Review: The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
Young Adult Commercial Fiction
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 27, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0374339791
272 pages
ARC provided by the publisher

Synopsis from Amazon:

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

I've had Jessica Brody's Love Under Cover waiting in my TBR pile since last October. Before I even received that one I had been intending to pick up her debut, The Fidelity Files, for a while. So when I received The Karma Club, her first foray into the young adult genre, I decided that it was about time that I gave her work a try. After reading it, I have to say that I won't hesitate again to pick up The Fidelity Files the next time that I hit the bookstore.

The Karma Club is a sweet, fun, and meaningful novel. Brody's protagonist, Madison, is charming, smart, and is easily imaginable as a modern teen. Her friends, especially the fiery Angie, are full of personality and great co-conspirators for Madison as she schemes to restore a karmic balance in the lives of those that have done them wrong. The plans that the girls undertake are hilarious and outrageous, yet not unbelievable. At least one of the things that they pull is something that I know some peers of mine have done before.

I like the romance that developed between Madison and Spencer. Considering the surrounding circumstances, it felt natural and it help make Madison's revenge plots even more conflicting.

One thing that didn't ring true for me however was Madison's initial ignorance of the concept of karma and yin-yang. She's a senior in high school and a smart one at that (she even tutors fellow students). So why has she never heard of these things before the novel begins? I know that I could have defined and described them for you when I was 17, and so could my friends.

Despite that one quibble, I greatly enjoyed the book. It suitable for younger teens and up and has a sense of humor that everyone can enjoy. I hope that this isn't the last that we see of Jessica Brody in the YA field.

Grade: B+

Read an excerpt from The Karma Club

Check out the trailer the Jessica made:


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