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Burn for Burn
By Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian and Anna Wolf
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Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han, and New York Times bestselling author of The List, 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 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.
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 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.
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Start ReadingBook Information
Burn for Burn
By Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian and Anna Wolf
Description
Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han, and New York Times bestselling author of The List, 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 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.
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 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.
About the author
Reviews
This is a great case to show why I usually will try something more than once before giving up on it for good. I previously tried to start this series, and I was just not in the mood for it. I ended up reading around 50% of the first book and did not finish it. I could not get into it or the high school cattiness. I own all three books and decided to give it one more try before giving it away. I am glad I did.I ended up enjoying this so much more than I was expecting. I liked learning more around each of our main characters and their stories. This does deal with some series issues such as drugs, bullying, suicide, and rape. I did not realize it was going to cover all of these topics when I gave up on it the first time. If you are struggling to get through the beginning, try to push through as it was worth it to me.Overall, this surprised me. I will be continuing with the series.
Rating: 4
These is a amazing book! I can not choose which character is my favorite.You should definitely reed it or if have read the next one!Or if you have read all of the books.Re read them all!
Rating: 5So good I can't even. Similar to Pretty Little Liars in the best way. Somewhat reminiscent of Christopher Pike, also in the best way. Read it y'all!
Rating: 4This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: First of all, kudos for having cover models who actually look like the characters (double kudos for having an Asian character and *GASP! an Asian Model - IT CAN BE DONE!) This is the type of cover that would definitely appeal to my jr high girls. The faded colors work really well and I enjoy the effect of the transparent title overlay.
The Gist: On the picturesque Jar Island the teenage population subsists on partying and gossip. Three unlikely friends, Lillia, Kat, and Mary secretly band together in a "Strangers on a Train" - esque plot in order to take down the people who have made their lives miserable.
Review: Oh so much potential! I was really looking forward to this book. As a teacher, I see mean kids every day and, once in a while, there is a teen so heinous and cruel that you can't help hoping that they get their comeuppance one day. I was hoping that this book would let me live out those schadenfreudian fantasies but, instead, it just left me feeling sad.
Three kids were targeted for revenge: Alex, Rennie and Reeve. While each of the kids had done horrible things, they didn't seem to be cruel enough to deserve these punishments. As such, I couldn't force myself to side with the main characters against them. One particular problem that I had was that so much time was concentrated on Alex. Of the three, he was the least deserving. He was (to me) just a nice guy who made a mistake (possibly). A good 3/4ths of the books was spent on minor pranks used to humiliate Alex. I found myself cringing at each of these because all I wanted was for Lillia to break down and actually ASK him what was going on. I think, had the revenge started with Rennie or Reeve instead, I could have gotten behind it a little more as these characters were slightly more reprehensible.
I also had an issue with the type of revenge that the girls were taking. What I was expecting: a slow progression from small pranks to bigger ones resulting in humiliation but no real harm. SPOILER ALERT - What I got: very tame pranks and then a sudden jump to DRUGGING A MINOR! WTF?! This is not cool, under any circumstances, and incredibly dangerous! This was the moment where the main characters really lost me. From this point on, I was no longer on their side.
The characters themselves represented basic stereotypes, but they were fun and I enjoyed watching the budding friendship between the three. Lillia was probably my least favorite, she was nice enough and the authors did attempt to give her a more meaningful back story, but it felt forced and, once revealed, was never mentioned again. Lillia and her friends are very materialistic and I did not enjoy how this came through in the writing. For example, during a scene at Rennie's home it is pointed out that she lives in a condo, shares a pool and that her mother bought last season's dress (Gasp!) on sale! I would love to hear other people's opinion on this but it felt to me like I was meant to feel sorry for Rennie and her mother. This really bothered me. I sympathize with characters who have rough home lives, dead or absentee parents and a meager income but I refuse to feel pity for a character simply because she has to work a part-time job in order to afford to live her friend's extravagant lifestyle.
Kat was fun and feisty and Mary - oh my heart! that poor damaged girl. I wish I had been able to spend more time getting to know them and that there had been some growth and change by the end of the book. I understand that this is a series and things need to be saved for the next book, but I would have liked to see a little softness from Kat, some personality and bravery from Mary and some backbone in Lillia - just a spark would have been fine.
I was not a fan of the switching, first person narrative. This however, may be a personal issue. Whenever I encounter this particular form of writing I end up spending the first few lines in every chapter looking for clues in order to see who is speaking and this distracts me from the plot. The writing style itself is clean, not overly descriptive, and flows well. One particular problem I had with the plot was the choice to incorporate some semblance of the supernatural. It was very subtle, but jarring and left me scratching my head as to what exactly was going on. I felt that this was completely unnecessary and took away from my enjoyment of the novel. I sincerely hope that there are big plans for this in the next novel, otherwise it should have been cut altogether. The abrupt ending of Burn for Burn did not work for me either. I don't need all the ends to be tied up in a first book, but I do prefer a little closure.
I am conflicted about whether or not I will continue this series. I guess it will depend on the synopsis of the next book.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and Up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Sex mentioned - not described,
Violence: Possible date-rape, Fist-fighting
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Ass, Bitch, Fuck, Asshole, Slut, Prick, Pissy
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, smoking, use of marijuana, drugging of drinks,
Rating: 2Cover Impressions: First of all, kudos for having cover models who actually look like the characters (double kudos for having an Asian character and *GASP! an Asian Model - IT CAN BE DONE!) This is the type of cover that would definitely appeal to my jr high girls. The faded colors work really well and I enjoy the effect of the transparent title overlay.
The Gist: On the picturesque Jar Island the teenage population subsists on partying and gossip. Three unlikely friends, Lillia, Kat, and Mary secretly band together in a "Strangers on a Train" - esque plot in order to take down the people who have made their lives miserable.
Review: Oh so much potential! I was really looking forward to this book. As a teacher, I see mean kids every day and, once in a while, there is a teen so heinous and cruel that you can't help hoping that they get their comeuppance one day. I was hoping that this book would let me live out those schadenfreudian fantasies but, instead, it just left me feeling sad.
Three kids were targeted for revenge: Alex, Rennie and Reeve. While each of the kids had done horrible things, they didn't seem to be cruel enough to deserve these punishments. As such, I couldn't force myself to side with the main characters against them. One particular problem that I had was that so much time was concentrated on Alex. Of the three, he was the least deserving. He was (to me) just a nice guy who made a mistake (possibly). A good 3/4ths of the books was spent on minor pranks used to humiliate Alex. I found myself cringing at each of these because all I wanted was for Lillia to break down and actually ASK him what was going on. I think, had the revenge started with Rennie or Reeve instead, I could have gotten behind it a little more as these characters were slightly more reprehensible.
I also had an issue with the type of revenge that the girls were taking. What I was expecting: a slow progression from small pranks to bigger ones resulting in humiliation but no real harm. SPOILER ALERT - What I got: very tame pranks and then a sudden jump to DRUGGING A MINOR! WTF?! This is not cool, under any circumstances, and incredibly dangerous! This was the moment where the main characters really lost me. From this point on, I was no longer on their side.
The characters themselves represented basic stereotypes, but they were fun and I enjoyed watching the budding friendship between the three. Lillia was probably my least favorite, she was nice enough and the authors did attempt to give her a more meaningful back story, but it felt forced and, once revealed, was never mentioned again. Lillia and her friends are very materialistic and I did not enjoy how this came through in the writing. For example, during a scene at Rennie's home it is pointed out that she lives in a condo, shares a pool and that her mother bought last season's dress (Gasp!) on sale! I would love to hear other people's opinion on this but it felt to me like I was meant to feel sorry for Rennie and her mother. This really bothered me. I sympathize with characters who have rough home lives, dead or absentee parents and a meager income but I refuse to feel pity for a character simply because she has to work a part-time job in order to afford to live her friend's extravagant lifestyle.
Kat was fun and feisty and Mary - oh my heart! that poor damaged girl. I wish I had been able to spend more time getting to know them and that there had been some growth and change by the end of the book. I understand that this is a series and things need to be saved for the next book, but I would have liked to see a little softness from Kat, some personality and bravery from Mary and some backbone in Lillia - just a spark would have been fine.
I was not a fan of the switching, first person narrative. This however, may be a personal issue. Whenever I encounter this particular form of writing I end up spending the first few lines in every chapter looking for clues in order to see who is speaking and this distracts me from the plot. The writing style itself is clean, not overly descriptive, and flows well. One particular problem I had with the plot was the choice to incorporate some semblance of the supernatural. It was very subtle, but jarring and left me scratching my head as to what exactly was going on. I felt that this was completely unnecessary and took away from my enjoyment of the novel. I sincerely hope that there are big plans for this in the next novel, otherwise it should have been cut altogether. The abrupt ending of Burn for Burn did not work for me either. I don't need all the ends to be tied up in a first book, but I do prefer a little closure.
I am conflicted about whether or not I will continue this series. I guess it will depend on the synopsis of the next book.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and Up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Sex mentioned - not described,
Violence: Possible date-rape, Fist-fighting
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Ass, Bitch, Fuck, Asshole, Slut, Prick, Pissy
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, smoking, use of marijuana, drugging of drinks,
A revenge-driven high school drama with an unlikely alliance and an ending that makes me want to read the next book in the series, it’s a fun, light, and quick read.
Rating: 4honestly I'm not sure what to even say about this book. it was super boring and really confusing up until the last 6 to 8 chapters. the only thing I can really gather from it is that three girls that weren't friends become friends (not in public tho) and seek revenge on three people (one for each girl) that has hurt them in some way shape or form. other then that I'm totally lost. maybe the 2nd book will explain more but I seriously doubt I will read #2
Rating: 2Revenge.....high school.....desperation....makes for a great story. Onto book number two!
Rating: 5I don't even ... how can you end it like this!? Ahhh!! But it's so good that I can't even yell worse cliffhanger EVER!
Rating: 5Burn for Burn was an okay read for me. I’m not sure if it’s because of the pranks they pulled to get back at these people or what. I think I’m just too old to get caught up in the craziness.
I did like the characters. Each one had depth, and something that made them unique. I think my favorite character is Kat. She’s fierce and doesn’t give a damn what people think of her. Or at least that’s what she portrays. Lillia is kind of vanilla. She always does what is expected of her. But she’s also dealth with some crap that she shouldn’t have had to. Mary is meek. She isn’t one to be bold like Kat, or confident like Lillia.
The drama is what really keeps this story going. Even if I didn’t agree with what this group of girls do, I think it shows how friendships can come from the unlikeliest of places.
Rating: 3I did like the characters. Each one had depth, and something that made them unique. I think my favorite character is Kat. She’s fierce and doesn’t give a damn what people think of her. Or at least that’s what she portrays. Lillia is kind of vanilla. She always does what is expected of her. But she’s also dealth with some crap that she shouldn’t have had to. Mary is meek. She isn’t one to be bold like Kat, or confident like Lillia.
The drama is what really keeps this story going. Even if I didn’t agree with what this group of girls do, I think it shows how friendships can come from the unlikeliest of places.
fantastic book
Rating: 5Kat, Mary, & Lillia each have some scores to settle as they enter their senior year at Jar Island High. They aren't friends and really don't know each other until a chance encounter brings them together and they learn of each other's situations. They decide to team up and get revenge on Rennie, Reeve, and Alex. Their plan progresses and they ultimately get the satisfaction of revenge. But, did they go too far? Do their victims deserve what they get? A realistic fictional account of the interactions of teens as they navigate their way through high school. Relationships, family, and various other factors enter into the challenges they face. Should the bullied become the bullies? A good read that leads into the sequel.
Rating: 5Jenny Han is already one of my favorite authors but I won't lie, I kept putting off reading this book. Since the third and final book in this trilogy just came out, I decided to finally pull it off my shelf and read it. And let me tell you: I cannot believe I waited so long! This was such a great read with a very unique plot, I felt like so much was jam packed into this book and I was still left with so many questions. Jenny and Siobhan pulled me into these girls' world and wouldn't let me go. This was quick, thrilling and fun to read. I can't wait to continue the series and see what happens next to Mary, Kat and Lillia!
Rating: 5I am so far behind on reading this book that it isn't even funny. Truthfully I don't ever recall picking it up in the first place. I saw it in bookstores and at the library and for some reason it never caught my attention long enough for me to see what it was about. Big mistake. Big! Huge! Burn For Burn is told from three different points of view. Three different girls with different childhoods, backgrounds, friends, family. Three different reasons for revenge. Lillia will do whatever it takes to keep her little sister from making the same mistakes that she has made. Trust is a thing of the past for Lillia.Kat used to be apart of the 'popular crowd' until the queen bee (Rennie) cut her down and threw her out with the trash. Now Kat won't rest until she takes everything Rennie holds dear. Mary has been running from her past long enough and now that it's time to face the tragic events that have led her to Jar Island she is more than prepared to slay the demons that haunt her. Secretly banning together Lillia, Kat and Mary carefully plot out their revenge. But will they go too far? This book is 2 parts Pretty Little Liars, 2 parts Mean Girls and a dash of John Tucker Must Die. I loved it from beginning to end. And that ending... I cannot wait to read the next book and never again will I hesitate when I see a new Jenny Han or Siobhan Vivian book at the bookstore. Until next time, Ginger
Rating: 5So before I write a review for this book I feel I should probably tell you that I really didn't like The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. I had been looking forward to reading it for a long time because I heard her writing was very much like Sarah Dessen, well in short I didn't think it was an ended up very disappointed. So when I came across Burn for Burn on Scribd I thought I would give it a go, I've wanted to read it for a while but I was a bit cautious became of previous experiences with one of the authors. I have to say, for all my doubts I ended up really liking this book and I really feel that Jenny Han has grown as an author.Burn for Burn is set from 3 different point of views. We have Lillia, the popular girl. Kat, the ex-best friend of Lillia and lastly Mary, someone who had to move away from Jar Islands because of bullying. All very different girls but all have one thing in common, revenge. From the outside it looks like just a book about a few girls trying to get their own back on the people who have wronged the, but when you really get into the story you see that its much more than just a book about revenge. And where as I'm not sure I liked the turn it took with a certain character, I'm sure it will all make sense in the next book.I really liked how the girls in the books came together and how they still had a story of their own. I like how the transition between past and present was perfectly done and not confusing at all. The characters, even the sub characters had a lot to them and I just feel like a lot of time and effort went into every little bit, not matter how important.Like I already said, I'm not sure I liked or got where one characters story was heading, that was about the only thing in the book I felt was a little out of place and confusing, but knowing there is 2 more books doesn't make me worry about it too much because I'm hoping it will all be explained. All in all I really liked this book, I didn't think I would because it didn't really seem like my type but I was hooked from start to finish
Rating: 4I wanted to read Burn for Burn from the first time that I saw the cover and the synopsis. Sometimes I am not drawn to the mean girls type of book, but something about this, how you can see the victim and how they've been hurt, almost made me cheer for their revenge plans. and definitely curious to see what happened to hurt each girl that hurt them and left them wanting to hurt or bring someone down. Each character had things that I liked about them and others that I could see how they were so flawed or that their issues could have been avoided. Mary was called names by the boy who later only talked to her in secret and then things blew up from there. Lillian thinks that something happened to her little sister, and I can def see how the protectiveness and wanting Nadie to not be hurt how she was or in other ways. Kat is the rebel, music lover and I liked her the most I think, but everything that happened with her ex-best friend was hard to read. Being dropped or forced out of the social circle is so hard and this is something that has happened to me before. Their ideas to get revenge were all over the place from minor pranks to something the girls could get in serious trouble for and leave one of their classmates forever changed. They for a while walked the line of what is okay and not, and they eventually went way over that line. But even when everything awfully came to a head, I was still almost hoping it was a dream or that they could somehow change where they crossed the line. And even though in their taking revenge also put them on the line of bullying others instead of just being the victim. There was a hint of supernatural thrown in, I think. But I hope it was just a coincidence and that it doesn't go down that road in the next book. It was mentioned twice and I was like really? But maybe with the awesome writing and this ending leaving me in suspense, that the next book will make that thread clear. Fire with Fire is a book that I for sure want to read, the sequel, because Burn for Burn left me pretty frustrated because one plot line was left wide open, and of course I didn't have the next book to keep reading and see what happened. Bottom Line: Captivating and great characterization. Eager for the next book.
Rating: 4"I'm sick of waiting for karma. Karma can suck it."
I didn't expect to liked this book as much as I did!! The story is unbelievably crazy because of its clicheness but it's just so entertaining that I feel like it's something to overlooked!
What this story about:
Mary is back to Jar Island. She left back then because she was being bullied starting when Reeve transfer to their school. He called her "Big Easy" and the name got stuck. But the wound went deeper than that. She planned on making him feel the pain she felt back then.
Lillia. She's protective of her sister, Nadia. And one day, when she heard that Alex, her friend, was taking advantage of her, she's pretty much furious.
Kat. She's Rennie's original bestfriend. But when Lillia came to their lives, Rennie forgot about her. And then last summer, Kat hooked up with Alex. Also hearing that he's with another girl made it possible for him to be inside her hate list.
(Confused about the characters? Well, that's me at first but you'll get used to it!)
They cannot just sit around and wait any longer. They decided to take sweet little revenge in their own hands.
"This is karma. I'm a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?"
The characters and what happened to them:
Kat. Kat is my favorite one among the three of them. She's strong and quite fearless. She wants something, she'll work hard for it to be done. She has the most bitchy attitude.
Lillia. She's Asian, like me. Yay plus points for that lol. She contributed some ideas to their plan. Once they photocopied Alex's poems to spread how corny he is. But then she learned that Alex liked her and it's about her. Spell awkwaaaaard.
"..The longest hallway leads to you, but I never reached the end. Long hallway. Long, long hallway. Long hallway."
"Wow, Lillia said. 'That's one seriously long hallway.'"
I burst out laughing at so many parts I can't keep count. This poem by Alex (he's been keeping a journal) is plainly lame!
Mary. WHAT THE HELL? I asked myself if this book is paranormal or something because I did not see that coming, that so-it-looked-like power. Or is that even a real power? Maybe she's imagining it? Whaaat in the world! Yeah. I know it's confusing, I'm confused myself XD
Ending: I WILL READ THE WHOLE TRILOGY. ENOUGH SAID. Haha. Seriously though. Some plans really doesn't happen that way it's supposed to happen, huh? Their sweet little revenge turned sour and I'm intrigued to know how their going to face the consequences of their actions.
I was having a reading slump these past few days and find it difficult to finish a book but this one is so entertaining that I finished it in one sitting.
I remembered reading Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty series and liked it and I'm seriously not disappointed by her work again. This was definitely recommended!
P.S. Don't read book 3's blurb before reading book 2. There's a big spoiler. :(((
Rating: 4I didn't expect to liked this book as much as I did!! The story is unbelievably crazy because of its clicheness but it's just so entertaining that I feel like it's something to overlooked!
What this story about:
Mary is back to Jar Island. She left back then because she was being bullied starting when Reeve transfer to their school. He called her "Big Easy" and the name got stuck. But the wound went deeper than that. She planned on making him feel the pain she felt back then.
Lillia. She's protective of her sister, Nadia. And one day, when she heard that Alex, her friend, was taking advantage of her, she's pretty much furious.
Kat. She's Rennie's original bestfriend. But when Lillia came to their lives, Rennie forgot about her. And then last summer, Kat hooked up with Alex. Also hearing that he's with another girl made it possible for him to be inside her hate list.
(Confused about the characters? Well, that's me at first but you'll get used to it!)
They cannot just sit around and wait any longer. They decided to take sweet little revenge in their own hands.
"This is karma. I'm a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?"
The characters and what happened to them:
Kat. Kat is my favorite one among the three of them. She's strong and quite fearless. She wants something, she'll work hard for it to be done. She has the most bitchy attitude.
Lillia. She's Asian, like me. Yay plus points for that lol. She contributed some ideas to their plan. Once they photocopied Alex's poems to spread how corny he is. But then she learned that Alex liked her and it's about her. Spell awkwaaaaard.
"..The longest hallway leads to you, but I never reached the end. Long hallway. Long, long hallway. Long hallway."
"Wow, Lillia said. 'That's one seriously long hallway.'"
I burst out laughing at so many parts I can't keep count. This poem by Alex (he's been keeping a journal) is plainly lame!
Mary. WHAT THE HELL? I asked myself if this book is paranormal or something because I did not see that coming, that so-it-looked-like power. Or is that even a real power? Maybe she's imagining it? Whaaat in the world! Yeah. I know it's confusing, I'm confused myself XD
Ending: I WILL READ THE WHOLE TRILOGY. ENOUGH SAID. Haha. Seriously though. Some plans really doesn't happen that way it's supposed to happen, huh? Their sweet little revenge turned sour and I'm intrigued to know how their going to face the consequences of their actions.
I was having a reading slump these past few days and find it difficult to finish a book but this one is so entertaining that I finished it in one sitting.
I remembered reading Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty series and liked it and I'm seriously not disappointed by her work again. This was definitely recommended!
P.S. Don't read book 3's blurb before reading book 2. There's a big spoiler. :(((
Book: 3.5/5 Stars
This book for me was a huge struggle to get through in the beginning. I really wantedto like this book, I really did. I was able to get 249 pages in just to have to put it down. I almost didn't finish it. But, when I finally did decide to pick it back up, I was able to get through it pretty quickly because it began to pick up.
I liked Lillia, Kat & Mary well enough but it was just hard to get into and like the book itself. I'm not really into books written by two people. There have been a few that I loved though.
I understood why the girls wanted their revenge, but like all revenge, there's usually trouble that is going to happen with it. Either the person trying to get revenge gets it backfired on them or someone else gets hurt...Well, let's just say you get some of both in this book.
I have never read a Siobhan Vivian book before but I have read the Summer I Turned Pretty Series trilogy by Jenny Han and I loved those books. That trilogy is what made me pick up this book from the library. I had also picked up Fire With Fire but took it back when I realized how little I was into this book.
Will I go on to the next book in the trilogy/series?
I'm not sure!
I want to know what happened in the next book, and if they continue with the revenge, but I am not sure how long it will take for me to get to it. It has left a not so great feeling with me. The only reason it got the 3.5 stars is because it did pick up quite a bit.
Will I read any other Siobhan Vivian Books?
Probably not, but I won't totally write her off either. It's one of those "We will see!" type of things. Her writing style isn't horrible by any means, just not something that attracts Me. I guess that's why there are so many writing styles, because people are different and don't like the same things.
Will I read any other Jenny Han books?
I'm sure I will. I adored The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy a lot so that gave me hope with Ms. Han.
Hopefully, when or if I do decide to go on to Fire With Fire, it's a lot better than Burn For Burn
Rating: 4This book for me was a huge struggle to get through in the beginning. I really wantedto like this book, I really did. I was able to get 249 pages in just to have to put it down. I almost didn't finish it. But, when I finally did decide to pick it back up, I was able to get through it pretty quickly because it began to pick up.
I liked Lillia, Kat & Mary well enough but it was just hard to get into and like the book itself. I'm not really into books written by two people. There have been a few that I loved though.
I understood why the girls wanted their revenge, but like all revenge, there's usually trouble that is going to happen with it. Either the person trying to get revenge gets it backfired on them or someone else gets hurt...Well, let's just say you get some of both in this book.
I have never read a Siobhan Vivian book before but I have read the Summer I Turned Pretty Series trilogy by Jenny Han and I loved those books. That trilogy is what made me pick up this book from the library. I had also picked up Fire With Fire but took it back when I realized how little I was into this book.
Will I go on to the next book in the trilogy/series?
I'm not sure!
I want to know what happened in the next book, and if they continue with the revenge, but I am not sure how long it will take for me to get to it. It has left a not so great feeling with me. The only reason it got the 3.5 stars is because it did pick up quite a bit.
Will I read any other Siobhan Vivian Books?
Probably not, but I won't totally write her off either. It's one of those "We will see!" type of things. Her writing style isn't horrible by any means, just not something that attracts Me. I guess that's why there are so many writing styles, because people are different and don't like the same things.
Will I read any other Jenny Han books?
I'm sure I will. I adored The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy a lot so that gave me hope with Ms. Han.
Hopefully, when or if I do decide to go on to Fire With Fire, it's a lot better than Burn For Burn
4
Rating: 4Throwing the paranormal twist into this book threw me off. It's a combination of Mean Girls meets Carrie meets John Tucker Must Die. I'm not sure if I sold on the idea of this book, but I'm defiantly reading the second! This review may change in a few days...we'll see.
Rating: 3I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the way each chapter was from the perspective of a different character, with the chapters overlapping on events. The basic story is about 3 teenaged girls that make a pact to take revenge on 3 other teens who have hurt their feelings in the past. Things didn't turn out so bad on the first target, but they all have different misgivings about continuing their efforts that they're afraid to share with each other. I found the ending to be a little abrupt, but I guess the authors wanted to set it up for a sequel.
Rating: 4Karma well ... well we all know the rest of it ... LOVED this book for that reason. The 3 girls were strong and didn't stop til they got what they wanted and what was deserved.
Rating: 5I wrote a really long review for this, but my internet decided to spazz RIGHT when i hit save. SO basically, this book is a 2.7 for me. I don't like how they reacted to minor things in excessive ways. One of the girls believed that a guy MIGHT be sleeping with her younger sister, so they messed with his skin and posted personal items of his all over the school. Later on, they drug a guy and possibly kill him because he bullied one of the girls in the group when they were younger. While I do NOT condone what he was doing to her, it was also partially her fault, because she decided to continue the friendship with him in secret even though he treated her like shit in public. Either way, I'm not sure how I feel about this book, or the rest of the books in this series right now.
Rating: 3Burn for Burn is the first Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian book that I've read and it was a great YA Contemporary story. It was a story full of conflict, and drama, and has an ending that has you going,what happens next.The story is told through the perspective of three different girls. Kate, the rebel of school, who does things her own way. Mary who returns to the island (and her home) to confront the demons of her past. Lastly there's Lillia, the cheerleader who seems to have it all.So you would think these three would have nothing in common, but you'd be wrong. The thing they have in common is that they've been burned by those around them, and decide it's time to get their payback.Overall I thought Burn for Burn was a great read. I'd recommend this one to any chick lit reader. I'll definitely have to go back and read other Jenny Han and Siobhan books, and I'm so hoping they decide to right a sequel to this book!
Rating: 4What I loved the most about Burn for Burn was the fact that it didn’t shy away from real, honest to god revenge. Revenge for these girls isn’t just spreading a rumor or flattening the tires of a car, in this book, revenge is a cruel and evil knife.Mary, Kat, and Lillia have all been wronged in way or another. Kat, bothered with this, decides to take a stand, and recruits Lillia, the queen bee, and Mary, the invisible girl to help get back at those who have wronged them.I really enjoyed reading this book in 3 POVs. Each girl has a distinct personally and you could always know who was narrating. Out of the 3 POVs, my favorite one has to be Lillia, just because I really understood her motivations about participating in the revenge scheme, and overall she was such a nice character. While Mary & Kat went all out with their revenge, you could sometimes feel Lillia thinking about what the consequences of her acts were. I could somehow relate to her even more because of this.The writing in this book is also so fluid. Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian write so well together. You never know when one writer stops and the other begins. It was wonderful.I will not deny that this book has its faults. My goodness this book was so painfully teenage that it sometimes made me cringe. Hook-ups, bullying, alcohol, drugs, football games, cheerleaders, etc etc. This book is a medley of teenage dramas and clichés. But you can’t help but be absorbed in all this teenage angst!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.The worst (and best part) of this book has definitely got to be the ending. The ending is literally where everything comes crashing down (for better or worse) and where there will be the most horrifying cliffhanger to ever happen. It comes out of the blue and you have no idea it’s coming until it’s already there. It’ll leave you dazed and confused and desperately wanting to read the next book ASAP.Overall, a well-crafted book about revenge. It's very absorbing and you'll want to read the next one as soon as you finish!
Rating: 4What do you get when three girls, who come from different walks of life, decide to take on three people who wronged them? You get Burn for Burn, a delicious novel about revenge and friendship.
Lillia, the popular rich Asian (yay for minorities in books), has had a horrible night out with her best friend Rennie. Since then, Lillia hasn’t really been feeling all that chummy with her and is started to get annoyed by Rennie’s mean girl behaviour. Also, her best guy friend, Alex, might have hooked up with her little sister.
Kat, the social outcast, use to be best friends with Rennie, but once Lillia showed up, Rennie dropped her. Not only did Rennie drop Kat, but she relentlessly teases her and insults her on almost a daily basis. She also hooked up with Alex, but then she finds out he was two timing her.
Mary, the new girl, just wants Reeve to notice her. After everything that happened to them in the past, it’s the least he can do. But he doesn’t, in fact, he acts like she doesn’t exist. Mary wants him to suffer like she did.
So when the three find themselves in the bathroom, they decide to get revenge, once and for all.
When it came to the actual reasons behind the revenge, I was with Kat and Mary. I understood why they wanted revenge and why they felt like this was the only way. I may not have agreed with them, but I understood where they were coming from. On the other hand, I still don’t know why Lillia went through with this. Alex is her best guy friend and instead of talking to him, she decides to humiliate him in front of everyone. Why? I don’t really know. I suspected that the root cause for her resentment was due to what happened at the party with Rennie, but this was mentioned in passing and never brought up again.
Plus, it’s clear that Lillia did more of the work, because Alex, Rennie, and Reeve, are friends of hers and she’s in their social circle. Kat and Mary had nothing to lose, so that kind of made me wonder why Lillia did what she did. She’s still an interesting character and she’s relatable, just like everyone else, but I just don’t know why.
I did love the friendship brewing between the three girls as well. Even though they may not be in the same social circles, they still stuck together and even seemed to care for one another.
That being said, the writing is great. When you pick this up, you’ll fly through the pages. Plus, each girl had a distinctive voice and feel, so I really enjoyed that. There does seem to be a supernatural element to the novel, almost with a Carrie vibe like to it, but I really hope this isn’t the case. I don’t really mind supernatural stuff, but I don’t really want it here.
The last revenge novel I read was Premeditated, which was okay, but I was disappointed because there wasn’t really any revenge in it. Plus, the main character didn’t do anything but whine. Thankfully, the girls in Burn for Burn are proactive in their revenge schemes and actually do get their intended results. Add that to the fully fleshed out characters, who have distinctive voices, and the great writing and yourself have a great novel. Just don’t expect big bangs, this is still high school.
Overall: I would pick this up. It’s a fun light novel that will have you wanting more.
Review can also be found at BookingRehab
Rating: 4Lillia, the popular rich Asian (yay for minorities in books), has had a horrible night out with her best friend Rennie. Since then, Lillia hasn’t really been feeling all that chummy with her and is started to get annoyed by Rennie’s mean girl behaviour. Also, her best guy friend, Alex, might have hooked up with her little sister.
Kat, the social outcast, use to be best friends with Rennie, but once Lillia showed up, Rennie dropped her. Not only did Rennie drop Kat, but she relentlessly teases her and insults her on almost a daily basis. She also hooked up with Alex, but then she finds out he was two timing her.
Mary, the new girl, just wants Reeve to notice her. After everything that happened to them in the past, it’s the least he can do. But he doesn’t, in fact, he acts like she doesn’t exist. Mary wants him to suffer like she did.
So when the three find themselves in the bathroom, they decide to get revenge, once and for all.
When it came to the actual reasons behind the revenge, I was with Kat and Mary. I understood why they wanted revenge and why they felt like this was the only way. I may not have agreed with them, but I understood where they were coming from. On the other hand, I still don’t know why Lillia went through with this. Alex is her best guy friend and instead of talking to him, she decides to humiliate him in front of everyone. Why? I don’t really know. I suspected that the root cause for her resentment was due to what happened at the party with Rennie, but this was mentioned in passing and never brought up again.
Plus, it’s clear that Lillia did more of the work, because Alex, Rennie, and Reeve, are friends of hers and she’s in their social circle. Kat and Mary had nothing to lose, so that kind of made me wonder why Lillia did what she did. She’s still an interesting character and she’s relatable, just like everyone else, but I just don’t know why.
I did love the friendship brewing between the three girls as well. Even though they may not be in the same social circles, they still stuck together and even seemed to care for one another.
That being said, the writing is great. When you pick this up, you’ll fly through the pages. Plus, each girl had a distinctive voice and feel, so I really enjoyed that. There does seem to be a supernatural element to the novel, almost with a Carrie vibe like to it, but I really hope this isn’t the case. I don’t really mind supernatural stuff, but I don’t really want it here.
The last revenge novel I read was Premeditated, which was okay, but I was disappointed because there wasn’t really any revenge in it. Plus, the main character didn’t do anything but whine. Thankfully, the girls in Burn for Burn are proactive in their revenge schemes and actually do get their intended results. Add that to the fully fleshed out characters, who have distinctive voices, and the great writing and yourself have a great novel. Just don’t expect big bangs, this is still high school.
Overall: I would pick this up. It’s a fun light novel that will have you wanting more.
Review can also be found at BookingRehab
Burn for Burn is the first collaborative work in a trilogy by teen fiction authors Jenny Han (author of The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Siobhan Vivian (Not that Kind of Girl).
The summer is coming to an end on Jar Island and three very different girls – Mary, Lillia and Kat – are preparing to start the new term. For Mary, it is her first year at Jar Island High School. Four years ago she left the island with her parents after the abuse and misery she suffered at the hands of a boy, Reeve, led to a serious incident. But now she’s back to live with her mysterious Aunt Bette and to confront her past, and most importantly the boy who ruined her life.
Lillia is returning for her final year at Jar Island High School where her little sister, Nadia, is just starting, and Lillia – whose summer ended with a traumatic experience – is going to go all-out to protect her. When she hears rumours that her friend, Alex, has been seeing Nadia, her sister is her number one priority.
And for Kat, life has never been the same since her best friend Rennie turned her back on her and treated her like trash. But this summer, Alex made her feel like she wasn’t an outsider – that is, until she found him with another girl.
Girls’ troubles bring Mary, Lillia and Kat together – and Kat hatches a plan for them all to get even. Starting with Alex, then moving on to Rennie and Reeve, the three girls devise and carry out increasingly dramatic and serious acts of revenge. But is their revenge justified, and how far is too far?
Han and Vivian's collaboration is effortless in Burn for Burn and the result is a thrilling and powerful novel on teen issues and realities, with a revenge plot that is especially thought-provoking.
Rating: 4The summer is coming to an end on Jar Island and three very different girls – Mary, Lillia and Kat – are preparing to start the new term. For Mary, it is her first year at Jar Island High School. Four years ago she left the island with her parents after the abuse and misery she suffered at the hands of a boy, Reeve, led to a serious incident. But now she’s back to live with her mysterious Aunt Bette and to confront her past, and most importantly the boy who ruined her life.
Lillia is returning for her final year at Jar Island High School where her little sister, Nadia, is just starting, and Lillia – whose summer ended with a traumatic experience – is going to go all-out to protect her. When she hears rumours that her friend, Alex, has been seeing Nadia, her sister is her number one priority.
And for Kat, life has never been the same since her best friend Rennie turned her back on her and treated her like trash. But this summer, Alex made her feel like she wasn’t an outsider – that is, until she found him with another girl.
Girls’ troubles bring Mary, Lillia and Kat together – and Kat hatches a plan for them all to get even. Starting with Alex, then moving on to Rennie and Reeve, the three girls devise and carry out increasingly dramatic and serious acts of revenge. But is their revenge justified, and how far is too far?
Han and Vivian's collaboration is effortless in Burn for Burn and the result is a thrilling and powerful novel on teen issues and realities, with a revenge plot that is especially thought-provoking.
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A surprising story about revenge with a paranormal twist.Opening Sentence: The morning fog has painted everything white.The Review:Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian surprised me. What I originally thought was a contemporary novel turned out to be something supernatural instead. It was amazing with the right amounts of awesome. The premise was interesting filled with surprising twists. I’ve read Vivian’s work before, and I loved the style of writing. After I received this, I couldn’t wait to start reading. And when I finished? Couldn’t wait for the next.Burn for Burn is told by three point of views, or three characters each different from the next. Burn for Burn follows the lives of Mary, Lillia, and Kat. Each girl with a past, and each one ready to change their future. Mary, Lillia, and Kat have found themselves with an unlikely friendship, each finding a commonality of revenge to fuel their relationship. While each reason for revenge is different, Burn for Burn slowly reveals the history of events that lead up to their own pivotal moments. Revenge is sweet, but definitely has a price.Mary Zane is returning to Jar Island, returning to what she feels is home. She left because of a boy who made her life hell, and she has come back to prove to him that she has changed. I felt that she was the the most depressing to get to know. Her life was damaged all because of a boy, and has come back with so many secrets. I sympathized a lot, yearning to a quick moment of relief for her.Lillia Cho is the pretty and popular girl, used to getting what she wants, and when she wants. She comes from a privileged life but that doesn’t stop her from wanting more. Lillia is beautiful, and has definitely paid the price for her beauty. A boy went too far, and is now vying for her sister. Lillia will stop at nothing to protect her and make sure nothing will happen.Kat DeBrassio is a local and has been deemed a townie. She has always vowed to leave Jar Island, especially after rumors have ruined her reputation forever. Kat is tired of the ridicule from everyone, and she blames her former best friend the most. I liked Kat a lot and I felt terrible for her. Losing her mother was one of the worst things to read about. Tears for days, guys. Tears!Han and Vivian are a remarkable writing team. They wrote revenge in a way that was appealing. Despite the characters only being in high school, I enjoyed how they thought and carried out their plans. There are several surprising twists, some that I enjoyed and some that I didn’t so much care for. Now, I must say, that even if I didn’t like a few aspects of Burn for Burn, I blame it mostly on my age and reading preferences.The paranormal aspect that is subtly weaved in was fun. The characters each had their own different personalities and I liked getting to know them. I had trouble with some of the dialogue. I felt that some of the language was a little vulgar for the age group of the book, but I do understand the setting was in high school. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I think you’d enjoy it also.Notable Scene:My phone buzzes, and I reach over to my nightstand to pick it up. It’s a text from a number I don’t recognize.This is Karma. I’m a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?Oh, yes, I can. I can think of a few.My phone buzzes again.If so, meet at Judy Blue Eyes, 2am. If not, sit back and enjoy the show.That’s what Kat always said she’d name her boat if she ever got one. After her mom. It was Judy’s favorite song.FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Burn for Burn. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Rating: 4THE COVERI love this cover. The models are perfect for the images of Kat, Mary, and Lillia that I had in my mind. THE STORYLike what the blurb says, Mary, Kat, and Lillia are three girls who all want revenge. First we get a taste of why they want it, then it's straight to the action, which I really liked. The ending was and was not what I guessed it would be, though. It was because I think everyone will agree with me that in stories like this, the protags almost always end up with their plans blown up on their faces; it wasn't because, holy crap, who could've guessed that part of the conclusion? Thank God it's going to be a trilogy - the titles of the next two books are: Fire with Fire, and Ashes to Ashes. I absolutely can't wait for the second book because I think I can smell a fight between Kat and Lillia.THE CHARACTERSThe characters were well-executed. They were very diverse, and each was their own self. And just when I thought I had them figured out, the authors showed me something totally uncharacteristic about them. But I think there's no argument when I say the three girls - who kind of reminded me of the Furies - were the most memorable characters in here. First up, Kat. She was this fearless, no-nonsense girl who used to ignore the lies her ex-bestfriend tells everyone about... until the first day of senior year. She's the one who thought of the whole vengeance mission, and clearly she's the level-headed one, well, most of the time, that is. Next is Lillia, the Asian princess. No, she's not really a princess; she's just the purest of the Mean Girls and she's freaking rich, so yeah. At first I thought that she wants payback for that guy who went too far, but no. She loves her sister so much, it's like she's actually an older brother.And last is innocent Mary. I guessed that she left Jar Island because a boy broke her heart, and he did, only in ways worse than I'd guessed. She's the one I rooted for the most, the one I wanted to gain the best revenge. She was also the one who transformed the most, but I wish she'll get tougher.I loved how the girls were strangers to one another at first - except Kat and Lillia because they had history together - but something as bittersweet as vengeance brought them together. I really hope they'll get closer in the next book.MY FAVORITE PARTS were when the girls were going after Alex. That was really funny, especially the "longest hallway" poem :))
Rating: 5I first read the beginning of this book in BEA Buzz Books, which was auto-approved on NetGalley, and was instantly intrigued by the multiple narrations and the overall story: three girls who decide to right their wrongs by taking revenge on the perpetrators. I am going to say upfront that, as a general rule, I don't tend to subscribe to the "eye for an eye" school of thought; as an educator, I am always telling my students to not hit back, to tell someone if there's a problem, and to not take matters into their own hands. Therefore, the entire premise of this book made me slightly uncomfortable, particularly once we got into the girls' revenge. It was that slightly uncomfortable feeling that accounts for my rating. I just wanted to be upfront about that, because that's really my only "complaint" about this entire book.Burn for Burn is compulsively readable. Once I started, I had a very hard time putting it down. The story itself is gripping: you want to know what led these three girls to make the decision to punish those who'd wronged them. You wanted to learn more about their back-stories, and their histories with each other and the characters they were seeking revenge on. All three girls have very distinctive voices. You have Mary, who had a childhood trauma which has stayed with her the rest of her life. Kat, who used to be friends with the popular crowd but had a huge falling out, and has had to endure lies being spread about her and her family. And then there's Lillia, who is part of the popular crowd, but is suffering from something that happened that summer. Even without the authors' telling you who was speaking, I knew from whose point of view I was reading, the girls' voices were that unique. I give a definite two thumbs up in that regard. I also really loved watching the growing friendship between the girls, how they all balanced each other out, and how Lillia and Kat were able to overcome their pasts to work together for a common goal. The three girls' relationship was probably one of the strongest parts of this entire book.I have to admit to a bit of an embarrassment squick, which made the revenge schemes hard for me to read, particularly those taken against Alex. This was made even worse once you realize that things weren't quite as clear cut as the girls had thought. And then you had the wham, bam, thank you ma'am ending, in which the girls got in way over their heads; I didn't expect such a cliffhanger ending, and was shocked when my Kindle read 100% complete. What? You mean I have to wait to see the outcome of that ending? I know, I know, this is the first in a trilogy, but I wasn't quite expecting that I'd be left hanging in that manner. There's also the hint of a paranormal aspect that I likewise wasn't expecting, but instead of bothering me like it very well could have, I am instead intrigued to see where the authors are going with it, and what it will mean for the girls and their victims.All in all, Burn for Burn was a really gripping, suspenseful read that I absolutely couldn't put down. It is a super fast read with well designed characters; even the secondary characters are fully fleshed out. Just be aware that there isn't any closure here, no neat ending tied up in a bow. The book is fairly dark, particularly when talking about what each of the girls had to go through, so this isn't going to be a fluffy, realistic fictional read. But I would certainly recommend it for anyone, as I think there is something for everyone in this book. Burn for Burn will be released in North America on September 15, 2012. Do yourself a favor and check it out.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4Burn for Burn is extremely addicting. Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian have created something truly epic in this novel. Everything from the plot to the characters is done fabulously and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next novel in the series.Burn for Burn moves very quickly and you will not want to put the novel down as you see this tale of revenge play out. I was constantly wondering exactly what the girls would do to their enemies next. Despite my fascination with the plot, however, it did make me a little sick. I really didn’t approve of anything they did and it just made me not like the girls.While the character development was excellent, I didn’t actually like any of the characters (except for Alex). They were all basically bad people, and I really did not like Kat—apparently no one told her that two wrongs don’t make a right. Although if Kat knew that, we wouldn’t have a novel now would we? I also felt bad for the girl’s enemies because every single character in this story is so well-developed and three dimensional. While the girls enemies were awful people as well (with one notable exception), stooping to their level isn’t cool—it’s crass. Exciting, dangerous, and extremely addicting, Burn for Burn is an amazing start to a trilogy. Even though there are hardly any likeable characters in the entire novel, each one is sympathetic. I really love when authors are able to make the “bad” guys seem not-so bad and the “good” guys seem essentially flawed. The plot, while I disapproved of it, was also amazing. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the page and I couldn’t stop shaking my head. The dimensionality of this novel definitely makes it a must read.
Rating: 4