Getting Even

How much trouble can four girls get into? If you have been keeping up with Reshonda Tate Billingsley's Good Girlz series, you know the answer is plenty. In the fourth installment, GETTING EVEN, Alexis, Angel, Camille, and Jasmine are back and two of them have love on their minds. Any one who has dealt with teen girls and the boys they fall for should know, teenage love doesn't exist without drama. Camille has been down the relationship road before and this time she feels like she has finally found the one. Vic is a senior and a football player at another high school who Camille meets after a game. Within a week she is head over heels but, she soon finds out Vic is keeping a secret, one that comes looking for Camille. Alexis meets her new man at a party and is instantly taken by him. She spends the evening dancing with this tall, handsome stranger named Anthony. Soon the two are seeing each other whenever they can and making plans for the future. But all that will come to a halt when Jasmine discovers his secret. When the secret their boyfriends are hiding is revealed, they must decide whether they will seek revenge or leave it in God's hands. When they decide vengeance belongs to them, the group comes up with a plan that will not only test the limits of their own friendship, it will also show the true cost of vengeance is a price that not only those involved, but innocent bystanders, might have to pay. GETTING EVEN is a well written, fast paced novel that will make readers of all ages consider their actions. For those who are not familiar with the series, Billingsley includes background information on each character without it slowing down the pace for those who have read previous novels. Like always, her message is central to the novel but the development allows the reader to focus on the story and getting to know the characters, without it being overshadowed by the message. Outside of the central issue of vengeance, Billingsley also mentions other issues that young girls may face like loss of virginity and single motherhood, opening up the work to a slightly broader audience. Once again, Billingsley has written a satisfying novel that leaves me wanting to read the next in line to see just what the Good Girlz are going to get into next. Reviewed by Criss Coles for The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I have truly enjoyed the Good Girlz series. It's a BIG hit for young girls to read. I read it in one day. I can't wait for the next book in this great series.

Jasmine, Camille, Angel and Alexis are back. The Good Girlz: Getting Even by Reshonda Tate Billingsley brings readers back into the lives of the Good Girlz. They are a bit older and they hope a little wiser. Alexis, the rich girl is now dating Anthony. Angel is taking care of her baby, Angelica. Camille is in love with the hot boy, Vic. And Jasmine is trying to keep her temper under control and stay focused on school. However, trouble always finds the quartet and this time it is boy trouble like they have never seen before. Camille is beaten up by Keysha and a group of her friends because Keysha considers Vic to be her man. The girls immediately plan revenge, but Ms. Rachel, their mentor, is able to talk them out of it. Before they can get on with their lives, Jasmine discovers that Vic is also Anthony, the same Anthony who is dating Alexis. The idea of a guy playing her best friends is too much to bear. Though she is advised to stay out of it, she cannot because the girls are her friends. She knows they will have to get even with Vic/Anthony. From that point The Good Girlz: Getting Even takes off, never letting up until the end. The Good Girlz: Getting Even is a joyride into what happens when young women with the best of intentions try to take things into their hands. Their experiences are very realistically portrayed as are the consequences that befall them. I recommend this young adult novel to all teen readers interested in a fun book with an important message. Angelia Menchan APOOO BookClub