Before the Fire
I always read the blurb on the back of the book before I commence reading. This often leads me to thinking that I have a clear understanding of what the book is about and what will happen. I am often wrong. In this case I was very wrong.
I thought Before The Fire was going to be about a jealous friend, but it's actually about a grief-stricken friend... Best mates Stick and Mac are off to Spain after finishing high school; but the night before they embark on their wondrous adventure, Mac is stabbed to death by a random stranger. This book shows what I assume are an angry teenage boy's stages of grief and loss of his friend. They certainly weren't mine however and I found I couldn't really relate to the main character Stick. This wasn't because he was badly written or anything like that; don't get me wrong, this book was quite good on a whole but I always struggle when protagonists are so different to myself, and react completely opposite to how I have in similar situations. Through out the book Stick struggles to make sense of his friends' death and anything really, but J, the bizarre girl is his shining knight pulling him through and it ends with a tiny touch of hope that even though things will never be right, they may be alright... Rate: 7/10 Pages: 248 Format: ARC Paperback Released: 1st March 2015 Acquired from: Pan McMillan |
*while I received this book in exchange for a review, all opinions are entirely and undoubtedly my own*