Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1)

I am going to be honest up front here. I started this book a few weeks back and put it down after the first few chapters because I was a bit confused and wasn't sure where this book was going. I picked it back up the other day though, and once I got past those first few pages, I was hooked. So, if you're stuck on the first couple of chapters, just keep going. It picks up, I promise!

What I liked:

Tella. Her quick wit and fun personality had me snorting out loud a few times. Even in tense situations she had a way of making the mood a bit lighter. She is devoted to her family, although it's hard to really get into her character at first because shes' a bit of a whiner. I think the more I read, the more I loved her character. At first though, I wasn't sure where Victoria Scott was going with her character and I was a bit confused. I loved her relationship with her pandora, Madox. Which leads me to my next point:

Pandoras. Oh my goodness. I want one. No really, can I have one please? I loved this twist in the story and thought it was really interesting to see all the different types of pandoras. I will say I was thoroughly confused when everyone was racing for the eggs, but once you find out way, it totally makes sense. And I really adore Madox. Gah.

Guy. The first time we meet Guy, we get a sense that he is a "nice" guy. Throughout the book we get to see his strength, vulnerability, his softer side, and his tough side. I enjoyed how Tella cracks his shell and really loved the mystery of him.

Secondary characters. I fell in love with so many characters in this book. I'm kind of anxious to see in which direction they all head in the next book in the series.

What left me wanting more:

Like other reviewers are saying, this book did feel really similar to The Hunger Games trilogy. I hate to compare it to other books, I really do, but honestly it did. Don't get me wrong, it has differences, but there are some pretty blatant similarities. Once you get past those though, it's easy to get into the book.

Like I mentioned earlier, the book is pretty confusing at first. It feels like there should be a prequel.

Overall I'm so glad I read this book and really enjoyed it! I will be picking up the next book for sure!

Fire & Flood turned out in many ways I didn't expect. I expected a different kind of dystopian story, but this one had so many similarities to The Hunger Games that, like editor Kim, I had a hard time getting into it at first too. Tella, the main character, out of nowhere finds herself the recipient of a strange device that informs her of her invitation to a contest similar to Survivor; a race that, if she wins, would have as its reward the cure for her brother's strange and debilitating illness.

Fire & Flood is extremely fast-paced and cuts to the chase so quickly, I could barely get a hold on the main character, Tella, let alone her love of her family. I couldn't really get a grasp on her character, and although there were some small attempts to let me know what kind of girl she used to be (she seems to have been quite the soho, high-maintenance kind) when she lived in Boston, I still could not really understand who she was. I know she cares about her family and her brother and seems pretty selfish. Other attempts at telling us about what kind of person she is don't really make sense throughout the rest of the book; for instance, at one point in the story we are told she can "run like the wind," but how or why or if she is a runner or anything like that never is explained, and she never seems to be able to replicate this running ability again during the race. Fortunately, the other characters were better fleshed out, and I was happy that I could get clearer picture of the people she encounters during the Brimstone Bleed. One thing that ended up being kind of humorous was just how independent Tella seems to think herself yet how much she relies on others; it is clear to the reader that she would definitely struggle to make it on her own.

Other things that worked pretty well were the set-up of the games and just creating that sinister, mysterious element to the race and the motives of those who set it up. Guy, one of the other main characters, is a man with a mission, and it is no wonder Tella is so drawn to him. Other characters, like Harper, have a really well-written persona, and for the most part it was easy to care for them and their loved ones and their welfare. Another plus was that there were a couple of really amazing plot twists--one that I definitely didn't see coming. It plays well into the overall story arc and threw me for a loop.

I think those that like a quick read and are into the current trends in the YA world would definitely enjoy this book. Others who like a bit more meat can probably take a pass.

I was really excited to be able to get a galley of Fire & Flood. I enjoyed Scott's Dante series but this new series is different.

What worked: Fire & Flood is a fast-paced dystopian novel with a likeable heroine who joins a race where the winner is awarded the ultimate prize: a cure for a loved one. Tella loves her ill brother and is willing to sneak out in order to enter the race without her parents knowing. Tella is vulnerable and at times funny. She also loves her Pandora(a token animal guide that hatches from an egg) and has empathy toward not only her fox guide but other Pandoras as well.

I did like how Scott weaves in the backstory about the 'evil' Pharmies who tampered with genetic engineering and created these Pokemon like creatures. Also the whole idea of having a race to give a 'cure' to a winner adds enough tension to make the story engaging. The climax of the story totally took me off guard along with a few revelations. Huge kuddos for that!

It’s also interesting how the competitors search for flags in different types of terrains. There’s tension woven throughout.

What I had issues with: At times Fire & Flood felt really similar to the Hungry Games. This could be one reason why I had a hard time at the beginning to get into the story. Once we get into the actually race, where Tella meets and forms alliances with the others, I was intrigued. Plus the pacing moves really fast at that point.

The Pandoras felt like those Pokemon creatures that my son used to love when he was little. Only Scott does show us how these animals have feelings and how they'd do just about anything to protect their 'humans'.

The romance wasn't quite there for me. Guy starts off as brooding and kind of stalkish but opens up towards the end. I still wanted a little more before the chemistry happened. But then again one of the other competitors, Titus, is creepy, bad.

Still fans of the Hunger Games are sure to love this new series too. There's lots of action, tension, twists and turns throughout.