Jenny Han

"Three teenaged girls living on Jar Island band together to enact revenge on the people that have hurt them"--

Burn for burn

Monicap

O.M.G. This book totally just blew my mind. And the ending... I have no words.

I have to go check and make sure there's going to be a sequel.

Victoria

Well that was quite impressive. I've had this for months but think any of it as I thought it was going to be just a boring, filled-with-cliche high school series. But I was wrong. That was pretty interesting and it got me hooked from page one that I almost got this finished in just a day (if only I didn't go out during the weekend). 

The ending was some cliffhanger and I can't wait to find out how this plays out. Hopefully, it won't disappoint.

Alexa M

**3.5/5**
This was fun but I didn't LOOOVE it

Julia Lotz

Inhalt: Große Mädchen weinen nicht, sie nehmen ihr Schicksal in die Hand. Das ist das Credo von Mary, Kat und Lillia. Als sie in der Schule aufeinandertreffen, sind sie sich einig: Sie wollen es ihren falschen Freunden heimzahlen. Mary ist bereit, sich gegen Reeve aufzulehnen, der sie wegen ihres Übergewichts gemobbt hat. Kat will mit der verlogenen Rennie abrechnen. Und Lillia will Alex zur Rechenschaft ziehen, der eine Partynacht mit ihrer kleinen Schwester verbracht hat. Doch wie weit können die drei bei ihrem Rachefeldzug gehen? Ein packendes Jugendbuch, das Fragen stellt: zu wahrer Freundschaft, Loyalität und Liebe. (Quelle: Verlag)
Meine Meinung: Um mich aus einer Leseflaute herauszuholen hat die liebe Jasi mir dieses Buch ans Herz gelegt. Auge um Auge ist der Auftakt zur Trilogie um Mary, Kat und Lillia von Jenny Han und Siobhan Vivian, die in der Buchwelt schon sehr viel Lob bekommen hat. Auch mich konnte Auge um Auge sehr überzeugen. Schon zu Beginn werden die drei Protagonistinnen uns alle durch ein Kapitel aus ihrer Sicht vorgestellt. So hatte man sehr schnell ein sehr detailliertes Bild der drei Mädchen und konnte sich sofort besser in das Buch einfinden und verstehen, was die Probleme der drei sind. Denn auch auf den nächsten 300 Seiten geht es spannend und immer abwechselnd aus deren Sichten weiter.
Nicht nur durch den übersichtlichen Einstieg sondern auch über den tollen Schreibstil der beiden Autorinnen bin ich super ins Buch eingestiegen. Der leichte und angenehme Schreibstil scheint perfekt zu dem auf den ersten Blick sehr trivialen Buch zu passen. Der erste Eindruck täuscht nämlich ein bisschen. Es geht zwar durch Lügen, Intrigen und Rachepläne ziemlich skandalös her, trotzdem erkennt man schon nach wenigen Kapiteln, dass hinter Auge um Auge mehr steckt als purer Unterhaltungswert. Zunächst fängt alles nur mit leichten Streichen an. Sehr schnell merken die Mädchen jedoch, dass sie vieles in einem völlig falschen Licht gesehen haben und so manches läuft auch aus dem Ruder. Und genau ab diesem Zeitpunkt fängt man als Leser an, vieles zu hinterfragen. Wie weit können die Mädchen gehen? Was wird noch alles passieren? Was ist wirklich falsch gelaufen und was ist nur eine Sache des Blickwinkels? Wir kommen ins Grübeln über wahre Freundschaft, über Familie und Liebe. Auge um Auge hat also durchaus Unterhaltungswert. Aber ansonsten geht es auch etwas tiefer und regt wunderbar zum Nachdenken an und kann sich so aus der breiten Masse hervorheben. 
Die drei Mädchen sind mir übrigens absolut sympathisch. Bei Kat war ich mir anfangs ein wenig unsicher aber ich glaube so langsam kriecht sie aus ihrem Schneckenhaus aus Hass und Isoliertheit heraus und wird mir so ein wenig näher gebracht. Lillia mochte ich einfach so sehr obwohl sie das reiche Mädchen ist und an der Schule It Girl-Status hat. Denn durch das zeichnet sie sich nicht aus sondern vielmehr durch ihren Charakter und ihren Sinn für Familie und Freundschaft. Mary ist meine absolute Favoritin und auf ihre Kapitel habe ich mich immer am meisten gefreut. Sie hat aber auch die interessanteste Geschichte, von der ich euch allerdings nicht mehr verraten mag. 
Was außerdem auf den ersten Blick nur wie ein Contemporary Buch erscheint wirft gerade gegen Ende die Frage auf, ob es wirklich nur das ist. Es gibt ein paar Vorfälle, die den Leser daran zweifeln lassen, ob wirklich alles mit rechten Dingen zugeht. Auf die Lösung warte ich aber auch gespannt, bis ich mit Teil 2 anfangen werde.
Bewertung: Auge um Auge konnte mich definitiv aus meiner Leseflaute herausholen. Mit dem Buch haben die beiden Autorinnen einen wundervollen Auftakt geschaffen, der über Lügen und Rachepläne hinausgeht und über Liebe, Freundschaft und Familie erzählt. Ich bin gespannt, was Band 2 und 3 bereithalten und freue mich schon darauf, erneut in die Welt von Lillia, Mary und Kat abzutauchen. Auge um Auge bekommt von mir verdiente 5 von 5 Füchschen.

Sven Test

What did I just read? 

This book started out slow, but then it began to build up the pace until you are left thinking "What the hell?" (I do mean this in a good way)

These three girls are seeking for revenge. But does revenge ever lead to a happy ending? Not in this book, at least.

I don't know what else to say. I am still thinking of what just happened and I cannot wait to start with Fire With Fire.

Siobhan Vivian

Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han, and New York Times bestselling author of The List, Siobhan Vivian. Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge. KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend. LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it. MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him. None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible. With an alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.

Burn for Burn

Cross-posted on Kniznitsa

I have not read anything set in high school in a long time and to be honest, I have been kind of missing the plotting, the drama and all the tropes that come with it. In that sense “Burn for Burn” was perfect for me as it has three very creative, very determined to get their revenge teenage girls who are not afraid to get their hands dirty.

In the tradition of literary small towns, Jar Island is not the safe haven of good girls and boys that it appears to be. Three girls - Kat, Lillia, and Mary have all been wronged by the inhabitants of the island in one way or another. Kat is the island’s pariah thanks to the nasty rumours spread by her ex-best friend and current high school queen, Rennie. Lillia’s traumatizing experience with boys has made her extra careful and protective of her little sister. Mary has left the island years ago due to the bullying of a boy and now is back, changed, in order to get back at the person who destroyed her life.

The girls come together in an unlikely trio with one common goal - to exact revenge on the people who have messed with their lives. With no one to stop them, who knows how far they could push the limits of their creativity.


The Plot

While I do have a few bones to pick with the plot, I actually quite liked it overall. It is well-paced and keep the reader engaged, wanting more and more (I actually finished the book at one reading). The story is surprisingly dark, even though the acts of revenge the girls plot and exact are relatively mild (compared to, let’s say, what is going on “Pretty Little Liars”, for example). However, this works in favour of the novel, as it makes their endeavours believable and more realistic - yes, a girl can throw a rock at the window of a car, and yes, a girl can change the voting ballots, and yes, a girl can find a way to spread a thousand sheets around the school.

The writing style of the authors itself is OK - and that’s it, just OK. But at the same time, it allows for the plot to progress fast and without being too heavy or complicated, making the novel an easy and quick read.

On the other hand, as pleased as I am with the plot, I think there are a few places where the writing falls short of its mark. One of the things that I found particularly disturbing is Lillia’s plot line. (view spoiler)[Lillia gets raped. And I was very disappointed with how the plot kept avoiding to address it or name it as it is, especially as Lillia is a POV character. See, her rape does affect her - it is supposedly the reason why she is so protective of her little sister and is definitely something that she recalls when one of her friends tries to kiss her at a spin the bottle game. But at the same time, the issue is never really fully dealt with. Which, I repeat, is terrible given that Lillia is a POV character - we literally get to hear her thoughts and see the story through her eyes. I can only hope that this will really be addressed in the sequel. (hide spoiler)]

On a similar note, I don’t think that Mary’s backstory is handled very well either. The first issue that really doesn’t sit well with me is why Mary was bullied - or to be more exact, how she overcame it or failed to do so and how this is reflected in her current state. As a younger teenager, Mary has been bullied for being fat but now she is back and she is thin (to the point even Kat notices that “her clavicle sticks out under her dress” and “It makes sense now, the fact that she never eats”). These things sounded alarms in my head as someone who used to be big and has been in constant fight with her weight for the past ten years or so. Those are things that never leave you, no matter how much you work on them, and I was disappointed not to see them reflected in Mary’s narrative.

The second issue we need to discuss is (view spoiler)[the way the story deals with her suicide attempt. If we talk about the flashback scenes - yes, they were well written and you could really feel the self-loathing and depression that ensues from being bullied. But within Mary’s narrative we don’t get to see how this has actually affected her. We only hear about it - as in because of what happened, she had to move away, she was held back a year, etc. We never really see it even though the relationship between the reader and a first person POV character is supposed to be very intimate. (hide spoiler)]

“Burn for Burn” is a YA novel and for the sake of its readership, I hope that it chooses to really deal with these topics properly in the future.

There is one thing that I cannot make my mind about, though. Towards the end of the novel, the authors decide to introduce a supernatural element to the plot which is surprising and most likely, unnecessary (kind of the way “Pretty Little Liars” introduced a supernatural element to their storyline after 5 seasons of sort of plausible bullying and murder and what not). However, I’d like to see how it is going to play out.


The Setting

Jar Island is a really beautiful place and the authors’ writing manages to built it to be very atmospheric and somehow creepy (an island with no connection to the mainland other than a ferry that runs every hour between the morning and later evening; almost no phone signal). This works well in favour of the novel.

The fact that we have three very different POV characters helps us get an even better idea of the island - each girl shows us her own part of it, her own world and it’s interesting to see how depending on what sort of life they live, they have entirely different views on it.


The Characters

All of our three main girls - Lillia, Mary, and Kat - are first person POV characters and this is handled very well by the authors - each one of the girls has a very distinctive voice. While this is most likely due to the fact that we have two authors working on the novel, I still think this aspect needs to be praised as nowadays it seems to be so hard to find a book with multiple distinct POVs.

The girls themselves make a very interesting and versatile trio. Lillia is a rich, popular girl, who’s smart, responsible, and level-headed. Mary is shy and introverted, unsure of herself and very sensitive. Kat is very pro-active and intense and fearless, an outcast with a strong voice and probably the most distinct personality out of the three. Their respective POVs emphasize the differences between them even further and believe me, they cannot be bigger. However, their personalities that might have crashed under other circumstances, in this case make for a very interesting, very alluring dynamic. These girls slowly learn to truly, genuinely like each other and to look out for each other beyond their shared goal and I think there is a very important message about female friendship in this.


The Verdict

“Burn for Burn” is a good book for a day off. It might be triggering for some of its readers and it might not hold its own within a deeper discussion about social issues but for what it’s worth, it is a refreshing read among YA novels.

Nicki

Lorraine Fernando

Solid read, didn’t especially blow my mind. But not in a bad way, it was like watching a teen drama tv show, you’re half surprised at everything that happens. But not really shocked. Like it wasn’t a waste of time.. but there were better things I could’ve been doing.

Jas Wang

Cindy Lee

You can also read this review here.

So.. umm.. I think this book is too revenge-ish for me. Like seriously, these girls are vicious. What can you say? They're not waiting for karma.. They're taking matters into their own hands.

Burn for Burn is about three girls who want the same thing: revenge. They all had their own issues with certain people and they're about to get even. The first stunt they pulled was kind of small. It wasn't quite grand enough, I guess. The last two were big all right. I read with a guilty conscience of knowing what the girls are going to do. I'm more of a peaceful person.

All in all, if you'd like to read about stunts played on people and watching people go down, this is perfect for you!! Step aside Karma, Lillia, Kat, and Mary are coming through.

Tiffany Robinson

When I started this book i couldn't put it down because I wanted to find out what happened next. It was very intriguing and a fun read. At the end I thought it was going to go all Carrie. On to the next book now to see what will happen next.

Payback is paradise in this start to a trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge. KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend. LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it. MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him. None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible. With an unlikely alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.

Chelsea Hunter

I want to first say that I was really hesitant about picking this book up because the whole premise of the series is revenge and that an idea that is hard for me to get behind to read. But I decided to pick it up because a lot of people I follow and know liked the book, so I thought I would give it a try.

So this book was decently good, and for the most part, the plot was enjoyable. I wasn’t 100% sold on the idea of the revenge in the book which is why I didn't love it, just because I'm not a revengeful person and that's not usually how I think situations should be handled. I could see why Kat and Mary wanted revenge, and Kat's revenge wasn't that bad. I could see where Lillia was coming from being an older sister myself, but I just didn’t think hers merited getting revenge.

Then there are the character: Lillia, Mary, and Kat. I’m indifferent about Lillia - it’s hard for me to relate to her but I didn't not like her character, I like Mary because she’s really kind and I can relate on a level with her, and I go between liking Kat and not liking her because of her personality and actions. Overall, I think each of their characters were well-written and I really liked that they were all very unique.

I am planning to continue reading the series, and I am hoping that it does get better in the next novel, but I fear that it won’t be.

Kerry Gibbons

Definitely enjoyable but not as captivating as the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. Maybe it’s because of the multiple narrators. Maybe it’s because they were all doing bad things. Maybe it’s the fact that the story was so mired in personal traumas. But I will still definitely read the second one. 

Trigger warnings:
Suicide, fat shaming, bullying, drug use, rape, alcohol abuse

Critically acclaimed authors Jenny Han - whose New York Times bestseller To All The Boys I've Loved Before inspired the hit NETFLIX movie - andSiobhan Vivan team up in this brand new trilogy. Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Big Little Lies. Postcard perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing ocean front homes and three girls quietly plotting revenge. Kat is tired of having people lie to her. One more cruel word from her ex best friend or her secret hook up acting like she doesn't exist will be the last straw. Those two deserve to feel as awful as they've made her feel. But if she tried anything, everyone would suspect her immediately… Lillia is ready to stop pretending her senior year is going to be so great. After what her best friend Rennie got her into this past summer and the way her guy friends are looking at her little sister, she is starting to feel like these "friends" are nothing but the entitled brats she has always denied they were. Mary has just gotten back to Jar Island after a traumatic event several years ago that still haunts her. She is determined to put it behind her, but when she sees Reeve, she is certain that will only happen when he feels the same pain that his actions caused her. But she can't get revenge alone… Maybe someone should show them there are consequences to bad behaviour.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Elaine

This was nothing out of the ordinary, but the writing was totally addicting. I think I will continue as the ending left me wanting more.

Lisa Collins

I’m glad this is a series, because I have no freaking idea what’s going on. I forgot it was a series, so the abrupt ending almost caused a completely different tone in this review. Luckily, I remembered.

I’m a believer in karma; therefore I’ve never had as strong of a hunger for revenge by my hands as these girls do. (I.e. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s life… really.) I think this may be the reason I can’t help but shake my head at Kat, Mary, and Lillia. I understand they’re angry and want to shove back at the people who hurt them, but… it’s kind of crazy. Then again a lot of the things humans do are.

As much as I want to say this makes the story unrealistic, and therefore irrelevant, I can’t, because things like this happen all the time. I think as far as realism is concerned this is a pretty accurate rendition of life. The things I consider extreme may be nothing to some people and vice versa.

This book was left so tangled that I can’t help but sit here and brainstorm possible solutions to the whole matter. I’m not quite sure where the authors are going with the story. That, my friends, is how you get people to continue with your series. You make them hate it and think about it to the point of love. That isn’t to say I hate the book. On the contrary, I really enjoyed it and found it to be quite the page-turner… I’m just so bewildered. So, what now?

Of all the girls I really felt Mary was the shining star. Her story is what stuck out most to me and I feel like my empathy level with her was beyond strong. The other girls were wonderful too, with all three of them less secure than they appear and more ferocious than they plan to be. I really liked the characters because they were real enough to question what they were doing, but hurt enough to keep going, as I imagine many humans feel and act. No one is ever completely sure of everything they’re doing and I think that was shown subtly in most of the characters in the novel, not just the main three. Humans are fragile and you could see that in the friends, the parents, and et cetera.

I’m not sure when the next installment in the series is slated to come out, but I’ll be waiting patiently, scratching my head in hopes of some sort of explanation.

Clara hash

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds. 

But bad things can happen, even to good girls . . . and sometimes, the only way to make things right is to do something wrong. 

Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister from the same fate. 

Kat is over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend. Someone needs to teach her a lesson, and, with Lillia and Mary behind her, Kat feels up to the task.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now that she’s got friends who have her back, he's going to be in big trouble.

Three very different girls who come together to make things right. Will they go too far?


again, a book who's playing with my nerves.

I was into the story, it was SO SO SO good and I was going to giving 5 stars because it's been a while since I haven't read a book that great, and... I couldn't because of the end. LAME. 

Ugh, I'm so dissapointed.

At first sight, I thought 3 differents POV would be too much, and there were too many characters. but, nah, you get used to it fast providing that you read the book fast.

characters: they were OKAY. Lillia and Kat were my favs. I felt sad for Mary because I thought she was kind of left out of the story even if she is the one with a MAJOR problem. plus, Alex is my MAN, I love him so so so so so (sox8754) much, since the beginning. (view spoiler)[I knew it was a big misunderstanding, he's too nice to date a baby like nadia and do that to Lillia, is he? (hide spoiler)]. I won't talk about Rennie and Reeve because they talk enough about themselves themselves. ok?

the end: (view spoiler)[I didn't know it was contemporary AND paranormal. and it sets me off guards. and this is why I didn't like the end at all. I put the book down and was WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK JENNY HAN?, such not a good combo. It could have been such a great -but yeah simple- contemporary stand alone... (hide spoiler)]

anyway, I will read Fire with Fire this summer.
love ya,

Ana Ignat

Rebeca 

4 stars

A good 4 star read that definitely got me out of my reading slump, which I totally needed!

Emily C Peterson

Maya

Hm, I'm not sure how I feel about this book.
In 9th grade I would have loved it, but now it was just a little.... dramatic?
I love the idea of getting revenge on your high school bullies but most of the book didn't deal with the real bad ones. 
In theory this is a great book but the execution was a little lacking. 
All the characters are very stereotypical and one dimensional. 

So if you are okay with stereotypical high school stories (minus the big dramatic romance) this book is perfect for you.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Audiobook Review:

Burn for Burn is the story of three very different girls: Kat, Mary and Lillia. These three girls all have one thing in common: they want sweet, sweet revenge. Each had something terrible happen to them, and because of that they are looking to get even. Karma’s a bit*h, right?!

Mary was tormented by a boy when she was younger, forcing her to leave the island. When she returned, she was expecting nothing more than getting back at him for what he did to her. Lillia’s never had boy trouble of any kind, but when one starts messing with her sister she decides to take matters into her own hands. Kat, the totally intimidating and downright scary badass, seeks revenge on a former friend of hers that made her life miserable. These three, strictly by chance, end up together and immediately start plotting their revenge on all the people that have tortured them and ruined their lives.

The narration of this audio was pretty fun since there were three separate narrators, one for each girl. The fact that each had their own separate voice, personality and demeanor really helped me get into the story and feel for these girls. The shy, quiet girl, the rebellious, tough chick, and the popular, easy-going girl.

This story reminded me quite a bit of This is WAR, which I had a very similar opinion of. It was cute. It was a tad slow in the beginning, but it really picked up once the girls started plotting, and just kept going from there. I was impressed that Han & Vivian made a point of showing that playing tricks on people can have consequences. It really reminded me of why I would NEVER want to go back to high school again with all of the pettiness, animosity and bullying.

The story flip-flopped, going from girl to girl, from past to present, really bringing this story to life. The three girls had such separate personalities. They were complex, easy-to-relate-to characters that I felt as though I knew personally. Though I didn’t agree with their choices or how they handled situations more often than not, I did feel for them and the torment they suffered. Ugh, teens can be so mean!

Burn for Burn was full of drama, secrets, friendship and vengeance at its ugliest. It’s a very real fiction that I can only imagine would hit close to home for many. The ending, if you can even call it that, really leaves you hanging. In part, this frustrates me, yet I know they do this for a reason. Han & Vivian, you tricky little ladies, you’ve definitely got me curious to see what happens in Fire with Fire!

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Hannah Adamson

Giulia 

Recensione su Giulia's World

Non so ancora cosa pensare di questo libro, ma di una cosa sono sicura mi aspettavo molto di più.
La storia è banale, col pregio di essere molto scorrevole e quindi facile da leggere e da portare a termine. Ho odiato con tutto il cuore Kat, non capisco il suo modo di ragionare, non capisco perchè decide di fare quello che fa ma soprattutto non capisco il senso di tutta questa storia della vendetta. Già di per se, secondo me, vendicarsi facendo sentire di merda una persona è stupido quindi non ho proprio potuto viverla bene mentre vedevo queste tre fare di tutto e di più, comportarsi come merde solo perchè credono di aver visto/sentito... insomma no!
Senza tralasciare il fatto che questo viene descritto come un contemporary misto al paranormal. Ora, o io sono cieca, o il paranormal me lo sono persa per strada. Giuro non ci ho visto niente, ed è un peccato perchè in un ambientazione del genere tutto mi sarei aspettata tranne poi quello che effettivamente è successo.
Tre stelline perchè comunque si legge in fretta, ma sono davvero molto delusa. Di certo non continuerò la serie...

Burn for burn

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