Scott, Victoria. Fire and Flood. Scholastic, 2014.
Tella Holloway’s brother, Cody, is very sick and
dying. When, out of the blue, she gets a
chance to try to save his life, she jumps at it. Against her parents’ wishes, she enters the
Brimstone Bleed. The prize is The
Cure—the remedy to save her brother’s life.
To win, Tella will have to journey across a jungle, a desert, an ocean,
and the mountains against other Contenders.
There is only one prize, and she vows she will win it for Cody.
The Contenders’ only help comes from their Pandoras,
genetically engineered animals with unique fantastical abilities. Tella’s Pandora, KD-8, which she names
Madox, is a black fox with bright green eyes.
He has the power to morph into other Pandoras and to read Tella’s
thoughts.
As Tella bands together with other Contenders, she
discovers that some Contenders are helpful and kind, while others are cutthroat
and brutal. What Tella eventually
discovers from Guy Chambers, another Contender, is that not everything is at it
seems, and there is a reason for everything—especially in the Brimstone Bleed.
This book started out eerily similar to The Hunger Games, but ended up being
something different entirely. Tella
starts out as an average teenager, but grows and matures as the story
develops. She becomes a stronger and more compassionate
protagonist. Guy Chambers, Tella’s
eventual love interest, is smart and well versed in survival techniques. However, he has a sweet, caring side that is
“swoon-worthy” that will appeal to teen girls.
The mix between science fiction, romance, and
adventure will attract both male and female readers. This book will be enjoyed by readers looking
for a book similar to The Hunger Games and by those who enjoy a good survival story. The second book in the series, Salt and Stone, is expected to be
released in March, 2014.
I recommend Fire
and Flood for middle school, high school, and public libraries. I give it four out of five fleur de lis!
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