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melrailey's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It was fun and light and all about girl friendships - not romance. I loved watching the girls coming together for a common cause and not only getting their revenge but learning the importance of friendship.
sunshine_708's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It's about a group of girls who come together to get revenge on a football team who has done them wrong.
I thought this book was going to be light read but instead I found it much deeper and meaningful then I thought.
I loved the deep friendships that were formed, and repaired. This book also reminded me of the travelling pants but darker. Since it changes narrator from each of the four girls.
Overall feelings and summary: empowerment, girl power, revenge, suspense, Friday night lights, football, friendship, me too before #metoo, funny, feminism, sex, realistic, Swift-Cyrus phenomenon.
I thought this book was going to be light read but instead I found it much deeper and meaningful then I thought.
I loved the deep friendships that were formed, and repaired. This book also reminded me of the travelling pants but darker. Since it changes narrator from each of the four girls.
Overall feelings and summary: empowerment, girl power, revenge, suspense, Friday night lights, football, friendship, me too before #metoo, funny, feminism, sex, realistic, Swift-Cyrus phenomenon.
reader_fictions's review against another edition
4.0
I adored Rachael Allen’s debut, 17 First Kisses, and her second novel proves that she’s here to stay on my list of favorites. Allen is a local author, and she just so happens to be super sweet too, which is a plus. I’m a little sad that The Revenge Playbook moves to Tennessee for a setting, because I love when books are set in my city, as her first was. The Revenge Playbook, like Allen’s debut, puts the focus on female friendships and the abuses of the patriarchy, but also doesn’t feel too heavy.
If you’re a Courtney Summers fan, I’d recommend trying Rachael Allen’s novels. They’re a bit fluffier than Courtney’s while also unflinchingly looking at rape culture. Obviously, that can only be so fluffy, considering that I definitely teared up at the end and felt healthy rage throughout, but I think Allen keeps the tone from getting too dark. I definitely think Summers is a better comparison than Jenny Han and Sarah Mlynowski from the blurb.
Allen does this by time skipping between the current timeline where the girls are running through the list of dares and trying to beat the football team at their own shenanigans to prove a point and the weeks leading up to that. The scavenger hunt dares are ridiculous and silly, and it’s so much fun to watch the girls complete them. It is also totally fabulous the way the girls take the horrible sexist ones and change them to be about men.
Peyton, Ana, Melanie Jane, and Liv all get together to try to take the football team down a notch. They all have their own reasons to be pissed about the actions of the patriarchy. Mel Jay and Liv were both dumped by their boyfriends on the team because they did not meet with the team’s approval, because they think Liv is a slut and that Mel Jay’s determination not to have sex until marriage makes her an unacceptable girlfriend. Peyton, who has ADHD and struggles to pay attention in class, hates the preferential treatment the football players get: extensions without docked points, assistance from the teacher, and a free pass to be obnoxious in class. Ana was raped by a guy on the football team.
My only issue with the four girls is that I did have a bit of trouble keeping their four first person perspectives clear in my head. I really loved the issues tackled in each perspective, because it shows a huge range of common insults and abuses thrown at women. I really liked all of the book, but I would have had way more feels if the perspectives were a bit more distinct.
When the girls start their mission, they’re not friends, but obviously they bond throughout the weeks of plotting. One of my favorite things is when people who were not friends have to team up to complete a common goal. I love watching them get to know one another past the reputation and assumptions to find that everyone actually is a real person with diverse interests.
Allen really excels at capturing teens and high school, which means that it’s not the most flattering portrayal. As the girls’ motivations should tell you, there’s bullying and unfair treatment all over the place. There is also a lot of slut-shaming throughout the novel, occasionally even by the heroines because this is a journey. The overall message is very much sex positive, virgin positive, and staunchly against the rape culture in the US.
Peppered throughout, there is indeed a bit of romance for those of us who live for ships. Of the four girls, two end up with boyfriends, and one has a potential love interest down the line. I really like that Allen resisted pairing them all up, because that sometimes happens, and it’s a bit too much romance, even for me. It’s still not the shippiest book, but one of the guys, Michael, is super wonderful.
The Revenge Playbook is another fabulous read from Rachael Allen. She is awesome, her books are awesome, and you guys should check them out.
If you’re a Courtney Summers fan, I’d recommend trying Rachael Allen’s novels. They’re a bit fluffier than Courtney’s while also unflinchingly looking at rape culture. Obviously, that can only be so fluffy, considering that I definitely teared up at the end and felt healthy rage throughout, but I think Allen keeps the tone from getting too dark. I definitely think Summers is a better comparison than Jenny Han and Sarah Mlynowski from the blurb.
Allen does this by time skipping between the current timeline where the girls are running through the list of dares and trying to beat the football team at their own shenanigans to prove a point and the weeks leading up to that. The scavenger hunt dares are ridiculous and silly, and it’s so much fun to watch the girls complete them. It is also totally fabulous the way the girls take the horrible sexist ones and change them to be about men.
Peyton, Ana, Melanie Jane, and Liv all get together to try to take the football team down a notch. They all have their own reasons to be pissed about the actions of the patriarchy. Mel Jay and Liv were both dumped by their boyfriends on the team because they did not meet with the team’s approval, because they think Liv is a slut and that Mel Jay’s determination not to have sex until marriage makes her an unacceptable girlfriend. Peyton, who has ADHD and struggles to pay attention in class, hates the preferential treatment the football players get: extensions without docked points, assistance from the teacher, and a free pass to be obnoxious in class. Ana was raped by a guy on the football team.
My only issue with the four girls is that I did have a bit of trouble keeping their four first person perspectives clear in my head. I really loved the issues tackled in each perspective, because it shows a huge range of common insults and abuses thrown at women. I really liked all of the book, but I would have had way more feels if the perspectives were a bit more distinct.
When the girls start their mission, they’re not friends, but obviously they bond throughout the weeks of plotting. One of my favorite things is when people who were not friends have to team up to complete a common goal. I love watching them get to know one another past the reputation and assumptions to find that everyone actually is a real person with diverse interests.
Allen really excels at capturing teens and high school, which means that it’s not the most flattering portrayal. As the girls’ motivations should tell you, there’s bullying and unfair treatment all over the place. There is also a lot of slut-shaming throughout the novel, occasionally even by the heroines because this is a journey. The overall message is very much sex positive, virgin positive, and staunchly against the rape culture in the US.
Peppered throughout, there is indeed a bit of romance for those of us who live for ships. Of the four girls, two end up with boyfriends, and one has a potential love interest down the line. I really like that Allen resisted pairing them all up, because that sometimes happens, and it’s a bit too much romance, even for me. It’s still not the shippiest book, but one of the guys, Michael, is super wonderful.
The Revenge Playbook is another fabulous read from Rachael Allen. She is awesome, her books are awesome, and you guys should check them out.
aubreysmith9412's review against another edition
4.0
This book gave me my new favourite word - Backpfeifengesicht - a German word meaning a face that desperately needs to get punched. I know a lot of people like this. Within the first chapter of this book, the entire football team fit this description exceptionally well. Even as I write this, I am still seething with rage. This review is going to be more of a discussion - because this is a discussion that NEEDS to happen. Yes, I will talk about the book, but this will not be objective by any means. I need to talk about this, and I need to talk about this now.
The Revenge Playbook is a perfect YA novel for laying out the groundwork of feminist anit-rape culture theory for young teens - any young teens. The language used by the football team to discuss the young women, who are our main characters, makes me absolutely sick. And yet, this is the norm. Not only in high school, or in sports culture, but this is the norm everywhere - I see it every day - and this needs to stop. NOW. Immediately.
The girls in this book take on quite the task - they want to take the football team down a peg. They want an end to the preferential treatment, to the absolute horrendous hazing and bullying, and to their abhorrent treatment of women. The message is a strong one - what these boys do, and how they act and speak, is not okay, it is not normal, and it should never be perceived as such. Ever.
How these boys act and speak doesn't end after high school - trust me. It isn't okay then, and it certainly isn't okay in adulthood. The young women in this book know this - they know themselves. And they will not stand by and watch it happen. Now, I could go on a rant here about how everyone, everywhere, should be like these young women and stand up to patriarchal notions of sexism and misogyny. But I won't do that. Because we already know this.
However, I didn't learn this until my mid-twenties. Had I read a book like this when I was a teenager navigating the extremely unpleasant hallways of my three high schools (yeah, I went to three, and they all sucked), maybe I would have learned that I wasn't inferior earlier in life. That would have been absolutely bloody fantastic.
The Revenge Playbook handles themes of feminism, rape culture, "Locker room talk" (even typing that made me feel ill), misogyny and sexism with grace. These women never once doubt themselves - which is super important - in their mission to try to change culturally appropriated norms and behaviour that are inherently dehumanizing and, well, just plain disgusting.
This is a brilliant book, with a range of characters that can appeal to just about anyone. For me, most importantly, this book is unapologetic about how disturbing, disgusting, and toxic misogyny is. And that gives it an A+ in my books.
The Revenge Playbook is a perfect YA novel for laying out the groundwork of feminist anit-rape culture theory for young teens - any young teens. The language used by the football team to discuss the young women, who are our main characters, makes me absolutely sick. And yet, this is the norm. Not only in high school, or in sports culture, but this is the norm everywhere - I see it every day - and this needs to stop. NOW. Immediately.
The girls in this book take on quite the task - they want to take the football team down a peg. They want an end to the preferential treatment, to the absolute horrendous hazing and bullying, and to their abhorrent treatment of women. The message is a strong one - what these boys do, and how they act and speak, is not okay, it is not normal, and it should never be perceived as such. Ever.
How these boys act and speak doesn't end after high school - trust me. It isn't okay then, and it certainly isn't okay in adulthood. The young women in this book know this - they know themselves. And they will not stand by and watch it happen. Now, I could go on a rant here about how everyone, everywhere, should be like these young women and stand up to patriarchal notions of sexism and misogyny. But I won't do that. Because we already know this.
However, I didn't learn this until my mid-twenties. Had I read a book like this when I was a teenager navigating the extremely unpleasant hallways of my three high schools (yeah, I went to three, and they all sucked), maybe I would have learned that I wasn't inferior earlier in life. That would have been absolutely bloody fantastic.
The Revenge Playbook handles themes of feminism, rape culture, "Locker room talk" (even typing that made me feel ill), misogyny and sexism with grace. These women never once doubt themselves - which is super important - in their mission to try to change culturally appropriated norms and behaviour that are inherently dehumanizing and, well, just plain disgusting.
This is a brilliant book, with a range of characters that can appeal to just about anyone. For me, most importantly, this book is unapologetic about how disturbing, disgusting, and toxic misogyny is. And that gives it an A+ in my books.
ruthsic's review against another edition
4.0
In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That’s a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it’s only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.
The Revenge Playbook - it's cute, light, but also poignant and representative of our times. Set in a small town near Nashville, the story is about how four girls unite in a cause against the guys of their town, who let them down. Melanie Jane is dumped by the boyfriend because she wants to stay a virgin, Liv is considered a slut by the school population, as well as Ana, and Peyton is sick of the footballers getting special attention even though they don't deserve it. While all the girls are typical teenagers, Melanie Jane is perhaps the most girlish (in the sense that she has a little internalized misogyny) which makes her doing those dares all the more awesome. Liv is anyway enthusiastic for every plan they concoct, and I felt she didn't contribute much to the storyline besides being their mascot and encouraging Peyton. She and Trevor - yawn! Peyton was - hmmmm, too naive, I guess? But she did grow a spine by the end, so kudos to her. Ana probably had the best storyline as a character because she is the most invested in taking those boys down - she is
bitter, and alone and you can't blame her for it. Her conversation with the school counselor had me outraged!
Through each of the girls and their experiences, the author highlights the injustice girls, especially young ones, face everyday. Dressing as a reflection of your character, sexual assault, everyday harassment, slut-shaming, prude-shaming, objectification - things like this are almost daily occurrences for women and society doesn't even think it is wrong because misogyny is so ingrained - that is perhaps what the author tried to show with this book, but in a non-preachy way, of course. Even at the end, it is evident that Rome wasn't built in a day, but small changes lead to big differences one by one. I loved how the girls were smart enough to not let the guys walk all over them, even when they loved them. A good book, with lots of entertainment, but also a beautiful story.
Received a free galley from HarperTeen via Edelweiss; this does not influence my opinions or review.
The Revenge Playbook - it's cute, light, but also poignant and representative of our times. Set in a small town near Nashville, the story is about how four girls unite in a cause against the guys of their town, who let them down. Melanie Jane is dumped by the boyfriend because she wants to stay a virgin, Liv is considered a slut by the school population, as well as Ana, and Peyton is sick of the footballers getting special attention even though they don't deserve it. While all the girls are typical teenagers, Melanie Jane is perhaps the most girlish (in the sense that she has a little internalized misogyny) which makes her doing those dares all the more awesome. Liv is anyway enthusiastic for every plan they concoct, and I felt she didn't contribute much to the storyline besides being their mascot and encouraging Peyton. She and Trevor - yawn! Peyton was - hmmmm, too naive, I guess? But she did grow a spine by the end, so kudos to her. Ana probably had the best storyline as a character because she is the most invested in taking those boys down - she is
bitter, and alone and you can't blame her for it. Her conversation with the school counselor had me outraged!
Through each of the girls and their experiences, the author highlights the injustice girls, especially young ones, face everyday. Dressing as a reflection of your character, sexual assault, everyday harassment, slut-shaming, prude-shaming, objectification - things like this are almost daily occurrences for women and society doesn't even think it is wrong because misogyny is so ingrained - that is perhaps what the author tried to show with this book, but in a non-preachy way, of course. Even at the end, it is evident that Rome wasn't built in a day, but small changes lead to big differences one by one. I loved how the girls were smart enough to not let the guys walk all over them, even when they loved them. A good book, with lots of entertainment, but also a beautiful story.
Received a free galley from HarperTeen via Edelweiss; this does not influence my opinions or review.
rsngphoenix's review against another edition
5.0
Such a good and important book! I truly loved it! Jumping back and forth between two time lines was a little confusing, but maybe it was also because I devoured the book every chance I got. I can't wait to give this ARC to someone else so I can gush about it!
litten's review against another edition
5.0
This book was AMAZING. I just finished it and I feel all warm and fuzzy. I loved all four girls and how they came together and became each other's support system and so protective of each other, it was wonderful, I really wish I had a group of friends like that too.
also I REALLY LOVED MICHAEL AND TREVOR they were dreamy
so yes 10/10 would read again.
also I REALLY LOVED MICHAEL AND TREVOR they were dreamy
so yes 10/10 would read again.
bookishaly's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
An unoriginal, predictable yet insanely sweet at times story. I read a similar plot in Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and The Revenge Playbook didn't bring anything new to the story. A group of scorned teenage girls go out to take revenge on the football team that seems to be able to do nothing wrong and, although it was predictable from start to finish, it also had some great messages: Girl power, speak up and don't let the world use you as their personal doormat.
It also had a faint Mean Girls vibe to it, which I appreciated because Mean Girls FTW!
Full review to come!
An unoriginal, predictable yet insanely sweet at times story. I read a similar plot in Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and The Revenge Playbook didn't bring anything new to the story. A group of scorned teenage girls go out to take revenge on the football team that seems to be able to do nothing wrong and, although it was predictable from start to finish, it also had some great messages: Girl power, speak up and don't let the world use you as their personal doormat.
It also had a faint Mean Girls vibe to it, which I appreciated because Mean Girls FTW!
Full review to come!
laurencebc1's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.
First Impression: I'm am SO glad that I gave this another shot after giving up in January. The second half of The Revenge Playbook was AMAZING.
- Female empowerment
- Girls sticking together
- Arrogant little shits getting what they deserved
- Friendship orientated
The book I've been waiting for.
Review: I started The Revenge Playbook back in January. I got 11% in. I gave up. It was cliché, so I stopped, 100% sure I would pick it up again because who doesn't love a good revenge story?
So I picked it up again, and it took me all of two days to finish it. Because it's great. I judged too early, and it is FANTASTIC. If you enjoyed books such as [b:Burn for Burn|13406425|Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn, #1)|Jenny Han|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1332791803s/13406425.jpg|15571673] or [b:Get Even|16005219|Get Even (Don't Get Mad, #1)|Gretchen McNeil|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392042939s/16005219.jpg|21769471], you'll like this.
Football players are treated like gods. They get away with everything because they're the stars of the school. Even if they're jerks. Even if they treat the girls at the school like dirt. So four girls - Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane and Ana - who have all been wronged by the guys on the football team, team up together to get revenge by stealing the one thing the football team guards like gold. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.
The Revenge Playbook tackles issues such as slut shaming and rape culture. Sometimes the story can be quite dark (one scene in particular had my blood boiling), but it is nicely counteracted with some light and fun scenes, so whilst the message is still getting across, you can get some enjoyment out it.
I loved how much female empowerment was present in these 360 pages! I really enjoyed all the characters, though I felt that their narratives could have been a bit more distinct, but nevertheless, they were a great team.
What's also present in this book is that it notes that not ALL football players are privileged and ass holes, but just enough of them are to make revenge worthwhile.
A great book with strong female friendships and characters that deals with issues in a relatable way for teens whilst also being fun to read. Now I'm going to leave you with my favourite extract:
First Impression: I'm am SO glad that I gave this another shot after giving up in January. The second half of The Revenge Playbook was AMAZING.
- Female empowerment
- Girls sticking together
- Arrogant little shits getting what they deserved
- Friendship orientated
The book I've been waiting for.
Review: I started The Revenge Playbook back in January. I got 11% in. I gave up. It was cliché, so I stopped, 100% sure I would pick it up again because who doesn't love a good revenge story?
So I picked it up again, and it took me all of two days to finish it. Because it's great. I judged too early, and it is FANTASTIC. If you enjoyed books such as [b:Burn for Burn|13406425|Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn, #1)|Jenny Han|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1332791803s/13406425.jpg|15571673] or [b:Get Even|16005219|Get Even (Don't Get Mad, #1)|Gretchen McNeil|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392042939s/16005219.jpg|21769471], you'll like this.
Football players are treated like gods. They get away with everything because they're the stars of the school. Even if they're jerks. Even if they treat the girls at the school like dirt. So four girls - Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane and Ana - who have all been wronged by the guys on the football team, team up together to get revenge by stealing the one thing the football team guards like gold. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.
The Revenge Playbook tackles issues such as slut shaming and rape culture. Sometimes the story can be quite dark (one scene in particular had my blood boiling), but it is nicely counteracted with some light and fun scenes, so whilst the message is still getting across, you can get some enjoyment out it.
I loved how much female empowerment was present in these 360 pages! I really enjoyed all the characters, though I felt that their narratives could have been a bit more distinct, but nevertheless, they were a great team.
What's also present in this book is that it notes that not ALL football players are privileged and ass holes, but just enough of them are to make revenge worthwhile.
A great book with strong female friendships and characters that deals with issues in a relatable way for teens whilst also being fun to read. Now I'm going to leave you with my favourite extract:
"Tonight we honor an ancient tradition," I say in my best spooky voice. Peyton moves to stand beside me. Ana starts to hand back, but Melanie Jane prods her along. "You are about to become part of an elite sisterhood. We are brave. We are strong. We have honor...and some other lame shit." ... I turn serious. "Tonight we did something no one else has ever done. We started something. And we're going to finish it. We will steal that football. We will have our revenge. And we will change this town."