Better Than Revenge by Kasie West - ADVISABLE

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West, 320 pages. Delacorte Romance (Random House), 2024. $13.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

As a junior, Finley can finally try out to be part of the high school podcast team, which she’s been preparing to do for years. Right after she nails her interview, Finley’s boyfriend blindsides her by trying out too—and he lands the spot Finley wanted. The new ex is taking everything Finley has ever wanted, so she, her best friends, and her ex’s nemesis plan for revenge.

The ex is someone readers will love to hate, bringing them immediately on board with the need for revenge. Trying to navigate her present, Finley dives into her grandmother’s past, juxtaposing the crisis Finley and readers are going through with the hope of knowing everything has worked out in similar circumstances before. As with life, not everything works out perfectly according to plan, but love and success can still come in beautiful surprises.

Finley is depicted as White on the cover, Theo is implied Hispanic, Lee is Asian, Deja is Indian, and the majority of other characters are implied White. Also, Lee and Maxwell are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for partial nudity (girl in a sports bra, boy without a shirt), kissing, innuendo, and mentions of sex. The violence rating is for assault and jokes about murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen