Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Fire Colour One was a different type of story. Unique in its approach and was an interesting read and I would definitely like to read more from Jenny Valentine in the future especially as Valentine is an author that I remember seeing ever as a child but never read.

Fire Colour One was a book that took me a long time to read. It was a short book but I wouldn't blame it on the book. It was definitely my issue. I think that it did in many respects lose what the book was about but when I would pick it up again I would get into it a lot more.

I think that the plot was the thing that got me involved in the story. I did want to know what happened and I was quite engaged as well. The characters are also one of the reasons why I also kept reading as I did want to know what happened to them and what happened at the end.

The story also tackles some difficult topics especially with the arrest of Iris and the debt that some of her family has. These are topics that are not widely tackled in YA so it was interesting to see them tackled in this way. I think that although this is something that I have not experienced myself, it was dealt with sensitively.

The Verdict:

Fire Colour One is a raw and emotional read with interesting characters and a plot that will leave you questioning every page.

Already reviewed and feedback sent ages ago. Not sure why these are duplicating. But please find review content at my archived blog www.behindonbooks.wordpress.com

- Thanks! Sorry this is a little haphazard. Just trying to clear my Shelf here. :)

An unusual concept for a book- it features an arsonist. It explores family relationships. Iris's mum is desperate to get Iris's fathers fortune. He is dying and she feels entitled to his art collection. Iris has never met him before - but gets to learn more about him when they get to know each other.
I enjoyed parts of this book- but YA is not my usual genre of choice and partly the reason it wasn't for me.

I wanted to love this book about the complexity of families, meeting behavioural expectations and the value of art much more than I did. The writing was beautiful and the plot was interesting enough (and picked up towards the end) but it just didn't wow me. A fairly short read, and one that has encouraged me to look for more by this author because of the writing style.

A great story of friendship, love and bravery. Would definitely recommend!

I chose this to read because of the Carnegie shortlist tag. I'm not surprised it didn't win. In fact I am surprised it was even nominated! I think most of the rave reviews are from young teens themselves and whilst, I'm far from their age, I'm well versed in young adult fiction and, so I thought, what would excite them. I couldn't really find any of what I was hoping for in this book I'm afraid.

The blurb and other reviews reveal enough about the plot so I won't go much further into that. You're supposed to hate the mother. I did. You're supposed to feel sorry for Iris. I did (not entirely sure I liked her though). You're supposed to like Ernest. I did. So, it succeeded in making me feel those things.

But, none of the characters were appealing or likable enough for me to be interested in them or what was going on in their lives. Iris is an arsonist and, whilst that's made clear in the book, it's not actually dealt with. Other than things burning down and once becoming trapped, there are no consequences or restraints placed on her by the adults. Her mother is only interested in money and alcohol. Her stepfather is a failed actor and a pretty wan character too.

I see other reviews praising the ending. I wasn't that impressed by that either. It was pretty obvious what was coming after Ernest's death. It could have been a bigger, more satisfying ending which could have been drawn out a little more. It wasn't even clear to me the story had ended. I flipped the page over and continued to read only to find it was a preview of another book.

To me, nothing really happened in this book!! Certainly nothing interesting or exciting enough for me to read another of the author's works or for me to recommend it or even remember it myself! It's a shame because the premise was good and so much more could have been done with it. The blurb indiates so much more than was delivered. So this wasted opportunity and I'm glad I've finished it and can move on.