Review: Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.

     KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.

     LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.

     MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.

     None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

     With an unlikely alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together. 

Pages: 384

Format: Audiobook

Published By: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers/Simon Schuster Audio
Narrators: Joy Osmanski, Madeleine Maby, and Rebekkah Ross
Genre: YA - Contemporary, Romance

Series: Burn for Burn

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:

I want to first say that I was really hesitant about picking this book up because the whole premise of the series is revenge and that an idea that is hard for me to get behind to read. But I decided to pick it up because a lot of people I follow and know liked the book, so I thought I would give it a try.

So this book was decently good, and for the most part, the plot was enjoyable. I wasn’t 100% sold on the idea of the revenge in the book which is why I didn't love it, just because I'm not a revengeful person and that's not usually how I think situations should be handled. I could see why Kat and Mary wanted revenge, and Kat's revenge wasn't that bad. I could see where Lillia was coming from being an older sister myself, but I just didn’t think hers merited getting revenge.

Then there are the character: Lillia, Mary, and Kat. I’m indifferent about Lillia - it’s hard for me to relate to her but I didn't not like her character, I like Mary because she’s really kind and I can relate on a level with her, and I go between liking Kat and not liking her because of her personality and actions. Overall, I think each of their characters were well-written and I really liked that they were all very unique.

I am planning to continue reading the series, and I am hoping that it does get better in the next novel, but I fear that it won’t be.