Fire is the third instalment in the gripping Elements quartet, it explores the dark and disturbing life of Freya, a successful burns surgeon. This novella is NOT for the faint of heart—it tackles issues of trauma, abuse, and moral ambiguity that could be triggering for some readers.

Fire is a powerful and thought-provoking book, it’s perfect for readers who appreciate dark psychological reads, it is however also an unsettling read.

This is an absolute masterpiece. The third of three novellas all standalone but with a common thread. John Boyne is so talented and if I could give this a bonus star I would. I’d recommend reading the first two in this series and then await the final book! Whilst waiting read The Heart’s Invisible Furies as that is another unbelievable book. It’s a long one and an absolute must.

Oof, yet another one in this series which I don’t really know how to rate. I’ve given it four stars but.. they are four rancid stars. What a tough read. If you enjoyed/could stomach ‘Tampa’, you’ll enjoy/be able to stomach this.

I’m a massive fan of John Boyne and enjoyed the first two novels in his quartet but this one I found quite difficult. The writing is excellent as always but the subject matter was dark and I found it hard to read. Freya has been traumatised as a youngster but her subsequent actions are awful and naturally I had no sympathy for her character.
I would advise being aware of the subject matter before reading this as it might trigger some people.

This is the third book in The Quartet series by John Boyne as was equally as powerful as the other two.
Freya experienced a lot of trauma as a twelve year old and now works as a surgeon in a burns unit.
Did she become the adult she was due to this trauma alone or would she always have turned out like she did. Disturbing but very thought provoking which I read in one sitting

This felt to me like the author was having a lot of fun. There is the recognisable condescension in the voice of the MC, a trademark of John Boyne's books. We really get a feeling for Freya quickly and despite her actions, we can see the reasons behind them. It was an interesting read. It was one I kept wanting to dislike because of the subject but it was done really well. I think this will be a love it or hate it part of this series for people. The ending was excellent.

This is a novel with a horrible darkness at its centre. I found it difficult to keep reading because of the content. The writing is assured as always with this author. It was the main character’s narration and her self justification that was so wrong that I expect some will enjoy this. And it gradually got darker and darker until the ending, which I had partly anticipated.
Be prepared. This novel could trigger. I am not going to say more because of spoilers.

I read a proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

The third in the "elements" novella series by John Boyne - and this has been the hardest read so far. Fire is the story of Freya, on the surface a successful surgeon specialising in burns. However, outside of work her life has a very dark side - she is, quite bluntly, a paedophile. She attributes her behaviour on traumatic events in her childhood where she was harmed by 2 teenage boys. The main characters in these novellas are definitely getting harder and harder to like! But the writing is compelling and they are real page turners. Am very much looking to the final instalment now.

am big fan of this authors writing and have read the other three books in this series recently. Earth water and Air .When the publisher emailed to say I could access the book on NetGalley, it went straight to the top of my to be read pile.
The story follows a female consultant surgeon working on a burns unit . She has everything he would expect from a successful professional a good career beautiful Home and presumably a reasonable amount of money. however, she has a side to her personality and stalks and sexually abuses teenage boys . I liked the clear dichotomy between her personality as a thoughtful, caring doctor and this unexpected predatory behaviour
I enjoy the authors writing style his prose is easy to read and his stories concise and well developed
I did, however find the end a little unsatisfactory
I didn’t like this novel as well as the other three books in the series and can’t really put my finger on why . Perhaps it’s because I know so many doctors and find it difficult to imagine any of them behaving like her
I read an early copy of the novel. The novel is released in the UK on the 7th of November 2024 published by Random House UK Transworld publishers.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com. After publication will also appear on Amazon UK.

Definitely the most fucked up of the Elements quartet so far. Not sure what it says about me that this is my favourite.

Boyne used Water and Earth to explore themes of culpability and complicity. In both books, we are introduced to characters that sit close to horrific crimes and, in some ways, aid them or allow them to happen. The characters are victims in some ways, guilty in others, but Boyne simply draws a complex portrait of their lives, leaving the reader to pass judgement.

In Fire, however, Freya is very much guilty. And possibly Boyne's most messed up character to date.

This is the kind of book that makes me long for a book club. It's one that would benefit more from a discussion rather than a review; I could do with some back and forth to help me organise my thoughts.

It is obvious that Boyne is interested in exploring stories where people are both perpetrators and victims, showing that not only is it possible for someone to be both, but for their to be many shades of grey in between.

Freya is someone who has lived through trauma and is now repaying that trauma back onto the world, hurting others in a desperate bid to pay back what happened to her. Boyne is one of very few authors who can make you feel, at the same time, completely disgusted by and sympathetic towards a character.

So much of this was horrible to read, yet I couldn't stop.

Please note this contains depictions of child sexual assault.

Fire is novella number 3 in the author's Elements series. It follows on from Water (November 2023) and Earth (April 2024). For those who are not familiar with the books, they are loosely connected to each other, they can be read as standalone. In the case of Water and Earth the main character from Earth was somewhat of a lesser character in Water. Here, our protagonist, Freya, has connections to the character from Earth. The stories are also told from the viewpoint of the protagonist throughout.

In Fire we meet Freya, who is a doctor that specializes in burns, and plastics. We follow her over the course of a few months of her life, and she also dips into her childhood, which explains some of her characteristics and behaviour.

It's a short book, so to go into too much detail would definitely be a spoiler, but I thought it was fascinating. If I had the time I think I probably would have read it in one sitting, but instead I was forced to spread it over a couple of days. It more than surpassed my expectations. The subject matter may not be the easiest for some, and there are certain some uncomfortable moments, but I thought it was a very well put together story. If you have been eagerly waiting for this after reading the other two then you are in for a real treat.

The third part of The Elements series.
The first,Water, had a definite calmness about it. Earth had far more conflict, and here we have compulsive and totally amoral behaviour.
Freya is a highly skilled surgeon specialising in plastic surgery, particularly for burns victims. She is on the face of it a successful, self-sufficient thirty something years old single woman, but she has a darker side to her character. She has a predatory side.
The story bounces along between two timelines, her adolescence and the pres3nt day. She has had an unusual upbringing, living most of the year in rural Norfolk with her single grandmother and then spending a month in the summer with her mother in Cornwall. It was during this holiday when she was twelve that she endured some traumatic events that had repercussions for the rest of her life.
I had looked forward to this latest book, and it did not disappoint. John Boyne has done it again!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I absolutely loved the first 2 books in this series so I was excited to read the new book Fire. It is definitely a dark story that deals with a very difficult subject. I found it fascinating and deeply disturbing and I was blown away by the quality of the writing. John Boyne never disappoints. I love how he makes a short novella feel really complex and well thought out. I felt as though I had read a 500 page novel as it contained everything, so much depth and complexity. I would definitely recommend this book to all. 5 stars without a doubt.

Fantastic book, read in one sitting..abuse and revenge..who is the victim? The only part I don't like is having to wait until May for Air to come out!

I can't give John Boyne's writing anything less than five stars but the story... So hard to read and so disturbing. Freya is complex and her actions are evil but can they be excused by what happened in her childhood? This is a book to be discussed at length and it will linger in my mind for a very long time. I have to say that I preferred Water and Earth but that's purely because I felt some sympathy for the protagonists, I found it hard to feel any empathy at all towards Freya but that's what makes Boyne such an amazing writer.

He just keeps getting better and better.

The protagonist of the third novel in the elements quartet is Freya. Freya is a surgeon specialising in skin grafts in the burns unit. With her profession comes wealth, respect, trust, but Freya has a mysterious past and a dark secret.

Such a short book packs such a powerful punch and I am eager to find someone to talk about this with. A brilliant bookclub pick!

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what an outstanding yet completely uncomfortable read. This series is just so well linked together, and Freya is the worst character ever

Wow, what a shocking read!

This is my fourteenth John Boyne book of 2024, and although I know to expect some incredible writing I am always amazed by what he can do with words.

The crafting of this narrative is incredible - it's dark, it's challenging, but it is so very captivating.

I am so grateful to the publisher for contacting me about this ARC, and can't wait for Aaron's story in Air.

Do I even need to read a John Boyne novel before giving it five stats? Probably not, but I love nothing better than reading his writing so I'm more than happy to.

Fire is the third of the Element series and comes with a number of trigger warnings for sexual abuse. One thing about Boyne is that he doesn't duck the major issues and those who have read the previous novels in this 'series' will know that this is also a hard hitting novel. To tell more of the synopsis will give way to spoilers so I won't but this book cements Boyne as my favourite author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the third in John Boyne's elements series of short novels. I found this one to be very disturbing, as Freya seems to have no conscience at all. She had a terrible childhood, and this theme of a damaged child - (does it excuse later behaviour? ) is examined in the book. The writing is concise and never becomes gratuitous. I loved the text messages sent by George which showed his immaturity. It's hard to say more about the plot without giving spoilers, but there were a couple of parts which stretched credulity. The links between the three novels so far are becoming more obvious. I had to re-read them all again to find the links I had missed. I hope that all the threads are pulled together in the last book, Air. Sadly I will have to wait until next year to find out. It is always a treat to read a John Boyne - I loved this.