Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

I really enjoyed the first collaborative novel between Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, Burn for Burn, so I was definitely excited to pick up the second book in their trilogy, Fire With Fire and see what my favourite revenge-seekers Lillia, Kat and Mary were up to.

Originally when I was reading about this trilogy it was described as having a paranormal edge to it, but that didn't appear at all until the very end of Burn for Burn. Likewise, while it is definitely more apparent in Fire With Fire it's not until the very end that we really find out where all the clues have been leading, with a cliffhanger that has me already begging for book 3, Ashes to Ashes, which sadly must wait until 2014.

As a general rule, I prefer contemporary to paranormal, so I don't really mind that these books come across more contemporary, especially because they are so well-written and I enjoy the characters so much. That's really what makes the Burn for Burn trilogy, the character voices– all three of which are very distinct– and the writing. The revenge storyline is entertaining but not terribly original (although I do love the twist at the end of Fire With Fire and can't wait to see where it goes) but the writing is so strong it carries these books into "really really enjoy" territory for me.

Fire With Fire begins almost immediately after Burn for Burn as the girls learn whether or not they got away with their homecoming hijinks and if their revenge changed anything at all. I was especially drawn to Kat's voice and story in this book, although a lot of the mystery revolves around what's going on with Mary. The book itself is really long at over 500 pages, which is maybe too long, but with good enough, easy to read writing, I don't mind.

In Fire With Fire it's once again, it's impossible to tell where Han's writing begins and Vivian's writing ends, as the collaboration is smooth and easy flow and realistic details make me want to pick up both of their books. After reading Burn for Burn I did grab Han's Summer Trilogy but I still need to read a solo book by Vivian. I guess that's something to keep me occupied until Ashes to Ashes, the final book in this awesome trilogy, is released.

Release Date: August 13th, 2013  Pages: 528  Format: Egalley
Source: Edelweiss  Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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