I wasn't disappointed with this third in the elements quartet. Boyne tackles dark subjects that never fail to disturb and is a master of the unreliable narrator. Always insanely readable. Just can't put his books down.. Looking forward to the final instalment.

I recently finished reading "Earth" by John Boyne, and it just seemed to be veering towards sensationalism in the queat to fram the nature vs. nurture narrative. While the book is undoubtedly well-written, I found that it seemed to be aiming more to shock the reader rather than to educate or provide meaningful insights.

Freya the main character had experienced a highly traumatic event as a 12-year-old and sets out to destroy all 14 year old boys so that no other girl would suffer as.she did. This sets off a chain of events where her after work interests involve grooming young boys with a single.goal of destroying theme.

There are dramatic twists and turns which seem to simply be included for their shock value, I found them twists somewhat predictable.

Such a pity as I did enjoy the first two books in the quartet.

The third novel in the quartet by John Boyne is a disturbing and thought-provoking read. Linking intermittently with the previous novels, this is the story of Freya, a successful surgeon. This is a disturbing and outstanding novel.

One of the darkest books I've read recently - really well written, but uncomfortable , at times, to be part of.

Freya is a well thought of plastic surgeon, who has a very dark side to her. She preys on, and manipulates, young boys for her own sexual gratification. But as you read on, you discover the abuse that she was subjected to, as a young girl and can start to understand why she feels the need to carry out equally destructive behaviour. A short story, but well written.

The third book in John Boyne's Element series takes us to some very dark places, as we follow the life of Freya, who is a well respected surgeon in her professional life.

Other things about Freya are not immediately apparent to those around her. Because Freya has a very dirty secret indeed. She is a predator who abuses young boys.

While Boyne considers whether being on the receiving end of trauma can be considered likely to lead to a damaged adult inflicting pain on those around them, Freya's character is not easy to feel for.

There is a theory supporting the idea that those who holds the power of life and death - or power more generally - are often sociopaths or psychopaths. Which raises the question as to whether it is Freya's past trauma that has led to this behaviour or something else entirely. Overall, this disturbing story is worth reading - especially if you are a fan of John Boyne.

I’m a big fan of John Boyne and enjoyed this short novel. It doesn’t have the intensity of some of his other writing but it’s an interesting read. I’ll be sure to read the other three stories that make up the set.

My thanks to the author, to the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the book.

⭐️3⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I think John Boyne is an excellent author, and his books are all so well written (I loved The Hearts Invisible Furies; I just can’t seem to get on with this series of short stories (I know I’m definitely in the minority).

I found it an uncomfortable read, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Not for me, sadly.

Fire
&&&
By John Boyne
Doubleday
This is the third in Boyne's element-themed quarter and like all of the others it takes the reader to some very dark places. Water, the first in the series, revolved around the shame of a woman whose husband is found guilty of abusing girls. Earth was about two footballers on trial for rape.
Fire focuses on Freya Petrus, a 30-something surgeon who works at a British hospital, performing skin grafts on burn victims. Although she’s highly respected she’s hiding a sordid secret - she's a serial abuser who preys on underage boys.
The book is told from her point of view which makes it even more disturbing. Did the abuse she too suffered as a child influence what she's become or is it just a convenient excuse she's using to justify her actions?
It's an interesting idea but somehow the book doesn't quite work. Freya lacks depth, the fire theme feels laboured but my biggest gripe is that the plot is totally implausible – even if she really did have the motivation to carry out such horrific abuse, it seems unlikely she’d be able to get away with it for so long.
But still, it’s a book that makes the reader think and I can’t wait to see what other uncomfortable situation Boyne cooks up for the final instalment, Air, which is due out later this year. – JANE VORSTER

This is a difficult one to review - it was a hard-hitting topic and one that could not possibly be enjoyed but I feel like it was such an uncomfortable read that I could not say that I enjoyed it. The writing was good but it was just so unnerving in such few pages. It definitely was not my favourite out of the series but I am intrigued to see how the series will conclude with Air.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Woah....this one slaps you in the face!!! The 3rd in the elements series this one is definitely the most shocking and twisted. A great look at what it is to be 'evil', is it nature or nurture or can it be a bit of bother, with our experiences bringing out our true selves.
I didn't enjoy this one has much as the first 2 in the series, it didn't feel as deep as Boyne's books usually do and I didn't really feel as much, emotionally, as I usually do with his books. Saying that it's still a really good book, just not my favourite!

This is the third book in John Boyne’s Elements series that I have read and by far the darkest of the series so far. When we first meet Freya at the start of the book I could not have imagined the character she would wind up being. The depth of trauma she suffered and that she subsequently inflicted on others was at times truly difficult to read about and contemplate, but there is something about the beauty of the writing that is so compelling I couldn’t stop. The way these novellas are tied together yet stand alone is quite ingenious. Looking forward to the last in this series, and I will be looking out for other books by John Boyne as well.

Another great read from this author. Horrific and compelling, I flew through this. Freya is definitely a very messed-up character and probably my favourite from the series so far. I am looking forward to the last in the quartet. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

In the previous books in this quartet, Water and Earth, the predominant themes were around guilt and complicity. In Fire we are presented with the polar opposite - a woman who seems to have no morals whatsoever, a psychopath. Freya is a renowned burns surgeon. Single, living in a luxury apartment and obviously wealthy, she preys on teenage boys whom she grooms and abuses in the same way she was groomed and abused as a 12-year-old child, by slightly older but still underaged boys.

The narrative alternates between the present day and her reprehensible actions, and the unfolding story of a childhood of neglect by everyone who was meant to be looking after her - the mother who didn't want her, the grandmother who tried to bring her up but did a dismal job of it - and the revenge she took then and continues to take now. As with the previous two books, there are links between them and this third instalment; Freya was a juror in the trial of the rapist footballers in Earth and is now living in the apartment that used to belong to one of them.

I thought Earth wasn't quite as compelling a read as Water, and I'm sorry to say I think that trend has continued with Fire. The story verges on the preposterous, and the central question is not especially well resolved - is Freya a product of her upbringing of neglect and her experience of abuse, or is she a psychopath? Are her actions in the present justified in any way by her experiences, or is she as much of a monster as the people who abused her in the past?

John Boyne is always worth reading, but this quartet of novellas is feeling more conceptual and less compelling with each new section that is published.

This book is an uncomfortable and, at times, disturbing read. Lead character Freya is a young burns doctor with a traumatic past. She has been neglected by her family and as a young teen suffered abuse at the hands of some older boys whilst staying with her estranged mother.

Now in her 30s, Freya seeks revenge by grooming and manipulating teenage boys of a similar age, raising the question: Are her actions justified, or is she simply perpetuating the cycle of abuse?

Freya is an unlikeable character, which makes it difficult to sympathise with her, despite her tragic backstory.

While unsettling, the book is undeniably thought-provoking, leaving you questioning the line between victim and perpetrator and whether vengeance ever truly heals past wounds.

I am a huge fan of John Boyne’s writing and while this book posesses the succinct and lyrical prose we have come to expect from him as well as his usual decison to deal with the most uncomfortable of themes in an uncompromising way I was not a fan of this story and I I found this book utterly unbelievable. No spoilers but this book comes with major trigger warnings. I don’t mind a flawed character or disturbing themes but I just could not imagine someone could get away with their reprehensible behaviour for so long. I have found Boyne’s previous books have been rooted in reality for me but this was just a step too far for me to buy into it emotionally. I feel the novella format was maybe not the correct one for this particular story or this character, while we learn why she turned out the way she did it all felt very rushed and matter of fact and I did not get the sense that Freya suffered from any inner turmoil for her actions and therefore, as a character she was quite one-dimensional. Maybe in a longer format we may have gotten more of a sense of her journey from victim to perpetrator but for me, that part was missing and affected my ability to sympathise with Freya or understand that leap. Yes it is am utterly tragic story and as usual with Boyne’s novels it raises uncomfortable questions for the reader to reckon with but I have to mark this down to 3 starts for the sheer implausibility of the whole thing. Sorry John, I’m still a huge fan!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fire" by John Boyne is a must-read, not just for its compelling narrative but for its exquisite use of figurative language.

I have come to regard John Boyne as one of the best authors of our time. The story is both horrific and compelling, repulsive and consuming, deplorable and fascinating. It's the kind of book that you can't look away from, much like a rubbernecking incident on the highway.

Freya is the main character and she is most certainly the 'badest' of them all!

A dark and disturbing story indeed.

The story opens with the narrator saying that she has experience of being buried alive. Then we see a successful woman burns specialist doctor describe her usual day, with particular attention to the way men look at her. Only it's not just adult men but teenaged boys as well. The difference being that the adults are habitual and entitled, whereas the boys are embarrassed. They are also easy to manipulate.

Told from the doctor's perspective, she alternates her present with her childhood, where she spent the summer as a twelve year old in Cornwall with her single mother. There she met two twin boys aged fourteen who were terrifying in their abuse. Then she returned to Norfolk to be raised by her inept grandmother. Her developmental years were full of neglect but she worked hard to escape her underprivileged life and eventually became a doctor.

She is quite a complex character. Obviously she is affected by past events and the uncaring upbringing, yet she chooses to help those who have been disfigured by burns. The people who others don't look at, who turn away from their damage. The doctor rebukes any friendship advances or any kind of affection and the only closeness she experiences is with the nurse with whom she works - but that is a very limited relationship. However, there is a type of human contact she has and the consequences are horrific.

Extremely well written, this is a story about power, manipulation, entitlement as well as cause and effect. It considers physical and psychological damage, trauma and victimhood. There is a lot to think about, especially how a woman is in the uncomfortable role usually taken by men. Perplexing and a strangely engrossing, provocative read.

Wow. I’m struggling to pin down my thoughts on this one! This book tackles a topic I hated, but the delivery was so gripping I couldn’t stop reading. As always, John Boyne’s writing is exceptional. It's sharp, precise, and utterly engrossing.

John Boyne is the author of one of my all-time favourite books, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, which is filled with warmth and humour. Fire couldn’t be more different. It’s cold, almost clinical in tone, and yet I was completely enthralled. It’s a dark and disturbing story, often uncomfortable to read, but brilliantly executed.

Having read the previous books in the series, Earth and Water, I knew to expect morally ambiguous characters and challenging themes, but this one hit me the hardest. Freya’s childhood was harrowing, and while it explains a lot about the person she became, there’s nothing ambiguous about how despicable she is as an adult.

This book, like the others, is thought-provoking and leaves you grappling with big questions. The nature versus nurture debate is central to the story and it’s fascinating to reflect on how much of Freya’s cruelty was shaped by her past versus being an intrinsic part of who she is.

If you’re reading the series, I’d recommend starting with Earth and working your way through in order as previous characters do feature in each book (if only fleetingly.)

I'd definitely say Fire isn’t an easy read, but it’s certainly one I won’t forget anytime soon. It’s challenging and unsettling and I can’t wait to see how John Boyne concludes the series with Air.

Fire By John Boyne

Fire is part 3 of a 4 part series.
It's no secret that I love despicable characters and John Boyne, so add them together and I am very happy.
As with the previous books in this series, it hits on some difficult topics.
So Fantastically written, and if you like audiobooks, Anna Friel is the narrator for this one and I checked it out, and she was perfect.

I plan to re read all three books before reading the 4th installment so I can remind myself of each character and how these stories weave together.

John Boyne is an amazing storyteller. This is the third instalment of his element series. Freya, a very minor character in Wind is a doctor who has a dark secret and carries out her twisted dark deeds on others. She is a despicable character and yet I did feel some sympathy towards her. But not much! This book definitely brings forward the conversation about nature vs nurture. I would recommend this book but for me it didn’t have the same impact as the other two of the series. I’m eagerly anticipating the next though.