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Burn for Burn

(Burn for Burn #1)

Jenny Han (Goodreads Author),

Siobhan Vivian (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 28,767 ratings · 3,474 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 356 pages

Published September 18th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Apr 27, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, romance, ya-contemporary, siblings, kick-ass-heroine, high-school, cheating, revenge

"This is Karma. I’m a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?"
My phone buzzes again.
"If so, meet at Judy Blue Eyes, 2am. If not, sit back and enjoy the show."

*sheepishly hands over her "Get Out Of Jail Free" card*

Technically, I'm not supposed to like this book. There are no end to clichéd characters, there's not so much a love triangle as a love star or whatever shape there is with way too many pointy ends (my Geometry teacher would be so proud), because it seems like everyone's hooking up with everyone else. If you're a parent, this book is going make you want to home school your child for the rest of high school, if not their life.

But fuck it, I had a blast. This book was terrifically fun. Here's why I liked it, despite its flaws:

1. The setting: Northeastern US coastal island. For me, that's the equivalent of catnip
2. REVENGE, BITCHES! Because, really, who doesn't love a good tale of GETTING EVEN
3. No slut shaming:, there's rampant sex, but there's never slut shaming
4. Diversity: ok, fine, there's just one Asian main character, but that's one more than most books have! Thank you, Jenny Han!
5. A surprising amount of darkness: really, really wild teenagers. They hook up, they use drugs, they drink, they're horrible people---they're, erm, teenagers, with all that entails. This book deals with issues like date rape, underaged sex, bullying (in the true sense of the word), and suicide.
6. Who cares about a love triangle or whatever when I can't keep the hookups straight?!

It wasn't perfect by any means (and dude, what's with the paranormal thing at the end?!), but really, I had too much fun reading to care.

The Summary:

Today I told that girl in the bathroom that Reeve would get his, that karma’s a bitch. I meant it when I said it, but now I’m not so sure. I’m sick of waiting for karma. Karma can suck it.

It's been a long time since Mary has been back to Jar Island, her ancestral home. She had to leave years ago, due to certain...events. Mary was never a confident person, she's shy, she's socially awkward, but something happened a few years ago that broke her down. She had to leave the island. Now 17, Mary has chosen to return. Why? She hopes to catch the attention of a boy.

Will he recognize me, I wonder? Part of me hopes he doesn’t. But the other part, the part that left my family to come back, hopes he does. He has to. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Ah, but it's not what you'd expect. That "he?" It's a boy named Reeve. Is he a former lover? A crush? Hardly.

He...used to torture me when we were in seventh grade. He basically got everyone in our grade to hate me. He’s the reason my family moved away.

Kat is a tough girl, a loner, a girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Kat is big, bad, and bitchy. She smokes, she's a punk, she absolutely hates the rich townies and preppies at her school.

They make me want to barf, every last one of them. They get away with murder on this island. They just do what they want to do, and screw everyone and everything else.

But it wasn't always like this. Kat used to be one of the "in-crowd," best friends with the most popular girls in town. Her former best friend, Rennie now hates her guts, and spreads rumors about Kat whenever she gets the chance. Kat tolerates and ignores the rumors, until one day, she snaps.

I freaking spat in Rennie’s face. Pretty much the trashiest thing I could ever do. The lies Rennie’s been telling about me since freshman year, I just proved them true.

Because there's only so much a girl can take.

Lillia is a good student, a good daughter, a loving sister, the benevolent second queen bee in the school who holds a dark secret and shame. She is Rennie's best friend, a cheerleader. Lillia, Kat, and Rennie used to be a trio of best friends, until something tore them apart. Now Lillia is one of the most popular girls in school, and Rennie's sole best friend, but she knows too well what a bitch Rennie can be. But Lillia's got more to worry about than just the conniving Rennie; her innocent baby sister Nadia is entering the dark world of high school, and Lillia has failed to protect her from her two-faced childhood friend, Alex.

I never should have left her at that party. This is my fault just as much as it is Nadia’s. Maybe more. I’m her big sister. It’s my job to look out for her, to keep her safe.

Wonderful! Now we're all set up. The summer's over, the school year's just begin...and it blows so bad. Mary doesn't know Lillia and Kat. Lillia and Kat now barely talk to each other. They all meet, by chance, in the girl's bathroom. Two of the three are crying. For the guys out there, in case you were wondering, Many Mysterious Things go on in girl's bathrooms.

Well, that's a bonding moment if there ever was one, but who's to trust someone you just met? Gradually, they all learn about how certain people in their lives have been fucking them over. Mary wants revenge on the guy who's bullied her throughout middle school.

Before Reeve, I was one of the smart girls, especially in math. I was the shy but friendly one. I was a little socially awkward, sure. But after Reeve, I was the fat girl.

Kat wants revenge on her former best friend, the one who's been making her life hell for years.

Rennie has spread a hundred rumors about me over the years—how my dad is a meth dealer and he’s grooming my brother, Pat, for the family business; how I once tried to French kiss her at a sleepover. All kinds of lies, just so she could have something interesting to say.

And Lillia? A certain guy named Alex has been sleeping with Kat AND Lillia's beloved (and very, very young little sister).

...this fake chivalrous Alex also cheated on Kat by taking advantage of my little sister.

The new girl. The cheerleader. The loner. A triple threat. Revenge is a bitch, and so are they.

“We have to be more than careful,” I say. “No one can ever know what we’re up to. What we do together lives and dies with us.”

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The Revenge: The three girls do some seriously cruel shit in this book, and I have to say that the sadistic part of me loved every single fucking moment. They set fire alarms, they give someone a rash, they break windows, they do very, very illegal things. And I don't even care. If you wanted a carebear book, look elsewhere, this book has pissed off people getting revenge on some very unpleasant people who may or may not deserve it. It's not a book for carebears.

The Characters: The book is told through three POVs, that of Mary, Lillia, and Kat. I didn't have any trouble telling them apart.

Kat is the "bitch" out of the three, her voice is the strongest, she is easily identifiable through her toughness and her tendency to be terribly blunt and sometimes profane. I didn't have a problem with her bitchiness at all. None of the characters pissed me off. Kat is not too clichéd to be true; she's tough, but she feels like a genuine character who can actually think and not be one of those Big Bad Girls who are mean and bitchy just for the sake of maintaining her tough-ass image. She is blunt, she is the ringleader, she puts them all together, she gives her allies strength.

“He’s not worth it,” she says. “None of these people are. Trust me.”

Mary is the quietest, the shyest, which makes a hell of a lot of sense, considering she used to be fat and bullied. She's pretty now, even, but the damage remains, and she remains unsure of herself. It took Mary a lot to be able to walk around school with her head up, despite the fact that she's not the "fat girl" anymore. I really loved her reaction to Reeve; she hates him, but she can't help wanting him to notice her and how she's changed as well. It's a naive hope that's realistic, knowing what she's been through.

I was crazy to think that Reeve would ever apologize for the terrible things he did to me. I always hoped, somewhere deep down inside, that I mattered to him. That he cared about me. That he was sorry for what he did.
I know now, I know for sure, that I was wrong.

Lillia is the double agent, with a foot in both worlds. She's best friends with Rennie, hangs out with the jock and cheerleader crowd, she's wealthy, beautiful, and friends with wrong-girl Kat. Lillia is most concerned about her sister, she acts more like a mother to Nadia. There was a whole lot going on with Lillia, she's got a tremendous amount of guilt and shame, both from her perceived responsibility to her sister, and from a very sick event that happened to her.

I kissed him back. I liked it. Then I didn’t. I said no. I think I said no. Didn’t he hear me?
I felt the bile rise in my throat. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

The Assholes: They have more depth to them than I originally expected, but man, at times, the Mean Girl in the book felt really cringe-worthy. Rennie and Reeve are some of the baddies in this book, and they talk like this, at times.

He drawls, “Rennie, honey?”
“Yes, Reevie baby?” Rennie flips her hair around.
“You know you’re my wifey, right?”
Eww.
“Of course.”
“And a wifey has to make sure her man is taken care of,” he continues.

I said AT TIMES, because thankfully, this type of silly speech doesn't persist throughout the book. But I did feel that Rennie was outrageously Mean Girl at some points; she completely played out the Evil Cheerleader Captain with great aplomb, from telling a girl her thighs are the size of Texas, to telling another that she has a skin problem.

“There can’t be any weak links whatsoever. That means if your friend is slacking, you let her know. Like, just as a for instance, Melanie, you need to commit these three words to memory stat: ‘cleanse,’ ‘tone,’ ‘moisturize.’” Melanie’s eyes fill up with tears, but she quickly nods.

The Romance: @_@;;;

I don't even know how to describe it, so let's not even go there. It's not bad, it's just a very interesting twist of the plot.

Overall: Tremendously fun, if you suspend your disbelief by a few foot. Just don't try it at home. ...more

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Aug 06, 2012 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: thank-you-bea-or-ala, why-yes-i-ya, 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 time ...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Giselle rated it really liked it

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 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.

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

...more

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Oct 11, 2014 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing

OMG I THINK THIS SERIES IS GOING TO BE ONE OF MY NEW FAVS!

flag 61 likes · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2014 Natalie Monroe rated it really liked it

Shelves: backstabbing-n-gossip, great-but-not-quite-there-yet, way-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot, girl-squad, worst-story-element-mashups

My reaction to the sort-of-cliffhanger ending:

Yup. Burn For Burn is that good.

It's told from the POVs of three different girls, Lillia, Kat, and Mary, who meet by chance in a bathroom during the lowest points of their lives. Together, they plot to take down the people who have hurt them.

Mean Girls style.

You can always, always tell who's narrating because their voices are so distinctive. Unlike a certain dystopian, who only had two POVs, one of which was a different gender, and they couldn't get ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: with-a-touch-of-paranormal, easy-read, young-adult, physically-owned-books, contemporary, auto-buy-authors

"I’m sick of waiting for karma. Karma can suck it!"

A novel about revenge! Three girls conspire to finally punish High School’s most popular, meanest kids. I definitely want! That was really refreshing and entertaining.

I couldn’t stop laughing, but definitely not at the sad fate of those who deserved it but on the way the three girls plan and execute their revenge. It’s just too funny. I applaud the authors for making me feel really sympathetic towards all of the characters because as much as ...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Maggie rated it really liked it

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

"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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Dec 11, 2018 [Shai] Bibliophage rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-2018, english-novels

I have the copy of this book series for almost 5 years and when I saw them in my storage, I thought I should start reading them. The story of this series reminds me of the 90s teen movies like Cruel Intentions, Mean Girls, and Jawbreaker. Although taking a revenge against vile people is sort of a cliché, I enjoyed reading because it has the vibe 90s era and that Jenny Han really captivated me because of the way she narrated it.

Kat is my favorite among the three main characters, and ...more

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Nov 06, 2016 Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, read-in-2016, romance

Omg guys, this book was so damn incredible !. I was holding my breath all the way, I'm in shock right now.

5/5 Stars!!

“It took a long time for me to get better, but I did. I got better. But suddenly it's like the last four years never happened, and I'm feeling all the same terrible feelings about myself that I did back then.”

Burn for Burn is a book that grabs you from the first moment, I've fetl immediately hoked, I didn't have problems with the story, was soooo good, since writing i ...more

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Aug 22, 2018 Lara (Bookish_turtle) rated it did not like it

Shelves: was-not-for-me, abominable-ending, 1-star, young-adult, read-in-2018, realistic-fiction

Yeah nah. Was not a fan.

There are three POVs. That is 2 too many; cannot deal.

NOBODY HAS LOGIC OR CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS WHYYYYYYY??!!

So much stereotype, so much cliche.

But even at the end I couldn't remember who wanted revenge on who for what...?

I hated all the characters so that was great (not)

All of their plans were really dumb, childish, or dangerous and I just... NAH FAM!!!

There is so much cringe and so many bad decisions I cannot deal.

And I don't see at all what was to like about this book. ...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Marie rated it liked it

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

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

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Feb 22, 2014 Regan rated it liked it

Shelves: books-owned-read

3.5

Alright, this book was filled with every ridiculous high school stereotype ever, and is so unrealistic. However, I am hooked so I guess that really didn't matter. ...more

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May 31, 2015 emerald-isle-reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

“This is Karma. I’m a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap? - Kat”

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Mar 26, 2020 Ria rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt-characters, 2stars

“I’m sick of waiting for karma.’’

Jenny Han, To All The Boys... didn't like the movie. Not for me. Also not really into romance. I mention it because I haven't read anything she has written and I’m not planning to. Ain't going to compare it to her other work. I got this because it was 3€ and I wanted to rant. I mean does this sound like something I wouldn't hate?
I need to read the descriptions of books I randomly buy because duuude fuck me. This is gonna be ffuuunn... btw I may buy book 3 som ...more

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Jun 12, 2014 Lindsey Rey rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, contemporary, young-adult

[4.5 Stars]
This was so much fun! LOVED IT!

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Jun 13, 2013 Kassidy rated it it was amazing

Loved it!
This is such a fun story, and so easy to read.
It's super fast-paced and I had such a hard time putting it down. I loved all of the characters, they each have their own personalities and I love how they all interacted.
The plot is so interesting, even though it's a little predictable. I can't wait to read the next book! ...more

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May 06, 2014 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, mystery-thriller-paranormal, contemporary

Video review to come!!

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Dec 21, 2011 ArmyGirls Read too 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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Jun 25, 2013 Bee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-series

Re-read June 2018 - I listened to the story this time around, and I loved it so much. The characters have such unique voices, and the tension really builds throughout. It was lower paced than I remembered, but I'm pleased that it had so much re-reading power. The characters have a completely new context after finishing the series once before!

Review: http://heartfullofbooks.com/2014/06/0... ...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Emily (Obsessed Reader) rated it it was amazing

Book was first read in November of 2012. My thoughts thoughts then: THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I don't have one single complaint.
Rating: 5 stars

Book was re-read in August of 2015. My thoughts now: Just as good as the first time, if not better. I am totally hooked on this story and I am going to jump straight into the second book.
Rating: still 5 stars

...more

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Feb 25, 2014 Toni rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2014

3 1/2

“This is Karma. I’m a bitch.
Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?”

Book Two: Fire with Fire - 4,5 Stars
Book Three: Ashes to Ashes- 2 Stars

This is a story of three different girls coming together. Three allies that are craving revenge. Set in high school.

description

The story itself isn't hard to follow. As I said there are three girls.

Mary has been gone for a while. She returned to Jar Island,went to it's high school because of something that happened in her past. A person she thought nea ...more

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Jun 16, 2014 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Okay let me just say that this book is perfect to read if you're in a reading slump!
It's so fun and such a fast read!
It's a bit cliche but it's also really fun! ...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Susane Colasanti rated it it was amazing

Burn for Burn is such an exciting read. Lillia, Kat and Mary tell this riveting story in three distinct voices that will keep you up late reading. I can't wait to see what happens next in this hot trilogy! ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 Mel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018, 5-stars, owned

I'd say 4.5 stars, just because it did have a lot of flaws, but I really really enjoyed this book.

I read the entire thing in under 24 hours, and loved every second. I was thoroughly immersed in the writing, the characters, the setting, and the revenge story. I haven't read a book this quickly in a long time and it was a ton of fun.

I really only had 2 little qualms about it. I did not like the weird Carrie-like twist at the end. It makes me worry about the next 2 books and whether they will hold ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 Chelsea ❤Peril Please❤ rated it it was ok

Shelves: alternating-pov, in-the-minority-on-this-one, buddy-read

Buddy read with my wonderful friend, Maria

Welp. That wasn't what I expected. In many ways I think I've been putting this one off because I knew it wasn't going to be what I wanted. It's not that it didn't have it's exceptional moments where I found some immense enjoyment out of the three girls' bonding experiences or the revenge they were seeking on the individuals who treated them badly. But, at the risk of sounding hoity toity, it all just came across so....juvenile.

So many people liked this b ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 Aneta Bak rated it really liked it

“This is Karma. I'm a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?"

Three girls, all seeking revenge on people who wronged them. The only way they can truly achieve the best revenge is if they work together. When the bad girl, the cheerleader and the new girl come together, all hell breaks loose as they seek their revenge.

Burn for Burn is a lovely quick read. The characters will touch your hearts and the plot line will have you falling off your chair.

I honestly don't know which cha ...more

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Dec 22, 2011 shady boots rated it really liked it

Shelves: oh-my-god-marry-me, 2012-faves, covergasm, heroines-i-adore, all-time-faves

This review is also available over at my blog.

_____________________

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, This review is also available over at my blog.

_____________________

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. ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Manda rated it did not like it

Shelves: smells-like-teen-spirit, annoying-characters, wtf-plot-development, dat-cliffhanger

I'm disappointed at how shallow this book turned out to be - it was a too petty and hurtful to be juvenile, but not hard-hitting enough to be gritty. While the initial idea of it caught my interest, the actual reading turned out to be the pretty immature revenge antics of three girls who I really thought could find a lot of better things to do with their time. As the book continued, I slowly got more and more annoyed with each of the three main girls and wished they would all just grow up a bit. I'm disappointed at how shallow this book turned out to be - it was a too petty and hurtful to be juvenile, but not hard-hitting enough to be gritty. While the initial idea of it caught my interest, the actual reading turned out to be the pretty immature revenge antics of three girls who I really thought could find a lot of better things to do with their time. As the book continued, I slowly got more and more annoyed with each of the three main girls and wished they would all just grow up a bit. Lilia, because she wasn't mad at the right person (view spoiler) and how her issues could be solved with some simple questions to people who would come clean to her if she just asked. Kat, because while she was the gutsy one, she just couldn't bring herself to confront the boy about that summer and clear the air between them, and I felt that this one thing would just make her less angry at everything. Plus, her revenge person barely got anything coming to her! As for Mary, okay, I shouldn't be so annoyed at someone who has gone through actual trauma in her life, but I just she would actually talk to the boy in person to get it off her chest, as well as find another therapist and move on. Who was the idiot that thought it would be a good idea for her to move back to this island?

But the biggest issue I had with this book is that none of the girls actually tried to confront the people they wanted revenge on or gave any explanation to the people to why they did what they did. I don't think that any of the people had any idea why things were happening to them. At the end of the book, I don't think that anyone grew as characters or learned anything from the events of this book.

So skip this book, but if you're looking for something that, while not covering the same plot, does go into high school politics, revenge wars and a gritty "all comes crashing down" mentality, I would highly recommend Courtney Summers' Some Girls Are. ...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Jasprit rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya, out-2012, contemporary, paranormal

Being a huge fan of Jenny Han’s books, when I first heard about Burn for Burn, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Also Siobhan Vivian was an author whose books I had been promising myself to getting around to for ages. So I knew picking up this book would be a win-win situation!

Burn for Burn focuses on three girls, Kat, Mary and Lillia forced to work together on one common goal; revenge. You know the saying revenge is a dish best served cold? Well this saying totally applied here. The three Being a huge fan of Jenny Han’s books, when I first heard about Burn for Burn, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Also Siobhan Vivian was an author whose books I had been promising myself to getting around to for ages. So I knew picking up this book would be a win-win situation!

Burn for Burn focuses on three girls, Kat, Mary and Lillia forced to work together on one common goal; revenge. You know the saying revenge is a dish best served cold? Well this saying totally applied here. The three girls had their own reasons for getting their own back on Reeve, Alex and Rennie. Whereas Kat and Lillia used to be close friends until Rennie ruined it, Mary’s the school newbie. But the three girls manage to form a united alliance, with devious plans up their sleeves, they’re sure to get their comeuppance.

Burn for Burn lets us into the story through povs from Mary, Kat and Lillia. As I read through the chapters I really felt I got to know Kat and Lillia, the hardships they had to experience, the pressure they had to deal with and keeping their mouth shut when necessary. But with Mary, I don’t know, I liked getting her back story, how she had a tough time and how much it took to get to where she is now. But there were aspects concerning her which I just didn’t get; her super creepy aunt, (view spoiler) I think it was purposely done this way to just scratch the surface with Mary’s character, but I think I wanted more from her.

The so-called revenge plan I was totally on board with, I agreed that all three deserved their just deserts especially Rennie, ugh I couldn’t stand this girl! And by the end of the book my opinion didn’t change of her, but Alex really grew on me as the as the book progressed, I began to feel really sorry for him and hoped the girls would stop their revenge act towards him. (view spoiler) Also Reeve being the obnoxious boy that he was really messed around with my feelings at the end (view spoiler)

Overall Burn for Burn was an exceptional first book to a fresh new series. I really feel as if I know Kat and Lillia so well already and so I can’t wait to see which direction book two Fire with Fire will take us to next!
...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Jamie-leigh Haughn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

OH MY GOD

I went in to this book expecting it to be just a light fun contemporary.... but boy was I wrong! This book had me completely engulfed after the first few chapters. I loved having the perspectives of the three girls, Kat, Lillia and Mary. Each girl is so different and had really interesting reasons on why they wanted revenge, yet they all kind of intertwined. I think of the three girls I liked Mary the best, although its really hard to choose, they are pretty equal, I definitely enjoyed ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Society	1	3	May 07, 2020 01:37PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Burn for Burn Series by Jenny Han, and Siobhan Vivian - Reading "Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1)' from September 2nd 2019	100	276	Sep 12, 2019 02:13PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - Restarting September 1st 2019	70	69	Sep 05, 2019 12:45AM
SA Book & Challen...: Burn For Burn (Spoilers)	1	8	Feb 23, 2018 11:23PM