Friday, March 14, 2014

Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire & Flood
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Fire & Flood Book #1
ISBN:   0545537460
ISBN13: 9780545537469
Genre: Dystopian
Review Copy Source:NetGalley
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?

The only people that know about the Brimstone Bleed are those who have been invited to participate and survived. They are forbidden from speaking anything about it to others. When Tella's brother becomes ill her parents pack her up and move her to Montana. Until she gets a bluetooth type device out of nowhere Tella doesn't realize that her parents have been hiding her to keep her protected. The only problem is that if Tella participates and wins she will get the cure to save her brothers life and she would do anything to make that happen. I was hesitant to read FIRE & FLOOD after reading some other reviews but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it.

I admit, Tella started out by being on the vain, depend on others side but as the challenges came she really grew into her skin and started to go head to head with the other contenders. She was loyal to the people she considered friends and I would want her on me team in this sort of situation. I absolutely loved the animal companions and just like Tella, everyone underestimates hers. I wasn't sure what to think about Guy in the beginning. He came off as kind of a jerk but he did little things that showed you otherwise. He slowly grows on you as his real character is revealed and by the end of the book I liked him just as much as I liked Tessa.

FIRE & FLOOD brought us plenty of action, adventure and twists. I enjoyed the budding romance between Tella and Guy and when the final sentence was read I searched and searched to find out when book two would be available. SALT & STONE is already on my wishlist.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.