Better Than Revenge Summary, Characters and Themes
Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is a contemporary young adult novel that explores betrayal, ambition, healing, and self-discovery through the eyes of Finley, a passionate high school junior. Set against the foggy backdrop of the Central California coast, the story captures the emotional rollercoaster of teenage life, highlighting how heartbreak and loss can shape resilience and self-worth.
With a smart blend of romance, humor, and character growth, West presents a story that is as much about reclaiming one’s dreams as it is about letting go of bitterness. This is a narrative where revenge begins the journey, but self-reinvention ends it.
Summary
Finley, a high school junior with dreams of hosting her school’s prestigious podcast, finally stands at the cusp of achieving her goal. Having prepared for years with broadcasting classes and her own podcast experiments, she walks into auditions full of confidence.
However, everything crumbles when her boyfriend, Jensen, not only surprises her by auditioning too—despite never showing interest in broadcasting—but also steals her pitch idea. He secures the coveted host position while she is relegated to a minor research role.
The betrayal is both personal and professional, compounded by Jensen’s unapologetic attitude and text messages that diminish her contributions. Hurt and humiliated, Finley ends their relationship and starts plotting revenge with the help of her close-knit group of friends.
Initially, Finley engages in petty acts of vengeance—graffiti, fake online reviews—but her desire for retribution deepens when Jensen publicly mocks her abilities on-air. She’s left to face her diminished role in the podcast club while feeling as though her voice has been stolen.
Unexpectedly, she begins forming a connection with Theo, Jensen’s football rival. Though their initial interactions are sharp-tongued and awkward, Theo’s unfiltered honesty slowly becomes a source of intrigue and support.
At home, Finley finds comfort in recording interviews with her witty, ailing grandmother for her personal podcast, a process that anchors her emotionally amid the chaos of school and revenge schemes.
Driven to make Jensen feel as cast out as she did, Finley sets her sights on dismantling his status on the football team. She hatches a bold plan: to try out for the football team herself as a kicker.
With encouragement and training from Theo, who reluctantly becomes her mentor, she begins a journey of physical and emotional transformation. This shift marks a significant pivot—from vengeance for vengeance’s sake to a personal mission of proving her own strength.
Meanwhile, Theo and Finley’s relationship deepens. Between banter, secret training sessions, and moments of vulnerability, their chemistry becomes undeniable.
But Finley struggles with trust, haunted by Jensen’s betrayal and afraid to depend too much on Theo. Amid her growing affections, she also battles jealousy and unresolved emotions, especially when confronted with reminders of her past relationship.
A key turning point occurs when she breaks down during football practice, admitting her fears and motivations. Theo supports her through the moment, affirming her worth and validating her pain.
As the school’s spring celebration rolls around, Finley experiences another wave of emotional complexity. Old memories of Jensen surface, and her unresolved feelings bubble up again.
She lies about receiving a flower from Theo, trying to provoke Jensen, but only ends up confronting the ongoing power he has over her emotions. At home, an unexpected encounter with Jensen—visiting her grandmother—further destabilizes her.
Feeling betrayed by her family’s tolerance of him, she seeks solace with Theo and recommits to her training.
Through a series of unconventional bonding experiences, like goat yoga and a flag football game, Finley begins to find balance and emotional clarity. Theo continues to support her, both in her athletic aspirations and in her effort to reconnect with her grandmother’s past.
A key subplot involves Finley’s search for her grandmother’s painted surfboard, a relic of an old romance with an artist named Andrew Lancaster. This quest becomes symbolic of Finley’s own desire to preserve stories, understand loss, and assert control over her narrative.
As her podcast gains unexpected popularity—possibly thanks to Theo’s quiet promotion—Finley is reminded of her original passion for storytelling. Her success in this realm bolsters her confidence, even as she remains uncertain about her future in football or with Theo.
Just when things seem to be stabilizing, a viral video surfaces in which Theo jokes about “stealing” Finley from Jensen. She’s devastated, feeling like she’s been manipulated again.
Hurt and confused, she distances herself from Theo.
Still, Finley doesn’t allow this betrayal to undo her progress. She shows up at football tryouts, determined to compete fairly and prove her worth.
Her performance impresses everyone, while Jensen, under pressure, falters. When the coach posts the results, Finley is selected as the team’s kicker, beating Jensen out for the starting spot.
Yet the victory feels hollow. She realizes she pursued the role not out of passion, but out of spite.
In a reflective conversation with her grandmother, Finley confronts the truth about her motivations and decides to step down from the team.
Instead of playing, she proposes a new role for herself—commentating on the football games. This allows her to merge her love for storytelling and her hard-won knowledge of sports, creating something meaningful on her own terms.
She even extends a partial forgiveness to Jensen, choosing closure over continued animosity.
The novel concludes with a dramatic gesture from Theo. During a school-wide assembly, he reveals that he has retrieved the old lifeguard tower once owned by Andrew Lancaster and repainted it to match the legendary surfboard.
Inside, he presents a replica of the original board, symbolizing understanding, apology, and love. The tower becomes a literal and metaphorical monument to Finley’s journey—from pain to purpose.
Finley accepts his apology and they reconcile. With her friends and family, she brings her grandmother to the tower, where the original surfboard is also revealed.
In that final moment, surrounded by legacy, memory, and love, Finley finds what she had been searching for all along—not revenge, but resolution. She reclaims her voice, her passion, and her peace.
Characters
Finley
Finley is the heart and engine of Better Than Revenge—a girl of immense ambition, layered vulnerabilities, and unyielding grit. As a high school junior devoted to podcasting, her character is introduced through her relentless pursuit of excellence and her dream of becoming a podcast host.
The initial betrayal by Jensen, both emotional and professional, throws her into a spiral of humiliation and introspection. What follows is not just a story of revenge, but a reckoning with self-worth and identity.
Her drive to reclaim her power through calculated retaliation, including infiltrating Jensen’s social stronghold, shows her ingenuity and resilience. But Finley is more than her revenge plot.
She evolves through emotionally rich arcs—especially in her interactions with her grandmother, which provide depth and emotional anchoring to her character. Her vulnerability, particularly when she breaks down during football training, allows her to confront not only the betrayal but the grief and fear that linger underneath.
Finley’s relationship with Theo matures her emotionally, pushing her from reactive pain to thoughtful growth. Her final decision to walk away from football and instead embrace her authentic passion for broadcasting represents the culmination of her growth: a young woman no longer motivated by vengeance but by voice, legacy, and self-definition.
Jensen
Jensen begins as the picture of support—Finley’s boyfriend who seems encouraging on the surface but quickly reveals deeper layers of manipulation and insecurity. His betrayal is a multilayered act: stealing Finley’s podcast idea, taking the position she worked tirelessly for, and refusing to acknowledge the depth of his wrongdoing.
What makes Jensen particularly complex is how subtle his cruelty can be—masking dismissiveness as jokes and belittling Finley under the guise of teasing. His on-air insult underscores the depth of his ego and insecurity, particularly when faced with Finley’s talent.
His presence throughout the story becomes a symbol of institutional betrayal—the way dreams can be hijacked by those who have the privilege to claim them. Yet, Jensen is not portrayed as purely villainous.
His concern during the near-accident and awkward visit to Finley’s home adds shading to his character. He embodies the very real teenage immaturity that masks as confidence, and his downfall at the football tryouts—missing kicks under pressure—serves as a poetic unmasking of his fragility.
Ultimately, he remains more a cautionary figure than a redeemed one: a reminder of what happens when ambition is guided by entitlement rather than effort.
Theo
Theo is the unexpected foil to both Jensen and Finley’s own inner chaos. Initially introduced as snarky and distant—possibly even a saboteur—he grows into one of the most layered and meaningful presences in Better Than Revenge.
His early interactions with Finley are laced with ambiguity and dry humor, but they hint at a deeper emotional intelligence. When he invites Finley to a “party” that turns out to be a family dinner, his playful manipulation is both humiliating and revealing, forcing Finley to adapt.
Yet from that moment onward, Theo becomes her most steadfast ally. He trains her, comforts her, and challenges her to see her value beyond Jensen’s narrative.
Importantly, Theo respects boundaries and supports Finley without trying to overshadow her. His emotional availability—holding her during her breakdown, offering yoga as grounding therapy, and eventually making an elaborate apology with the lifeguard tower—shows his maturity and depth of feeling.
Even when confronted with his own missteps, like the viral video, he takes responsibility and seeks redemption through sincere action. Theo’s arc is not about saving Finley but walking beside her in her reclamation.
He represents a healthy, evolving model of teenage masculinity—one willing to admit fault, show vulnerability, and earn forgiveness.
Deja
Deja is Finley’s grounding presence and moral compass throughout the novel. As her best friend, Deja offers support but also doesn’t hesitate to call Finley out when her obsession with revenge becomes consuming.
Deja represents stability in the chaos, someone who cares deeply but won’t enable self-destruction. Her skepticism toward Theo adds tension but is rooted in genuine concern for Finley’s well-being.
She challenges Finley to evaluate her own motivations and, by the end, helps her reconnect with a sense of community and friendship. Deja’s consistent honesty and emotional intelligence make her an anchor in Finley’s turbulent journey.
Grandma (Finley’s Grandmother)
Finley’s grandmother is a deeply poignant figure in Better Than Revenge. Her fading memory becomes both a literal and metaphorical exploration of loss, legacy, and time.
Through her podcast interviews, Finley uncovers rich stories of love and heartbreak, particularly her grandmother’s relationship with Andrew Lancaster. These sessions serve not only as emotional ballast for Finley but also offer her insights into the complexity of love, betrayal, and forgiveness.
The grandmother’s grace, humor, and fading lucidity mirror Finley’s own navigation of emotional turmoil. Her final appearance in the restored lifeguard tower underscores the central message of the novel: that reclaiming truth and voice matters more than winning.
Maxwell and Lee
Maxwell and Lee, part of Finley’s core friend group, offer levity, camaraderie, and loyalty throughout the novel. Though their roles are less central than Deja’s, their presence reinforces the theme of collective support.
Whether helping Finley plan pranks or showing up at football tryouts, they act as emotional scaffolding—reminding her that she is not alone. Their belief in her, even amid her emotional spirals, provides contrast to the betrayal she experienced with Jensen.
In moments of comedy, chaos, and confrontation, they remain consistent and supportive, adding richness to the portrayal of teenage friendship.
Themes
Betrayal and the Erosion of Trust
Trust is fractured in the early pages of Better Than Revenge when Jensen takes Finley’s podcast idea and presents it as his own. This betrayal serves not only as the catalyst for Finley’s transformation but also as a painful redefinition of her understanding of relationships.
It’s not merely the romantic breach that stings, but the professional theft—the deep violation of something she poured time, energy, and creativity into. This breach forces her to question the authenticity of past moments, complicating the nature of memory and affection.
Jensen’s betrayal is compounded by his dismissive attitude, suggesting joint ownership over something inherently hers and turning a blind eye to the emotional damage he inflicts. The story broadens the scope of betrayal beyond Jensen; it appears subtly in her family’s willingness to accommodate him, even after the hurt he caused, leaving Finley to feel isolated in her grief.
This theme ultimately demands Finley to rebuild trust carefully, testing her instincts with Theo, who carries his own flaws and baggage. The fragility of trust once broken—how difficult it is to reconstruct, and how easily it can be weaponized—is portrayed through both overt acts and microaggressions.
Through Finley’s journey, the book underscores how betrayal often reshapes not just how one sees others, but how one comes to see oneself.
Revenge, Empowerment, and the Cost of Vindication
Finley’s quest for revenge originates from a need to reclaim power after being humiliated and disrespected. What begins with sarcastic graffiti and petty sabotage slowly transforms into a sophisticated and personal campaign—not just to make Jensen pay, but to restore her self-worth.
However, the narrative complicates the morality of revenge by refusing to offer it as a clean, empowering solution. Each act that Finley commits carries emotional residue.
Though her goal is to reclaim control, the acts of revenge strain her friendships, blur her ethics, and ultimately leave her feeling hollow. The transformation of her plan—from exposing Jensen publicly to challenging him on the football field—elevates the idea of revenge into something more performative, asking what it means to truly “win.”
Even when she surpasses him in skill and earns a coveted position, satisfaction evades her. The narrative argues that revenge may serve as an initial response to injustice, but its long-term payoff is rarely healing.
Finley’s eventual decision to abandon her place on the football team and reconfigure her goal as a commentator reflects her realization that the truest form of empowerment is not retaliation, but redirection—channeling pain into purpose. By illustrating both the adrenaline and emptiness of revenge, the story paints a vivid portrait of its psychological toll and moral ambiguity.
Self-Discovery Through Creative and Physical Identity
Throughout Better Than Revenge, Finley undergoes a multidimensional journey of self-discovery that stretches beyond emotional resilience into creative ambition and physical capability. Her initial identity is anchored firmly in her broadcasting aspirations, where she sees storytelling as a form of influence and purpose.
The theft of her podcast idea not only strips her of a role but also leaves her doubting her worth. In response, she redefines herself by exploring football—a space where she was previously invisible.
Theo’s encouragement and training sessions become a conduit through which Finley discovers new strength, agility, and confidence. Importantly, her self-worth isn’t tethered to her success on the field, but to her daring willingness to try.
Her eventual pivot from football player to commentator is a crucial realization: her identity is not dependent on matching others at their own game, but on finding the space where her talents and passions align. Her podcast journey, enriched by interviews with her grandmother, not only grounds her emotionally but reminds her of the narrative power she possesses.
Finley’s growth is thus rendered not through a single triumphant act, but through a series of self-redefining choices, each helping her reclaim a voice that was almost lost.
Feminine Agency and Resisting Gendered Limitations
Finley’s narrative resists the traditional framing of teenage girls as emotionally reactive or dependent on male validation. Her response to betrayal—choosing football, confronting social dynamics, and initiating bold strategies—defies expected norms and reclaims feminine agency in spaces typically dominated by boys.
The football field becomes a symbol of resistance, a place where Finley asserts her right to occupy a role long withheld from her by implicit gender codes. Her idea to try out as a kicker isn’t born out of whimsical defiance, but from calculated ambition and raw skill, an assertion that she deserves to be taken seriously.
Even in romantic dynamics, Finley exercises autonomy: she walks away from Theo after discovering the viral video, refuses to let him define their reconciliation, and only re-engages when he demonstrates genuine understanding and growth. The narrative resists reducing her to a romantic arc, centering instead on her choices, her goals, and her emotions as valid and central.
Her interactions with her female friends also reflect a broader network of strength and accountability. While romantic interest exists, it is neither the prize nor the resolution.
Instead, Finley’s story is about the right to feel anger, to pursue dreams, to fail, and to start again—unapologetically and on her own terms.
Memory, Legacy, and the Healing Power of Storytelling
Interspersed within the high school drama is a tender narrative about family legacy and the healing properties of memory and storytelling. Finley’s podcast with her grandmother is not a mere side project—it becomes a spiritual anchor amidst the chaos of her personal life.
These recorded sessions open windows into her grandmother’s youth, her love story, and the emotional scars that still linger. As Finley listens and learns, she begins to understand her own emotions with greater clarity.
The surfboard and lifeguard tower, symbols of her grandmother’s romantic past, echo Finley’s own longing to be seen, loved, and remembered. This parallel grants her emotional access to the deeper currents beneath her immediate anger, allowing space for empathy and reflection.
The final gesture—recovering the surfboard and preserving it in the tower—represents more than romantic resolution with Theo; it’s about honoring history, valuing stories that shaped the present, and understanding that identity is not only what we make for ourselves, but what we inherit and choose to carry forward. Through storytelling, Finley reconnects with her roots and finds a sense of belonging that grounds her beyond the temporary distractions of school hierarchy and social vindication.
The podcast thus becomes both metaphor and mechanism: a way to preserve voices and, in doing so, heal.