Get Even by Gretchen McNeil
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Get Even by Gretchen McNeil is the first in the Don’t Get Mad series and I did enjoy it. I do have to admit, there are quite a few characters and I felt like that although the story moved forward, not one thing was resolved in this book of the series. I’m pretty sure everyone knows how I feel about that but with that said; I still think the story was very well done.
Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot are the main characters and have nothing in common…except for DGM. Through a twist of fate – or just school assignments – these four ended up working on a project together, which led to them collaborating on more than just homework. They ended up forming Don’t Get Mad (DGM) to get revenge on those that deserve it. It works out beautifully that they are not even remotely connected as it allows them to avoid drawing attention to themselves and being considered as the perpetrators.
I really liked how McNeil tied these characters together. She also made them seem real – they are in high school and acted like they were which I appreciate. Also, while there were a number of characters introduced, I thought all added value to the story. In addition to the array of main characters in DGM, there are some great secondary characters that fill the roles of best friend, boyfriend, and ex-boyfriend. McNeil did a great job of creating a group of students that cover the breadth of backgrounds you would see in a typical high school setting which was great.
As for the story, when one of their classmates ends up dead and holding a DGM card, things start to get serious. Now the girls need to find out what is really going on and who is trying to pin this murder on them. As they begin to dig into what is going on, they find out their identities may not be as secret as they thought and because of this, they need to find out who knows about them…and is trying to frame them for something they didn’t do. While it is true that there is no resolution (or even a clue) as to who is behind anything that is going on, I’m not sure it would have been possible for McNeil to give us a hint. With that said, I am impatient enough to say that I really do wish I would have gotten something that clued me into who may have “done it”. I can honestly say, I have absolutely no idea who it is at this point. Besides – I wouldn’t tell you anyway…so I will stop here and just encourage you to check this out when you can!
If you’re looking for a mystery that introduces some solidly built characters, definitely check this one out. I flew through this one and will definitely be checking out book two when it comes out.
Thank you to the Publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
BLOG TOUR – Get Even By Gretchen McNeil
By: Gretchen McNeil
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars in Gretchen McNeil’s witty and suspenseful novel about four disparate girls who join forces to take revenge on high school bullies and create dangerous enemies for themselves in the process.
Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot have nothing in common—at least that’s what they’d like the students and administrators of their elite private school to think. The girls have different goals, different friends, and different lives, but they share one very big secret: They’re all members of Don’t Get Mad, a secret society that anonymously takes revenge on the school’s bullies, mean girls, and tyrannical teachers.
When their latest target ends up dead with a blood-soaked “DGM” card in his hands, the girls realize that they’re not as anonymous as they thought—and that someone now wants revenge on them. Soon the clues are piling up, the police are closing in . . . and everyone has something to lose.
About Gretchen
Gretchen is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown. Her YA horror/paranormal POSSESS debuts with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins, August 23, 2011. Her second novel, TEN – YA horror/suspense about ten teens trapped on a remote island with a serial killer – also with Balzer + Bray is tentatively scheduled for a Fall 2012 release.
Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4’s Code Monkeys and she currently sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. She is a founding member of vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as “Monday,” and she is an active member of both The Enchanted Inkpot, a group blog of YA and middle grade fantasy writers, and The Apocalypsies, a group blog of 2012 children’s debut authors.
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