Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Title: Fire & Flood

Series: Fire & Flood #1

Author: Victoria Scott

Published by: Chicken House on March 6th 2014

Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure

Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased

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Goodreads Synopsis: A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

My Review: Fire & Flood is different, maybe a little strange but oh so much fun.

I loved Tella and I connected with her straight away, we both have unruly curly hair that is the bane of our existence and we would do anything for the ones we love. For Tella the lengths she goes through in order to get a cure for her brother are extreme to say the least. The Brimstone Bleed seems to challenge not only Tella’s stamina and survival skills but also her ability to step out of her comfort zone and work as a part of a team. When we first meet her she comes across as a spoiled girly girl, she packs nail varnish, just in case she has time for it during the race, but shes grows. The race also tests her resolve – is putting her life at risk worth the slim chance she has at saving her brothers? To Tella the answer is an unequivocal yes. Through it all Tella keeps her fantastic sarcasm and sense of humour that had me laughing out loud.

The secondary characters are all as unique as Tella and each with a loved one they are trying to save. There is the strong and practical Harper, the motherly Caroline, the the loveble rambunctious young twins Ransom & Levi and the ‘let me punch him in the throat’ Titus. And of course, there is the love interest, Guy, who is handsome and mysterious and knows the secrets behind the origins of the race. The romance between Tella and Guy is slowly developed and was a joy to watch happen, I can’t wait to see how it continues to develop in the other books.

Now on to the most important part of the story PANDORAS, OMG how I want one, GIMME! Each of the contestants get to pick an egg at the start of the race and each of these eggs hatch into an animal that will be a companion and a helper, but these aren’t ordinary animals, they are way cooler. Believe me you will want one too.

I do have a few question about the race, but I know they will be answered within the rest of the trilogy so they aren't a big problem to me. Some of my questions were answered in this book, but just enough to keep me wanting more.

This book made me laugh, cry and angry and it definitely left me deperately wanting the next one Salt & Stone. If you are looking for a fun action adventure then you should absolutely read this.