I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Uyai and Fiyin may be roommates at Blue Waters Secondary School, but they are not friends. Uyai is popular and fierce—she dominates every room she walks into. Fiyin is nerdy and quiet—she’s easy to miss. Anyone who knows them (assuming they know who Fiyin is at all) would argue that, besides that shared dorm room, the two girls have absolutely nothing in common.

But they do.

Because both girls have been hurt. Humiliated. Taken advantage of. And both girls have just one boy to blame for it.

Fiyin thinks Uyai is an irresponsible mean girl. Uyai thinks Fiyin is an uptight loser. They both think the boy that hurt them deserves to suffer. But taking down one of the most popular guys in school isn’t a one-woman task. If they want to get their revenge before graduation, Uyai and Fiyin will need each other’s help—regardless of how they feel about each other.

After all, you don’t need to be friends to be teammates.

Short and Sweet Review

The Revenge Playbook had a fun premise that immediately drew me in. Two complete opposites teaming up to get revenge on the same boy sounded like it would be full of drama, tension, and plenty of satisfying payback. While the story didn’t quite deliver on that promise the way I expected, I still found it to be an enjoyable read. One of my favorite aspects was the Nigerian boarding school setting. It felt unique, and I enjoyed learning more about the culture, school life, and relationships. The dual perspectives also worked well, allowing me to understand both Uyai and Fiyin, even though they couldn’t have been more different.

That said, the pacing held the story back for me. I expected the revenge plot to kick off much earlier, but instead a large portion of the book is spent building up the characters and the events that eventually bring them together. By the time Uyai and Fiyin actually begin working together, it felt like there wasn’t enough time left for the revenge storyline to fully develop. I also struggled with Uyai’s character. While I appreciated that she was complex and had compelling family issues, I found her difficult to like for much of the book, especially since her partnership with Fiyin felt more forced than genuine at first. Some of the twists were entertaining, but a few seemed to come out of nowhere without enough buildup, making them feel more surprising than satisfying. I did appreciate that the story explored heavier themes beyond revenge, including family expectations, sexism, loyalty, and the different ways young women are treated compared to their male peers. Those elements gave the book more depth than I initially expected. However, I was left wanting more closure by the end. Several storylines felt unresolved, and I wished some characters, particularly the adults who contributed to the toxic environment, had faced more meaningful consequences.

Overall, The Revenge Playbook is an entertaining YA contemporary with an interesting setting, strong themes, and two memorable protagonists. While the uneven pacing, rushed revenge plot, and unresolved ending kept it from being a standout for me, I still enjoyed the journey and think readers looking for character-driven drama with plenty of twists will find a lot to like.