Release Date: September 18th 2012
Published By: Simon & Schuster Books
Pages: 368
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Initially in the first two of three chapters there was a little confusion on my part as there’s a lot of characters in this book. There’s also a few unisex names thrown in like Alex, Rennie and Reeve, and so I found myself trying to figure out a) who they were and b) are they male or female? Hmm.. but stick with it, cause you soon figure out who is who in the zoo, and the story heats up!!

The book is told from the perspective of three very different girls, Mary, Kat and Lillia. All three girls have extremely different lives and backgrounds - and past traumas.

Mary, is the mysterious one who has come back to Jar Island for revenge on Reeve. To show him that he didn’t break her, that she is stronger than he ever thought she was. Mary’s story is heartbreaking, and I don’t want to talk about what it is in detail in this review, because honestly, I think you need to experience that for the first time when you’re reading the story itself. She’s back to get a bit of revenge.

Then there’s tough Kat. She’s the character I probably most identified with. Strong bold exterior, but quite vulnerable on the inside. She opened herself up to Alex over Summer break only to get burned by him. She finds it hard to trust people in the first place, being a little bit of an outcast. Her best friend doesn’t even live on the island after Rennie and Lillia turned their backs on Kat when they were all younger. She’s a bit streetwise, a bit punish, and plenty jaded. She’s out to get Rennie… and maybe Alex a little.

And then finally there is Lillia. A princess of sorts in her own right, her family are extremely well off (I mean, they have three fridges… one for Korean food, one for other food and one for drinks) and Lillia has never wanted for anything. Her ‘BFF’ or frienemy as I like to think of her as is Rennie, who is the head cheerleader and who’s also in line to win homecoming queen. Rennie is a bit of a mean girl, and Lillia is the tag along for the most part. Lillia is devastated by news that Alex has hooked up with her 14 year old sister Nadia and is out to hurt him.

Character wise, I loved the development between these three girls, who really at the start could barely stand one another, and yet we start to see some unity happening.

I found the story line and the revenge tactics themselves quite indulgent. We all had bullies or mean people at high school that we secretly would love to see these things happen to, but of course it’s a lot safer to experience this in the fiction world that actually acting out IRL. I for one knew a mean girl just like Rennie when I was in school! Beyotch.

At the end, I found myself going… hold up, there should be at least another 100 pages to go, we’re only getting warmed up! And then.. der, I realised that this is the first book of a series, and so now I am pretty geared up for the next one, especially considering where this one left off at. I need to know what’s going to happen next!

Overall, you won’t be disappointed. Not mind blowing in terms of ratings but HIGHLY enjoyable and entertaining, and light enough that you’ll breeze through this.

Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian Discuss Burn For Burn: