Burn for Burn by Jenny Han

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.

Goodreads Summary

This book reminded me of a blend of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars.  Lillia is the popular one, but she takes back seat to her faux best friend...a best friend who never seems to care about her and only leads her into trouble.  Kat is the tough girl, the one who always seems to come back swinging.  Considerably poorer than the others, she doesn't dwell too much on materialistic desires, instead she wants to fight. 
Mary is the woman scorned...and you know what they say about women who are scorned.  Once considered fat, Mary's reintroduction to the island shows that she has lasting problems over her weight.  She let a boy destroy her life when she was younger, but she has every intention of showing him up now.

The three make a motley team.  Originally, they weren't even close to friends.  Lillia likely would never have agreed to help if not for her sister.  The three main characters tell the story from their own points of view.  The reader will get to know each individually and they are easy to differentiate.  The way they work together is reminiscent of John Tucker Must Die and borders on scary towards the end of the book.  It will soon become clear that the author isn't writing a fluffy novel, but one that will result in real consequences for her characters.  The events go from plotting to serious harm.  This novel was interesting in that many of the events could not really be predicted, much of what the girls chose to do was both unusual and a little out of character. 

At first, it is hard to get into the book.  The varying view points can be a little detrimental because I prefer to get to know one character well before switching around.  Eventually, I was used to it and appreciated the three different characters.  The story was very fluid, apart for the surprises, the plot fell into place perfectly.  This book surpassed my expectations and is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

4 Stars


Find this book:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
The Book Depository

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.