Mundie Moms

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Book Review: Wildefire



Published by: Simon & Schuster
Released on: July 26th, 2011
Source: ARC from publisher to review
4 stars- I Liked It

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

This debut has a little a bit of everything, a stunning cover, a butt kicking protagonist, great characters, romance and a mythology that leaves me wanting more.

I really enjoyed Karsten's writing style. It's one that flows well, it has a poetic feel to it, it's engaging, and appealing. I think both guys and girls will enjoy what Karsten's writing offers. I was impressed with his ability to create such relatable characters despite the fact that some of them are Gods and Goddess. I really enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, all of whom add something different to the story. I liked the way Karsten introduced each of their back stories, and how that flowed into the story. The characters, especially the guys have such a great sense of humor and some fabulous one liners. I'm torn between which guy I like more Colt, the main love interest or Rolfe, one of the guys you'd want to have in your inner circle of friends. To match their wit are some equally snarky, tough female characters that I also enjoyed getting to know, especially the story's main character Ash.

Ash is an enduring character and someone I came to sympathize with. At first she seems rough around the edges, but after learning more about who she really is and what she has to endure with her sister, it wasn't hard for me to like her. She's definitely someone I wouldn't want on my bad side. The strained relationship between Ash and her sister Eve causes a lot of tensions within the story and I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen with these two next. Eve is definitely a fiery character and someone who's not to be messed with. She's a violet character and though I had a hard time with some of her scenes, her outbursts end up making a little bit of sense once Karsten introduces what her power is.

I loved the setting! Really I'm a sucker for a book that takes place in a woodsy setting, and not only that, one that takes place on the West Coast. The setting also ties into the characters and their mythology. I loved the diversity and the rich cultural back ground to the power each of the Gods and Goddess's posses. I have a feeling Wildefire has giving me a small glimpse of what's to come as the series progresses. After that killer of a cliff hanger, I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Embers & Echoes....like now. I'd recommend this to older teen readers. There are some violent scenes, a lot of language, some underage drinking, and a mild sensual scene.

4 comments:

  1. Great review, MMs. I'm looking forward to reading it.

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  2. Awesome review. I can't wait to read this. Hope I can get the money to buy a copy soon. There are so many books I want right now and being unemployed sucks :( But I still find a way to get books I want so I guess it isn't so bad. Can't wait to read this book.

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  3. Great review! I loved this book and I cannot wait for anything else that he writes!

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  4. Sophie- Thank you! I think you'll enjoy it.

    Laura- Thank you. I hope you're able to read it soon.

    Anna- Thank you and I can't wait to read the rest of the series either.

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