Author: Victoria Scott
Series: Fire and Flood #1
Published: 25 February 2014 by Chicken House
Length: 336 pages
Source: publisher
Other info: Book
2 will be called Salt and Stone. I highly approve of the alliteration.
Summary : Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is
sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide
to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are
driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place.
Review: Tella’s
brother is dying. Her parents move them all out to the remote areas of the
land, away from all civilisation. Still, Tella receives a blue box inviting her
to the Brimstone Bleed, a competition taking place in jungle, desert, sea and
mountains, the winner receiving the Cure for any illness whatsoever. Tella
accepts it, and finds herself in a competition a where everyone wants to win.
I’ve heard lots of
people compare to The Hunger Games. This is accurate. One person wins only. People die. People
really want to win. Happy upbeat announcer at all stages of the game. I like
the added motivation for competitors of the chance to have the chance to save a
loved one.
The Pandoras, protector
animals that have been created specially to help the competitors, are
essentially were pokemon, but a little
more normal. I loved Madox, and the fact that the differing ways people treated
their Pandoras said quite a lot about
them.
I didn’t really care much for the characters, apart from
Cody (dying brother who is absent for most of the novel) and the twins. Tella
doesn’t really do much compared to other dystopian and survival heroes,
instead, love interest Guy does most of it. Not saying boys can’t do things,
but for a heroine, it would be nice if
she did more than tag along.
It was fun to read in some places. Tella’s voice is funny,
and the story moves through the areas quite quickly.
I’d like to know more about the world. Technology must have
advanced somewhat to get Pandoras, but other than that, we don’t know how the
world differs to ours. There’s hints of it towards the end, but I’d like to see
more in future.
Overall: Strength 3 tea to a book that is quite like
The Hunger Games, but with added pokemon and less strong characters.
Hmm, I have copy of this on my TBR pile but I keep putting it because I haven't heard many good things about it. And it does sound a LOT like The Hunger Games. Thanks for the review :)
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