This short novella was a hard read once it became apparent what the themes were. Whilst it was interesting to discover Freya's backstory, which explained a lot about her character, I can't say that I enjoyed this as much as the previous books in the quartet. John Boyne's writing is the only thing that kept me going.

4.5 stars

I own, or have read, every single on John's books and so will always jump at the chance of a new one. Especially in this quartet. The two previous books have been really good. I preferred Water more than Earth, but they were both exceptional and I was excited to see which way this one went. It turned out to be really good, but very uncomfortable to read.

I always think John must be an expert at research, or he's just a very learned man, as I know nothing about the topics he chooses to write about, but they sound so right, so natural and unrehearsed and I'm always very impressed by that.

The four books do exist in the same universe I think, so there are links. This does mean that whilst the books can be read independently and in any order, you may potentially read things in the later books that will spoil the reading of the previous, and so I would recommend reading them in this order: Water, Earth, Fire, Air.

What I love about this series, this book included, is his ability to create characters who are at the same time, villain and victim. It gives the reader such food for thought, even in such a short book. Having said that, in my opinion, whilst there were tragic circumstances in her youth, I thought she was a vile person. Yes she's had her troubles and it's showing, but she makes for such uncomfortable reading - which I suppose is kind of the point, but still, she made my skin crawl.

It's not an uplifting story, I'll be honest. But it's so powerful and intense and thought-provoking. I'm not one for book clubs generally, but I agree with another review I saw that said this book deserves a wider book club discussion rather than a short review, as it's hard to properly get into why it is so impactful.

It's a short book and so easy and quick to read. No matter how exquisite John's writing is, I'm still quite glad this was a short story because of the subject matter and the way certain scenes are written (I won't spoil what), I'm not sure I'd have been comfortable enough to read a longer one.

But it's still shown me how amazing his writing is and I'm now really excited to read the final installment, Air, sometime next year.

I really enjoyed reading Earth and Water the first two books in this series and I was delighted to receive a copy of the latest book Fire.
I really enjoyed this book about Freya and the difficulties she fought every day.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Transworld Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love John Boyne’s writing and wow oh wow did this book deliver! This felt so different to any of his other books for me in that he wrote from the POV of someone soooo dark and twisted. It was honestly making me wince!! The fact he did so much and there were so many layers in so few pages was just incredible.

The pace of the book was great and although I wanted more because I am so greedy for his writing and characters, it was absolute perfection in length, every page was used for something and the twist and layers were just amazing.

Every character in this book was just so complex and wow Freya was mind-blowing in how messed up she was. I was really wincing when reading some of her parts, especially the bits with the different boys. Although I understood what she went through with her own mum was not ideal and the treatment she received from Pascoe and Arthur was awful, her behaviour was just insane!

As with all of the stories in the quartet so far I absolutely loved how they all gently link together but how the element acts so integral to the part of the story. I quite literally bow down at John Boyne’s intelligence. This book is just one I am absolutely desperate to talk about.

I adore John Boyne - I am never disappointed by a Boyne book!
I have really enjoyed the element series of books, and this one is no exception.

This book felt very different to the other two books in the series - I really liked that there were subtle hints ('easter eggs') to the previous books. (Please note - you don't need to have read the others to full appreciate this book)
There was a real uncomfortable atmosphere while reading this book - the topics could be quite triggering from some too. I was really wondering where the book was going at times, and I was trying to guess - but I was never correct in my guessing haha.

A lot darker than the other books in the series, but still as intriguing.
Sped through this book.

Gutted there's only one more book to go - but excited to see how/if it rounds all the stories up.

John Boyne continues to be one of the most compelling novelists around.

Fire is the 3rd of 4 related stories within his 'Elements' series. Like the first two entries, Water and Earth, it is DARK; in fact this time he ups the stakes with a story that is even more challenging than the previous two. It's clear at this point that the stories share a theme of sexual abuse and the path from victim to perpetrator.

In this one, Freya is a beautiful, successful surgeon who has it all, but is hiding a terrible secret.

Boyne's books are just so readable, even when they are about pretty awful things, like this one. The book was undeniably engrossing, but I am hoping that after the Elements series is complete, he returns to work that highlights the beauty and humour of humanity, as well as the darkness within.

As a reader you are quickly drawn to Freya, Dr Petrus, who initially appears a capable, calm and considerate doctor intent on doing the best for her burns victims. But as usual Boyne turns everything on its head and challenges our expectations as Freya changes before our eyes. The question is, was she always destined to be the person she became or did events in her past direct the way she turned out.
This is a totally gripping if not always an easy read. Describing it in more detail would give away the plot but it touches on some difficult themes of abuse and damage, victim and perpetrator. It is masterfully told and the plot simply rips along without a hiccup considering some of the issues it covers.
When all four books in the series are released I look forward to rereading them all together. I'm finding the drawn out nature of this quartet tantalizingly slow!
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

I really hated this story!

I didn't read the synopsis before I read the book, I wish I had, it might have helped me a little to understand why the author would write such a dark, repulsive, disturbing piece of writing.

The Deets
Freya is a beautiful surgeon specialising in skin grafts.
A string of tragic events happened to Freya one summer when she was 12.
Did what happened to Freya that fateful summer influence the adult she would become – or was she always destined to be that person?
Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being?
Leaving us asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature?

I struggled with so many elements of this story but one part specifically haunts me. Numerous teenage boys feature in the story, one in particular is called Rufus, he's timid, polite and 14 yrs old, just like my son and it was really hard to read his part in the story.

The book is described as a chilling uncomfortable but a compelling phycological journey.... And it's one that will never leave me!

The one thing I will say about this author is that he certainly knows how to conjure a story that gets under your skin and sticks to your bones like glue!

THIS. WAS.BRILLIANT.

This is absolutely in my top 5 books of the year. John Boyne has a brilliant talent for creating characters that become instantly real - and totally likeable or dislikeable in just a few short pages into a book.

What to say about Freya. As a child I felt sorry for her, and what happened to her. As an adult, she is a fairly despicable character perpetuating her trauma on to others. She is a total contradiction in that as a burns surgeon, she is saving lives, making them better, helping people to continue on despite horrific injuries. As a human being, she is willfully and mindfully set on destroying the lives and futures of as many young boys as she can in a passive multiple revenge attack. She was fascinating. Loved the ending - although I had guessed that it was coming. However, as I've said before, John Boyne is my favourite author and I would read the phone book if he wrote it. It is always a pleasure to read anything he has written and I can't wait to read the next and last installment when I suspect I might just read them all again.

I absolutely loved this book. Following on from the first two I couldn’t put it down.
Twists and turns with a dark strange character who is not what she seems.

Wow, just finished this dark and disturbing novella. It’s gripping and tense, not for everybody, but it’s hard to put down once started. Really explores the dark side of a character and whether evil is nature or nurture. An outstanding piece of fiction. Thankyou to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this very interesting review copy.

Fire by John Boyne is a shocking and bleak read, but one I was compelled to finish. Childhood abuse and trauma, and the impact and cycle of harm into adulthood, is well portrayed.
Wouldn’t recommend it? Not to everyone. Did I enjoy it? No, but do I appreciate the skill and bravery of the author? Yes, 100%.
I liked the nods to the previous two books (although the book stands alone and there is no need at all to have read them). I will definitely read book 4.
I remain in awe of John Boyne and how he pushes boundaries with his writing. He is amazing. For this I cannot do anything other than give this book five stars, although it was a very hard and uncomfortable read.

Inadequately parented, abused and tormented by evil twins in her childhood, Freya takes her revenge over and over again, seeking the most vulnerable as her victims. She's cold, calculating, fascinating and totally unlikeable.

From the very first page this novella is full of tension, escalating into a thoroughly chilling and disturbing narrative. It's short, tightly written, gripping, and there's a big question left hanging at the end. This would be perfect reading group material - challenging and thought-provoking.

The third in John Boyne’s novella series, Fire follows Freya, already an eminent surgeon at thirty-six, living alone in a luxurious flat, once the home of a footballer who she helped convict of rape as a jurist. Her success is admirable given her rackety childhood and the ordeal she underwent aged twelve at the hands of fourteen-year-old twins who’d spent the summer abusing her culminating in burying her for a night, afraid that she was about to reveal what they’d done. The scars of that summer have resulted in a toxic fallout of revenge perpetrated over years, a cycle which she seems incapable of escaping.
Abuse is the overarching theme of Boyne’s series. The first instalment, Water, explored the idea of collusion with Willow happy to enjoy the trappings of her husband’s job while blinding herself to his behaviour. In this instalment, Boyne asks whether abusers are born or made, addressing the question of female abusers and the devastating legacy of abuse. His narrative flashes back and forth between the present day and the summer of Freya’s ordeal, quickening the pace as events play out. It’s a gripping piece of fiction which, like the others in this powerful series, leaves its readers with much to think about.

I've preiously read Water and Earth from this series and was excited to be contacted by the publisher offering me a chance to read the newest installment in Boyne's Elements series.
Fire is an intense, gripping read that catches you attention from the first page. The characters are well-developed which makes their struggles and emotions feel very real. This is a book that you think about long after finishing it. Defititely recommend this if you enjoy thought-provoking, emotionally charged short stories.

I'm a huge fan of John Boyne so to get access to this ARC is a miracle for me. Thank you to Netgalley, John Boyne and the publisher for allowing me this.

The Elements series Boyne has written is out of this world. It was an uncomfortable read at times but I think the concept is eye opening, unique and intriguing. I was hooked from page one. I didn't want to put it down.

Where do I start? It's taken me a couple of weeks to review this story because I couldn't quite get my thoughts in order.

The content for Fire is dark and really twisted, but strangely, I couldn't stop reading. I could both sympathise with the protagonist and what she went through as a child and at the same time be disgusted by her too, so I had very complex emotions reading this story.

I'm looking forward (or am I) to seeing what's in store for the final story in this series, as they seem to be getting darker and darker.

I have devoured these short stories by Johan no this was no exception. It is cleverly linked to the previous “Elements” stories and also works as a standalone.

Freya has a great life….now. Her childhood was haunted by events beyond her control. Now as a successful professional, she makes choices. Bad choices, choices that can burn her…..

Highly recommend this series,

I very much enjoyed - if that is the right word - the previous books in this collection. The subject matter makes this a difficult read. In the previous books people have done wrong but there is an attempt to understand what and how the wrong occurred, and in some cases there is an element of sympathy. However this time the wrongdoer is not at all likeable, and I found myself cringing as the plot develops. That is not to say that I don't thoroughly recommend this book, it is a great read, just expect to feel quite uncomfortable.

Freya is a successful doctor, specialising in burns victims. She is living a privileged life in London but the events of her childhood have filled her with cruelty, or maybe she was born that way?

It’s been described as an uncomfortable read and I can very much see why, it was a hard going at times but at the same time I couldn’t put it down, quite literally as I read it in one go.

As always Boyne’s writing is superb.
I enjoyed the links with the previous two books in the series and how he continues so cleverly to explore the blurred lines between victim and villain, but would definitely recommend looking into the TW for this before picking this one up