Fire

Reader: Megan W
Age: 16
Title: Fire
Author: Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Harcourt
Pub Date: 10/05/09
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: Yes
Recommend: Yes
Annotation: “Fire is a woman who lives up to her name. She is strong and independent, and can have a temper just as bright as her red hair. She is spunky, witty, and absolutely lovable.”
How would you convince your friends to read the book: I would tell them to read this book because in addition to romance and adventure, there is also a bit of action and mystery in this book as well. Who do you trust in a country being stretched thin by threats of war from three different kings? What do you do to keep your people safe and loyal to you? This book was just as compelling and addicting as Kristin's previous book, Graceling. While one character from Graceling appears in this book, you don't have to have read Graceling to understand the plot of Fire. And that is what I like about books; I love when they can stand alone but are still tied loosely together.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: Kristin Cashore takes us to a country, the Dells, that is tense with threats of war hanging on the horizon. In this beautiful country gorgeous creatures called monsters exist. There are all kinds of animal monsters, and human monsters as well. They are appealing to everyone and hard to resist, though they can be unpredictable and dangerous. Our story begins with Fire, a human monster who wants very much to be good. But because she is so beautiful, people have a hard time trusting her.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: Even though it is summer I found I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to read this book. It took longer than I would have liked. But every spare moment I had was dedicated to this book. At first, I was afraid to start reading this book because I didn't know if it could live up to Graceling, which I love. I was not disappointed. The author managed to create a different story with whole new characters while still keeping her fun, easy-to-read writing style that was seen in her previous book. I fell in love with the characters and grew with them. The story made me happy and put me in a great mood when I finished.
Did the cover tempt you and/or reflect the contents of the book: The cover of Fire is just as beautiful as the cover for Graceling is. The colors are bright and vivid. The reds flow seamlessly with the oranges, and even some purple to create a cover that is appealing to the eye. The bow on the front pertains very much to the book, and even the colors chosen for the cover mean a lot to the story of the book. In my opinion, the cover is perfect for the book in every way.
Age Range: 16-17
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it