Review: Burn for Burn

Burn for Burn
Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Publication date: September 18th 2012
by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

 

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.

*A copy was provided by Simon & Schuster Canada for review purposes*

  

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.

4 Hot Espressos

Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

The List
Siobhan Vivian
Release date: April 1st, 2012
by Push

Goodreads / Purchase

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, “pretty” and “ugly.” And it’s also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

*A copy was provided by Scholastic Canada for review purposes*

A light, quick read - The List follows eight girls who have been named ugliest or pretties on this "List" which has been posted around the school every year for decades. You think being a "prettiest" would be easy? Think again!

Although The List addresses several teen issues throughout the story, it ended up being a much fluffier read than I expected. With eight different points of view, we're taken into each of the four ugliest, as well as the four prettiest girls' lives spanning the week after being put on this List. Each girl has their own personal problems above now having to deal with being the center of attention. We've got an eating disorder, overprotective mother, outcast rebel, and of course plenty or romantic issues; all thoroughly interesting, some even deeply serious, but sadly most of these go unresolved leaving us with no idea of what's going to happen to these girls. I also kept wondering why the faculty had let this go on for so long, especially seeing the damage it does to the girls on it. I have a hard time believing that they simply let it be because it's a "tradition". Bullying is not taken lightly; parents would have spoken up years ago where I come from.

We've got eight lives to follow, which means a lot of POVs. I had to go back and check the List a few times to remind myself who they were, overall, though, I didn't find it was too much - having this list handy makes it easy to keep track. However, I've always been a fan of multiple perspectives. I found myself really liking the girls, too. They are a fun bunch, all with vastly different personalities that will either enamor or disgust you.

Without getting too profound, this novel is simply about the lives of these girls after they're hit with a target on their backs. Either prettiest or ugliest, this List doesn't favor anybody and consequences are dealt with. I wish it would have delved deeper into their lives, maybe have it span longer than a week, but all in all it's an entertaining read that I would be more inclined to recommend to the younger YA readers.

3 Hot Espressos