By iamsandykay on May 17, 2025 ( Leave a comment )

Book Review – Better Than Revenge

Better than Revenge by Kasie West book cover

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Book Description:

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?

My Take:

I received a digital copy of this book from Random House Children’s and NetGally. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Better than Revenge by Kasie West Book Review Graphic

Found myself rooting for and plotting along with Finley the whole way.

From the synopsis we know that betrayal and heartbreak are coming. I immediately found myself on Finley side and couldn’t wait to see what revenge plot she’d come up with. Along the way, as she should, Finley learns so much more than just how to get back at someone. As an adult (and parent) there were a few times where I wanted to shake her and say, “Stop obsessing over this one thing – take the opportunities that are NOW opening for you!” But, as a teenager, she needed to learn things on her own, in her own time.

VERY well-created characters. FELT the teenage heartbreak and anger.

These characters were so well created. Their very real emotions leapt off the page and evoked memories of my own high school experience. Friendship, friendship lines that get blurry, the feeling of utter betrayal, realizing some people are just not that smart… it’s all here. I love every moment of this. I also found myself looking to the characters as an adult/parent and wanting to tell them, “Oh, honey – I promise it will be okay! High school is not the high point of your life – you have so much ahead of you!”

The Final Verdict

My rating: 5 stars

Would I recommend? Yes

Exciting, action-packed, and fun – with a healthy dose of learning about yourself along the way. Highly recommend!