‘From internationally bestselling author John Boyne, a challenging and visceral narrative that asks the question: can one cataclysmic moment turn someone into a monster?”
– Fire
[ About Fire ]
On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn’t always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness.
Did what happened to Freya as a child one fateful summer influence the adult she would become – or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being?
[ My Review ]
‘Only one of the four elements was missing that night, but its time would come.’
Fire by John Boyne will publish November 7th with Doubleday and is the third volume in THE ELEMENTS series. Fire is described as a story that ‘takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature?’ and is possibly one of the most unsettling, yet strangely, compelling books I have ever read.
Water and Earth, the first two books in this series, were both challenging and powerful reads, with each focusing on the life of one particular character. In Water, Vanessa Carvin was escaping her home life and needed a place to reflect on where she was at, so she sought peace on an island off the coast of Ireland. Vanessa herself was not directly guilty of anything but someone close to her was. In Earth, young Irishman Evan Keogh faces a serious trial for sexual assault in the UK. He is a tormented soul who is aware of his part in this terrible assault and is ravaged by the guilt.
In Fire we meet Dr. Freya Petrus, a very successful surgeon working in the burns unit. From the opening lines we are aware that Freya’s trajectory in life has all been based on a secret.
‘When I was twelve years old, I was buried alive within the grounds of a construction site’
This dark past has influenced every decision Freya has ever made. Very respected within the medical field, Freya is constantly aware that people gossip about her but she pays no heed to it. Her personality is quite off-putting to many. She is abrasive, cold and precise in her every action. She is excellent at what she does but Freya is different. Her personal life is poisoned by her past and her decisions are quite disconcerting which, as a reader, can be quite distressing.
In the three novellas so far, Fire is the one that I am struggling the most to review. Freya’s childhood years were traumatic. The behaviour of those around her impacted her every step into adult life. In her mind her behaviour is justifiable and she sees the end game as been worth the suffering achieved. Her guilt is momentary and she moves on. Freya is guilty of wrongdoing, Her sinister and dark behaviour is very disturbing and utterly despicable, yet what makes Fire so compelling is the narrative. It’s Freya who is telling us her story. She is attempting to justify her Machiavellian behaviour by colouring our perception of her as she recalls her past life and the harrowing experiences that resulted in her now presenting as this cruel person.
John Boyne asks of us to consider nurture v nature. Did the events of Freya’s early years shape her or was she born this way? Fire is a short read but it packs an almighty and incomprehensible punch. Air is the final book in this series which is due for publication in May 2025 and is described as ‘a contemplative story about one man trying to move forward from the trauma of his youth to become a better father to his son.‘ As with all four books the main character is someone who we have already crossed paths with. In a very smart move, John Boyne has intersected these four books by interweaving specific individuals into his work, A brief appearance of a certain character in one book leads to them taking centre stage in the next one. This clever detail ties all the book together so I would recommend that you start your journey with The Elements from the beginning.
Admittedly, I felt all out of sorts when I finished reading Fire yet, I had to acknowledge the pure power of John Boyne’s writing and his ability to stir up such unease and discomfort in such a compact piece of work. Fire is a chilling and psychological exploration of human nature. It is an extremely provocative piece of work that will perplex, challenge and demand the attention of the reader.
** Thank you to Penguin Random House for my copy of Fire in exchange for my honest review
[ Bio ]
John Boyne is the author of sixteen novels for adults, six for younger readers, and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet, and opera. His many international bestsellers include The Heart’s Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky. He has won four Irish Book Awards, including Author of the Year in 2022, along with a host of other international literary prizes. His novels are published in sixty languages.
X: @JohnBoyneBooks
