Series: Burn for Burn #2
Author: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Pages: 518, Hardcover
Source: ARC obtained at BEA
Source: ARC obtained at BEA
Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.
Not even close.
For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.
And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.
It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...
Not even close.
For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.
And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.
It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...
Well, well, well, Fire with Fire certainly took things up a notch. The revenge game is still on, but now it's even more viscous and the stakes are higher than ever. On a purely entertainment level, Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian deliver again.
I criticized Burn for Burn for not having a lot of substance. I don't think that is as much of an issue in Fire with Fire. We definitely get a more in depth look into these girls' lives, at what makes them who they are today. We see the part of them that is fueled by anger, but we also see a softer, more vulnerable side that we can all relate to. Same goes for the secondary characters. Cat is still a hoot and I also really like Lilia, although she is kind of cruel in this book. But I still haven't really connected with Mary, and she is a little too angst-y in this book for my liking. Yet by the end I was most invested in her story out of everyone else's.
While I found their revenge plan justified in the first book, I did not find it so in the second. Even though some of these characters are complete a-holes, I still felt a little bad for what was happening to them. Especially for Reeve. And the reason they were still messing with him was kind of stupid. Enough is enough. I was glad to see the girls reap a little of the consequences of their choices.
I am a little surprised that this book has taken a turn for the paranormal and I can't decide if I like it or not. I guess there did need to be some explanation given for Mary's abilities. And I do like the one that was given. Like I already said, I am most interested in her story now. I really think Han and Vivian did a good job weaving it in and then uncovering it. The reveal was both shocking and awesome. But I don't like how this book feels SO contemporary otherwise. It's like this series did a genre switch and I haven't caught up yet.
This is a BIG book but I never felt bored. I was definitely interested in what Cat, Lilia, and Mary had up their sleeve next. And that ending completely rocked (but was also a little sad). I really enjoyed Fire with Fire, no middle book syndrome here my friends. This was a pretty stellar sequel.
Oh gosh, I totally get what you mean about not being justified in the second! I was like YIKES give him a break! I never felt bored in this book either and I'm excited for the last week. V curious to see how they'll wrap it all up!
ReplyDeleteSERIOUSLY! Poor Reeve :( And at first I was like, well he's still an ass because of what he said to Mary but NOW IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! I am really looking forward to the final book. I think they will wrap it up well because they've done a good job so far weaving the story IMO.
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