I actually enjoyed this book a lot, even with the Hunger Games/Maze Runner similarities. Who knows, maybe I enjoy people being herded like cattle in an arena. I’m pretty sure I don’t but I do like the dystopian feel that Fire & Flood has.
If given the chance, would you endure hell to be the one person to get the cure for a family member? I know I would, if there was any chance to not have to watch death take over.
Tella Holloway has been uprooted from Boston to the middle of Montana by her parents, for what she thinks is for her brothers well-being. Tella’s brother Cody is sick, with some sort of mysterious illness that apparently has no cure.
After going to check on Cody, Tella returns to her room to find a small blue box sitting on her bed. She opens it to find a small Bluetooth device, she places it in her ear and starts to hear intructions to participate in The Brimstone Bleed. Her father catches her with it and demands that she give him the device. Until that moment Tella was under the impression that the device was a gift from someone in her family. Ever since moving to Montana they have been completely disconnected from the world. No internet, cell phones, radio, t.v., nothing! Ultimately there is a reason.
Later that night, Tella has come up with a plan to get the device back, something has finally clicked and she realizes that there is something important. As she starts to sneak around the house, she sees smoke. Fearing that someone has set the house on fire she looks to see whats going on. Tella sees her own father building a fire in the middle of the lawn, and as shes watching Tella sees him throw the device in the fire. More determined than ever, Tella climbs out the window. Surprise, surprise the device is still there!
And this is what it said…
“If you’re hearing this message, you are invited to be a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. All Contenders must report within forty-eight hours to select their Pandora companions. If you do not appear within forty-eight hours, your invitation will be eliminated. The Pandora Selection Process will take place at the Old Red Museum. The Pandora you chose is of the utmost importance, for it will be your only source of assistance throughout the race. The Brimstone Bleed will last three months and will take place across four ecosystems: desert, sea, mountains, jungle. The winning prize will be the Cure — a remedy for any illness, for any single person.”
“There can be only one champion.”
Basically from here you can guess that Tella takes off and races toward the Old Red Museum, where is fights for a Pandora. A genetically altered animal that will help her in the race. She doesn’t know what her Pandora will look like since the selection process consists of picking out an egg.
Since Tella has a Pandora, she is able to move on to the next part of the race. She is packed into a box and shipped off to the jungle with more than 100 other people, all different ages and races, all competing for the Cure. While in the jungle is finds solace with a group of people and has 14 days to find base camp to be able to move on to the next place.
Of course there is a love interest. Guy is his name and being a tool during the first half of the book is his game. There is a reason that he acts like a tool, I won’t say… I don’t want to give away all the twist and turns in the book. I will say that I do like him towards the end, and I understand his reasoning for being all brooding and silent.
All in all, I did enjoy Fire & Flood. There were definitely some plot twists that I didn’t see coming, and then there were some that were so obvious they smacked you in the face. The Pandora’s, to me were that absolute best part of this book. I loved Tella’s Pandora! He was so full of surprises. I look forward to the next one!
This ARC was provided by Scholastic via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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