*Book Review* Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil (YA Contemporary)

Series: Don't Get Mad # 2
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: June 16, 2015
Format: E-Book, 384 pages
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

The members of Don’t Get Mad aren’t just mad anymore . . . they’re afraid. And with Margot in a coma and Bree stuck in juvie, it’s up to Olivia and Kitty to try to catch their deadly tormentor. But just as the girls are about to go on the offensive, Ed the Head reveals a shocking secret that turns all their theories upside down. The killer could be anyone, and this time he—or she—is out for more than just revenge.

The girls desperately try to discover the killer’s identity as their personal lives are falling apart: Donté is pulling away from Kitty and seems to be hiding a secret of his own, Bree is under house arrest, and Olivia’s mother is on an emotional downward spiral. The killer is closing in, the threats are becoming more personal, and when the police refuse to listen, the girls have no choice but to confront their anonymous friend . . . or die trying.

“I, Kitty Wei, Margot Meija, Olivia Hayes, Bree Derringer, do solemnly swear, no secrets – ever – shall leave this square.”

Gretchen McNeil's Don't Get Mad duology comes to an end with the girls facing difficult personal challenges that could tear the group apart from its foundation. 3 days after the ending of Get Even, Bree is under house arrest after "admitting" to her guilt. Margot, their most analytical member, is in a coma after being attacked. Olivia is wondering how long her mother can hold on until she completely falls apart, and Kitty has some issues with her boyfriend Donte and best friend Mika to work out.

What hasn't been uncovered going into Get Dirty is the killer's identity, and why he or she has decided to attack DGM on such a personal level. Then something unusual happens. The girls open up their group to Ed the Head, and John Baggott. I was definitely blindsided by this move, but found it interesting that after so many successful revenge plots, Ed who adores Margot, and John who loves Bree, would become important partners in the unraveling of the killers motives, and stopping he or she from hurting anyone else.

I have to say that the mystery was definitely played out really well. I guessed, and found clues leading to the person, but still it was well done. Is the killer Ed the Head? Or, is it Sergeant Callahan who has become a major thorn in DGM's fanny, especially Bree who refuses to speak? Or, could it be one of DGM's victim's come back to haunt them? What is apparent the further you travel into McNeil's world, is that nobody is truly safe. Not the DGM members. Not their families. Not even those who the DGM pranked in their many endeavors.

I have to admit that I preferred Get Dirty to Get Even. Perhaps because it got a bit darker and perhaps because there's more twists than a french braid. Unfortunately, there is a but. The part of the book that bugged me and got under my skin was the way Bree's parent's treated her. I had nothing but hatred for Bree's mom who until now has been gallivanting all over Europe. Her dad, the Senator, is all but out of the picture too busy to make sure she's OK and ensuring that she suffers in misery. Then Bree's mother goes and does something that gave me pause and notice. Funny how parents can be so disloyal to their kids, and then suddenly will stop the world in order to do something shocking.

I really liked Bree and John together. Perhaps it's because they threw out Star War's metaphors which they both bot. I really missed having Margot around for most of the story. She's definitely the heart that makes DGM tick. I'd be interesting in seeing how Margot gets on, especially since there is a certain someone who has cared for her, and did things for her, that nobody else does. It was a clever drop of information regarding Olivia and who her father really is. Wouldn't mind seeing what happens in the future between them.

In the end, if you like watching, or have read the Pretty Little Liars books, you will definitely want to pick up this duology and read it. I think the most telling message of this series is that you really need to be careful to whom you try to get back at. Things don't necessarily work out exactly as you had planned. Have you NOT watched Revenge?

**I received this book for free from (Balzer & Bray/Harperteen) via (Edelweiss) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

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