Fire by Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm Book 2) follows a girl named Fire, a monster with irresistible beauty and a strange ability to control the minds around her. Fire is a wonderful book that explores the trials of a crumbling kingdom and two Lords who try to unseat the king.
Deeper than that, it follows Fire’s perspective as everything happens. Throughout her life, she’s had to succumb to the judging eyes of everyone around her, either angered by her beauty and power or jealous of it. She faces and rises against the sexism in the story and tries to prove to others, but mostly herself, that she is capable and stronger than the legacy she was born into.
Fire is a great book for young teens who are looking for emotion, struggle with the inner and outer self, and a kingdom on the brink of war. There are messages that the author has entwined into the story, and for this reason, I couldn’t put it down. I also think it is important for young people to read because what the book represents are problems that people actually face today: self-image and sexism, two main issues that the main character faces. Fire also struggles to accept the power she was born with, symbolizing the feeling of exclusion and alienation, another thing metaphoric to the issues many people face today.
Overall this book is a great one to read, I highly recommend it. I’ve read it countless times because of the journey of the characters, the many problems they come across, and the hidden messages that really made me connect with the characters. Fire is a book you won’t want to put down.
– Grace De Prophetis
Thunder Bay Public Library's Book Blog 
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