Review Detail

FIRE BECOMES HER is an intriguing YA fantasy that sweeps the reader away to Candesce, a land that thrives on magic called flare. Flare can be used for warmth, light, and many necessary goods, but it can also be drunk to make fire magic and is lavishly used by the wealthy without regard for the finite limits of the resource. Those in the lower socioeconomic classes have tried to recreate it, producing flicker that gives a a tiny spark of flare, but as the process is controlled by the wealthy, they do not have much of a choice.

Ingrid lives among the wealthy as a scholarship student at Ainsley Academy, where she is constantly reminded of how she will always remain an outsider. She has crafted her life to fulfill the destiny she desires most - a future in politics where she will be seen as one of the elite. Indeed, her boyfriend, Linden, is the son of Senator Holt, a particularly powerful political figure with a family dynasty in government who is running for president. Linden's proposal is unspoken contingent on his father's approval, a fact that becomes painfully clear to Ingrid when she joins as an intern - a position of serving Senator Holt tea, which they did not even want to give her.

Ingrid will do whatever it takes to prove that she belongs, including attempt to infiltrate the opposing presidential campaign. As she does so, her values, desires, and the truths of the country will be questioned and reanalyzed as she must decide who she wants to be.

What I loved: This is such an imaginative and intriguing read that touches heavily upon some thought-provoking topics from the headlines. There is a lot around wealth disparity and poverty, as well as the view of the elite on it, such as believing that the lower classes are such for their lack of work ethic and/or that they would squander any wealth (flare) given to them. There are also heavy themes around voter rights, as the country uses flare for the casting of votes - something too precious for the lower class to spend on casting their vote- if they had any to spend at all. This practice, which restricts voter access, is questioned by the characters as the elite consider that anyone can technically vote - but in practice, this is not the case.

There are also themes around authoritarian politicians who rely on unrest and stirring that unrest to convince the people to swing to their side and flaws in trickle-down economics (here, trickle-down flare where they propose to remove taxes of flare with the premise that it would trickle down to the less fortunate vs getting hoarded by the wealthy). These could raise some intriguing discussions in book groups.

Beyond the above, there are also themes around love/romance, LGBTQIA+ acceptance, impoverished theft, friendship/loyalty/trust, and betrayal. Ingrid is a really compelling character whose motives are evolving along with her personal growth. Her journey was really poignant throughout the book as she reflects on her history and looks toward the future. Alex was another really compelling character, who I would have liked to have known even more about.

The pace of the book is steady but fast! There is a lot happening and nary a dull moment. This really pulls the reader in and keeps the pages turning until you are surprised you've read it in a sitting (or maybe that's just me). This was definitely a book that was tough to put down, as readers will be eager to follow Ingrid's journey.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, I was able to guess at the end major reveals really early in the story, and the lines between good/evil felt almost too clear. I would have loved some additional complexity and surprises.

Final verdict: FIRE BECOMES HER is a thought-provoking and imaginative YA fantasy that I would recommend for fans of OUR VIOLENT DELIGHTS, BEASTS OF PREY, and THE GILDED WOLVES.