2 November 2015

Review: The Fire Sermon

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Francesca Haig
Format: Hardcover (Given to us in exchange for a fair review)
Pages: 384
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Via Goodreads): Four hundred years in the future, the Earth has turned primitive following a nuclear fire that laid waste to civilization and nature. Though the radiation fallout has ended, for some unknowable reason every person is born with a twin. Of each pair one is an Alpha - physically perfect in every way - and the other an Omega burdened with deformity, small or large.
With the Council ruling an apartheid-like society, Omegas are branded and ostracized while the Alphas have gathered the world's sparse resources for themselves. Though proclaiming their superiority, for all their effort Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: Whenever one twin dies, so does the other. Cass is a rare Omega, one burdened with psychic foresight. While her twin, Zach, gains power on the Alpha Council, she dares to dream the most dangerous dream of all: equality. For daring to envision a world in which Alphas and Omegas live side by side as equals, both the Council and the Resistance have her in their sights.
My Ponderings: Ah yes, a novel with a great division between people that must be overcome for the good of humanity lest they wipe each other out completely...where have I heard this one before. Okay, so the idea isn't alone, but it was actually still pretty good. I felt bad for Cass. I was mad that she was being forced to go through all that she was and that there was little she could do to help herself. I'm glad that once she was finally able to do something for herself, she also took the chance to help someone else along the way. That character trait was a huge plus for me. Zach, on the other hand, was just a lot of nasty words that I can't repeat in front of the children.
What else? Oh, like with The Hunger Games, I don't want to live in the world that Haig paints for us at all. A place where siblings hate each other just for existing. Siblings are (in my mind) always supposed to look out for one another, to love each other when nobody else does, to protect each other and Haig turns this idea on its head, pitting everyone against the person most like them in the world. It's a heartbreaking concept.
The whole world they live in is terrifying, especially when scientists get involved. Prisons? This novel was upsetting...
I loved Kip when he finally made an appearance. He was just an interesting mystery (that I figured out too soon and too late because I already loved him).
The ending of this book made me so angry. It wrapped up just enough for it to be an ending without a cliffhanger but not enough to satisfy me. It was just plain rude what happened. I understand why it happened and that it needed to be done but I am still not pleased and you can say nothing to make me feel better about it.
Basically: This was a good book. It wasn't as good as The Hunger Games but it was better than Divergent. It's suitable for teens but very dark. It fit very well into the YA category. This is not a happy story so don't say I didn't warn you.

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