The Karma Club

by Jessica Brody

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374339791
• ISBN13: 9780374339791
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.6" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 7 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Madison has the perfect boyfriend. She even sent in his photo to an uber-popular magazine for best boyfriend. Once they publish his photo, she hopes they will rise in popularity. She couldn't be happier gaining entrance to the exclusive parties at the Loft, until she finds her boyfriend making out with Queen Bee Heather Campbell. She rushes out of the party and waits for him to call and apologize. The phone call never comes. Instead, Madison must face the new "It" couple on Monday. She spends the week wallowing, until her mother forces her on a field trip - where she has a brilliant idea. Boys break hearts and nothing ever happens as a consequence, so Madison and her two BFFs start up a Karma Club to take back what matters most to the boys who broke their hearts. Will messing with Karma come back to bite them in the butt? A very entertaining read filled with friendship, girls kicking butt, and taking a break from boys. I love books with girls taking charge - and this one fits the bill perfectly. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Fun And Witty!

Rating: 4.5 The Karma Club was witty, sarcastic and fun! Jessica's humorous writing was highly addictive and laugh out loud funny. Madison was by far the most entertaining character I've read this year. After catching her boyfriend and the most popular girl in school making out, her life changed. Her mother got tired of seeing Madison mope around the house, so they both went to a retreat where she discovered the theory of karma. Instead of letting go of the past and moving on she had an epiphany of seeking revenge against her ex. Madison approached her friends with the idea of starting a Karma Club that will cause the same pain toward there ex's. Now, the revengeful tactics they used were quite creative, however they never thought about the long lasting repercussions. Her choice in messing with Karma sent out negative energy which effected Madison and her friends in the end. However, Madison does seem to have a growing love interest throughout the book which I thoroughly enjoyed. He was such a sweetheart and totally fit the profile of an outstanding gentleman. I really loved this book from start to finish. I recommend it if you're looking for a light read that will leave you smiling.

A Great YA Debut!

If you've seen my previous reviews you'll know that I'm a huge fan of Jessica Brody's books, so when I heard she would be making the switch to YA for her next novel I was beyond ecstatic, and when I received a copy of said book, I was even more so. Though, I have to admit that I did have a tiny nagging voice in my head that kept saying what if it isn't as great and well done as her adult novels. And at first that nagging voice proved to be true, I wasn't exceedingly impressed with The Karma Club, but as plot points and characters became more developed and drama, along with inspiring messages, came pouring in, my worries were thrown to the waste basket as I rushed through this novel eager to find out what was going to happen next. The plot of this was fun and something that fans of Suzanne Young's The Naughty List series and Elizabeth Eulberg's The Lonely Hearts Club are going to eat right up. I loved seeing the girls get revenge on people who did them wrong since not only did it prove humor but life lessons, I guess you would say, about Karma and how revenge isn't always the best choice. And I think it goes without saying that I adored the characters in The Karma Club. Since all three girls- Angie, Maddy, and Jade- were smart, witty, and honest. My favorite out of the three would probably have to be Maddy, the protagonist. Since I loved seeing her relationship with a certain swoon-worthy boy develop, as well as getting closer look into her quandary about what was right and wrong when it came to Karma and life. Also she was a great friend even if she did lie at times to protect people. Though, I did have one tiny problem with The Karma Club. What was that problem? Well I felt that some aspects that occurred in this occasionally fell too nicely into place, allowing the girls to quickly get by the trouble they faced. But this wasn't the biggest of problems, so I'm not going to let it get me down about The Karma Club. In all, The Karma Club is everything a debut should be- witty, original, and inspirational along with well written! I can't even began to say just how much I'm looking forward to reading Jessica's next novel! Grade: A+

Clever and engaging

Madison's life was finally coming together the way she wanted: a magazine article about her perfect boyfriend Mason made her popular at school, and got her an invite to the party she dreamed of attending. But it blows up in her face when her newly popular boyfriend cheats on her and starts dating Heather Campbell, the meanest (and most popular) girl in school. She's tired of waiting for Karma to get even with Mason and Heather, so she tells her friends, "It's time to make Karma work for us." And so they do, by forming the Karma Club and using it to get back at all of the ex's that have wronged them. But as Maddy and her friends discover, that's not exactly the way Karma works... The Karma Club is a clever and engaging book that will hook readers quickly. At the beginning of the story, Maddy is shallow and self-absorbed, and worries incessantly about popularity and being invited to the right parties. But readers will be able to overlook that (and the fact that Brody never really reveals why Mason left Maddy) as the drama begins to unfold and the girls begin plotting their revenge. It is curious that none of them seem the least bit hesitant or frightened to go through with their plans, as some of them are serious and could get them into big trouble, but is satisfying to see the boys who wronged them get what Maddy and her friends think they deserve. Along the way, Brody peppers the book with little instances in which Karma is working, which helps reinforce her message. When things start to go wrong for Maddy and her friends, they can all be linked back to their previous actions, and it is evident that Karma is at work. In realizing this, Maddy matures in leaps and bounds and learns to embrace the true, simple meaning of Karma: good deeds are rewarded, bad deeds are punished. Throw in a cute but surprising romance, and you have the makings for an excellent pick-me-up with an empowering and important message.