"Burn It All Down" by Nicolas DiDomizio is a humorous yet dramatic tale about revenge, chaos, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son. The story follows Joey, an aspiring stand-up comic, and his mother, Gia, who both find themselves heartbroken after their respective partners cheat on them. In a misguided attempt to exact revenge, Joey and Gia inadvertently commit a series of crimes, including burning down the house of Gia's cheating boyfriend. This sets them on a runaway journey, fleeing to the only good man they know—Joey’s biological father

One of the book's strengths is its engaging and relatable characters. Joey and Gia's dynamic is both heartwarming and entertaining, making readers invested in their journey. The humor and wit in DiDomizio's writing also stand out, providing a light-hearted yet impactful narrative. However, some readers may find the plot's twists and turns a bit implausible and the pace somewhat frenetic at times. Despite this, the emotional core and the themes of family and self-discovery make it a worthwhile read.

This is a great mother/son-revenge-on-lying/cheating-partners story gone wrong. Or right. Depends on who you are and maybe how far you've gotten in the book.

Joey and Gia have recently found out that their boyfriends have been lying to them. Joey's guy cheated on him and Gia's was never really going to leave his wife and start a perfect life with Gia in his fancy neighborhood. After some wine and commiseration, they decide to teach their former partners a lesson, one of which gets out of hand and turns into arson.

They go on the lam to an old flame of Gia's - one of the good ones - and hide out until they learn there's a warrant out for their arrest.

So many things to love about this book that can be put into one sentence: Joey and Gia (and Gia's mother) are Italian-Americans from Bayonne, NJ. They are caring and loyal and seem like a lot of fun...as long as you don't do them wrong. It is a bumpy ride of laughter, love, and evading capture.

Is it realistic? God, I hope not. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

On the surface, this is a book about revenge. After all, 18-year-old Joey just found out his boyfriend is cheating on him FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS (just break up with him, dang!), and then, a day later, his mother, 34-year-old Gia, has her relationship explode and the two of them are so codependent that they determine a route for revenge that goes just a bit awry (you know...a fire) and they are forced to flee to the one good man they know amidst a sea of toxic male influences. A debut novel, this book was often hilarious, and you grow to really love Joey and Gia's relationship, and how they come to see themselves and each other as they recuperate at Gia's ex's house and figure out how they're going to fix their problem. Plus, there are plenty of Italian stereotypes - as someone who is NOT Italian, I thought they might be offensive, but apparently, they're very accurate!

this book was fantastic. i really really enjoyed it. i was hooked on the first page, and found myself highlighting so many lines!! definitely worth the read!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley but unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. I did not enjoy the writing but I do plan to try again in the future.

I don’t know if I personally got offered a freebie of this or if it was a Read Now or first 500 or where the heck it came from, but I know that I downloaded it immediately because I want all the things and don’t want to wait for them. Then I never read it because I took a gander at the blurb and thought it was going to be a revenge story. Revenge stories have been all the rage for the past couple of years and tons of my friends really love ‘em, but I have read a handful and I have to say I don't like them.

But then my pal Erica reviewed this one and liked it and I realized maybe it was NOTHING like I had assumed it was going to be. And also maybe Erica had suffered a severe head trauma because this is sooooooo not her usual cup of tea. Folks, if you think <b>I’m</b> a curmudgeon, you should meet my pal. That’s why we get along so well. Really the only difference between us is I sometimes like the mushy gushy feel good times and she doesn’t have nearly as many grammatical errors in her reviews. Long story long, thank you Erica for your review and for being the catalyst that finally brought Joey Rossi and his mother into my life.

The story here does start off with a bit of revenge. Joey and his mom Gia are basically attached at the hip, so when each of them gets dumped by their respective boyfriends they decide to go on a bit of a vigilante mission and trash their car/house. When things get out of hand and a McMansion is left ablaze, the duo find themselves on the lam hiding out at Gia’s ex’s lake house in upstate New York. And that’s where you get to find out what makes these two co-dependent loveable losers tick and they get redemption arcs and all the feeeeeeeeelz come out and Kelly kicks her own ass for not reading this sooner. This was such a great little story. It brought out a lot of the same feelings I got from Apatow/Davidon’s <i>The King of Staten Island</i> last year - and that ain’t a bad thing.

Just ignore that this was blurbed by James Patterson. Barf.

<i>ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!</i>

The characters are a bit over the top for me-- and I'm a Jersey boy myself. Lots of weeping and wailing and poor decision making, though there are some funny lines, and I did finish it because I wanted to see what happened to everyone.

I can see from the blurb on the cover why I've stopped reading James Patterson.

I started laughing from the first page of the book until the every last page. I mean I know acts of revenge isn't supposed to be funny but well this book is absolutely hillarious!

When Joey Rossi catches his boyfriend cheating on him, and his mom is broken up with by the latest in her string of poor relationship decisions, they decide to take Jazmine Sullivan a little to seriously and bust the windows out some cars. And set a house on fire. As one does. They soon find themselves on the run - which might be exactly what they needed to change up their romantic luck.

BURN IT ALL DOWN was a fluffy blast, and a perfect palate cleanser after reading a string of very stressful books. It's Jersey Shore style nonsense but with arson. Joey's struggles with his own romantic relationships were relatable as a queer guy, and the his loving but complicated relationship with his mother helped to flesh them both out as realistic, flawed characters who just need a hug (and maybe an alibi). The climax and conclusion both felt a little abrupt and it was definitely more wish fulfillment than anything, but YA could use more books like this. This is not a must-have for every collection serving teens and young adults, but it's a fun addition. Recommended for anyone in the mood for a fun and messy revenge fantasy who doesn't get too hung up on realism and logistics.

This book was pretty hard to suspend belief for. The characters are so unrealistically bad in their decision making. It felt very phony and purely to propel a certain plotline. It just didn't make any sense.

One redeeming point was the dynamic between Joey and his mum. They were adorable and I loved that they were in it together.

This book is hilarious even though it's a revenge story! Joey's cheating boyfriend has just dumped him and his mother, Gia has just discovered her boyfriend is cheating as well. So they set off on a mission of revenge which includes slashing tires, and a "small" fire in a bathtub of burning clothes. Well, what could go wrong? Simply put; everything! It may not sound like it's funny but it really is as wise-cracking Gia deals with an old flame and Joey meets a new boy who doesn't understand his forward moves. It's just a fun and irreverent read that will make you laugh and appreciate these characters!

Burn It All Down is funny revenge story that reads like an episode of reality TV. It's fast-paced, sometimes brash, sometimes glam and catch phrases and pop culture references are sprinkled throughout. The mother/son duo of Joey and Gia would fit right in on Bravo or MTV. Joey and Gia, both scorned by the men in their lives, decide that enough it enough and enter on a path of destruction and revenge. Along the way, we also get to see the strong bond their share- the good stuff and the bad. They learn and grow as they come to terms with the repercussions of their actions. And we get laughs, a great use of Monica Lewinsky references, family, friends and a sweet soundtrack.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and Netgalley for the gifted e-copy to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

A mother and son driven tale that would be wonderful on screen. Even when events turn darker, toxic there’s humor to be had.

Ohhh sweet revenge....

Shortest Summary Ever: Joey is 18 and his relationship with his 34 year old mom is anything BUT conventional - this isn’t the first time they’ve sought revenge on their exes, however it is the first time things go crazy wrong...

Thoughts: REVENGE! Oh one of my favorite topics right here at the tips of my deliciously devious fingers! Revenge fascinates me from a psychological point of view, EVERY TIME. If you’ve ever TAKEN revenge - it’s a feeling that is difficult to describe to people who’ve never truly EXPERIENCED it, kind of like loaning you my pants that are 10 sizes too big for you and making you pretend they fit. Weird, right? But to anyone who has ever lost their $&@%, especially over a man, buckle up because you’ll GET IT (mine was over a parking spot not a guy...message me for the deets lol).

Revenge, well, It feels like the highest high - letting that freakish fiend flag fly into the sky, man it feels gooooooood, reckless, dirty... followed by a solid crash of “oh no” humanity. And worry. And fear. And elation sometimes (if you get away with it). If you’ve ever thought for a split second of having an Angela Bassett burn-your-cheating-husband’s-stuff-up-in-his-Mercedes moment (Waiting to Exhale, BEST. REVENGE. SCENE. EVER.), saw that movie and cheered with your SO side-eyeing you the entire time? Oh this book is soooooo for you.

This book has an afternoon brunch bitch-session-with-your-gay-bestie vibe that entertained. It’s light, has some solid laughs, makes for a light read, something I personally needed during my busy time as a teacher. Revenge is a dish best served cold? I’ll take mine with extra ice, thank you VERY much. This review further guarantees I will remain single. #notapsycho

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Recommend to: Those needing light & breezy. Those who crave a revenge story!

Not recommended to: eh if you’re judge-y about moms being friends with their kids.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Little Brown and Co. for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for yeah, making that psycho side of me shine with evil glee. (#noreallynotapsycho)

A mother and son relationship that will entertain you keep you turning the pages.Even as things turn toxic I was totally drawn in to their lives their relationship.#netgalley#littlebrown

This was the mother-son duo I needed. I love hearing about the loyalty of families even when it turns toxic. I liked the book and found it so entertaining.

So fun. You have to give it to these two mother and son. Living lives they think they are wronged at every turn. They vandalize, set fire and basically destroy anything in their wake. Joey and Gia take refuge with an old boyfriend who offered the only stability each has had. It’s fun and funny and tender all at the same time. A funny and adventurous debut. We look forward to the next book.

This was an enjoyable, believable book about a mother and soon who are in relationships that do not turn out as nicely as they wanted and the lengths they go for revenge against their exes. Some laughable and cringe-worthy moments but something we all identify with in the complicated dating/relationships world. Some of this serious but it also had a lot of humor. Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Nicolad DiDomizo and Little Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/25/21

This was a really enjoyable read! It focuses on Joey, a high school senior, and his mom, who both break up with their cheating boyfriends within a few days of each other. An effort to get back at each of them goes sideways, and Joey and Gia find themselves on the run. They head to the home of GIa's former boyfriend, who Joey was also close to, as they figure out what comes next. This was a fresh, fun take on the relationship novel. Very highly recommend!