Wildefire

What grabbed my attention about Wildefire was that not only was it featuring a main character of cultural background I've never seen before featured in a YA but that it was also featuring a deity other than the typical Greek. And what makes things better is that after a few chapters in Wildefire you find out that there are a whole host of other deities being featured in this book as well as a wonderful melting pot of ethnically diverse characters. And what's better than the characters being diverse is that a majority of them were very likeable and there were no stereotypes to be found. Many were funny and sarcastic while some were just frightening or outright total bad-asses. They all played off each other rather well often times clashing as much as they got along.

Ashline Wilde, our protagonist was certainly a heroine that was both take charge and outspoken. And although I like a female heroine who is confidant and can stand up for herself in the very beginning of the book I wasn't sure if I was going to like her all that much because she was aggressive to the point where it was a bit hard for me to read the scenes. Fortunately though aggression is not what Ashline is completely about and I was able to like her by the end of the story.

Wildefire starts off with Ashline basically beating up a girl her boyfriend had cheated on her with, though it was more of girl mouthing off to her and Ashline retaliating with action but things certainly don't get better when Ashline's sister Eve returns and ends with a warrant for her arrest. After a tragic night we move to a few months later and to a new setting. Ashline has transferred to a new school across the country nestled in the California Redwoods where she can get away from her past and start fresh but this is when things start becoming strange and Ashline realizes there is a lot about herself that she doesn't know.

Wildefire was a great balance of action, teenage drama, and romance. A premise that was wonderfully unique and beautifully written with smooth dialogue and colourful description. It wasn't perfect however and there was one main issue I had with the story. Near the middle we reach a point where all the characters learn of a certain turning point in each other's past and I was displeased that it was told in the second person perspective. Now this could just be my issue, I haven't heard anyone else mention it in their reviews and it didn't ruin the book for me but it did make me put it down for a while before continuing with it. Other than that though I did enjoy Wildefire very much and hope to see the few unanswered questions left in this novel to be answered in its sequel.

More on the 3.5 side but I really enjoyed it.