What a great read. Fire Will Fall was so much fun. (Although I probably ought to complain that it kept me up too late at night.)
The story is a follow-up to a previous book --Streams of Babel-- that I haven't read, but which I am definitely going to track down. It's principally about 4 teenagers who are recovering from a poisoning that took place in the previous book where terrorists dumped toxic bio-hazards into their small town's water supply. Most of these teens lost parents and friends, and they are still barely surviving on a pharmaceutical cocktail of meds that have some odd side effects. They are brought to a restored house to recover with the assurance that they are out of danger from the terrorists. 'Dogs don't return to their vomit', they are told. BUT unfortunately that doesn't turn out to be the case as they just happen to have been settled near the next target site.
Talking Points:::The story is a follow-up to a previous book --Streams of Babel-- that I haven't read, but which I am definitely going to track down. It's principally about 4 teenagers who are recovering from a poisoning that took place in the previous book where terrorists dumped toxic bio-hazards into their small town's water supply. Most of these teens lost parents and friends, and they are still barely surviving on a pharmaceutical cocktail of meds that have some odd side effects. They are brought to a restored house to recover with the assurance that they are out of danger from the terrorists. 'Dogs don't return to their vomit', they are told. BUT unfortunately that doesn't turn out to be the case as they just happen to have been settled near the next target site.
I don't generally read "terrorists/spy/popular thriller types of books (no Dan Brown for me), but I'm thinking about changing that attitude because I enjoyed Fire Will Fall so much. I thought Plum-Ucci did a fabulous job of building tension-- and with differentiating the characters. In fact, I guess that's why I like the book: I got hooked on the characters and how they interacted. The mind-tingling excitement of trying to figure out who would die, was just delicious icing on that cake!
All good things said, this shouldn't be a book you pick up when your exhausted because the chapters are divided amongst so many points of view, and first person at that. Everything flows brilliantly, but it won't be as much fun for you if you are tired and can't quite remember who is who.
NOTE: You absolutely do not have to have read the first book. This one stands on it's own.
Brilliant fun. Enjoy!
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
- Accelerated Reading level : 5.3
- Hardcover: 496 pages
- Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (May 3, 2010)
- ISBN-10: 0152165622
2 comments :
I absolutely loved this book as well as the first one, Streams of Babel. I originally picked up this book first to read and noticed that it was a sequel. I grabbed the first one and managed to finish both books within 5 days. The author knows how to tell a story and keep the pace going. I am definitely looking to read more by her.
I do not understand why there is not more buzz about this book. It was such a quick enjoyable read. The story just had so much momentum.
And yes, can't wait for more Plum-Ucci to come our way.
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