January 3, 2023 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Aly struggles a bit in middle school, unlike her more confident and well dressed older sister Rachael. Aly has braces, and is made fun of by some of the kids in her class. On several occasions, fires start when she gets angry, and when she manages to burn up her math homework on her desk at home, she can no longer deny that something strange is going on. He uncle has a few clues that this might be a family trait, and even claims that Aly's father can move things iwth his mind. Aly confides in Rachael, who counsels her to think about some anger management techniques like breathing and meditation in order to get her emotions under control. It's not enough, and soon Aly is melting the tennis shoes of a boy who is tormenting her younger brother Simon. Or is Aly really pyrokinetic? She does some online research, but there are some clues that the fires might not be her doing. Simon also seems to have some strange abilities of his own. When things heat up, literally, at school, will Aly be able to douse the flames before it is too late?
Strengths: This had some good twists and turns that I don't want to spoil, so the short review is not reflective of the quality of the book. This had a lot of nice details about the fire, some psychological intrigue, and a really interesting sibling bond. Rachael was nicely unhinged, Aly tormented, and Simon the unlikely hero in many ways. Solid creepy read, and this cover will make it fly off the shelves.
Weaknesses: Do people really make fun of other children for braces these days? Seems unlikely, since so many people wear them. Back in the '70s, when fewer people had them and children made fun of everyone for everything, this would have been more prevalent. Can't say anyone makes fun of people for wearing glasses, either.
What I really think: I have four copies of this author's Red Rover, so will buy at least two copies of Ablaze. Is it as scary as Red Rover? Hmmm. Not really, but there was something oddly captivating about it. I'm sure that pyrokinesis has been done before (a friend mentioned that King's Carrie could set things on fire, but it's been so long since I read it that I don't remember), but it's probably not something most middle grade readers have seen. I remember being slightly disappointed by this author's Gravediggers series, but he is really on a roll how with Darkness and several other titles!
Strengths: This had some good twists and turns that I don't want to spoil, so the short review is not reflective of the quality of the book. This had a lot of nice details about the fire, some psychological intrigue, and a really interesting sibling bond. Rachael was nicely unhinged, Aly tormented, and Simon the unlikely hero in many ways. Solid creepy read, and this cover will make it fly off the shelves.
Weaknesses: Do people really make fun of other children for braces these days? Seems unlikely, since so many people wear them. Back in the '70s, when fewer people had them and children made fun of everyone for everything, this would have been more prevalent. Can't say anyone makes fun of people for wearing glasses, either.
What I really think: I have four copies of this author's Red Rover, so will buy at least two copies of Ablaze. Is it as scary as Red Rover? Hmmm. Not really, but there was something oddly captivating about it. I'm sure that pyrokinesis has been done before (a friend mentioned that King's Carrie could set things on fire, but it's been so long since I read it that I don't remember), but it's probably not something most middle grade readers have seen. I remember being slightly disappointed by this author's Gravediggers series, but he is really on a roll how with Darkness and several other titles!
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