ARC Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Title: Fire & Flood
Author: Victoria Scott
Age Range: YA
Source/Format: Publisher (Scholastic Press), Bound ARC
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic Press, February 25, 2014
Links
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Summary from Goodreads:

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. Read more here

My Thoughts:

     Ok, stop the boat. Let me lie down so I can get my thoughts in order. If you’re a fan of Victoria Scott’s writing then you’re in for a real treat. Fire and Flood was absolutely amazing and by far one of the best books I've read this year. I liked everything from the characters, to the Pandora’s, and even the whole premise of the Brimstone Bleed and the circumstances surrounding it. To say that I liked this book wouldn't be accurate, I absolutely loved this book, would be more like it. 

     Fire & Flood sported a whole host of interesting characters, from the MC to the secondary characters, each one was unique, and fleshed out with such precision and expertise that there was never a dull moment to be found. Fire & Flood focuses on Tella Holloway and her journey through the Brimstone Bleed, a race that could land her the cure for her brothers’ illness. But the race is not without danger, nor is it what it seems, it is essentially a test of one’s survival skills. I liked Tella well enough, and I could understand why she took the risk she did—her family was important to her after all. Tella was aided throughout the story by her adorable Pandora with a surprising talent. Overall, I felt like all of the Pandora's were a good addition to the story and kept the plot going at a steady pace. One thing I liked about the characters in Fire & Flood was that they all had a different story to tell, which I thought made the book all that more interesting. Guy was a mystery, he just held so many secrets throughout the book that I had a hard time trying to figure out if he was to be trusted or not. And when he finally revealed those secrets I felt like it provided a nice twist and some clarification on what was really going on. I’d love to go on and on about all the characters I liked and why I liked them, but then this review would never end, so, moving on.

     The plot, oh goodness, the plot. Its kind of one of those cases where things are revealed slowly and at the right time. The plot moved along quickly with the race starting off with a few minor complications, but once everything got started I had a hard time putting the book down. Rarely am I ever compelled—lately anyway—to finish a book in one sitting, but not with Fire and Flood. I had questions, lots of them and most of them happened to do with the Brimstone Bleed itself. Like why it was created, how did they have the cure Tella was looking for, and so on and so on. Some of those questioned were answered in Fire & Flood, but the race isn't over yet. So I'm really looking forward to seeing what Scott has planned next for this series. Overall, I really enjoyed this book! As for the sequel—and there has to be one—I can’t wait to read it. So to end this review: five freaking birdcages, because I absolutely loved it.

      This ARC was provided by the publisher (Scholastic Press) in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

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