The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

Hello all my fellow readers :)

I can't believe it's already almost the end of January. I feel this month has gone by so fast around work, and the renovations we've been doing to our house. I've been extremely grateful however, for the many amazing books I've discovered this month, and I'm excited to talk all about it in my January wrap up next week. I know I kind of got away from doing wrap ups, but I'm really hoping to get back on a regular uploading schedule with them, starting next week :)

Anyways, today I'm here to discuss one of the amazing books I discovered this month, and that is The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen. I had previously read 17 First Kisses by this author, and while I liked it, it definitely didn't blow me away, but after reading the synopsis for this one, I was really intrigued, and decided to go ahead and read it. I'm so glad I did because honestly this book was amazing, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Here is the synopsis from goodreads. for anybody not familiar with this novel: "Don’t get mad, get even!

In this poignant and hilarious novel, Rachael Allen brilliantly explores the nuances of high school hierarchies, the traumas sustained on the path to finding true love, and the joy of discovering a friend where you least expect.

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."

Going into this book, I was expecting a silly, comedic story about four kick butt girls taking on the local football team, and maybe forming an awesome friendship along the way. And while this was definitely one element of the novel, I was honestly not expecting the serious issues that Rachael Allen brings up throughout this book. The book centers around four teenage girls, Ana, Peyton, Liv, and Melanie Jane, all who have a bone to pick with the local football team. For Ana, most of her reasoning is kept from the reader, but we do know she feels justice needs to be served. For Melanie Jane and Liv, dumb football regulations set in place by the varsity members, have led to both of their junior varsity boyfriends breaking up with them. And for Peyton, she's plain tired of the double standards. Why should these guys get away with things like homework extensions, and bullying, simply because of their status on the football field?

All four girls agree that revenge must be served, but alas, they're dealing with teenage football players, and so typical revenge plots may not be the way to go. Instead, they need to hit them where it really hurts, and so begins the quest to steal their superstitious good luck charm, which I won't reveal here what it is as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. While this leads to many hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud, the story always touched on many deeper issues like teen drinking, loss of virginity, divorce, the quest to be perfect, and as mentioned above, double standards facing females versus males. I was completely blown away by this story, and aside from laughing, Rachael Allen's novel also had me tearing up in many points. These four girls soon learn the importance of sticking up for each other, and that sometimes doing what is right will even meet with resistance from authority figures who should know better. They also learn the importance of friendship, and also of family, and I really liked the way Rachael Allen incorporated all four girls struggle with the quest to be what is expected of them, whether or not it's what they want for themselves. I rated this book five out of five stars, and I highly recommend picking it up. If you're looking for a fun, YA read, or a YA read that touches on deeper issues, I think it would be a great pick regardless.

My favorite quote: "Unlike some people, I find the sensation of having someone plunge their hand into my chest and grab my still-beating heart to be extremely unpleasant. Feelings that strong are scary. Feelings that strong for someone you just met are even scarier."

Thanks so much for reading everyone :) I will see you in my next post.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The photo was taken by me with an iphone.