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may4d40a's review against another edition
4.0
My goodness, this book was so. Much. Fun!
The Revenge Playbook follows four high school girls as they plot their way to sweet revenge. Melanie Jane, Ana, Liv, and Peyton have had enough of the extreme favouritism bestowed upon the football players and decide to get back at them - but at their own game.
Each of the girls had their own reason for working together on this revenge scheme and that’s what makes this book so incredibly enjoyable to read. We get to see four girls, from four different cultures, who live four different lives ban together to put an end to the misogyny they face at school.
The only part that you’ll hear me grumbling about is how the girls’ POVs were sorta confusing. Because we were switching POVs and times periods so often, I was initially confused as to which character did what and who was friends with the other but that quickly got sorted out as I continued to read.
Reading about the wild adventures they embark on together while they try to grasp their revenge was so entertaining. The girls are a hoot when they’re all together!! We get to see their friendship bloom and watch them comfort each other and solve their problems together, it’s just really all heartwarming and beautiful.
And funny! Despite all the teenage hurdles that were openly discussed, the book had a cute humour that really made it so much more delightful to read.
Would totally recommend!
Melanie Jane says they have a word for it in Denmark: hygge. The cozy, intimate feeling that wraps around you like a hug when you’re surrounded by your best friends and doing things like eating ice cream and laughing.
4.5 stars!!
zoe_'s review against another edition
3.0
She rehashes a story that makes me want to hunt down every Varsity football player, especially Chad. I can just picture him tearing down Liv with that smug smile of his. His grin is the reason why Germany invented the word backpfeifengesicht – a face that desperately needs to get punched.
I can't tell whether it's my fault for being surprised by this book or not. I like going into books knowing as little as possible so it could totally be on me that it really didn't play out like I expected it to but all the information I had about this story was on the lines of "funny story about revenge and friendship" one vital word of this line is not true. Because this isn't a funny book, it is heartfelt and it cuts deep and, while there are some fun bits, it really isn't a "funny" story at all.
"What you're telling me is you and Chad were drinking and dancing and then you went upstairs with him. You said no, but you didn't do a whole lot to try to stop him, and you don't actually know that anything happened."
Case in point.
Though, having my expectations warped really wasn't a bad thing. As I said before, I like not knowing a whole lot about the books I plan on reading beforehand so it's more of a pleasant surprise when I stand corrected by a book.
What this book actually is: A story about four girls who've been wronged (in multiple ways by multiple people) and thus take revenge on the holy football team that get's away with everything, no matter how cruel and illegal and immoral. Also, taking revenge is a perfect activity to bond over and become awesome best friends.
Now that that's out of the way, I have to say that I'm not totally convinced. Sure, this book was enjoyable and I really liked some aspects of it but it felt like it lacked depth. The characters often seemed pretty shallow, the story felt a little jumbled because it didn't quite have enough time to "ripen" properly, and the problems sometimes seemed to be addressed too superficially and felt like they were less plot and more "personal opinion the author has and would like you to know" tell-and-not-show style. Somehow, The Revenge Playbook and I never quite clicked. The thing is, I can't really pinpoint why that is, exactly (apart from the lack of depth). Objectively, this was a great book, subjectively, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I hoped it would.
What I did like was the diversity of aspects this story portrayed. The angles weren't just "revenge" or "friendship" but also falling in and out of love, communication, relationship with parents, et cetera. The side effect of this, sadly, is superficiality (in such a short book) but I really did enjoy the amount of different topics discussed.
Overall, while I do really think this was a good read, I don't have much else to say because it didn't stick out in any particular way. Oh, also, the Scavenger hunt wasn't as exciting as I would have liked and that did kind of bummed me out.
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I am totally the girl making out in public against the back of a car. It is completely unlike me, and I don't care. Being a lovesick zombie feels so good.
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
5.0
{originally posted on my blog: Ciao Bella}
There’s rarely a time when a revenge novel does not have a home on my bookshelf. I could list a number of reasons as to why – I love the intricacies of rivalry, the suspense of a plan in action, and the motivations of enemies – but to put it simply: a well-plotted act of revenge is, at the very least, entertaining, if not exactly taxing to consume. You can then imagine my interest and excitement when I came across Rachael Allen’s sophomore novel, The Revenge Playbook, at my local library. As its title suggests, acts of revenge meet a small town football team, shaping a conversation on female empowerment, slut-shaming, and rape culture through a relatable and, sadly, all too realistic narrative.
Consider The Revenge Playbook a feminist manifesto for the YA audience. Allen lends a keen eye for controversial issues, weaving the never-ending question of blame in the storylines of each of the book’s four main characters, Melanie Jane, Liv, Peyton, and Ana. Working with four point-of-views is ambitious, to the point where their voices blend together, but they nevertheless illustrate the message of the novel: that girls can be “king” just as much as the players of the football team, or any group that holds dominance in society. Furthermore, the best novels need not be fun or thought-provoking; they, as seen here, can be both. The girls’ plan for revenge is lighthearted – steal the team’s precious football – but their motives – to fix what was done wrong to them – hold a more serious tone.
Allen writes in her bio that she loves a “strong female protagonist.” In her second book, she presents her readers with four. Melanie Jane, Liv, Peyton, and Ana may hail from different backgrounds and beliefs, but where they bond is in taking charge of what they rightfully deserve, even if society tells them otherwise. Empowerment is in abundance, the plot is well-paced, and the themes are important. Revenge novels have long been on my auto-buy list. I’m now thinking books by Rachael Allen deserve a spot on there too.
There’s rarely a time when a revenge novel does not have a home on my bookshelf. I could list a number of reasons as to why – I love the intricacies of rivalry, the suspense of a plan in action, and the motivations of enemies – but to put it simply: a well-plotted act of revenge is, at the very least, entertaining, if not exactly taxing to consume. You can then imagine my interest and excitement when I came across Rachael Allen’s sophomore novel, The Revenge Playbook, at my local library. As its title suggests, acts of revenge meet a small town football team, shaping a conversation on female empowerment, slut-shaming, and rape culture through a relatable and, sadly, all too realistic narrative.
Consider The Revenge Playbook a feminist manifesto for the YA audience. Allen lends a keen eye for controversial issues, weaving the never-ending question of blame in the storylines of each of the book’s four main characters, Melanie Jane, Liv, Peyton, and Ana. Working with four point-of-views is ambitious, to the point where their voices blend together, but they nevertheless illustrate the message of the novel: that girls can be “king” just as much as the players of the football team, or any group that holds dominance in society. Furthermore, the best novels need not be fun or thought-provoking; they, as seen here, can be both. The girls’ plan for revenge is lighthearted – steal the team’s precious football – but their motives – to fix what was done wrong to them – hold a more serious tone.
Allen writes in her bio that she loves a “strong female protagonist.” In her second book, she presents her readers with four. Melanie Jane, Liv, Peyton, and Ana may hail from different backgrounds and beliefs, but where they bond is in taking charge of what they rightfully deserve, even if society tells them otherwise. Empowerment is in abundance, the plot is well-paced, and the themes are important. Revenge novels have long been on my auto-buy list. I’m now thinking books by Rachael Allen deserve a spot on there too.
rameelariz's review against another edition
3.0
Initial thoughts: that was quick and fun and also incredibly angering about those terrible guys and the terrible things they did
samchase112's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4 stars
Woah. That was a seriously intense book. I would love to write a full review soon, so for now all I’ll say is that there was a lot more substance to this than I could have ever hoped for. Highly recommended!
Woah. That was a seriously intense book. I would love to write a full review soon, so for now all I’ll say is that there was a lot more substance to this than I could have ever hoped for. Highly recommended!
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