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Πώς εκδικήθηκα την καλύτερή μου φίλη
Την τελευταία εβδομάδα της σχολικής χρονιάς, η Λόρεν Γουντ πήρε την απόφασή της: πρόδωσε την καλύτερή της φίλη, την Έλεν. Την ξεφτίλισε τόσο πολύ σε όλο το σχολείο, που η Έλεν αναγκάστηκε να μετακομίσει σε άλλη πόλη για να μπορέσει να συνεχίσει τη ζωή της. Όμως, για τη Λόρεν η προδοσία άξιζε τον κόπο, διότι, ξεκινώντας το λύκειο, βρέθηκε στην κορυφή. Τώρα το λύκειο τελειώνει κι η Λόρεν έχει όλο τον κόσμο στα πόδια της - είναι αρχηγός των τσιρλίντερς, τα έχει με το αγόρι που όλες ονειρεύονται και είναι η πιο δημοφιλής κοπέλα του σχολείου. Η Λόρεν απέκτησε όλα όσα επιθυμούσε και ξέχασε τελείως την πρώην κολλητή της. Η Έλεν, όμως, δεν μπόρεσε ποτέ να ξεχάσει τη Λόρεν. Για τρία ολόκληρα χρόνια δεν την έβγαλε στιγμή από το μυαλό της. Τώρα επιστρέφει στο παλιό της σχολείο με νέο όνομα, νέα εμφάνιση κι είναι αποφασισμένη να πάρει το αίμα της πίσω. Έχει σχεδιάσει τα πάντα με κάθε λεπτομέρεια. Θα εκδικηθεί την πρώην κολλητή της, θα της στερήσει όλα όσα είναι σημαντικά για εκείνη, ξεκινώντας από το αγόρι της. Πρόσεχε, Λόρεν Γουντ. Η ζωή σου από εδώ και πέρα θα πηγαίνει από το κακό στο χειρότερο. . .
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2009
37 people are currently reading
2551 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Cook
40 books997 followersEileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
July 24, 2010
“Revenge is a tricky thing. I wanted Lauren to pay, but pay in a very particular way. For example, it might be momentarily satisfying to do one of the following:
1. Push Lauren out in front of a speeding dump truck
2. Slather her with BBQ sauce and set a herd of hungry pit bulls on her.
3. Pour honey in her hair and then tie her down on an anthill.
4. Dress her in a bathing suit made out of herring and then push her into shark-infested water.”- page 38
Confession time. I put off reading this for quite some time. I thought it would be fluffy chick lit with a predictable revenge theme. Sure, there were similarities to teen movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls. But this particular book was unique in that Helen, the revenge seeker, already knew the ins and outs of popularity way ahead of the game, and was able to use that knowledge to play her cards flawlessly from day one. Her imagination and resourcefulness had me laughing out loud – this girl took revenge tactics to a whole new and slightly scary level.
The writing of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was fast-paced and always suspenseful. It was obvious that Helen would end up being dissatisfied with her choices in the end, but it was fun to watch her get there nevertheless. I loved the characterization of Helen’s super hip grandmother as well as Brenda, the nerdy ugly duckling Helen worked to remake into a swan. Helen's relationship with the elusive film buff Christopher was enjoyable and added an extra layer of intrigue to the whole deception aspect of the novel as well. When would everyone find out? Would Helen tell Christopher and Brenda herself? What would they do? What would Lauren do? These things were what kept me reading, I just had to know!
So, what about Lauren Wood, you ask? Well, Lauren was definitely one of those characters you just love to hate. Initially, I assumed that Lauren would have a few redeeming qualities which would become apparent and make things less black and white. But nope- Lauren was just a downright nasty person, as many people in this world most definitely are. There’s no rhyme or reason, they only see things there way and stomp all over good people in the process. I thought it was smart for Eileen Cook to write her that way. I did not want to like Lauren. I wanted to see her fall of her pedestal. But with that being said, I also wanted Helen to realize that life was not worth living with so much hate either. I thought Eileen Cook struck the perfect balance between revenge, self-awareness and vindication. It never went too far in any one direction and that impressed me the most about the book.
Bottom Line: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a bitingly humorous novel with a bold plot and one heck of an unforgiving protagonist dedicated in her pursuit against evil. Honestly, when all is said and done, a little chili powder in some mascara and tuna fish in the AC vent never really hurt anyone, right? Vive la Helen!
1. Push Lauren out in front of a speeding dump truck
2. Slather her with BBQ sauce and set a herd of hungry pit bulls on her.
3. Pour honey in her hair and then tie her down on an anthill.
4. Dress her in a bathing suit made out of herring and then push her into shark-infested water.”- page 38
Confession time. I put off reading this for quite some time. I thought it would be fluffy chick lit with a predictable revenge theme. Sure, there were similarities to teen movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls. But this particular book was unique in that Helen, the revenge seeker, already knew the ins and outs of popularity way ahead of the game, and was able to use that knowledge to play her cards flawlessly from day one. Her imagination and resourcefulness had me laughing out loud – this girl took revenge tactics to a whole new and slightly scary level.
The writing of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was fast-paced and always suspenseful. It was obvious that Helen would end up being dissatisfied with her choices in the end, but it was fun to watch her get there nevertheless. I loved the characterization of Helen’s super hip grandmother as well as Brenda, the nerdy ugly duckling Helen worked to remake into a swan. Helen's relationship with the elusive film buff Christopher was enjoyable and added an extra layer of intrigue to the whole deception aspect of the novel as well. When would everyone find out? Would Helen tell Christopher and Brenda herself? What would they do? What would Lauren do? These things were what kept me reading, I just had to know!
So, what about Lauren Wood, you ask? Well, Lauren was definitely one of those characters you just love to hate. Initially, I assumed that Lauren would have a few redeeming qualities which would become apparent and make things less black and white. But nope- Lauren was just a downright nasty person, as many people in this world most definitely are. There’s no rhyme or reason, they only see things there way and stomp all over good people in the process. I thought it was smart for Eileen Cook to write her that way. I did not want to like Lauren. I wanted to see her fall of her pedestal. But with that being said, I also wanted Helen to realize that life was not worth living with so much hate either. I thought Eileen Cook struck the perfect balance between revenge, self-awareness and vindication. It never went too far in any one direction and that impressed me the most about the book.
Bottom Line: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a bitingly humorous novel with a bold plot and one heck of an unforgiving protagonist dedicated in her pursuit against evil. Honestly, when all is said and done, a little chili powder in some mascara and tuna fish in the AC vent never really hurt anyone, right? Vive la Helen!
March 31, 2012
Entertaining, even though if it is a little too reminiscent of MEAN GIRLS...and with too rushed of an ending. I'd check out other books by this author when I'm in the mood for a quick read.
July 17, 2017
This book struck very close to one of my own personal issues and set of values. A best friend is sacred and deserves your loyalty and protection. You don’t betray your best friend and throw her to the wolves. You don’t add to her misery. There’s a special kind of hell for people who betray and cheat and lie and hurt others for their own gain.
What Lauren did to Helen, her best friend, is the worst of the worst. She betrayed, lied and threw her best friend under the bus for her own agenda. I didn’t blame Helen for wanting revenge.
Why is it that the people who wrong you stay unscathed while you bear the scars? Why is it that they don’t get their comeuppance?
It’s a hard thing to accept and to let go, something that Helen found out through her plot to get revenge on Lauren.
Helen didn’t deserve what Lauren did to her. Why is popularity more important than real friendship in high school? Who decides these things?
Helen’s plans for getting revenge on Lauren were well-thought, very clever and duly impressed me. It was heartening how she tried to do the right thing even knowing it might go against her plan, how she tried to stay true to herself.
I liked Helen a lot and I could relate to her. Her style, her snarky charm and clear voice were cool. Solid good book.
What Lauren did to Helen, her best friend, is the worst of the worst. She betrayed, lied and threw her best friend under the bus for her own agenda. I didn’t blame Helen for wanting revenge.
Why is it that the people who wrong you stay unscathed while you bear the scars? Why is it that they don’t get their comeuppance?
It’s a hard thing to accept and to let go, something that Helen found out through her plot to get revenge on Lauren.
Helen didn’t deserve what Lauren did to her. Why is popularity more important than real friendship in high school? Who decides these things?
Helen’s plans for getting revenge on Lauren were well-thought, very clever and duly impressed me. It was heartening how she tried to do the right thing even knowing it might go against her plan, how she tried to stay true to herself.
I liked Helen a lot and I could relate to her. Her style, her snarky charm and clear voice were cool. Solid good book.
November 29, 2010
Helen Worthington and Lauren Wood were the best of friends. They did everything thing together, and they shared each others secrets. They both had dreams, but they both shared the same dream: to be popular. Helen thinks Lauren is her best friend but when Lauren has to choose between popularity and Helen she chooses popularity and humiliates Helen so bad that she has to move to New York just to live it down. Now, Lauren is a senior and is the queen bee of her High School and has forgotten all about her old friend, but Helen never forgot about Lauren, and will not forget about her until she has gotten her revenge on her.
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a great book. I found it to be creepy but it was still really good. I find it weird though how she just got to do horrible things to Lauren and no one really cared, even if she told them. I found that to be really unrealistic no matter how mean Lauren actually was. Still, I loved the ways she did get revenge because they were really clever.
I recommend Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood to any girl 8th grade and up. I loved this book, and I guarantee you will too!
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a great book. I found it to be creepy but it was still really good. I find it weird though how she just got to do horrible things to Lauren and no one really cared, even if she told them. I found that to be really unrealistic no matter how mean Lauren actually was. Still, I loved the ways she did get revenge because they were really clever.
I recommend Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood to any girl 8th grade and up. I loved this book, and I guarantee you will too!
April 30, 2022
"If you want real revenge then live a great life, prove that what she did didn't matter that much. The fact that it still bothers you just just makes her win last longer."
4.75 ⭐
At first, I thought this was gonna be another trashy book bc of how ridiculous the adults and school officials handled Helen's bullying problem but I was surprised how it was full of life lessons about revenge and how it won't get you the satisfaction you seek. Though I couldn't help but root for Helen throughout the book bc tbh Lauren deserved what was coming to her 🤷🏻♀️ i just love me some spiteful bitch out for revenge 😆
4.75 ⭐
At first, I thought this was gonna be another trashy book bc of how ridiculous the adults and school officials handled Helen's bullying problem but I was surprised how it was full of life lessons about revenge and how it won't get you the satisfaction you seek. Though I couldn't help but root for Helen throughout the book bc tbh Lauren deserved what was coming to her 🤷🏻♀️ i just love me some spiteful bitch out for revenge 😆
February 14, 2010
This book ended up being so-so. Not to cut-throat like I assumed a revenge book would be, but not entirely passive like a YA book would be.
The main character Helen (later called Claire) was emotionally controlled by a prettier, manipulative friend she had since birth until 8th grade named Lauren. Lauren humiliated Helen quite extensively when they were younger. Helen moves away and schemes for years until she is granted the opportunity to move back to her home town during their senior year.
Now, at this point I expect a ton of back-stabbing, fun, cut-throat girl fighting/scheming but was somewhat disappointed. She starts out promising on her first day back to school, however later resorts to petty clothing/makeup sabotage and some sneaky blame placement. I was asking myself, "Where's the humiliation? Where's the drama? Where's the REVENGE?"
The ending is somewhat abrupt and there isn't much resolution regarding the Lauren situation. I only awarded this book three stars because I felt like it had a HUGE amount of potential but didn't take advantage of it.
The main character Helen (later called Claire) was emotionally controlled by a prettier, manipulative friend she had since birth until 8th grade named Lauren. Lauren humiliated Helen quite extensively when they were younger. Helen moves away and schemes for years until she is granted the opportunity to move back to her home town during their senior year.
Now, at this point I expect a ton of back-stabbing, fun, cut-throat girl fighting/scheming but was somewhat disappointed. She starts out promising on her first day back to school, however later resorts to petty clothing/makeup sabotage and some sneaky blame placement. I was asking myself, "Where's the humiliation? Where's the drama? Where's the REVENGE?"
The ending is somewhat abrupt and there isn't much resolution regarding the Lauren situation. I only awarded this book three stars because I felt like it had a HUGE amount of potential but didn't take advantage of it.
August 1, 2024
Well I’m kind of disappointed with the ending but the rest of the book was good😭
December 26, 2020
After reading a couple of Eileen Cook's novels, I decided to see what else she had written. "Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood" popped out at me, so I finally had a chance to read it. Helen (our main heroine) is best friends with Lauren Wood up until the end of middle school. Lauren decides to spread fake gossip about Helen, so she has a chance at popularity. The results leave Helen a laughing stock and tormented by all of her classmates. So, she ends up transferring schools to get away from all of the negative gossip. However, despite being away from it physically, mentally and emotionally she's still reeling. Once her senior year rolls around, her parents are invited to attend a yearlong event, leaving Helen no choice but to move in with her grandma, who lives in the town where her old school and former best friend live.
Therefore, Helen is enrolled back into the place where she had the scarring experience, a place that still haunts her, even years later. After everything that happened with her ex bff, she decides to enact a revenge plan to take away everything that matters to Lauren, so she knows how Helen felt when she was humiliated to the core. Helen has had a lot of time to plot and has a binder of tactics to make Lauren's life a living hell. If you think that everything goes according to plan, think again.
Helen's journey back into her past is filled with memories, but also in the process, she evolves and learns more about herself. Is there a life after she ruins Lauren completely? What does she want out of life? Those answers slowly reveal themselves and lead her on a path she wasn't expecting.
This book reminds me a lot of the movie, "Mean Girls," with Helen being Cady and Lauren being Regina George. While the actual mechanisms of revenge differ from the movie, the general experience of being a teenage girl and dealing with the pressures of being in a Petri dish with judgmental peers feels familiar. Lauren is truly a nasty character, with almost no redeeming traits. She was definitely someone I wanted to have her comeuppance. I enjoyed Helen and thought she was quite creative in her thought process. I could relate to her experience myself because I, too, had a very toxic best friend when I was young. Even years later, you don't fully forget the hurt. I find that this book is extremely relatable to young people, but even those who are a few years older. It's a quick read for sure and I kept wondering what would happen next. I don't want to spoil how everything unfolds because that's half the fun in reading this novel. I gave it 3 stars because while I enjoyed it, it's not the most unique or memorable book I've read. However, it was a good read and I'm happy I had the chance to find out if it's worth the hype.
Therefore, Helen is enrolled back into the place where she had the scarring experience, a place that still haunts her, even years later. After everything that happened with her ex bff, she decides to enact a revenge plan to take away everything that matters to Lauren, so she knows how Helen felt when she was humiliated to the core. Helen has had a lot of time to plot and has a binder of tactics to make Lauren's life a living hell. If you think that everything goes according to plan, think again.
Helen's journey back into her past is filled with memories, but also in the process, she evolves and learns more about herself. Is there a life after she ruins Lauren completely? What does she want out of life? Those answers slowly reveal themselves and lead her on a path she wasn't expecting.
This book reminds me a lot of the movie, "Mean Girls," with Helen being Cady and Lauren being Regina George. While the actual mechanisms of revenge differ from the movie, the general experience of being a teenage girl and dealing with the pressures of being in a Petri dish with judgmental peers feels familiar. Lauren is truly a nasty character, with almost no redeeming traits. She was definitely someone I wanted to have her comeuppance. I enjoyed Helen and thought she was quite creative in her thought process. I could relate to her experience myself because I, too, had a very toxic best friend when I was young. Even years later, you don't fully forget the hurt. I find that this book is extremely relatable to young people, but even those who are a few years older. It's a quick read for sure and I kept wondering what would happen next. I don't want to spoil how everything unfolds because that's half the fun in reading this novel. I gave it 3 stars because while I enjoyed it, it's not the most unique or memorable book I've read. However, it was a good read and I'm happy I had the chance to find out if it's worth the hype.
July 4, 2011
In A Nutshell:
It is hard to say that I enjoyed this book because I do not feel like it is a book that is meant to be enjoyed. It was meant to make the reader think, and I finished the book with a lot to think about. This book would be an excellent book club selection because it is definitely a book you will want to discuss.
Review:
For anyone who has been hurt by a friend (or more precisely a former friend), it sometimes seems like Karma is taking too long to balance out or make that person pay for the wrong. Helen Worthington has spent three years obsessing over the wrong done to her by her ex-best friend. So when circumstances give her a chance to go back and face her ex-best friend, she takes it as an opportunity to give karma a push in the right direction. But Karma really does not need the help. It balances things out naturally and in its own time. And Helen (AKA Claire Dantes) learns that revenge can have its own consequences.
After reading Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, I had a lot to think about:
1) The desire for revenge is very seductive, but the quest for revenge can be all-consuming. At first, the reader really feels as though Helen (Claire) deserves to see Lauren fall from grace. It seems like that would be poetic justice, but poetic justice at what cost? Helen's whole life centers on ruining Lauren's life. What Helen eats, how she dresses, and who she hangs out with are all related to this goal of getting revenge. Helen cannot even answer any question about what she wants for herself or what she wants to do after high school. She has spent no time thinking about that. She has to get revenge, but what will she do after?
2) Not everything is as it appears from the outside looking in. Lauren seems to have everything she wants or at least everything she wanted when she betrayed her best friend. But is that really the case? Is Lauren really happy with the life she has? What about the future? Will Lauren be happy after high school when the school play and cheerleading are over? Or is there more to Lauren's story than meets the eye?
3) What are friends for? The book centers on the end of a long-standing friendship. Lauren is painted from the very beginning as a less-than honorable friend. But many of the friendships in the book seem less than ideal. Claire (Helen) is using her friendship with Brenda as part of her revenge plan. Kyla is friends with Lauren because it's expected by would easily move on if that expectation changed.
I would love to read a sequel to this book because the final chapter really brought out some of the better qualities of each of the characters. I would love to see those qualities in action.
It is hard to say that I enjoyed this book because I do not feel like it is a book that is meant to be enjoyed. It was meant to make the reader think, and I finished the book with a lot to think about. This book would be an excellent book club selection because it is definitely a book you will want to discuss.
Review:
For anyone who has been hurt by a friend (or more precisely a former friend), it sometimes seems like Karma is taking too long to balance out or make that person pay for the wrong. Helen Worthington has spent three years obsessing over the wrong done to her by her ex-best friend. So when circumstances give her a chance to go back and face her ex-best friend, she takes it as an opportunity to give karma a push in the right direction. But Karma really does not need the help. It balances things out naturally and in its own time. And Helen (AKA Claire Dantes) learns that revenge can have its own consequences.
After reading Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, I had a lot to think about:
1) The desire for revenge is very seductive, but the quest for revenge can be all-consuming. At first, the reader really feels as though Helen (Claire) deserves to see Lauren fall from grace. It seems like that would be poetic justice, but poetic justice at what cost? Helen's whole life centers on ruining Lauren's life. What Helen eats, how she dresses, and who she hangs out with are all related to this goal of getting revenge. Helen cannot even answer any question about what she wants for herself or what she wants to do after high school. She has spent no time thinking about that. She has to get revenge, but what will she do after?
2) Not everything is as it appears from the outside looking in. Lauren seems to have everything she wants or at least everything she wanted when she betrayed her best friend. But is that really the case? Is Lauren really happy with the life she has? What about the future? Will Lauren be happy after high school when the school play and cheerleading are over? Or is there more to Lauren's story than meets the eye?
3) What are friends for? The book centers on the end of a long-standing friendship. Lauren is painted from the very beginning as a less-than honorable friend. But many of the friendships in the book seem less than ideal. Claire (Helen) is using her friendship with Brenda as part of her revenge plan. Kyla is friends with Lauren because it's expected by would easily move on if that expectation changed.
I would love to read a sequel to this book because the final chapter really brought out some of the better qualities of each of the characters. I would love to see those qualities in action.
January 14, 2018
This book didn't really do anything for me. It was just okay. It started off strong, and I really hated Lauren and felt empathy for Helen. I wanted Helen to ruin her life as much as she did. But as the book went on, it started to lose its spark. It started to dull. I started to get bored by the end. At first I was scared about what would happen if Lauren found out "Claire" was actually Helen. I stopped caring.
I didn't care about that film boy either. I can't even remember his name. Christopher? That sounds right. He lacked luster or personality. I just didn't like him. Brenda was okay. But nothing special. I've read about plenty of characters like her. I didn't particularly like any of the characters to be honest. Even Bailey, despite her being all sweet and all. The characters felt so fake, too. Just, they way they acted and spoke and the way they were written made them feel like such characters. And books should make you feel like you're reading about a real person.
And this book just felt so short. The pacing of the plot was so odd, the plot seemed lacking too. There weren't really any subplots, it was literally all about Helen getting revenge on Lauren. And subplots that could've gotten developed and the author could've really gone somewhere with, just ended up being abandoned after the purpose of being apart of Helen's revenge plan was fulfilled. And there was no set beginning, middle and end to this story. The beginning was there, but you couldn't even tell when it ended. It was only when I reached the climax that I realized I had been in the middle of the story. And the end was about 2 pages. This story ended so abruptly. The ending wasn't poor, just odd because it felt like it ended prematurely. And I also feel like there wasn't a sufficient resolution to And we never got even close to that. I think the author missed out on a big opportunity to do something interesting with that. Maybe she thought it'd take too much effort to think of.
This book was entertaining though, I'll admit. I found it very interesting for the most part. I was at the edge of my seat for some parts, (especially scenes that DIDN'T include Christopher, the boring filmmaker) like that part where Lauren made Helen eat the strawberries.
This book wasn't bad at all, just not particularly great. If you aren't reading anything else and see this book, go for it. You'll be entertained at least.
I didn't care about that film boy either. I can't even remember his name. Christopher? That sounds right. He lacked luster or personality. I just didn't like him. Brenda was okay. But nothing special. I've read about plenty of characters like her. I didn't particularly like any of the characters to be honest. Even Bailey, despite her being all sweet and all. The characters felt so fake, too. Just, they way they acted and spoke and the way they were written made them feel like such characters. And books should make you feel like you're reading about a real person.
And this book just felt so short. The pacing of the plot was so odd, the plot seemed lacking too. There weren't really any subplots, it was literally all about Helen getting revenge on Lauren. And subplots that could've gotten developed and the author could've really gone somewhere with, just ended up being abandoned after the purpose of being apart of Helen's revenge plan was fulfilled. And there was no set beginning, middle and end to this story. The beginning was there, but you couldn't even tell when it ended. It was only when I reached the climax that I realized I had been in the middle of the story. And the end was about 2 pages. This story ended so abruptly. The ending wasn't poor, just odd because it felt like it ended prematurely. And I also feel like there wasn't a sufficient resolution to And we never got even close to that. I think the author missed out on a big opportunity to do something interesting with that. Maybe she thought it'd take too much effort to think of.
This book was entertaining though, I'll admit. I found it very interesting for the most part. I was at the edge of my seat for some parts, (especially scenes that DIDN'T include Christopher, the boring filmmaker) like that part where Lauren made Helen eat the strawberries.
This book wasn't bad at all, just not particularly great. If you aren't reading anything else and see this book, go for it. You'll be entertained at least.
May 12, 2011
i choose this book because i thought it would be really nice and good to read. i thought i wont like it at all because it didnt look that good in start. but at the end it was great.
this book was almostly about this two bestfriends. their names are Lauren wood and Helen. they have been friends for a really long time but, this was one problem b/w them. is that lauren always thought she was away more pretty/smart and all that and Helen was a type of girl that was fat and not as much as Lauren. so they spreat and live a different lives.
Helen dicided to change and make her self nice and pretty and smart too. So she come back to high school to finish there and have revenge on Laurn wood. Lauren wood had everything she was the cheerleading captaain and her boyfriend was the quarterback pretty much any kind of girl that was pretty and smart. So Helens plans were to take that all away. She would come back with a different styl and different name and fool every one ...
She knows that is wasnt going to be easy. She know what she had to do. She had a big problem in the story because she didnt know how is was going to be there and everything.
She didnt tell anyone but her real slef and the was Brenda one of the girls that help her aroiund the school and one of her true friends. Helen did find love and friends but she did lose one thing and that was one of her true bestfriends. becuase Lauren knew who she was most of the time and she didnt even know. she would of love that wouldnt ever happen.
if you into alot of books here is one of the greatest because it might look boring but once you read it ... it will look fun and you will like it:)
this book was almostly about this two bestfriends. their names are Lauren wood and Helen. they have been friends for a really long time but, this was one problem b/w them. is that lauren always thought she was away more pretty/smart and all that and Helen was a type of girl that was fat and not as much as Lauren. so they spreat and live a different lives.
Helen dicided to change and make her self nice and pretty and smart too. So she come back to high school to finish there and have revenge on Laurn wood. Lauren wood had everything she was the cheerleading captaain and her boyfriend was the quarterback pretty much any kind of girl that was pretty and smart. So Helens plans were to take that all away. She would come back with a different styl and different name and fool every one ...
She knows that is wasnt going to be easy. She know what she had to do. She had a big problem in the story because she didnt know how is was going to be there and everything.
She didnt tell anyone but her real slef and the was Brenda one of the girls that help her aroiund the school and one of her true friends. Helen did find love and friends but she did lose one thing and that was one of her true bestfriends. becuase Lauren knew who she was most of the time and she didnt even know. she would of love that wouldnt ever happen.
if you into alot of books here is one of the greatest because it might look boring but once you read it ... it will look fun and you will like it:)
September 27, 2016
Over the summer, I read many books but by far Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook was my favorite. In this young adult novel, one of the main characters, Helen, a nerdy unpopular girl in eighth grade gets betrayed by Lauren Wood, someone who she was best friends with since preschool. In their final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren spreads a rumor about Helen where the whole school begins to dislike her. This forces Helen to change schools. At her new school, she has many friends and she goes through many physical changes; she starts wearing makeup and wears brand name clothes. In her final year of high school, she is forced to move in with her grandmother and she would have to go to the school where all the drama happened years before. Though she doesn't want to go, she immediately starts plotting revenge on Lauren Wood. In my opinion, I thought the book was amazing. It had a lot of funny content and I would highly recommend it! I normally tend to enjoy romance books and this book had a little romance in it which was awesome! Another thing I liked about the book was the length because it was neither too short or too long. One positive aspect about the book is that it is very humorous and you will definitely get a kick out of it! But, one negative aspect about the book would be that I could almost imagine myself being hurt with all of Helen's revenge plans. I originally thought this book would be good but it definitely exceeded my expectations! I'd recommend this book to any caring people that have a good sense of humor; you may care about someone being hurt but you could also find it funny.
March 17, 2010
GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD is a surprisingly engaging read, the classic tale of revenge translated perfectly into the modern high school setting of popularity and backstabbing. With swift, smart writing and a plot that’s never boring, this book is perfect for anyone who loves the movie Mean Girls and/or were floored by the way that Alexandre Dumas set up the intricate and unbeatable revenge plan in The Count of Monte Cristo.
I love when authors successfully write “mean girls” who are realistically a pain in the butt and/or whose actions are justified. Helen’s perfection (and hilariously accurate analysis) of popularity hits all the right notes, from the stinging one-liners to carefully sown seeds of destruction. We all know the character of Lauren Wood, that nasty bee-yotch who deserves to be brought low by the hands of an avenging destroyer. Helen is scarily perfect for that job, the everygirl who’s resourceful and determined to the death, and yet I loved that she also learns a few things about herself along the way.
If your preconceptions about this book are that it is a fluffy chick lit read or a typical addictive-like-candy mean-girl story, well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD is a bitingly entertaining novel with bold characters and an even bolder plot. Indeed, if you love smart teen silver-screen classics such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls, you will get a kick out of reading this book. Vive le revenge!
I love when authors successfully write “mean girls” who are realistically a pain in the butt and/or whose actions are justified. Helen’s perfection (and hilariously accurate analysis) of popularity hits all the right notes, from the stinging one-liners to carefully sown seeds of destruction. We all know the character of Lauren Wood, that nasty bee-yotch who deserves to be brought low by the hands of an avenging destroyer. Helen is scarily perfect for that job, the everygirl who’s resourceful and determined to the death, and yet I loved that she also learns a few things about herself along the way.
If your preconceptions about this book are that it is a fluffy chick lit read or a typical addictive-like-candy mean-girl story, well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD is a bitingly entertaining novel with bold characters and an even bolder plot. Indeed, if you love smart teen silver-screen classics such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls, you will get a kick out of reading this book. Vive le revenge!
February 19, 2012
3.5 stars. Having just read The List and not giving it a super high rating, I was actually pleased with how Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood dealt with the mean girl issue. I do admit that there are moments that are pure fluff, but at least these characters had a bit more depth and the story telling was much more approachable and entertaining. Once upon a kindergarten sand box Lauren and Helen were BFF's. But right before High School begins Lauren drops Helen and makes it so that she is a complete reject even before her High School career begins. Helen moves away but returns for her senior year hell bent on getting revenge on the now very popular Lauren Wood. Her plan includes destroying everything Lauren has worked so hard for - the trophy boyfriend, the lead in the school play, her role as captain of the cheerleading squad and of course Lauren's hold on her posse friends and her popularity. Helen is warned that revenge isn't always so sweet, but she is relentless in making Lauren look bad and there are quite a few delicious moments when Lauren gets what she deserves, but it leaves Helen feeling hollow and guilty. I really enjoyed the fact that this book doesn't take itself too seriously. There is enough snark and emotional quality that gives the story a nice balance. Teen girl readers will enjoy it.
November 19, 2020
Intriguing and funny, you wont be able to put it down. Total 2000s vibes
July 11, 2024
Cute, funny little story.
December 20, 2011
Helen and Lauren were best friends since birth. Sure, Lauren was a high-maintenance friend, but Helen thinks it's worth it. Until Lauren sells her out for popularity. (And when I say "sells her out," I mean "betrays her and ruins her life.") It's so bad that Helen's family moves to another state. Flash forward several years. Helen's lost a ton of weight and is now pretty and semi-popular at her New York school. And then her parents drop the bombshell: they have a great job opportunity which means that Helen's heading back to her old school. And Lauren.
Helen's like, "What? NO!" but then she gets a wonderful/awful idea. She is going to take down Lauren Wood. She writes a list of everything that's important to Lauren (popularity, boyfriend, drama club lead) and sets out to take away all the things. She goes by Claire (her middle name) and all goes according to plan...until she meets this guy, Christopher and makes a real friend (Brenda). Is her plan really worth risking the good things in her life?
This book is an updated version of The Count of Monte Cristo (which I still haven't read) but it also works as a retelling of Mean Girls. It's not exactly a secret that girls are completely awful to each other in middle and high school, and this book is a perfect example of the way that girls are cruel. I think it's probably so much easier to be a guy. You have a problem with someone, you punch them in the face and it's done. With girls, you're nice to each other on the surface, but you make little joking comments that are just a little bit too cutting to be legitimately teasing, or you bash someone whenever they aren't around.
But this book isn't a sociological story of the way that teenage girls deal with their problems. It's incredibly fun (and funny) and it's hard not to root for Helen-as-Claire, even as you know that she's getting farther and farther away from the person she should be.
I'm hoping to read her other novels (What Would Emma Do, Unraveling Isobel and Unpredictable) next year. The two I've read so far are completely delightful.
Recommended.
Helen's like, "What? NO!" but then she gets a wonderful/awful idea. She is going to take down Lauren Wood. She writes a list of everything that's important to Lauren (popularity, boyfriend, drama club lead) and sets out to take away all the things. She goes by Claire (her middle name) and all goes according to plan...until she meets this guy, Christopher and makes a real friend (Brenda). Is her plan really worth risking the good things in her life?
This book is an updated version of The Count of Monte Cristo (which I still haven't read) but it also works as a retelling of Mean Girls. It's not exactly a secret that girls are completely awful to each other in middle and high school, and this book is a perfect example of the way that girls are cruel. I think it's probably so much easier to be a guy. You have a problem with someone, you punch them in the face and it's done. With girls, you're nice to each other on the surface, but you make little joking comments that are just a little bit too cutting to be legitimately teasing, or you bash someone whenever they aren't around.
But this book isn't a sociological story of the way that teenage girls deal with their problems. It's incredibly fun (and funny) and it's hard not to root for Helen-as-Claire, even as you know that she's getting farther and farther away from the person she should be.
I'm hoping to read her other novels (What Would Emma Do, Unraveling Isobel and Unpredictable) next year. The two I've read so far are completely delightful.
Recommended.
November 17, 2016
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
I enjoyed Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood for many reasons. The author Eileen Cook had written such an amazing plot with fantastic characters. The story line flowed smoothly throughout the story. There was not a single part of the book I did not like. Helen was my favorite character for many reasons. She took me by surprise a lot. I did hate her at some points in the book, because I did not agree with her actions. Helen was one of a kind. I have not read a book that had a character similar to Helen.
PLOT:
The main events in Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood were about Helen getting revenge on her ex-best friend, Lauren Wood. During the last few weeks of eighth grade, Lauren ditched and did something bad to Helen. Helen had to move because nobody would forget about it. After Helen was gone, Lauren made it to the top of the popular list at school. After years of being away and thinking of what Lauren did, Helen moved back to her old town. She moved back with a new look and name. She was still mad at Lauren. Helen made a revenge plan to get back at Lauren. She would do little by little. When Helen stepped into the school, nobody recognized her, so it was easy to get revenge while unnoticed. While Helen was in the process of getting back at Lauren, she made a new friend, Brenda. Brenda was an outcast at the school nobody liked her. Helen saw a little bit of herself in Brenda. With Brenda in the picture it was difficult trying to get back at Lauren. Helen made a few people angry along the way. When Helen was getting close to achieving her goal, Lauren had gotten curious about who the new girl really was.
RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend this book to 15 year old girls and above. The subject matter is not appropriate for younger teens. The language is also more mature. Girls would understand this book better than boys. They would understand it better, because the story is relatable. What had happened to the main character could happen to anybody. Boys might enjoy this book since it is not a romance, but all of the main characters are boys.
I enjoyed Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood for many reasons. The author Eileen Cook had written such an amazing plot with fantastic characters. The story line flowed smoothly throughout the story. There was not a single part of the book I did not like. Helen was my favorite character for many reasons. She took me by surprise a lot. I did hate her at some points in the book, because I did not agree with her actions. Helen was one of a kind. I have not read a book that had a character similar to Helen.
PLOT:
The main events in Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood were about Helen getting revenge on her ex-best friend, Lauren Wood. During the last few weeks of eighth grade, Lauren ditched and did something bad to Helen. Helen had to move because nobody would forget about it. After Helen was gone, Lauren made it to the top of the popular list at school. After years of being away and thinking of what Lauren did, Helen moved back to her old town. She moved back with a new look and name. She was still mad at Lauren. Helen made a revenge plan to get back at Lauren. She would do little by little. When Helen stepped into the school, nobody recognized her, so it was easy to get revenge while unnoticed. While Helen was in the process of getting back at Lauren, she made a new friend, Brenda. Brenda was an outcast at the school nobody liked her. Helen saw a little bit of herself in Brenda. With Brenda in the picture it was difficult trying to get back at Lauren. Helen made a few people angry along the way. When Helen was getting close to achieving her goal, Lauren had gotten curious about who the new girl really was.
RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend this book to 15 year old girls and above. The subject matter is not appropriate for younger teens. The language is also more mature. Girls would understand this book better than boys. They would understand it better, because the story is relatable. What had happened to the main character could happen to anybody. Boys might enjoy this book since it is not a romance, but all of the main characters are boys.
July 13, 2010
This was my first experience with Eileen Cook and it definitely won't be my last! Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was an intriguing and well written novel and left me unable to put it down until the last page.
Revenge is a tricky thing, and Cook wove it perfectly into her sophomore YA novel. Helen was a surprisingly relatable character, and it was easy to see why she had to do what she did. While her actions weren't good, they were understandable. Readers were sucked into Helen's world and hated Lauren just as much as Helen did. Lauren was a cruel, egotistical girl who only cared about being at the top, and didn't care how she got there. After tearing down Helen in middle school, Lauren swiftly rose to the top of the social ladder once Helen moved away. I loved how Helen came back with so much self confidence and power. She was pretty, smart, nice, and ready to ruin Lauren Wood. While Helen thought she would never let anything get in the way of her "warpath", things did, and Helen had to learn a lot about herself as well during the course of the novel.
She made a friend and even met the perfect guy, and she came really close to ruining both relationships with her obsession with destroying Lauren. While I hated Lauren, some of the things Helen did to her were truly cringe worthy and I had to wonder- how far will she go? Helen was determined, and as each prank went farther and farther I couldn't put the book down, I had to know what was going to happen to both Helen and Lauren.
The plot of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was fast paced and engaging, Eileen Cook is a great writer that has a way of drawing you into the book, I felt like I was living the story with Helen. While this is a mainly a novel about revenge, it's also a novel about love, family, friendships, honesty, and being true to yourself. I highly recommend reading this, it's definitely not the light, carefree read you might be expecting. I can't wait to read Eileen's previous release, What Would Emma Do?, and I'm looking forward to reading her future novels as well!
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Revenge is a tricky thing, and Cook wove it perfectly into her sophomore YA novel. Helen was a surprisingly relatable character, and it was easy to see why she had to do what she did. While her actions weren't good, they were understandable. Readers were sucked into Helen's world and hated Lauren just as much as Helen did. Lauren was a cruel, egotistical girl who only cared about being at the top, and didn't care how she got there. After tearing down Helen in middle school, Lauren swiftly rose to the top of the social ladder once Helen moved away. I loved how Helen came back with so much self confidence and power. She was pretty, smart, nice, and ready to ruin Lauren Wood. While Helen thought she would never let anything get in the way of her "warpath", things did, and Helen had to learn a lot about herself as well during the course of the novel.
She made a friend and even met the perfect guy, and she came really close to ruining both relationships with her obsession with destroying Lauren. While I hated Lauren, some of the things Helen did to her were truly cringe worthy and I had to wonder- how far will she go? Helen was determined, and as each prank went farther and farther I couldn't put the book down, I had to know what was going to happen to both Helen and Lauren.
The plot of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was fast paced and engaging, Eileen Cook is a great writer that has a way of drawing you into the book, I felt like I was living the story with Helen. While this is a mainly a novel about revenge, it's also a novel about love, family, friendships, honesty, and being true to yourself. I highly recommend reading this, it's definitely not the light, carefree read you might be expecting. I can't wait to read Eileen's previous release, What Would Emma Do?, and I'm looking forward to reading her future novels as well!
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
May 20, 2010
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood is like Mean Girls, in book form.
Lauren Wood was Helen’s best friend, until she betrayed and humiliated her in front of the entire school forcing Helen to leave the state and start life fresh. Helen was a quiet girl when she left content with her old black and white movies and not really realising that she was being used by her best friend. But when she returns to her small home town and the high school that hated her before she left, she is a completely different person.
Now Helen is back under the name of Claire, and she’s out to destroy Lauren’s life just like hers was destroyed. She needs to steal her boyfriend, make her friends hate her, get her kicked off the cheerleading team and somehow make the whole school laugh at her.
Easy Peasy.
Helen is a funny character, albeit a little obsessed and a touch crazy, she is really likeable. She is completely focused on getting Lauren though, which makes her a bit annoying, but that is the whole point of the story.
I loved the fact that the love interest wasn’t your typical love interest for this general kind of book; he was the mysterious film-maker that no one really took notice of but everyone seemed to be talking about. Instead of the star quarter back that seemed to be the cliché interest at the start of the book.
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a very feel good tale, and it was written in a way that doesn’t make you hate Helen for her revenge plan but understand her and also feel a little sorry for her in the process. It teaches us that not all friends are worth it and although sometimes revenge can go too far, a bit of cheese in a vent and a couple of missing buttons off a shirt isn’t all that dangerous.
I devoured Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood and anyone who did like Mean Girls like I did, will find this book laugh out loud funny.
Find this review at storywings.blogspot.com
Lauren Wood was Helen’s best friend, until she betrayed and humiliated her in front of the entire school forcing Helen to leave the state and start life fresh. Helen was a quiet girl when she left content with her old black and white movies and not really realising that she was being used by her best friend. But when she returns to her small home town and the high school that hated her before she left, she is a completely different person.
Now Helen is back under the name of Claire, and she’s out to destroy Lauren’s life just like hers was destroyed. She needs to steal her boyfriend, make her friends hate her, get her kicked off the cheerleading team and somehow make the whole school laugh at her.
Easy Peasy.
Helen is a funny character, albeit a little obsessed and a touch crazy, she is really likeable. She is completely focused on getting Lauren though, which makes her a bit annoying, but that is the whole point of the story.
I loved the fact that the love interest wasn’t your typical love interest for this general kind of book; he was the mysterious film-maker that no one really took notice of but everyone seemed to be talking about. Instead of the star quarter back that seemed to be the cliché interest at the start of the book.
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a very feel good tale, and it was written in a way that doesn’t make you hate Helen for her revenge plan but understand her and also feel a little sorry for her in the process. It teaches us that not all friends are worth it and although sometimes revenge can go too far, a bit of cheese in a vent and a couple of missing buttons off a shirt isn’t all that dangerous.
I devoured Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood and anyone who did like Mean Girls like I did, will find this book laugh out loud funny.
Find this review at storywings.blogspot.com
January 28, 2011
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook was a surprisingly entertaining read. Sure, it’s a bit cliché, with a touch of Mean Girls, but it was witty and clever. The plot was definitely not something you would be amazed by because it was very predictable, but Helen’s revenge plan definitely made up for it. The book basically talks about Helen, getting revenge on Lauren for all the things she put her through when they were younger.
Helen changed everything about herself, from identity to favorite movies, just to make sure her plan was flawless, and hell, it WAS flawless. Everything worked out perfectly, peppered mascara, to oiled hairspray. However, morality came in multiple times, attempting to hinder her plan. Of course, Helen was blinded by satisfaction and justice, but what she didn’t realize was she was becoming everything she hated about Lauren. Hm, the irony.
Like every teen book out there, Helen learned her lesson by fighting fire with fire and decided to drop the plan. She wrote an article on the school’s newspaper confessing and telling her story, and she also went over to Lauren’s place to apologize. There were moments in the book where I felt sorry for Lauren, but Lauren, being the Miss-Popular in school was so annoying, even I didn’t like her!
I hated the ending because I thought most of the characters didn’t learn anything from this incident. The ending felt rushed. But that also tells us about reality, how not everybody will learn from their mistakes, not everybody will get win over by morality and apologies, and not everybody will change for the better.
The book was great though. If you like Mean Girls, Pretty Little Liars and the It Girls, give this one a shot as well!
Helen changed everything about herself, from identity to favorite movies, just to make sure her plan was flawless, and hell, it WAS flawless. Everything worked out perfectly, peppered mascara, to oiled hairspray. However, morality came in multiple times, attempting to hinder her plan. Of course, Helen was blinded by satisfaction and justice, but what she didn’t realize was she was becoming everything she hated about Lauren. Hm, the irony.
Like every teen book out there, Helen learned her lesson by fighting fire with fire and decided to drop the plan. She wrote an article on the school’s newspaper confessing and telling her story, and she also went over to Lauren’s place to apologize. There were moments in the book where I felt sorry for Lauren, but Lauren, being the Miss-Popular in school was so annoying, even I didn’t like her!
I hated the ending because I thought most of the characters didn’t learn anything from this incident. The ending felt rushed. But that also tells us about reality, how not everybody will learn from their mistakes, not everybody will get win over by morality and apologies, and not everybody will change for the better.
The book was great though. If you like Mean Girls, Pretty Little Liars and the It Girls, give this one a shot as well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2017
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood is the classic tale of getting revenge in high school. It's full of the key points to any modern high school revenge story: popularity, backstabbing, and, of course, revenge; but with its own unique twist. It's an engaging read topped off with great writing, an addictive plot, and lots of humor-there were several times I laughed out loud while reading, something that rarely happens for me.
The first thing that drew me in was the cover. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it because 1.) it fits the story perfectly on so many levels and 2.) I found it incredibly amusing and hilarious. That and the summary (loved it!) had me hooked. I wanted this book so much, and was so happy to have finally gotten it.
I loved the story Eileen Cook created. It was fast paced and never boring, exactly how I thought it would be. Other than being a tad predictable, the plot was wonderful. Helen (or Claire, as she is known by her classmates) wants to make sure Lauren gets what she deserves for what she did to her in eighth grade. When she moves back to her old town and high school, Helen decides to get her revenge; And, as she gets closer to Lauren's inner circle, she realizes she's not the only person who thinks Lauren need to be knocked off her pedestal.
Helen was a good character. I loved watching her grow and change as a person. She was smart, funny, realist, and managed to get it together after the horrible incident in eighth grade (which I admire her for).
**Edit. I forgot to mention how much I loved Helen's revenge plans. They were HILARIOUS.
The first thing that drew me in was the cover. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it because 1.) it fits the story perfectly on so many levels and 2.) I found it incredibly amusing and hilarious. That and the summary (loved it!) had me hooked. I wanted this book so much, and was so happy to have finally gotten it.
I loved the story Eileen Cook created. It was fast paced and never boring, exactly how I thought it would be. Other than being a tad predictable, the plot was wonderful. Helen (or Claire, as she is known by her classmates) wants to make sure Lauren gets what she deserves for what she did to her in eighth grade. When she moves back to her old town and high school, Helen decides to get her revenge; And, as she gets closer to Lauren's inner circle, she realizes she's not the only person who thinks Lauren need to be knocked off her pedestal.
Helen was a good character. I loved watching her grow and change as a person. She was smart, funny, realist, and managed to get it together after the horrible incident in eighth grade (which I admire her for).
**Edit. I forgot to mention how much I loved Helen's revenge plans. They were HILARIOUS.
May 23, 2011
This book is called getting Revenge on Lauren Woods The reason why i chose this book is because it is about High school Teen problems and i'm into that kind of stuff. The genre of this book is fiction. The setting take place in a high school. The main character is helen worthington and she is a bit of a hand full. she isnt the most popular girl in school and she has a little amount of friends.This book is about getting revenge on what lauren did to helen. helen and lauren were walking around and saw some senior girls doing something they shouldnt of been doing. later in the school year lauren went and told the girls and everyone ended up hating helen and no one talked to her. so helen moved...the main problem is that lauren ruined helens high school career.. Helen came back to the high school for her senior year helen changed her name to calire dantes.NO ONE knew who she was and she became really popualr. she destroyed laurens senior year by messing around with her. by taking laurens hot boyfriend. But by the end of the book helen had done something and everyone was very shocked about it she lost most of her friends again but she really found out who her true friend was and someone had stayed with her after everything helen did ...
my opinion about this book is, it was a really good book and i would read it again.. because it sounds like something that would happen in real life at a high school...
my opinion about this book is, it was a really good book and i would read it again.. because it sounds like something that would happen in real life at a high school...
April 1, 2012
You've always heard the expression, "revenge is a dish best served cold"; in short, it means give yourself time to cool off before exacting revenge. Helen does just that.
In fact, the humiliation that supposedly ruined Helen's life seemed fairly mild to me, and several characters point out that Helen's obsession with getting back at Lauren is kind of disproportionate retribution.
It is these minor characters who I actually liked. It is Brenda who helps Helen/Claire take on a new perspective, as does a kind boy named Christopher who shares Helen/Claire's passion for classic movies.
Helen/Claire is brilliant; she exacts revenge on Lauren in ways most people would only fantasize about. Resourceful and clever, she pulls off stunts that really tarnish Lauren's reputation and give the classic bitch a taste of her own foul medicine. Of course since this is a work of fiction, then things turn out quite beautifully for Helen/Claire.
I didn't like the ending: it came together too quick and neatly, and Lauren was the same bitch she was in the beginning. Not that every story about a mean girl must have a transformation or enlightenment, but I just wasn't satisfied. Overall it was a funny read, but that is about it.
More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie
Book Details:
Title Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood
Author Eileen Cook
Reviewed By Purplycookie
In fact, the humiliation that supposedly ruined Helen's life seemed fairly mild to me, and several characters point out that Helen's obsession with getting back at Lauren is kind of disproportionate retribution.
It is these minor characters who I actually liked. It is Brenda who helps Helen/Claire take on a new perspective, as does a kind boy named Christopher who shares Helen/Claire's passion for classic movies.
Helen/Claire is brilliant; she exacts revenge on Lauren in ways most people would only fantasize about. Resourceful and clever, she pulls off stunts that really tarnish Lauren's reputation and give the classic bitch a taste of her own foul medicine. Of course since this is a work of fiction, then things turn out quite beautifully for Helen/Claire.
I didn't like the ending: it came together too quick and neatly, and Lauren was the same bitch she was in the beginning. Not that every story about a mean girl must have a transformation or enlightenment, but I just wasn't satisfied. Overall it was a funny read, but that is about it.
More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie
Book Details:
Title Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood
Author Eileen Cook
Reviewed By Purplycookie
February 2, 2010
I most likely wouldn't have read this book if it wasn't offered to me free. But the title was so blunt and the cover so funny that I couldn't turn it down. I went into this book expecting nothing more than your typical shallow chick-lit.
The title and cover pretty much explains the plot. Helen and Lauren have been best friends their entire lives. That all changes at the end of eighth grade when Lauren betrays her best friend for the sake of popularity. Helen moves away and returns three years later with a new look, new name, and a new attitude. Watch out Lauren- Helen is looking for revenge.
Despite myself, I liked this book. It's not winning any rewards and isn't particularly original, but it was fun. The best part of it was that it wasn't painful to read. Some young adult novels nowadays try too hard to sound like teenagers, but I didn't get that impression from this book. The characters are two-dimensional and stereotypical, but not unpleasant. It was also pretty clean- no swearing or sex. And of course the heroine realizes her mistakes by the end and does the right thing, proving some morals. This book was fun and undemanding, a nice little tribute to The Count of Monte Cristo.
The title and cover pretty much explains the plot. Helen and Lauren have been best friends their entire lives. That all changes at the end of eighth grade when Lauren betrays her best friend for the sake of popularity. Helen moves away and returns three years later with a new look, new name, and a new attitude. Watch out Lauren- Helen is looking for revenge.
Despite myself, I liked this book. It's not winning any rewards and isn't particularly original, but it was fun. The best part of it was that it wasn't painful to read. Some young adult novels nowadays try too hard to sound like teenagers, but I didn't get that impression from this book. The characters are two-dimensional and stereotypical, but not unpleasant. It was also pretty clean- no swearing or sex. And of course the heroine realizes her mistakes by the end and does the right thing, proving some morals. This book was fun and undemanding, a nice little tribute to The Count of Monte Cristo.
February 18, 2016
Grade: C
At the end of 8th grade, Lauren told a lie about Helen, her former best friend, that resulted in Helen's being ostracized. Thankfully, her father was transferred and she was able to start over in a new school. Now, Helen is back for senior year, thirty pounds lighter, with a nose job and a new name, ready to vengeance against head cheerleader Lauren.
I love Eileen Cook's writing style. She creates unique characters and gives them witty, intelligent voices. Her narrators are perfectly imperfect major characters.
GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD was too over-the-top for my enjoyment. Helen broke into lockers and houses, she vandalized clothing and cosmetics, planted drugs all to cause her former friend friend as much pain as Helen suffered. I didn't find Helen's approach particularly creative or unique. I really wanted to like Helen, but i hated how she used people, particularly her "friend" Brenda.
As much as I like Cook, I think she could have done a better job making Helen more sympathetic and the revenge acts less pathological.
THEMES: friends, revenge, frenemies, romance, bullying
GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD is neither believable nor sympathetic in this predictable story.
At the end of 8th grade, Lauren told a lie about Helen, her former best friend, that resulted in Helen's being ostracized. Thankfully, her father was transferred and she was able to start over in a new school. Now, Helen is back for senior year, thirty pounds lighter, with a nose job and a new name, ready to vengeance against head cheerleader Lauren.
I love Eileen Cook's writing style. She creates unique characters and gives them witty, intelligent voices. Her narrators are perfectly imperfect major characters.
GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD was too over-the-top for my enjoyment. Helen broke into lockers and houses, she vandalized clothing and cosmetics, planted drugs all to cause her former friend friend as much pain as Helen suffered. I didn't find Helen's approach particularly creative or unique. I really wanted to like Helen, but i hated how she used people, particularly her "friend" Brenda.
As much as I like Cook, I think she could have done a better job making Helen more sympathetic and the revenge acts less pathological.
THEMES: friends, revenge, frenemies, romance, bullying
GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD is neither believable nor sympathetic in this predictable story.
January 7, 2013
I found Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, an older Eileen Cook novel, to be a bit more enjoyable. Although I couldn’t understand why Helen would still hold a grudge against Lauren years after having moved away, I’m always game for a story involving revenge. Unfortunately, Helen’s revenge tactics turned out to be pretty petty.
I did like Helen’s voice though and the fact that Cook showed that getting revenge may not actually make you happier. Sometimes it’s better to concentrate your energy on yourself rather than on others. I just wish the story could have concluded differently because you never find out what type of consequences – other than the fact that her friends sure got over being used quite fast – Helen faced due to her actions. This was one novel where I could have used an epilogue!
I did like Helen’s voice though and the fact that Cook showed that getting revenge may not actually make you happier. Sometimes it’s better to concentrate your energy on yourself rather than on others. I just wish the story could have concluded differently because you never find out what type of consequences – other than the fact that her friends sure got over being used quite fast – Helen faced due to her actions. This was one novel where I could have used an epilogue!
June 21, 2011
Pretty good book. Not the greatest but still pretty entertaining. It was quite refreshing to read a story from a girls pov that, while there was romance involved, wasn't all about a relationship. At times the writing was cheesy and cliched but at others a little profound, or at least Cook attempted to be profound. All in all it was a decent book, however it did seem quite short. And the climax between Lauren and Helen just seemed a little lacking. I didn't expect forgiveness or hair pulling. But maybe something...I don't know...more than what there was. Will I read this again? If I'm ever in the mood for a light read. Will I read more by Eileen Cook? Probably, I'm already trying to find a copy of What Would Emma Do.
January 17, 2016
I really liked this book. As how I always love Eileen Cook's books. Anyhow, I read it in like a day and it was really thought provoking. Throughout the middle and beginning of the book, I really hated 'Helen' or 'Claire', the protagonist. But at the end, she grew and I really enjoyed. Brenda and Christopher were two awesome stable characters. All in all, a really good book. I liked Kyla and Bailey, as they were both decent girls. It was just the infamous Lauren Wood that had to be a real piece of work. She was vile. A total villain that never developed as a person and never changed even though she got what was coming for her. Gah. I hated her so much. But I think we all have a bit of sinister Helen in us. We just have to overcome it to become for Brenda, rather than more Lauren.
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