“When I first saw the sand, I thought it was beautiful. Like maybe it’d be fun to just roll around in and make sand angels. Now I know the truth, that sand is actually the love child of proud parents Marie Antoinette and Joseph Stalin.” – Fire and Flood, Victoria Scott.
Pegged as a cross of The Hunger Games and Pokémon, from the minute I saw ‘Fire and Flood’ I knew that I needed it! And I absolutely loved it! ‘Fire and Flood’ has received some really mixed reviews, with it being a bit like Marmite, hate it or love it. That being said, I can totally understand why people perhaps weren’t so keen for the book and were very disappointed. I think the problem being people hear its likened to The Hunger Games and they expect something in particular and when they don’t get it, they’re disappointed. I went into this book with an open mind and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it! ‘Fire and Flood’ is about a young girl named Tella whose older brother is inevitably going to die and n
obody can do anything to help. But then Tella gets a strange message about something called the Brimstone Bleed. These people seem to know her brother is sick, and they claim they have a cure. The only snag? Tella isn’t the only contender, and to get the cure, she’s going to have to fight for it. Working us through scenes of the jungle and desert, Victoria Scott does an absolutely fabulous job of bringing Tella to life. We see her making alliances, enemies and perhaps finding someone special. That being said, I love that while there could have been the opportunity for Scott to unfold a pretty average love story, romance is in no way at the center of the book. At the very core of this book, you have a sister whose willing to do anything to save her brother, no matter the cost. In the beginning, I wasn’t very fond of Tella. In all honestly I thought she was a bit shallow
\and stuck up, continually moaning about her parents moving her away from her friends, and not being able to eat like she used to or live the lavish lifestyle she once had. However as the story moves on, Tella begins to realize there are more important things and she’s willing to change to essentially have a fighting chance at saving her brother. Every chapter seems to bring a new twist to the story, yet doesn’t always giving you a full piece to the puzzle that, along with Tella, we are trying to piece together!
Another little note – Pandora’s? Super cute, yes to all! Pandora’s are the companions for every contender, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with some sort of talent we wait to discover that will help their owner of somehow. A small part of me wishes they were real! ‘Fire and Flood’ is honestly one of my favourite books I’ve read so far this year. If you go in with no expectations, I’m sure you’ll be presently surprised! There can only be one champion meaning Tella’s story isn’t over yet, with the second book in this series definitely next on my TBR list.
Featured Image – Chicken House
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