Lisa Unger’s novel Served Him Right is a suspenseful, revenge-fuel thriller.
Booklist wrote of the book:
“The combination of revenge, generational trauma, and girl power makes this a fun and twisted tale.”
In her own words, here is Lisa Unger’s Book Notes music playlist for her novel Served Him Right:
Ana’s Angry Break Up Playlist
A couple of years ago, my daughter was going through her first big break-up. She was 18, and it was the summer before she was heading off to college. We all remember that feeling, right? The angst and sadness, the despair. And, of course, there’s a hefty dose of anger, too, especially when you’ve been hurt, wronged or mistreated. So, after the requisite long talks, hugs, ice cream, and retail therapy, I remembered what I used to do in high school when I was mad or upset over a break-up or—anything. I would get in my car and drive, blast some music and sing, or cry, or scream if necessary. It never failed to do the trick.
Around the same time, I was in the early pages of SERVED HIM RIGHT. My character Ana Blacksmith has just broken up with her cheating ex-boyfriend Paul. She’s invited her good friends to brunch, to perform an ex-orcism, where she forces everyone to eradicate Paul from their social media feeds. Delete. Unfollow. Fuck off. Unfortunately, before the last mimosa has been drained, the police are at the door. Paul has been found murdered. And Ana is the prime suspect.
Ana is probably one of the wildest and most unpredictable characters I’ve come across on the page. She has a terrible temper. And she has a dark and dangerous history with men. When relationships end, things get messy.
Though it didn’t make it onto the novel, I imagined that she too might have a rage-fueled breakup playlist that she would thrash to when things got rough and the men in her life disappointed her—as they so often seem to.
So, if you’re heart-broken, filled with rage over your disappointing ex and his bad behavior, here’s a playlist to see you through.
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU by Leah Kate
Released independently in 2022, this Leah Kate single quickly become a TikTok sensation. It’s a raw break-up anthem written to get over her toxic ex-boyfriend, (not inspired by the 1999 movie of the same name). It must have struck a nerve because it has over 68 million downloads on Spotify. What I love about this one is its humor, the undertones of sadness, and its chin-out defiance. Also, the lyrics just beg to be screamed: I don’t know how I fell for your shit. You gross me out. Now I’ve got the ick. And I’ve got a list of why you don’t get to fuck me. In the end, we hate everything about him, too.
YOU OUGHTA KNOW by Alanis Morissette
If Leah Kate’s single is a Gen Z anthem, this the wild, raw break-up song of Generation X. From Morrisette’s iconic album Jagged Little Pill released in 1995, this song went on to win the Grammy for Best Rock Song. I love the emotional journey of this single. Canadian Morrisette starts of softly wishing her ex and his new lover well, then beat-by-beat devolves into a tirade of comparison, sarcasm, and ire. Every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back, I hope you feel it. Do you feel it? I think that says it all.
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE by Taylor Swift
From her 2012 album Red, this song represents a bit of a departure from the country pop style for which Swift had become famous. Fans believed that, and she hinted herself on stage, that this song was about her breakup with Harry Styles. A bit lighter than some of the other selections, this song doesn’t lay all the blame at the feet of her ex. Here, to some degree, she blames herself; she saw the red flags and ignored them. In an interview Swift called the song bold and chaotic, and added, “That song sounds like that feeling felt.” There’s something especially empowering about this single, an awareness that she’s in control now, and will do better next time. My favorite is this moment of awakening: And the saddest fear comes creepin’ in, that you never loved me, or her, or anyone, or anything.
VAMPIRE by Olivia Rodrigo
This single from Rodrigo’s second album Guts, released in 2023, is a genre-bending outing that starts out as a sad ballad sung by a girl wronged. But then it slowly heats up veering from disco to gothic to EDM, gaining power and momentum. Rodrigo’s vocals are sweet, edgy and sad, veering between anger, self-realization, and a deep vulnerability. There are a lot of rage-releasing lyrics, but none so more than this: You sunk your teeth into me. Blood sucker. Fame fucker. Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire.
PART OF ME by Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s raw energy, the depth of her lyrics, and her gift of getting to the heart of the matter, all wrapped up in a shiny pop package, can lift even the lowest spirits. This one needs to be played with the volume way up, and hopefully in the company of a bunch of girlfriends. Fans believe that Part of Me, from 2012’s Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, is the breakup song inspired by Perry’s divorce from Russel Brand, though she says it was written long before. There’s not much sadness or regret here. The heart of this tune is all about empowerment and owning yourself: You can keep the diamond ring, it don’t mean nothing anyway. In fact, you can keep everything, yeah, yeah – except for me.
ABCDEFU (Angrier) or the radio-edited ABC (Nicer) by Gayle
This is Gayle’s major-label single debut released in 2021, from her album A Study of the Human Experience Volume One. She said she wrote this in response to a feeling of having to be the nice girl after a breakup, an effort that was negatively affecting her mental health. She told her fans on Instagram that she had “dislocated her middle finger,” used the x-ray image for the album cover. Her middle finger has definitely healed in this track, which is bawdy and raw, lyrical and darkly funny: Told everyone I’m a bitch, so I became it. We feel her anger, but there’s also a power and a sense of independence. Gayle spares no one connected to her ex the middle finger—except the dog.
BLOW ME (One Last Kiss) By Pink
Pink is raw girl power—fun, energetic, unleashed. And this track from her sixth album The Truth About Love (2012), is an angry, exasperated, electropop ode to the end of her 10-year marriage to Corey Hart. Emotional and fed-up, Pink lets it rip in this barbed, upbeat tune. Anyone in a long relationship will recognize the vibe of having clung to something you’re no longer sure you even want. Pink is all determination here, moving on and letting go: I think I’ve finally had enough. I think I maybe think too much. I think this might be it for us. So blow me one last kiss.
I WILL SURVIVE by Gloria Gaynor
How many people have sung Gaynor’s 1978 classic at the top of their lungs? Literally everyone. Proving beyond a doubt that women have been channeling their rage at men into music for a good long time, this song is all about empowerment. We don’t hear much about him, or what he did, just that he’s come back “from outer space.” And she wants him to “go, go on and go, walk out the door.” There’s no ambivalence here. He hurt her. She struggled. She got over him and moved on. She is a woman who has claimed her power and is not looking back for any reason. And that’s something to sing about.
also at Largehearted Boy:
Lisa Unger’s playlist for her novel Crazy Love You
Lisa Unger’s playlist for her novel Black Out
Lisa Unger is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author whose psychological thrillers have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have been published in more than thirty languages and have been featured on “Best of” lists from The Today Show, Entertainment Weekly, and Goodreads. Unger’s work is known for deep character exploration, twisted plots, and propulsive suspense. She lives in Florida with her family. Visit www.lisaunger.com.