Jan 22, 2013

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian


Title: Burn for Burn
Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 9.18.2012
Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary; Paranormal
Series: Yes (Burn for Burn #1)
Source: Finished copy provided by publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):
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:
Prior to reading Burn for Burn I had only read one of the two authors. I was familiar with Jenny Han because of her Summer series (which I adored), but Siobhan Vivian was an unknown entity to me. I had heard good things about her, but never read her work. Sometimes when you get two authors together to write a novel it shows. Authors have their own “voice” and way they write, and it can show which author created certain parts of a novel. That simply wasn’t the case with Burn for Burn. Maybe because these two authors are best friends, maybe because they’re both extremely gifted … Who knows? All I know is that they seamlessly blended their two styles into one awesome book.

Kat, Lillia, and Mary have all been wrong in their own right and are seeking their own form of justice. My biggest issue was that it took a while to fall into a rhythm with them. The chapters alternate perspective and with there being three perspectives, it got a little confusing in the beginning. I frequently had to remind myself who was who and considered making a chart to track them. By the middle of the book it felt natural, but the beginning was a bit rough. I am glad I stuck with it, though.

I was a little stunned by the paranormal twist. It’s not a bad twist, but it was really unexpected. I was thinking this was strictly contemporary, but that added zing threw me for a loop. I’m hoping it gets expanded upon in future books because it felt like the surface was barely scratched this time.

Here’s the thing: Take this book for the fun it is. Vivian and Han are clearly having fun writing this, so have fun reading it. Don’t look for a deep, philosophical meaning. This book is the embodiment of fluffy fun, and it’s also very much book one in a series which means there’s a lot of groundwork being laid down. Yes, there are a few serious moments, but as a whole, this is a book you should kick back and enjoy. Just got with it.

6 comments:

  1. Aww yay Hannah! I have Burn for Burn but somehow I have yet to read it even though I LOVED Jenny's Summer series. I love light, fluffy, and fun books, especially with all the heavy ones out there nowadays so I will have to get to this one sooner rather than later. :)

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    1. It really is a good book to help clear your head in between the heavy ones. I had fun reading it. :)

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  2. I JUST got this too! I'm so excited *insert musical notes here cuz I cant find a way to do it myself on my laptop* to read it. I am glad for your don't take it too serious disclaimer. It sounds like a truly fun book and like a delicious teen angsty drama read (am I on the right path here?) Kind of like how I feel when watching "THE LYING GAME" the tv show.
    Why do I feel as if I have not been here in forever and a day? :(

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  3. I checked this out from the library b/c I liked the premise. The fact that is was written from different perspectives was also a factor b/c my favorite authors(Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin) write in this style. Although I was enjoying it, I couldn't finish it by the due date.

    I wasn't aware of the paranormal twist and it sounds like an fun series.

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  4. I didn't know this had a paranormal twist, sounds interesting. I'd like to read this one :) Thanks for the review!

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  5. I like books told from multiple perspectives. This sounds interesting.

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