ARC Review: The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

Title: The Revenge Playbook
Author: Rachael Allen
Genre: Contemporary 
Source: Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 16th 2015
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Summary: 

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. Brimming with sharp observations and pitch-perfect teen voices, fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Mlynowski are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp tale—by the author of 17 First Kisses—about the unexpected roads that can lead you to finding yourself.

Initially I was rating this book a bit on the lower side, but then I sat back and thought about it. I actually couldn't stop thinking about it. I actually did enjoy it. Though this book was fun and enjoyable it touched on a few a few subjects that needed to be touched upon. This book is perfect for a boring raining day where you want something fun and entertaining. 

All the girls in this book were so different, you have Melanie Jane the pageant queen, Ana the geeky one, Liv the outspoken dancer, and Peyton the shy sweetheart. Now combine them together and talk about girl power? Damn. Each girl had their own motivation for wanting to take down the football team. The Revenge Playbook is jammed packed with loyalty, friendship, and unity. Something I think teenage girls need to take out of this book is how they all protected and supported one and another. At the end of the book I was happy to see the bond all of them formed, it was heart warming. 

I haven't gotten angry with a book in a good long while. But some of the things the football players said or did. Oh my. I was furious. "The List" made me really mad, who they hell do the older boys think they are making the younger team members dump their girlfriends because they are heavy, or have acne? Such maturity right? It only gets worse from their. The teachers look the other way when they do something wrong. The sickest part of this whole thing? Ana is sexual assaulted by on of the football players, and when she goes to one of the school counselors they make her second guess and feel like it was all her fault. These boys could get away with murder and it would be okay in this town's eyes. 

The Revenge Playbook touched on things such as rape culture, the "Cyrus-Swift: phenomena and how some people are treated with privilege where others barley get by. All of this was mixed in with some humor and friendship making this book a refreshing read. 

Rating:

(3.5 Stars)