Summary From GoodReads
Murder.
Fire.
Revenge.
That’s all seventeen-year-old Alice Monroe thinks about. Committed to a mental ward at Savage Isle, Alice is haunted by memories of the fire that killed her boyfriend, Jason. A blaze her twin sister Cellie set. But when Chase, a mysterious, charismatic patient, agrees to help her seek vengeance, Alice begins to rethink everything. Writing out the story of her troubled past in a journal, she must confront hidden truths.
Is the one person she trusts only telling her half the story? Nothing is as it seems in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from the debut author Emiko Jean
Fire.
Revenge.
That’s all seventeen-year-old Alice Monroe thinks about. Committed to a mental ward at Savage Isle, Alice is haunted by memories of the fire that killed her boyfriend, Jason. A blaze her twin sister Cellie set. But when Chase, a mysterious, charismatic patient, agrees to help her seek vengeance, Alice begins to rethink everything. Writing out the story of her troubled past in a journal, she must confront hidden truths.
Is the one person she trusts only telling her half the story? Nothing is as it seems in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from the debut author Emiko Jean
Thoughts on the Book
I picked this ARC up at BEA and grabbed it from by bag to start reading while eating lunch. This was a huge mistake, it was too good to put down, and the rest of the day was torturous having to socialize instead of finish it.
Review
This book takes place in a mental hospital following Alice, who was committed after her twin sister, Cellie, starts a fire that kills Alice's boyfriend, Jason. The entire story revolves around Alice, who seems completely sane, having to deal with being in the mental hospital. In the hospital she meets a boy, Chase, who helps her try to seek revenge on Cellie.
Right from the start of this book I was hooked. It was nothing like what I expected, the prologue is from Cellie's point of view as she starts a fire in the barn which nearly kills Alice and does kill Jason. Chapter one switches to Alice's point of view with her leaving the hospital and being transferred to the mental hospital. While reading I had no idea where the book was going, I couldn't even guess at the resolution of the story. By the end of the book I was shocked, this rarely happens for me, I never thought that the ending that happened was even a possibility.
Alice and Cellie's background was filled in by Alice's entries in her journal which her psychiatrist gave her as a type of therapy. I really enjoyed getting background information this way, it wasn't a flashback, it was just the entry which Alice wrote. The twin's past is so tragic, and the absolute worst part about it is knowing that there are kids going through similar tragedies and having to deal with the same horrors of the system, with foster homes and child services.
Sometimes books get dealt the crap hand with covers, this book is not one of them. I absolutely love the cover, it captures the book completely. The title written in ominous lettering which blends into the trees. The trees themselves are both a little spooky, but also a beautiful winter sky. Winter and cold are a huge theme within the book too. The more I think about the cover and how it relates to the book the more I absolutely love it. I think it's rare to have a cover, especially in YA books, that so accurately lends itself to the themes and symbolism of the book. YA covers are usually girly covers that tend to grab attention. This book could have easily gone that way, Jason holding Alice with fire swirling around them, Alice and Chase facing Cellie and the flames, or even something eye catching with origami. But instead they went with the most perfect cover for the book.
Sometimes books get dealt the crap hand with covers, this book is not one of them. I absolutely love the cover, it captures the book completely. The title written in ominous lettering which blends into the trees. The trees themselves are both a little spooky, but also a beautiful winter sky. Winter and cold are a huge theme within the book too. The more I think about the cover and how it relates to the book the more I absolutely love it. I think it's rare to have a cover, especially in YA books, that so accurately lends itself to the themes and symbolism of the book. YA covers are usually girly covers that tend to grab attention. This book could have easily gone that way, Jason holding Alice with fire swirling around them, Alice and Chase facing Cellie and the flames, or even something eye catching with origami. But instead they went with the most perfect cover for the book.
I give this book a 10/10. It's so dark, yet so optimistic, it's such a beautifully written book. I hope this book finds its way into required reading, it would lend itself perfectly to sociology or psychology classes. It's such an amazing book that is a lot of fun to read and contains so much to learn from. Jean made a fantastic debut with this novel and I can't wait for more from her.
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