Title: Fire & Flood
Author: Victoria Scott
Date Published: February 25th 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi
Reviewer: Happily Ever After Fairy & Poppy Fairy
SYNOPSIS:
A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.
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?
What made you read this book?
Poppy Fairy: Because blurb + cover = win. Also, have you read Scott's Dante Walker series? I'm yet to read the second book but I loved the first book! I felt it in my gut that I was going to love Fire & Flood. The concept of Last man standing always gets me excited too and really I thought this just was a standalone.
Happily Ever After Fairy: I haven't read her another series which is Dante Walker, although I've read the blurb of the first one and I'm very much interested with it. I've seen the cover of the third book and my first reaction was "WHAT A FREAKING SEXY BACK". Okayy, let's get back to Fire & Flood.. What made me read the book? ROMANCE! The other choice that we have doesn't have any lovey dovey scenes (I THINK!). I also thought that this is a standalone but upon nearing the last chapter, I knew that there will be a second book.
What are your reactions/thoughts after reading the blurb?
PF: The cover had me at first glance, but the blurb! It screamed thrill and intense it double had me. I read the blurb months before the release and all I can tell you is that the wait was quite literally agonizing! I stayed away from its goodreads page to avoid being reminded of how much I wanted to read this.
HEAF: Good thing I haven't seen the blurb before it was published or else I will also do what you did, Poppy Fairy. Anyway, TEEN GIRL + ANIMAL COMPANION + BREATHTAKING RACE = 100% ATTENTION GRABBER. I seriously love the blurb. After reading it, I know that this is what we'll read for our convo review.
What do you think about the characters?
PF: This might be my biggest issue about the book. I have mixed feelings about them! I loved Tella and Guy at first but they lost their spark as the story progressed.
HEAF: Sadly, they did. My favorite characters would be TELLA, GUY, MADOX, CODY, RANSOM, OLIVIA, HARPER and BRAUN. I love how the contenders decided to travel and work together. Tella & Guy, I hope that you will continue what you started. MADOX, come here you poochie cutie poo. Cody, please hang-on there? okay? Ransom, I'm going to miss you but I understand your decisions. I will miss your jokes. Olivia, you're one kickass girl. Harper, I hate that I love you!! I hate how you treat your pandora, though I know you care for yours. Braun, good thing you weren't brainwashed by Titus.
PF: I loved all the pandoras! But most especially Z-54 and M-4. I can't stop thinking about them fighting over that pinkie. That was the most hilariously disgusting thing I've read in this book, LOL.
HEAF: I agree!!! I wanna barf while reading that part. Though, I love how brave *toot* is and how strong she handled it which I can't see myself doing the same thing in that exact situation.
PF: Yes! I love her reaction. So cool!
For the POV, did you like it or do you prefer it to be by someone else's?
PF: I liked Tella's dry sense of humor alright and I had fun reading her narration for the most part of the book and though I'd like to know more about Guy, I think it wouldn't work out well if the story was told from his POV.
HEAF: I love Tella's POV which I think is so PERFECT. Although, it can be from a dual POV (Tella & Guy) or from various POV's like Harper, Ransom, Titus and etc, but that would be kind of hard or so I think.
What do you think of the plot?
PF: The concept of survival games/Last man standing isn't exactly the most original one out there, but that aside, Fire & Flood also has some unique ideas. The Pandoras are an endless source of mystery for me and I loved learning about their abilities. As far as the pacing goes, it wasn't too fast and not too slow-moving. A lot of questions about the games were not answered here, instead even more questions were formed and it frustrated me to no end!
HEAF: Fire & Flood is somehow like The Hunger Games with pokemons (which I truly love since I'm a kiddo.. *cross fingers for Nintendo 3ds xl*). If I'm going to have a pandora I hope its a dragon. I love the pandoras and how they protect their contenders. Seriously, who doesn't right? I also have a lot of questions and I'm hoping some, maybe all of them, will be answered in the next books.
PF: M-4, I choose you! *throws pokeball* Oh, what I'd give to see Guy do that! Anyway, if I'm going to have a pandora, I'd like for it to be Doraemon. It's probably cheating but hey, whatever helps!
HEAF: Ohh that's cheating!! Okayyy, if you're allowed to cheat then so am I. I want a GENIE with UNLIMITED WISHES. Kiddinggggg *peace*
PF: The Pharmies who are responsible for creating the pandoras are geniuses! You think they can create something like that? I mean, they already went too far with *bleep* which by the way, I wasn't expecting at all! That twist was seriously a jaw-dropping moment for me. Did you see THAT coming?
HEAF: I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!! I hate myself for it. All the signs were there but I just can't accept it you know because of the appearance.
What do you think of the romance?
PF: I was so giddy about Tella/Guy at first but just as their characters lost their spark, their romance did so as well. I still want to see them end up together though.
HEAF: When they first met during the selection process, I knew for sure that this is the guy who will be partnered with Tella and oh boy, I was right. The romance is okay, although I hope there will be more romantic scenes in the next book of Fire & Blood series.
PF: Their first meeting is one of my favorite parts of the book!
"The guy looking down at me is very tall, or maybe he just seems so because I'm still on the ground. He appears to be about my age, though the broad width of his shoulders tells me he maybe to be about my age, though the broad width of his shoulders tells me he maybe a couple of years older. His eyes are blue. Not in the way that makes me buckle at the knees and start naming our children, but the kind of blue that makes my breath catch. A cold, hard blue that looks more like a statement than a color - one that says, "Back the fuck off."I actually melted. I mean, what an intro for our Guy.
HEAF: I love the part where Tella was thinking of names for their children. Guy is so bad-ass. I'm not sure though why he pointed the last egg to Tella.
Any favorite quote/s?
PF:
“Wait," I repeat, stumbling after him. "Maybe we can, you know, help each other." The guy walks quicker, but I keep talking to his broad back. "I mean, when we get close, it's every person for themselves, but in the meantime, why not have company?" I pause, trying to think of what skills I possess. "I can be funny. I mean, I used to make my best friend, Hannah, laugh so hard, she'd pee. I can entertain you while we walk."HEAF:
Tella: I won't leave you. Guy: Yes, you will. If you stay, I'll be too busy defend myself. And I'll get hurt. Do you want that? Tella shakes her head Guy: Tella, you have to answer aloud. I can't see you well enough: Tella: No... I don't want to be away from you again.
What do you think of the cover of Fire & Flood?
PF: I loved the cover the moment I saw it! I don't know why, but it looked different and I like that about it. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to Scott's Dante Walker covers that Fire & Flood's difference really appealed to me.
HEAF: For me, there's nothing fancy about it. It's okay. Maybe I didn't like it that much because I'm drawn to covers that are colorful. Although, what I love about it is that it's simple and the tagline is quite catchy.
PF: Yes, exactly that. There's nothing fancy about it. I've seen way too many fancy and sparkly covers lately that looking at Fire & Flood's more simple cover soothes my eyes.
Why do you think this book is published as Fire & Flood?
PF: Honestly? After reading the book, I still I have no idea. We see fire in here, but flood? Zit. So maybe it's symbolic? Eh I'm not really good at this.
HEAF: Seriously? I'm also thinking the same thing. I don't know why it's called Fire & Flood, but I always interchange it to Fire & Blood, which I think is more relevant since the race is called Brimstone Bleed. The entire series is called Fire & Flood so maybe yeah, we'll find out after reading the whole series.
PF: Me too! I used to call it Fire & Blood a lot. Once, I tweeted the author and told her that I can't wait to read Fire & Blood. *facepalm*
HEAF: I hope the title of the second book contains the world "Blood" so that we can redeem ourselves for trying to interchange it a lot of times. HAHA!
PF: Let's save that for the third book because the title of the second has already been revealed and it's called Salt & Stone. I don't want to speculate about what it has to do with book 2, but I love the sound of it.
HEAF: That I didn't know. Now I'm thinking why it's called Salt & Stone. ARGHHH. I want the second book PRONTO!
PF: You and me both! *grabby hands*
HEAF: Salt and Stone' will be released on 2015 right? I hope there's a 1.5 novella (pleaseeee? to alleviate the pain of waiting).
To whom do you recommend this book?
PF: recommend this to everyone who's into survival of the fittest-ish concepts. I say -ish because Fire & Flood isn't really about killing everyone until you become the last man standing. It's a game wherein Contenders participate to win a prize. So if you enjoyed the games in Battle Royale, Hunger Games, Btoom, Panic, but is also looking for something different, Fire & Flood might just be the book for you.
HEAF: If you like Hunger Games, The Selection Series, Pokemon, Digimon, How to Train Your Dragon and etc, You will definitely love this book.
RATING:
4 Fairy Wings
Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe. She's the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Poland, Germany, Australia, Israel, Taiwan, Brazil, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.
Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.
FOLLOW VICTORIA SCOTT
The use of platinum as a pinnacle precious metal is very much the replica watches of this collection. Usually I have a clear vision on what I think about a watch and its brand, but here I have more mixed feelings of concern and rolex replica sale than anything else. So, humor me a bit as I try and frame it. Specs about the watch, I get to at the end. A blued hand for the pointer rolex replica sale further assists legibility and reduces dial clutter, keeping the overall design simple and elegant. The main replica watches sale for this might be that the machines used to produce hands and indices are set up for gold and replica watches platinum such small pieces would be incredibly difficult to craft from platinum, possibly the most challenging metals to work with in the luxury replica watches uk industry.
ReplyDelete