Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

The Premise: The story follows three protagonists who become unlikely friends over a mutual aspect and that is revenge. There is Lillia, the sweet girl who is top of her class and who is usually really trusting of everyone but she refuses to let a guy take advantage of her younger sister. Then there is Kat, who used to be friends with Lillia, but there was a mishap in the past with a mutual friend Rennie, and she actually was seeing the guy that seems to be taking advantage of Lillia's younger sister. Yes.. it appears confusing thus far with so many characters, but trust me, it is easy to follow. And lastly, there is a character who is new to both Lillia and Kat and she herself is in this story to seek her own kind of revenge and that is against a guy who bullied her years ago. Instead of crying over their problems, these three girls decide to team up and get revenge. It is kind of Mean Girls meets Gossip Girl. This is the first book in a trilogy so this is sort of the book that lays down the foundation to the entire revenge plan and backstory to why each girl is the way they are.

My overall thoughts and review: I didn't really know much about the book going into it besides the whole Mean Girls meets Gossip Girl bit. Immediately the writing draws you in. It is an easy read and it is intriguing and the way it is written, flashbacks are slowly weaved in to answer your questions. All the characters seemingly are likeable to begin with and it is pretty predictable to pin-point who is who. The story is told from the three perspectives of the girls, Mary, Kat and Lillia and from their perspectives, you meet the characters they want to get revenge on: Alex, Reeve and Rennie. I did enjoy it because it kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat with certain things, but other moments only frustrated me, especially when certain characters would let certain things happen *cough* Lillia *cough*. It is interesting to see a story where characters are able to exact revenge as opposed to just not doing so, but what I think I really liked was that the story demonstrates the consequences that can come from exacting revenge on someone and also from there how the three characters must deal with what follows after each event. The first book sets up for the second one nicely and I am already starting it because I am curious to see how it will all unfold. I do recommend it if you are interested in a contemporary YA that really speaks true to high school "mean girl" concept and to bullying and other issues. I am a huge fan of Jenny Han's writing style and I definitely think it shines through in the character of Lillia.

Rating of the book: 3/5 stars. (leaning towards 3.5 stars though)

Also, did you know that I got to meet Jenny Han earlier this year? You can read all about that here and you can read my review for her other book To All The Boys I've Loved Before here :)

Have you read Burn for Burn? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments below!