Review: Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

Posted December 27, 2024 by Lillian in Reviews / 1 Comment

I received this book via the publisher Delacorte Press. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Review: Better Than Revenge by Kasie WestBetter Than Revenge by Kasie West
Published by Delacorte Press on 2024-12-31
Age Range: 12+
Length: 314 pages
Reviewing eARC from the publisher Delacorte Press
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2024, 2024 COYER Unwind

A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed! When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.

Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.

Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.

By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is about a young teen out for revenge against her ex-boyfriend with the help of his rival. Finley has one dream: to become a famous podcaster. When she tries out for her school’s podcast team, her boyfriend Jensen, who has never shown interest before, decides to try out too using one of Finley’s ideas. Hurt and betrayed, Finley and her friends concoct a revenge plot, but they need to find a way to hurt Jensen the way he’s hurt Finley: take his place on the football team as kicker.

Finley is admittedly hurt throughout most of the book. It was easy to empathize with her. This is a position she has been working toward since she was in middle school. To have it taken away from her at the last minute by someone she trusted who used her idea is unforgivable. To add insult to injury, Jensen insults her, not to her face, but through the school’s intercom not realizing it was live. Can’t say I blame her for wanting a little revenge. Then enters Theo.

Theo is a year ahead of Finley and Jensen’s rival on the football team. With Theo graduating, Jensen is a shoe-in for the starting kicker position. But Finley has a good leg on her. With a little help from Theo, she’ll be able to tryout for the team and potentially take Jensen’s spot. Theo is all for helping her, training her during the week and on the weekends. The question is why is he so invested.

While the revenge scheme is the main plot of the story, I personally loved Finley’s grandmother’s story. Finley’s grandmother has been living with her family since she accidentally burned her house down. She has dementia and is slowly losing her memory. While her day-to-day memory isn’t great, she can remember her past the best. So Finley has started a podcast at home, asking her grandmother about her past. A memory about a surfboard linked to a famous local artist leads to more questions than answers and boosts the podcast, making it go viral.

Overall, Better Than Revenge is a sweet YA romance about a young girl navigating her first heartbreak. I enjoyed Theo and Finley’s connection as well as their competitive natures. Finley’s revenge isn’t perfect, but how it plays out is pretty close to it. If you enjoy contemporary YA or are looking for a sweet read to end the year, I highly recommend it.

About Kasie West

Author Kasie West

Kasie West is the author of many YA novels, including The Fill-In Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love, and Listen to Your Heart. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, Junior Library Guild selections and ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults books. In the summer months you can often find Kasie on the California Coast with her family escaping the heat of the Central Valley.

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