Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

by Eileen Cook

[Leah]

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend. But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend. Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

The first thing I want to say about Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood is that it's very, very similar to Mean Girls, in that someone who is allegedly a friend backstabs our main character, who then sets out on a revenge campaign. It's fun, it's frothy, and I absolutely whizzed through its 272 pages because despite it being similar to Mean Girls, it wasn't so similar that I was constantly comparing the two. Mean Girls is a fantastic movie and Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood is a fantastic book that anyone who has ever felt the knife slide into their back, will be able to get to grips with, because who doesn't fantasize about what it would be like to get revenge on someone you hate? And to see it play out across the pages was thoroughly enjoyable as Helen is determined to make Lauren Wood pay for what she did three years previously.

The first thing that will strike you about the book - before the Mean Girls comparisons - is the striking cover. It has a bright yellow background, with a barbie doll (Lauren Wood) lying on grass with her eyes wide open with a knife sticking out of her back. It is incredibly eye-catching and is one of those book covers that captures the story perfectly. That is, mainly, why I picked the book up, because a cover that beautiful and that striking deserves to be read! I was entirely captivated by the story within and anybody who likes a good tale of backstabbing and rivalries set in a high school will undoubtedly love the book.

I thought all of the characters were well-thought out, Helen in particular is a fantastic character who knows exactly what she wants and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren Wood. Not once did I ever question what Helen was doing, because I knew that what Lauren did was 100 times worse and everything that happened to her was fully deserved. So, as you can probably tell, I didn't like Lauren. She's the kind of girl you want to see fall, and fall hard, who will also stop at nothing to get what she wants, which is popularity and adoration from everyone in her school, not even being bothered about losing her best friend in the process. One of my favourite characters though was Brenda, who helps Helen (or Claire as she's known then) on her "first day" back at school after three years away. She was such a lovely character and I liked how her friendship with Helen developed. Finally, there is Christopher, a bit of a loner who Lauren sets her sights on but who Helen (as Claire) finds herself liking. He was another fab character. I thought Lauren's sidekicks, Bailey and Kyra were a bit stereo-typical but harmless with it.

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood is narrated entirely by Helen, which completely works with this kind of novel and I enjoyed listening to her thoughts and seeing what she was planning for Lauren next. I was a bit worried about how the book would end, but I found it satisfying enough an ending for me. It wasn't at all wishy-washy or any kind of cop-out and I was pleased with that. If you're looking for a quick and fun read about friendships, what it is to be a friend and high school back-stabbing, this is definitely the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to all contemporary YA fans!