The Revenge Playbook Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

Release Date: June 16, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iTunes ● Kobo
Goodreads ● Website

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.

Don’t get mad, get even!

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.

If you know me, you’ll know that I’m a fan of revenge stories: Burn for Burn, Pretty Little Liars, Wicked Games–you name it. There’s something about the drama and the motivation behind revenge that attracts me to such stories like mosquitoes to a light. If you know me, you’ll also know that I’m a sucker for cute contemporaries. This book, The Revenge Playbook? A PERFECT BLEND OF BOTH. I read 17 First Kisses, Rachael Allen’s other contemporary novel, last year, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t the best. However, this one was is AMAZING in comparison. It reminded me so much of John Tucker Must Die to the point where I was constantly singing or humming “Dirty Little Secret” by The All-American Rejects (no joke).

I’m not a huge football fan...in fact, I barely know anything about it. People often have to specify or clarify for me when they mention football whether they mean soccer or American football. Anyway, it was kind of weird for me how a sports team can dominate the school (or even the whole town). It kind of resonates with the image that American high school TV shows depicts of the social hierarchy: footballers and cheerleaders rule the school. This book pushed this even further to the point where they basically got away with everything, so this was a totally new extreme for me.

I truly enjoyed the different narratives – both the shift in perspectives (or narrative voice) as well as the time frame, as the novel shifts from past to present. It really felt as though all the girls got equal “page-time” as there seemed to be no main character but rather main characters. Usually when it comes to books with multiple perspectives, I end up only liking some of the characters. However, with this book, I ended up loving all of the featured perspectives. Granted, each girl has their own flaws, but I couldn’t help but fall in love with all of them. Liv, Peyton, Mel-Jay and Ana all bring their own personalities to the table and there was a definite sense of girl power. I love, love, love the feminist tone here. Most of the time, I was like YES. PREACH THAT SHIZZ. These girls, they speak out against slut-shaming, abuse, bullying, rape culture, the way women are treated by men, and so much more.  

There’s no doubt about it: this was one of my favourite books this year. The Revenge Playlist was funny and creative, as well as sincere in its message to readers. We need more books like this one, to speak up for girls and women who have been subjected and treated badly by boys and men. Rachael Allen’s sophomore novel speaks volumes about a variety of pertinent issues in our society today, and I’m really looking forward to reading more from her.

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Megan at HarperCollins International for sending me a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...

• 7 Clues to Winning You by Kristen Walker ● Goodreads
• Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian ● Goodreads

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RACHAEL ALLEN

Rachael Allen lives in Atlanta, GA where she's working furiously on her PhD in neuroscience. When she's not doing science or writing YA, you can find her chasing after her toddler and her two sled dogs. Her debut YA novel 17 FIRST KISSES, is forthcoming from Harper Teen. Rachael may or may not have had 17 first kisses...luckily she doesn't kiss and tell.

Website ● Goodreads ● Twitter ● Facebook

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EXCERPT

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#BFFdraft

On June 16, 2015, use the hashtag #BFFdraft to talk about who you’d want in your ultimate BFF group. You can pick YA characters, celebrities, girls who are doing cool stuff to make the world a better place, girls who are already your besties.

For more information go here: http://rachaelallenwrites.blogspot.com.es/2015/06/bffdraft.html

Thunderclap link: 
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27693-bffdraft

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Giveaway time!

Enter to win...

A copy of The Revenge Playbook, some bookmarks, a notebook that's really cute and matches the book, and other swag 

US only
Enter via the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Click on the button above or on the tour banner at the top of the post to follow the rest of the tour!

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Thank you so much to FFBC blog tours for having me along!