Burn for Burn

 

Title: Burn For Burn
Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 18, 2012
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 368 pages

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.


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.