Wildefire
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this coming-of-age fantasy features teens with paranormal abilities. Teens should be prepared for some violence: The body count begins in the earliest chapters, and later in the story, protagonist Ash witnesses several deaths, including those of people very close to her. There is also some decidedly PG-13 language, and adolescent lust, romance, and even a high-school pregnancy. Even so, readers might find a role model in refreshing Ash: she's brassy, smart, self-confident -- and loyal. And they will learn a thing or two as well: The second half of the book turns into comparative mythology 101
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What's the Story?
Ashline \"Ash\" Wilde already stands out by being the only adopted Polynesian student in an affluent, all-white New York high school. When her estranged, intimidating older sister Eve comes home and ruthlessly kills Ash's school rival, Ash escapes from her East Coast troubles by boarding at Blackwood Academy, a posh prep school in Northern California. There, a mysterious encounter draws her to five other students. And that's when Ash's real adventure begins: Together, the group discovers they're able to do unbelievable things like control the weather or others' minds. In fact, they may not even be human.
Is It Any Good?
Readers may find strong Ash a refreshing protagonist: She's not a shy wallflower waiting for a cute boy to help her blossom. Ash knows she's hot stuff, whether she's beating an opponent on the tennis court or flirting with a guy on the dance floor. But she's not sure who -- or what -- she really is for most of the book, and that makes her appealing -- at least when the pace picks midway through the book.
Unfortunately, other characters aren't so well-drawn: Scary big sister Eve is one-dimensional as the unabashed "bad girl," and the author doesn't develop Ash's friends enough to care too much when they're put in harm's way. First-time author Knight's writing suffers from some clunky prose and unanswered plot holes, but once the action takes off, fantasy-loving teens will be guessing and wanting more -- and hoping for another installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of mythological characters in books and other media. What other titles can you think of? What's lasting about these characters?
Compare Ash to other popular heroines in young adult books. Is she typical -- or unusual? Thinking of media as a whole, are there more diverse female characters today than there were in the past?
Book Details
- Author: Karsten Knight
- Genre: Fantasy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: July 26, 2011
- Number of pages: 400
- Last updated: September 17, 2015
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