[Book Review] Girl on Fire by Gemma Amor

Girl on Fire by Gemma Amor book photo by Erica Robyn Reads

Girl on Fire by Gemma Amor is a fiery tale about a girl who just wants to get away and start her life on a fresh chapter. But as she navigates the very beginning of this next chapter, she crosses paths with more toxic people who are just as bad as the one she had been running from.

Will she be able to rise above, or will she let herself become a monster?

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Girl on Fire by Gemma Amor –

When this story begins, we meet a teenage girl named Ruby who has finally broken free of a toxic family life. But just as she’s feeling that she is finally able to celebrate, her car hits a pothole, veers off the road, flips over, and ends up bursting into flame.

But Ruby isn’t at the end of the line here… Her fresh start is about to truly begin as she rises from the ashes.

From there, we’re off and running on a path following Ruby, who is no longer allowing anyone to treat her poorly. If they do, they will find themselves in the hot seat.

I absolutely loved Ruby. My heart went out to her learning some of her backstory and then seeing how much she struggled with the line between finally being herself and giving in to the evil thoughts. This poor girl didn’t stand a chance with her upbringing and the messages that were drilled into her.

The author certainly played with the pull between being good and being evil here. I really enjoyed seeing this teenager struggle with both that and the new feeling of finally having some power for the very first time. She was clearly in a negative headspace, and some of the people she ran into during her journey certainly didn’t help that as it just made her more and more angry. But when some of the characters she came across showed her kindness, I had hope that they were getting through to her.

While the story centered around Ruby, I loved that we got chapters from the perspectives of others who played a part here. I especially loved Cat and how strong-willed she was. One of my favorite scenes, even though I was cringing the whole time, was seeing how Cat gave it right back to the people who were interrogating her.

My Favorite Passages from Girl on Fire –

Hate, I realise, can be a useful survival mechanism.

I could weep, but I will not, because I have shit to do, and crying is a waste of my time.

Maybe I want to see if I really am evil, all the way through, or maybe I’m wondering if my evil comes in spots, like rotten patches on a dropped apple. You can cut the bad bits away, and still have a half-way decent apple left behind.

We can’t expect life to make sense. We just make our own truths, and there is something liberating in that.

“… You’re entitled to your anger. You’re not entitled to take it out on the world at large. Do that, and you’re just… I dunno, a fucking patron saint for everything toxic and bad. Tyler Durden. Thanos. The fucking Joker. With tits.”

Guilt is a slow-growing flower.