The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

How is it fair that Madison’s boyfriend can cheat on her with the most popular girl in school and come away socially unscathed? Madison knows that eventually her boyfriend will get what he deserves, or so her friends say, but it is seriously unsatisfying watching him go around with his new girlfriend as if nothing at all is wrong. Madison doesn’t really want to wait around for Karma to do its work, because, let’s face it, Karma can be a really slow process, and Madison wants to be around to see its results. So she and her friends decide to form the Karma Club in order to speed up Karma’s work. But when things start to go wrong, Madison will have to realize that maybe messing with Karma wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Brody has a knack for imagining slightly ridiculous yet not completely improbable situations to spice up the high school life. Her young adult debut The Karma Club speaks to every person out there who’s ever felt wronged: what better way to take back control than act as Karma’s worldly agent? Through Madison’s hilarious and heartbreaking story, Brody explores the consequences of the choices we make, both personally and for those around us. Despite being a little predictable in both outcome and message, this story remains enjoyable due to its quirky characters, unusual situations, and constant humor. Brody’s second YA novel, My Life Undecided, is a little more entertaining and sophisticated than her first, but The Karma Club is still a quick, funny, and satisfying read.

The Karma Club will be enjoyed by fans of Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells by Cameron Tuttle, The ABC’s of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro, and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy borrowed