Book Review: Burn for Burn

Burn for Burn

By: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Published By: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Page Count: 368

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary

I was so excited when I first heard about this book because I adore Jenny Han's writing. I hadn't read anything by Siobhan Vivian before this one, but I plan to remedy that as soon as I can work it in on my TBR list. Both of these ladies know how to weave a seamless, intriguing contemporary full of flawed characters, deceit, and hidden agendas. While I wasn't okay with all of the choices made by the three main characters, I couldn't seem to put this novel down.  

The story revolves around three seventeen year old girls: Mary, Kat, and Lillia. Each girl has a ton of emotional baggage weighing down their lives and they are seeking a way to feel better. The unlikely trio unites to dish out a little payback to those who have wronged them. While I totally understand the compulsion to get even - we all have those fleeting thoughts when we're upset - I could never have put anything into practice, but the trio has no problem forging a path of destruction through their classmates' lives.

In my opinion, there are no "good guys" in this one. While I felt sympathy for the girls and understood their pain, I couldn't condone how they chose to find closure. Revenge rarely leads to a positive outcome. Burn for Burn is an important novel for teens. It deals with bullying, date rape, death of a parent, drinking/drugs, and relationship issues. As a teen, I felt like my problems were so huge that they could destroy me and that nobody could really understand my pain. I wish that there had been more fiction that reflected the negative side of life. It would have helped to see that someone always has it far worse than I do. I also feel novels like this are so crucial because they encourage teens to stop and think about their actions. We never know how our harsh words are going to affect someone or how reacting without all the facts can often lead to ruined relationships. 

In addition, I really liked all the gender and social class issues that swirl around the main conflict in this one. Jar Island, the setting, is an interesting mixture of wealth and working class. The socioeconomic status of the characters often explains their viewpoint and how they approach the world. Many of the characters feel like they have to scratch and claw their way to the top of the high school hierarchy while others are popular based on how much their family has in the bank. High school is a vicious place for many and it's often difficult to tell if people have positive motives. While some say it's the best time of their lives, I fully admit that I have no desire to relive that time in my life, despite my compulsion to live vicariously through fictional characters. What is it about those years that makes for such fascinating fiction?

Finally, I couldn't help but think of "The Craft" while I was reading this. There is no magic in this novel, but it just reminded me of how the girls in that movie bonded together to get a little payback against those who had wronged them. Think of this as the Gossip Girl version of "The Craft" with a little Pretty Little Liars revenge to spice things up - lots of beautiful people with sharp tongues seeking to be best and brightest of the high school while navigating the hidden currents of revenge. It's dark and decadent reading that ends on a pretty steep cliff. The next book can't get here soon enough.

One Last Gripe: I was really frustrated that some of the girls initiated revenge without truly having all the facts. I'm not condoning revenge tactics, but I could at least understand why some people were targets.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The multiple narrators - I liked being able to get inside the minds of Mary, Kat, and Lillia

First Sentence: The morning fog has painted everything white.

Favorite Character: Lillia

Least Favorite Character: Rennie

Summary:

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.