Review of Fire and Flood

Fire & Flood

By Victoria Scott

  

About:

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4.5/5

My thoughts:

Tella’s brother is sick and the doctors don’t know whats wrong with him. Suddenly she receives a message from a stranger saying that she has been selected for the Brimstone Bleed and the winner will receive a cure for any disease. Tella isn’t sure whether to believe this message or not but she sets out on a journey, determined to do whatever she can to help her brother Cody.

This is the first book I have read by Victoria Scott and I’m glad to say I was not disappointed. The book reminded me of Hunger Games because of the whole fierce competition and only one person wins kind of thing, but at the same time it was very different. Tella has no idea what the Brimstone Bleed is, and she’s going into this competition practically blind since her parents never told her anything about it either.

But Tella isn’t alone since each contender has a Pandora, which is like an animal guardian, but these anmals have been experimented on so they each have different abilities. For example, a lion that can breathe fire, a skunk that can become invisible... The Pandora’s objective is to protect and help their contender win in whatever way they can.

Tella isn’t a fighter, or a warrior, in fact she’s pretty much a typical 16 year old girl (even though I’m not sure how old she really is). She wants nothing more than to have a good pamper day with her best friend, Hannah, but at the same time she loves her brother and is determined to win this cure for him.

You can see how her character develops and the circumstances grow more serious as the “game” progresses. Contenders and pandoras get injured and even die, but the race continues.

Overall, an excellent start to what I’m hoping will be a brilliant series!

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes:

What if it’s true? I want to believe it’s real. I want to believe there can be an end to Cody’s blood tests and MRIs. That my mom will learn to sleep again, and that my dad will stop quietly raging. I don’t want to smell antiseptic anymore or meet another kindhearted nurse who’s great at hitting a vein on the first try. How about, instead, you leave Cody alone? How about, instead, you make him better?

These aren’t my clothes. Oh my God. Someone changed my clothes while I was asleep.
My first thought is: What creepazoid takes someone’s clothes off while they’re sleeping? The second is what undies I’m wearing - whether it’s an old pair or my good Victoria’s Secret stuff.
I’m not proud of this last thought.

For fifteen minutes, I plan my funeral. My pastor will give my life eulogy. He’ll say I wore way too much makeup and that I had a borderline obsession with sticky notes. They’ll serve Greek food at the wake, because Mom will insist it was my favourite, and Cody will ask why he has to eat this crap even after I’m gone.

I could shove it in Cody’s face every chance I got. I’d be like, Hey, Cody, enjoying that doughnut? You wouldn’t be if I hadn’t saved your ass. And, Hey, Cody, nice wedding you’re having here. You know what you’d be doing today if I hadn’t saved you? Not getting married.