Get Even (Don't Get Mad, #1)

by Gretchen McNeil

[Amber]

I was impressed! Such a good mystery, and I have no idea who could have been behind it. And yet there are so many clues! I feel like I need to make notes and get my Sherlock on.

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This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

Raise your hands if you enjoy revenge stories. Keep them raised if you love a good mystery. *jumps around with arms waving madly* That’s pretty much what Get Even is. A revenge story in which someone gets murdered, which sparks off a giant investigation and mystery. My kind of book, don’t you think?


I would like to state before going in that Get Even is very similar to Burn for Burn, at least at first. There’s a group of girls who have nothing in common other than the fact that they’re seeking revenge on their fellow students who have wronged people. However, I still really enjoyed Get Even and I think that it is able to hold its own. I prefer Burn for Burn, but I don’t want to overload this review with comparisons of the two books, so I’ll leave that there.

The major flaw of Get Even is the character development. I didn’t really get a feel for any of the characters, and had a tough time telling them apart. I didn’t get into their backstories (did they have any?) and their relationships with each other and with other secondary characters felt shallow.

That said, I clearly enjoyed Get Even because I gave it 3.5 stars. In this instance, I don’t care about the characters being under-developed because the mystery is so bloody good.

I like to call myself Sherlock Amber, and yet I have no idea who could be behind the murder. McNeil’s books are a mixed bag for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery and reveal in Ten, but I thought 3:59 was fairly predictable and I could tell what was coming. Now, with Get Even, I have absolutely no clue. I don’t even feel like I have picked up on enough clues to put together any theories. This has never happened before, unless I have been disinterested in the story, and I am really intrigued by this series now. I love stories that keep me guessing!

Get Even is a book where revenge and murder meets Rich People and High School Drama (two of my favourite things!), and it’s definitely one that I will be rereading again soon so I can make notes. I am going to have so much fun trying to figure out the mystery, I know it! And I have to recap it after it’s released for Recaptains, so I have the perfect excuse.

While I don’t think Get Even is the most original book out there, it’s still a lot of fun and is definitely entertaining. Especially ifyou’re like me and like being kept in the dark! I would recommend it because it’s thrilling and intriguing, even if the characters are kind of blah.