Joint Review: Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Date of publication: September 2014

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.



I thought Get Even was a fairly good YA story.  It was a little bit of a crazy premise, but who wouldn't want to make a club to get back at the bullies in school?  The story got a little convoluted at times.  I also felt like it got way too long.  I think if it would have been a little more direct instead of trying to take so many twisty turns more readers would probably like it.  All that said, I found myself interested in the story and the characters throughout the book.  I couldn't wait to find out whodunit.  This book is the first in a series.  The second book Get Dirty comes out next year.


I know that Autumn liked this book, but it ended up being a DNF for me.  I kept having to restart the book because I felt like I kept getting lost.  There were too many characters to keep straight.   The story also wasn't too believable.  Once I got to the part where the girls find the date rape video and decide not to turn it over to the police, I gave up.  Try it for yourself.  Maybe you'll like it more than me.