Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Mary Zane

When she was younger, Mary grew up on Jar Island. She and a fellow classmate, Reeve, would take the ferry to the main land for school. You wouldn’t exactly call it a friendship since Reeve tortured Mary about being overweight, but they grew friendly since they had to spend so much time together.

Until Reeve did something so unforgivable and humiliating toward Mary that she finally left Jar Island. But now she’s back. Different than before and wants to make Reeve pay for what he did to her when they were younger.

Lillia Cho

Lillia always loved coming to Jar Island for the summer vacations and spending time with her summer friends that she finally convinced her parents to live their year round. She’s the popular girl, cheerleader, and her family is wealthy.

But when Lillia finds out that one of her friends, Adam, was seeing her younger sister, Nadia, in secret, along with doing something so horrifying, Lillia decided she was done with guys. That guys needed to pay for how horrible they treat girls.

Kat DeBrassio

Kat is considered “white trash” at school. She lives in the poorer part of town and everyone thinks she does drugs because of her older brother. Many don’t remember that Kat used to be best friends with Lillia and Rennie, until Rennie ditched Kat when Lillia came to live at Jar Island year round.

Many also don’t know that Kat spent a lot of her summer vacation hanging out with Alex Lindly – one of the “popular boys” who don’t associate with Kat during the school year. School isn’t exactly the best of times for Kat, so when Reeve says one too many untruthful statements, Kat decides to get revenge. Reeve will be sorry she was so mean to Kat all of these years after she’s done with her.

Read Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian to find out how each girl gets their revenge!

My Thoughts/Reflections

When I heard that Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian were writing a book together, I was so excited! I love both of their novels and knew that they were going to create an amazing book together – which they did!

This was a great novel. Each character has a reason for getting revenge and their back story, or flash backs, were a great key idea for the reader to really get to know the characters and see why they are ready to seek revenge.

I think my favorite girl out of the trio is Kat. She’s down to earth and fights for what she wants. She’s the one who initially came up with the idea to get back at the ones who tortured each girl. And I think I can relate to her out of the three of them.

The nice thing about this book is there are three girls, so the reader should have someone they can relate to. There are different situations for each girl: one fighting her weight, one living in a high class society – both at home and at school, and one trying to get through senior year so she can leave a prejudice island full of people who know everything about everyone.

This is part of a series and the authors do leave us at a little cliffhanger, so I’m excited to read the next book Fire with Fire sometime in 2013 (no date that I know of yet)!

Also, I labeled this book as a contemporary, which for the most part it is, but at the very end I think the authors are cooking up something supernatural? Maybe? I’m excited to find out more in the continuing books!

I would recommend this to every female reader. There are so many situations and events that happen that I think any girl can relate to and it is so well written that I flew through the book really fast!

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

*Note: This is the last book in the Summer Series by Jenny Han. I've reviewed both the first and second books here: The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You.

 **Second Note: I've been able to keep these reviews non spoilery, but since this is the last book in the series, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! So, read further at your own risk.

Belly is in college now, and she's been dating Jeremiah for 2 years. They are going to school together and everything is working out well for them. That is, until Belly finds out about a secret that Jeremiah kept from her, ruining all chances of a happy ever ending.

When Belly and Jeremiah decide to work things out, Jeremiah pulls out a ring and PROPOSES to Belly!! Where she then said yes!!! (As I'm having a major heartattack right about now!)

Belly and Jeremiah decide to get married in August, before her second year of college and at the end of the summer. When both tell their families the good news, they were met with disapprovement and anger. Belly's mom thought they were too young and Jeremiah's dad didn't understand why they had to get married right away.

Oh, and Conrad. He was surprised by this news and very upset because he still loves Belly - always had.

The day before Belly and Jeremiah's wedding, Conrad tells Belly that he loves her and doesn't want her to marry Jeremiah - that he wants to be with her instead. Will Belly go through with the wedding? Will she pick Conrad over Jeremiah?

My Thoughts/Reflections
Oh, oh, oh!! This book!! I really had a heartattack when Belly said yes to Jeremiah! I've made it quite known which team I'm on (Conrad's) so when she said yes, my brain was screaming, "No! No! NO!"

I was not a happy camper.

However, after that drama was initiated, I was hoping and praying things would turn out for the best for Belly. She deserved to be happy and with Conrad's track record, he did not have a good streak, so I was happy if she was happy.

I was also excited because, like the second book of the series, one of the brothers narrated a few chapters and it WAS Conrad, so I got to see what he was thinking and feeling - something very hard to do because Conrad is very hard to read.

I'm very, very glad that I waited for this series to be concluded because I would have been a mess waiting to see what happens every new summer. I absolutely adored this series and I might have to make them a part of my personal collection.

They are fast reads and keep you on the edge of your seat - I would say it's a must read for any teen girl confused by life and love. I think that pretty much covers all teenage girls :-) Now, go get all 3 to see what happens between the trio!!

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

This is the second book in the Summer Series by Jenny Han. I've reviewed the first book in the series at this link: The Summer I Turned Pretty. There may be some spoilers in this review from the first novel of this series.

It's a year since Belly has "turned pretty" and gained the attention of both Jeremiah and Conrad. However, things have dramatically changed. 

For instance, no one is going to the beach house at Cousins Beach. Susannah, Jeremiah and Conrad's mother, passed away from cancer. There is a piece missing in everyone's heart and it wouldn't be the same to go back to the beach house without it's main link: Susannah. 

This is Belly's first summer without going to the beach house and she feels lost. She doesn't know what to do with herself and is just wishing for the summer to be over - a first for her because she usually wants summer to never end. 

When Belly gets a call from Jeremiah that Conrad is missing and asks for her help to find him, she's unsure what will happen or whether she should see either brother after what happened with their mother. She goes, though, and reconnects with both Jeremiah and Conrad, but in a way that was not how Belly foresaw. 

My Thoughts/Reflections

Again, a great book to the first in the series. I'm still team Conrad, I will admit, even if I don't like some of the things he does in this book. 

I was so sad to find out about Susannah. I really wanted her to be able to go to the beach house again and enjoy summer, so I was devasted to find out that she didn't make it. Reading the emotions through Belly and Jeremiah were heartwrenching, but seeing them overcome their heartbreak to help Conrad was true dedication. 

This book was told mainly through Belly's viewpoint, but some rare chapters were told through Jeremiah's thoughts, which I enjoyed and appreciated Jenny Han doing. It's nice to get into one of the brother's thoughts and see what they are thinking. Maybe it will be Conrad's turn in the next and final book!

One thing I do want to mention though is Belly. It might seem like she complains and whines a lot (at least according to the boys) but I really like her as a narrative. She says it like it is and she seems a lot more mature than 16 years old. I can't wait to see what happens in the final book!

My thoughts about recommendation are the same: go read it! I love these books and the hardships the "kids" have to go through with Susannah and heartbreak from boys is very relatable, so I think there are many readers who would understand the rollercoaster Belly is going through. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Summer is Belly's favorite time of the year. It's the time where she gets to go to Cousins Beach, to the beach house with her mom, older brother, and her mom's best friend Susannah and her two sons: Conrad and Jeremiah.

Summer is the time that Belly can hangout with her other family, and fall even more in love with Conrad, who she's loved since she was 10 years old. 

This summer is different. Belly got rid of her glasses and is actually growing up. Both Conrad and Jeremiah are starting to notice, but Belly only has eyes for Conrad. 

However, Conrad is acting strange, distant. He's drinking and smoking, acting sullen and moody. Belly doesn't know why, but when she gets attention from another summer boy, Cam, she decides to make Conrad jealous. 

Another thing Belly loves about summer is hanging out with her "second mother", Susannah. It's the time where Belly can be girly around Susannah and talk girl shop. 

When Belly finds out some awful and sad news toward the end of summer, though, Belly realizes that everything is going to change before next summer can come. It might not be the same as Belly remembers and she's not sure if she wants to deal with that change. 

My Thoughts/Reflections

I've been wanting to read this book for awhile, but I decided to wait until all 3 books in the series (The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, and We'll Always Have Summer) were out and available. And boy am I sure glad I did!

I'm just going to say it. I love Conrad. Ever since Belly described both Jeremiah (golden, jester, happy, go lucky) and Conrad (dark, unattainable, unavailable, wears a smirk, quiet), I knew Conrad was going to be the main guy. The mood swings that boy puts Belly through is enough to intrigue any reader. 

Belly has two lives, but her real life starts in the summer. Summer defines Belly and she is always looking forward to the trip to Cousins Beach. 

Their is even a little bit of mystery in this novel. Belly is being left out of a secret. She doesn't realize it at first, but it becomes clear that everyone knows something that they aren't telling Belly, and once she finds out, she almost wishes that she was left in the dark. 

I loved this book. It's a light summer read full of romance and growing up, taking chances and risks, and learning that not everything turns out well for the people she loves. I can't wait to read the next installment to see what next summer brings for Belly!