-earlier, ya-books-that-i-love

I loved this book so much! <3

I loved it to pieces. If someone tore this book apart (O_o) I would continue to love every last smithereen of it. In fact, I wasn't expecting to like this book at all. It looked super cheesy, but it turned out to be an awesome read. One of my favorites of 2013, I have to admit.

I liked Jenny Han's Summer trilogy well enough, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I don't think I would have given this book a second glance were it not for some reviews I read, the gorgeou...more I loved this book so much! <3

I loved it to pieces. If someone tore this book apart (O_o) I would continue to love every last smithereen of it. In fact, I wasn't expecting to like this book at all. It looked super cheesy, but it turned out to be an awesome read. One of my favorites of 2013, I have to admit.

I liked Jenny Han's Summer trilogy well enough, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I don't think I would have given this book a second glance were it not for some reviews I read, the gorgeous cover, and most of all, the amazing premise that the summery conveyed. In fact, when I read this summery, I was like, "HELL YES!!"

First of all, I just love these characters. Kat was definitely my favorite of the three girls--I loved her self-confident, bad-bitch side. Usually her types of characters annoy me, but for Kat, her character totally worked. Mary seemed genuinely sweet and I almost teared up when I heard what happened to her. Lillia, I wasn't so sure about until the end of the book. I disliked the things she said and did, and preferred Kat and Mary so much better. By the end of the book, though, I loved the character. These girls went through so much, but at the same time, they were almost as bad as the people who had been terrible to them, so it was a weird mix of bad and good with these girls. Which I LOVED. The whole revenge storyline was freaking awesome, and it made me think of Taylor Swift's song "Better Than Revenge".

I have to say, I am completely hooked on contemporary fiction these days, and this one definitely sealed the deal-- I'm just in love with the genre. I usually classify myself as a fantasy girl, but I've definitely read some contemporaries that I've liked, and this one was definitely one of them. One thing I wasn't sure about though--in Mary's point of view, there seemed to be a fantasy element that confused me a little, what with it being such a contemporary-style book. It threw me off, but I'm so glad this is a series so I can find out what will happen to Lillia, Kat, and Mary in the next book!

This book positively blew me away. With characters like these, and a premise like this, Han and Vivian just couldn't go wrong. What a totally, awesome, kickass idea for a book!! :)

About 4.5 stars

-Annabel @ Sweet Reads
www.inlovewithbookishthings.blogspot.com (less)

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May 30, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-must-reads, sep-2012, arc-books, around-the-world-arc-tours, may-2012

A HUGE THANK YOU THANK YOU to Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to read the BRILLIANT read! I started reading it yesterday morning and I could not put it down. I actually fell asleep holding the book because I was trying to stay awake to finish it. This review is going to be different from my other reviews because it has three main girl characters and they each need there own spotlight and we have the supporting cxharacters that rock so I need to give you low down from their perspective...more A HUGE THANK YOU THANK YOU to Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to read the BRILLIANT read! I started reading it yesterday morning and I could not put it down. I actually fell asleep holding the book because I was trying to stay awake to finish it. This review is going to be different from my other reviews because it has three main girl characters and they each need there own spotlight and we have the supporting cxharacters that rock so I need to give you low down from their perspective.

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian have ROCKED the nation with this book. HOLY BATMAN AND HOLY COW did this book bring me back to the days of high school where the popular kids were everything and the non popular kids were nothing. I was part of the popular crowd in high school only because of my family. All my cousins played baseball and basketball so I was always being taken here there and everywhere. So when I read this book I said to myself that Jenny and Siobhan did their homework. It was true to the very last page and I NEED REALLY NEED the second book to this series like ASAP!

So here is my mini review on the charcaters and where there at. This is a MUST READ so I advise you when it comes out in September to pick up your copy and set aside some time because you are not going to be able to put it down. I am also having a giveaway where I will be giving away two copies of this book because I love it so so much!

Mary:Left the island after a traumatic event. When she returns she is coming back with one thing in mind and that is to get back at the person who hurt her. She will stop at nothing to get REVENGE on that person and what better way to get that person's attention she reinvents herself and the person does not even know who she is.

What will Mary do to that person? Will revenge be enough or will Mary change her mind?

Lillia: She is rich and spoiled and always gets what she wants. But what will happen when she and someone she thought loved her betrays her and leaves her high and dry. Lillia wants REVENGE so bad she can taste it and once she starts the events rolling she does not want to stop.

What will Lillia do? Will she destroy the one person that destroyed her? Will she be take everyone out that has ever done her wrong?

Kat: Fun, loving and true to herself but one hiccup to her she fell in love with the wrong boy or so she thinks. When she see the guy talking to someone else she is upset and she wants REVENGE because what is sweeter than revenge.

What will Kat do to this boy? Will the means justify the ends? What exactly is revenge for all three of these girls. Revenge runs deep in these girls and they will stop at nothing to get back at the person or persons who hurt them.

What will happen to Nadia, Alex, Reeve, Rennie, PJ, Ashlin, and Derek? Will payback really be a b&&ch? This is a September MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!

I am Team Alex all the way ;)
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Jun 24, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, realistic-or-contemporary, romance, paranormal

3.5 stars

Revenge is sweet…

Well this is a guilty pleasure if ever I read one. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting when I started Burn for Burn, but it definitely wasn’t this. And I think I mean that in a good way.

Lillia, Mary and Kat are three very different girls with something in common; they are after revenge and have decided to band together to get it. Mary, the first character we meet, returns to Jar Island after leaving four years ago due to the actions of a boy. Her opposite, Kat De...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Jen (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc

Don't kill me guys, but I haven't ever read anything by Jenny OR Siobhan. However, I still jumped at the chance to read their co-written novel, since they are like the queens of contemporary. Now, I had no idea what their writing style was like, so I wasn't really hesitant about anything; meaning, I went into this book not expecting anything at all. I just dove in and read. Fortunately, Burn For Burn turned out to be an awesome contemporary novel with a slight supernatural twist, and very few fl...more Don't kill me guys, but I haven't ever read anything by Jenny OR Siobhan. However, I still jumped at the chance to read their co-written novel, since they are like the queens of contemporary. Now, I had no idea what their writing style was like, so I wasn't really hesitant about anything; meaning, I went into this book not expecting anything at all. I just dove in and read. Fortunately, Burn For Burn turned out to be an awesome contemporary novel with a slight supernatural twist, and very few flaws.

Burn For Burn is unlike any contemporary I have ever read. Most of the time, you get the story of a girl who is having problems with boys, high school, family, etc. But in Burn For Burn, we get three girls with all three of those problems. What's more, this story is all about revenge. Getting back at boys who hurt them, and even an ex-best friend. The plot is very fun, entertaining, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting! The plot is quite intricate: we get flashbacks of the girls' histories, as well as current day happenings. Since the story is told from three different girls' prespectives, the story itself is more intriguing to read about.

Besides the plot, the characters were also something I highly adored. Their personalities were all so different and it was great being able to get a peek at each girls' thoughts and feelings every other chapter. We have Lillia, an Asian girl (ASIAN GIRLS, FTW) who is rich and cares deeply of her younger sister, Nadia. Next we have Kat, a bad-ass punky girl who isn't afraid of a lot of things. Lastly we have Mary, a self-conscious girl who recently moved back to Jar Island. Their growing friendship was sweet and I couldn't have asked for better.

There were a couple things that were off for me, though. First, it was confusing at times as to when the chapter started off, and you weren't sure who's point of view it is from. There is no 'Lillian' or 'Kat' at the top of each chapter (or at least in the ARC format there isn't), and you kind of had to figure it out. Usually it's obvious, but there are just a myriad of characters and it took me a couple of pages to wrap my head around it. Another flaw I considered was the supernatural twist. Now, I'm definitely not sure if it will be brought up again in the following installments, but I think it was totally unnecessary.

But other than that, Burn For Burn is an entertaining read that fans of Jenny or Siobhan won't want to miss out on. The ending KIND OF leaves the reader on a cliffhanger, and I definitely want to know what happens next to the three girls of Jar Island.

4 Teacups for Burn For Burn!
*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC to review!*

THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED AT A Reading Daydreamer:
http://a-reading-daydreamer.blogspot....

For more of my reviews, check out A Reading Daydreamer:

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Sep 03, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, arc-tour, back-in-the-oven-with-you-dear-book, could-have-been-so-much-better, makes-feminist-me-very-unhappy, please-no-more-slut-shaming, such-a-disappointment, the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, take-your-sexism-and-get-out, uh-oh-someone-has-the-idiot-ball

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten!

1.5 stars.

The use of vengeance as motivation in novels is one of my favorite motivations. It's the main reason I like The Count of Monte Cristo, aka the ultimate revenge book. I even have a small stuffed pig named Nemesis, her namesake being the Greek goddess of vengeance and divine retribution. Vivian and Han's collaboration seemed like it was perfectly tailored to suit my love of fictional vengeance, but it ended up falling flat in more than a few areas-...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I'm not giving this a 5/5 because Jenny Han is one of (if not) my favorite teen writers. (Also props to Siobhan Vivian, I'll need to read more of you!!). I'm giving it a 5/5 because it was a really well written book. It had elements of revenge, a perfect setting (hello beach towns!), and the characters were more than your average teenagers looking to settle a score. They each were messed up in their own ways, and each had a different dysfunction that brought them together. I'm assuming it's g...more

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May 25, 2012 Emily added it

I really want this book to come out soooner!

I have previously read the Belly Conklin series by Jenny Han and they literally changed my opinion on books and life. They taught me that no matter how bad a situation is there will always be a happy ending. Always. No matter how long it takes.

However, I feel that Jenny Han is taking a huge risk moving on from contemperory young adult books to a supernatural book like Burn to Burn.
But i do have to say that the cover for this book does look AMAZING!!!...more

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May 14, 2013 Brianna C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library, read-2013

This was a decent book. It's not entirely what I expected, but I still enjoyed it. Burn for Burn is about three girls who want to take revenge on people who wronged them in the past. There does seem to be a bit of a supernatural twist maybe which didn't really fit in in my opinion, but hopefully the next explains it a bit more.
-Lillia was sort of the main character in this as it was all of her friends that the girls were taking revenge out on. She had a vendetta against Alex at first, but decide...more

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May 04, 2013 Sabrina *The REAL Princess* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guilty-pleasure

After ogling at the cover for a good three days, I finally walked over to the library to check out this book. And I must admit - it was good. It wasn't amazing, but I did like the novel.

As the synopsis says, this book follows 3 girls, as they all plot different revenge plans for people they believe have wronged them. I know this will sound bad but I actually enjoyed reading about these plans and I kinda-sorta liked seeing the revenge follow through. Call me sadistic or weird but I couldn't help...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first time I read this book, I was amazed at how similar the writing styles were between Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.They both had this easy, effortless way of making words and plot lines flow...seriously amazing! But after reading The List, by Siobhan Vivian, I realized that Jenny Han really carried most of the story. Vivian's own dialogue is weak, her plots boring...thank GOODNESS Jenny Han was around to write this, otherwise, it would have SUCKED!
But in all seriousness, a really good bo...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Mary Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm
RATING ★★★ 1/2

Revenge is the sweetest thing but is it as sweet as you imagined it to be?

Lillia, Kat and Mary are out to get back on the people who had made their life not as enjoyable as they want it to be. These three girls are taking thing in their hands to finally give back what they fully deserve. The name of the game is getting even - and yeah payback is indeed a bitch.

We have three ladies namely Lillia, Mary and Kat. Three girls of the opposite sp...more Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm
RATING ★★★ 1/2

Revenge is the sweetest thing but is it as sweet as you imagined it to be?

Lillia, Kat and Mary are out to get back on the people who had made their life not as enjoyable as they want it to be. These three girls are taking thing in their hands to finally give back what they fully deserve. The name of the game is getting even - and yeah payback is indeed a bitch.

We have three ladies namely Lillia, Mary and Kat. Three girls of the opposite spectrum. Each one has their story to tell. They are not friends nor do they mingle with the same group but they have something in common - karma like no other.

Lillia is the popular girl in the bunch. She is friends with the in crowd. She is sweet but she gets what she wants. Kat is your hard ass chick and a girl who doesn't take crap just because people can. Mary on the other hand is the timid yet mysterious chick who came back to Jar Island to settle a score.

These girls has a distinct role and voice in this multiple POV story. You can definitely tell them apart. You know how some multiple POV gets very distracting and difficult to follow? Burn for Burn isn't like that. It worked well in mashing all three ladies to give a well orchestrated story for readers to enjoy. The flow of the story between the girls are flawless and tight. I love how the act of revenge was done but thought Kat's payback needed more nastiness if you will.

For a first in the trilogy, Burn for Burn is OK but not amazing. I love the characters, the light feel of the story and how fast I read it however the ending totally threw me off. I mean what was that? I felt like it was not the "right" element to be incorporated in this type of story. Everything was ok for me asides the ending. That was really a WTH moment for me not adding how abruptly everything ended. Disturbing as it may, I am definitely curious to see how the author will incorporate that to the story. Would definitely pick the next one.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Ana rated it 3 of 5 stars

More reviews at www.whatyareading.com.

I wish that I could tell you that Han and Vivian’s first collaboration was a smoking hot read, but alas, it isn’t so. Sure, it got fiery, but as blazing as its title would lead you to believe? I don’t think so. Let’s, however, start this review on a positive note.

First things first: I love Jar Island. Forget elaborate settings, there is nothing better than revenge in a small town. Made up of beaches, independent restaurants and only one high school, Jar Isla...more More reviews at www.whatyareading.com.

I wish that I could tell you that Han and Vivian’s first collaboration was a smoking hot read, but alas, it isn’t so. Sure, it got fiery, but as blazing as its title would lead you to believe? I don’t think so. Let’s, however, start this review on a positive note.

First things first: I love Jar Island. Forget elaborate settings, there is nothing better than revenge in a small town. Made up of beaches, independent restaurants and only one high school, Jar Island is practically the definition of picturesque. And the best part? There’s no escape. The only way to the mainland is by ferry. Does this handy feature ever make for some entertaining situations…

Nonetheless, Jar Island isn't quite as lovely as it first seems. Its charming character entails a few unfortunate back stories. Lillia, for instance, had an action-packed summer. She’s just hoping that her little sister won’t be as adventurous as she was. Kat has been the hot topic of the rumor mill one too many times, and is ready to let her ex-BFF take that spotlight. Mary has just moved back to town, ready for the first time in years to confront the ghosts of her past. Each one of these ladies has been burned, and they’re ready to repay the favor. And, boy, if hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, than you can only imagine the terror wreaked by three such women whose resources are pooled. I’ll tell you one thing: it’s not pretty.

Burn for Burn‘s narration varies, featuring these three protagonists’ points of view in different chapters. This isn't as confusing as you might think, though, and I have to say that I very much appreciated this element of the novel. Their unique voices and different perspectives showcased different dimensions of each character. Moreover, their staggering flashbacks, which revealed their every little secret bit by bit, were extremely well done. These definitely kept the suspense high and the pages turning.

My final aftertaste of this novel is actually something haunting. I’m surprised by how well it captured the desperate attempts to attain popularity, the cruelty of the popular, the betrayal dispatched in order to better reputations, the loss of friendship, the loss of innocence and the loss of priorities that plague students everywhere. If nothing else does, this component of Burn for Burn merits recognition.

Despite my high praise, I have a few issues with this novel, the first of which being its ending. And what an ending that was. Emotional? Yes. Unforeseen? Yes. Satisfying? Absolutely not! To be fair, I guess that I came into this whole thing blind. I had no idea that Burn for Burn was the debut of a trilogy when I picked it up, so you can imagine my shock when I flipped to the last page and found a total of zero resolutions. Had it been another hundred or so pages longer and thus transformed into a standalone, my quench for an overall good read would have been assuaged. But as it stands, I’m more than a little surprised; I’m downright aghast. There is a fine line between cliffhanger and ending-less. Suffice it to say that Han and Vivian have crossed that line.

I was once again astounded when I came across the hint of something paranormal towards the end of Burn for Burn. Apparently, when it comes to the unexpected, these author just won’t give us readers a break. As much as I admire their attempts at originality, sometimes simplicity is key. This is one of those times. A good, cold plate of revenge is exactly what I wanted– no more, no less. Again, if Burn for Burn had been a standalone and perhaps lost this paranormal element, I would have been a much happier camper.

Finally, Burn for Burn merits 3.1/5 stars. I recommend this one to those of you who have been burned before, need something unexpected in your lives, and enjoy unhealthy doses of suspense.As for the sequel, my interest is piqued, but my guards are up.

I'll keep you posted,
Ana(less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited when I heard that Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian were writing a book together. I have enjoyed all of the novels the two have written individually, and Burn for Burn—their collaboration—did not disappoint.

Burn for Burn is about revenge. Kat, Lillia, and Mary have all been hurt—hurt badly—by someone, and they are tired of letting these people get away with what they did. Kat, Lillia, and Mary have far from perfct lives, but Rennie, Alex, and Regie always get everything they want. It...more I was so excited when I heard that Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian were writing a book together. I have enjoyed all of the novels the two have written individually, and Burn for Burn—their collaboration—did not disappoint.

Burn for Burn is about revenge. Kat, Lillia, and Mary have all been hurt—hurt badly—by someone, and they are tired of letting these people get away with what they did. Kat, Lillia, and Mary have far from perfct lives, but Rennie, Alex, and Regie always get everything they want. It’s about time life stopped being so unfair.

Burn for Burn is told from the first-person perspectives of Kat, Lillia, and Mary. Each girl contributes a unique personality to the story. Kat is independent and determined. Lillia is popular yet honest. Mary is quiet and secretive. Even if I did not pay attention to the name at the top of the chapter, I still knew which girl was telling the story. That is challenging to do with three narrators and even more so with two authors.

Kat, Lillia, and Mary are not the only well-developed characters; their enemies are well-developed, too. Being able to learn whom Rennie, Alex, and Regie were in the past really made these characters come alive for me. I am certain that I would have enjoyed the party that Lillia had to spend with Alex, babysitting the younger children while the parents drank downstairs. And then there’s Rennie.

I was fascinated by Rennie. I did not want to be because I knew that that’s exactly what a girl like Rennie—popular, beautiful, controlling—would want, but I just could not help myself. Rennie was like an onion: every time I thought I had her figured out, another layer was revealed. I loved trying to decipher what made Rennie tick, what made her do what she did.

I am so impressed with Han and Vivian for writing Burn for Burn together. When two authors write a book together, they usually each pick a character and write their own sections. Han and Vivian did not do this; I have no idea who wrote what because Han and Vivian’s voices truly blended together. They created an excellent story about how much hurt it takes to be desperate for revenge. They left readers with a huge cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to read the sequel.(less)

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Jan 26, 2013 John rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book felt long. Between three interesting character PoV's, it should have been a fast-paced read, but most of it was emotional set-up and deferring between character backstories and a present-day attempt at revenge. Revenge stories on the whole are iffy for me because that's a huge leap of morality for a set of protagonists, and the inciting factor was based on a situation that could have been obviously resolved by one of the girls communicating with the boy in question. Then, we had a rand...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Erin M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Jenny Han's Summer Trilogy, which is why Burn for Burn was on my must read list. As soon as I read the premise of the story, I knew I needed it. I'm so glad I read it. the writing was complex yet simple, descriptive, it flowed... Over all, the writing rocked!

I think a lot of what happened in Burn for Burn was expected. Not the minute details of the plot but the general ideas of revenge and the affect it had on both the avengers and the "villains". However, I enjoyed the story a lot and de...more I love Jenny Han's Summer Trilogy, which is why Burn for Burn was on my must read list. As soon as I read the premise of the story, I knew I needed it. I'm so glad I read it. the writing was complex yet simple, descriptive, it flowed... Over all, the writing rocked!

I think a lot of what happened in Burn for Burn was expected. Not the minute details of the plot but the general ideas of revenge and the affect it had on both the avengers and the "villains". However, I enjoyed the story a lot and despite my predictions, I was pleasantly surprised multiple times throughout the story. Because this is a book unlike one I've ever read.

There were three girls who were wronged and therefore three main characters of this story. I was horrified at what had happened to these girls, especially Mary. Mary dealt with so much and I was glad she was able to function at the level she was. She was a sweet girl who just needed a friend. She found those friends in Kat and Lillia, who had one goal in common: revenge. Lillia had everything. She was popular, had an amazing family, and was rich. Some of the people in her life, though, aren't as nice as they seem. And when one of them goes after her little sister, she knows what she has to do. Kat went through almost as much as Mary. She was poor and a loved one died a few years back. Right after that devastation her best friend dropped her like a rock. Now that she's back on her feet, she can't let it go. It's time for her ex-best friend to pay.

Near the end of the story, something... odd happened to make me wonder if this book is really just a contemporary read. Thankfully, this is the first book in a series. I'm also glad of this because several things really need to be resolved. For instance, something major happened to Lillia and she's kept it a secret ever since.

I have to admit I was a little confused at the beginning of the story. I felt that the girls voices could've been a bit more defined. Their voices blurred into each other a bit and I found myself forgetting whose pov was who's. But, this only happened at the beginning of the story. 40 pages in or so, I got over this. I was also a little disappointed with the ending. Don't get me wrong- it was a good ending. Great, even. But I feel like it had the potential to be even better.

In the end, Burn for Burn was definitely a thrillingly good start to a trilogy. It was very different from Jenny Han's cute summer series but it definitely had it's perks. I'll certainly be reading the next book once it comes out. Fans of contemporaries with a touch of something paranormal will love this book. Also, if you've been a victim or like reading about victims avenging themselves go ahead and check out this book.(less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Jen at Reading Lark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Burn for Burn is a really enticing tale of revenge. What I liked the most about it is that you don't find out exactly why these girls want revenge for quite a while... the details are drip fed, just at the time that you need something more to go on.

Kat, Mary and Lillia are an unlikely trio, but I did enjoy how they found common ground with each other and schemed to get their own back. Their story is twisted into just the right shape that you want them to get revenge on the horrid people who the...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Mei rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, favourites, series, young-adult, fantasy

First things first, I must congratulate whoever designed the cover. It is absolutely gorgeous; the reason why the book caught my attention.

Anyways, the premise seemed pretty interesting, so I decided to give it a try, having nothing better to do with my day then lounge around at Chapters.

I liked the characters, some were a little too stereotypical for my taste, but all in all they were pretty charming.

But what is with that ending? I had read a few reviews, so I was expecting it, but still... D...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Elise Smith rated it 2 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book when I went to see Les Miserables at the movies last night. I'm still trying to figure out why they were giving them out, so if you have any idea, let me know. This is a book about petty teen-aged girl drama, and has very little in common with Les Mis. I kept thinking of the movie Mean Girls, except without the funny parts.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of teenagers reading books, but I'm not sure I would recommend this book to them. The characters certainly could be real...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, you-think-you-so-smart, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 27, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever hated someone so much that you would do absolutely anything to get revenge on them ? A Burn for a Burn ? Have you ever seen the hit movie "John Tucker Must Die" ?
In a way that is exactly what this book reminded me of as we see three girls all from different classes, social standings and cliques come together in secret - with one goal in mind to get the maximum revenge on those who have hurt them so bad in the past. For Lilia , her revenge target is Alex - a guy she has loved her w...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, teen

Had a hard time getting into this one.....slow to start then picks up steadily in the last 1/3. Ends with a MAJOR cliff hanger. Audio was pretty good, 3 readers. Will look forward to the 2nd book in the series. Hint of something paranormal, but just hints.

Publishers Weekly Reviews
Set on fictional Jar Island, this first collaboration between Han (We'll Always Have Summer) and Vivian (The List) follows three teenage girls bonded by a chilling quest for revenge. Popular Lillia is angry with her f...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Should Mary really feel guilty for what she did to Reeve...? And special powers?...	3	36	Mar 09, 2013 06:14am
Crazy for Young A...: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han → Start Date: December 12, 2012	72	63	Jan 20, 2013 06:41am
Better than Summer trilogy?	4	30	Dec 06, 2012 05:04pm
Win an ARC of Burn for Burn	4	18	Sep 08, 2012 08:32pm

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