Reviews

Girl on Fire by Gemma Amor

aaronlindsey's review

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5.0

I was first introduced to Ruby Miller in the short story 'Girl on Fire'. I was enamoured. So much so that I contacted Gemma Amor and asked for more info. She informed me that this book existed. I downloaded it immediately and dove in with gusto!
I love this story! Ruby is an Anti-Hero with a flaming passion for all things burnt. If you get in her way (and maybe even if you don't), you're toast.

reads_vicariously's review against another edition

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4.0

This story starts with a bang (literally) and is paced like wildfire, zipping through a tale of a young girl's burning fury being unleashed upon the world. Ruby's traumatic past haunts her still, and all she wants to do is see the world burn. She is the girl on fire, and her killing rage is both righteous and overwhelmingly destructive. Unfortunately for those around her it is only going to escalate.

I understand Ruby's pain, but after a few chapters I was afraid she was just going to be this angry, unstoppable force for the whole book (which, honestly, would become tedious). Thankfully the author begins to switch things up more in the second half. We begin to see cracks in Ruby's tough exterior. She briefly finds companionship, allowing us to see a more vulnerable side. Something is starting to go wrong with her awesome powers. And so on. All of these aspects add engaging layers to what could have just been a straight-forward revenge story, and they're what elevated this book to the next level for me.

There are also hints at a larger world of super human beings and unnatural oddities. These brief glimpses are a welcome addition, but unfortunately that's all we get. I absolutely need a sequel to this book, and it's certainly set up for one. In fact, no spoilers, but I loved the way this ended. It's a nice blend of tragedy and redemption.

Overall I really enjoyed this novella. I love the quick pace and laser-focused writing style, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice variety of perspectives. Some of my favorite chapters are ones told from other character's POVs, and seeing Ruby's destructive force from an outsider's eyes added an interesting dimension to the storytelling. There pretty much has to be a sequel, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

ghostblush's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

jasonsweirdreads's review against another edition

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5.0

**Disclaimer: This review might contain some spoilery material. I try not to do this in my reviews, but I had to gush...

Girl on Fire reminded me just how good Gemma Amor's writing is. It's vicious and pissed off. It's beautiful and ugly and fascinating. This one was my second read by her, Dear Laura being the first. As with that book, I'm going to say the same with this one. It's not my last. And now I doubt there will be a book where I just stop reading her stories. She is quickly climbing up my list to becoming a favorite.
Girl on Fire follows Ruby Miller, our antihero. Her teenage years are filled with pain and abuse, and just as she saves enough money to buy her own car and run away, something happens where she learns that she can create and control fire, and a lot of it, with her mind.

Straight away she's forced to use this newly found power to defend herself, and she kills. Thus begins our journey, a trip to a fiery hell with a whole lot of crispy flesh left on our trail. Ruby begins to lose any sense of compassion or empathy as she goes, becoming less and less human with each new victim. Worse, she self-justifies her reasoning, offering only a shrug if she doesn't have an answer ready as to why she's doing such horrible things.

The Good:

Gemma Amor is a master of the English language. Your brain will crave absorbing her wonderful prose as she takes us through some terrible and terrifying situations. She's also a master at character creation. Ruby, at the beginning of the story, is sympathetic, but as she learns to harness her fiery powers, the less she cares about the lives she takes. So you begin feeling for Ruby, wishing for her to have better. As the story progresses, however, you grow to hate her. And yet you can't help but find her fascinating and continuously curious wondering what she'll do next.

The Bad:

The abusive beginning reads like a literary coming of age, albeit a grim one. We're suddenly and quickly thrust into an adventure story with our antihero supervillain all within the change of a page. It's a little jarring, but Gemma Amor's writing skill is good enough to hold onto the reins and keep you interested. But I think that it's important to address this because it could lose readers. Just know that you're in for a wild ride.

Aside from the beginning, Girl on Fire is fast-paced and thrilling. It's also very short. I absolutely loved this book and cannot recommend it enough.

shawna_reads's review

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"I have been brought back from the dead for a reason. A mission. To clear the world of trash. And how do we get rid of trash? We burn it. We burn it all."

Ruby Miller is finally free of her past, her family, and her tormentor, but being free comes with a price as she crashes her car on the loneliest road. She is about to find out whether she is truly free as she is reborn from her ashes like a Phoenix. 

I did not know there was a novella of the short story in Gemma's collection, Cruel Works of Nature. A few pages in I thought "Why does this sound familiar?" And then it hit me 😂 I loved that story so it was no surprise that I loved this extended version!

This is an action packed novella full of horror and grief. Ruby is an angry person looking for revenge. She may have escaped her family, but her father's voice still lives in her head and it is that voice that fuels her anger and causes to burn anyone and anything in her path. She is a badass character that you can't help but feel sad for because of the abuse she endured that effected her perspective on life.

I highly recommend this fiery, chaotic, gripping novella!

n0rmann's review

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5.0

Really enjoyed this story of a modern day human phoenix seeking revenge for the injustices of the world. And, I love that the author featured my cousin Ruby in a nice way! Millers unite!

maxines_obsessions's review

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4.0

Wow, what a powerhouse. Full review to come.

readingvicariously's review

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4.0

This story starts with a bang (literally) and is paced like wildfire, zipping through a tale of a young girl's burning fury being unleashed upon the world. Ruby's traumatic past haunts her still, and all she wants to do is see the world burn. She is the girl on fire, and her killing rage is both righteous and overwhelmingly destructive. Unfortunately for those around her it is only going to escalate.

I understand Ruby's pain, but after a few chapters I was afraid she was just going to be this angry, unstoppable force for the whole book (which, honestly, would become tedious). Thankfully the author begins to switch things up more in the second half. We begin to see cracks in Ruby's tough exterior. She briefly finds companionship, allowing us to see a more vulnerable side. Something is starting to go wrong with her awesome powers. And so on. All of these aspects add engaging layers to what could have just been a straight-forward revenge story, and they're what elevated this book to the next level for me.

There are also hints at a larger world of super human beings and unnatural oddities. These brief glimpses are a welcome addition, but unfortunately that's all we get. I absolutely need a sequel to this book, and it's certainly set up for one. In fact, no spoilers, but I loved the way this ended. It's a nice blend of tragedy and redemption.

Overall I really enjoyed this novella. I love the quick pace and laser-focused writing style, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice variety of perspectives. Some of my favorite chapters are ones told from other character's POVs, and seeing Ruby's destructive force from an outsider's eyes added an interesting dimension to the storytelling. There pretty much has to be a sequel, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

janellresina's review

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

readbyashleyd's review

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dark tense fast-paced

5.0

Some girls just want to set the world on fire and when it makes for stories as amazing as this one then I am A-OKAY with it, fire away ladies! This is my second novella by Gemma Amor and it has firmly cemented her as a favourite horror author. Girl on Fire gives me Firestarter by King mixed with Miriam Black by Chuck Wendig with a sprinkle of Jennifer’s Body vibes and if that bloody killer mix doesn’t make you want to read this immediately then I don’t know what will and I also think you might be insane. Because who wouldn’t want to read such a story? It’s one of the best coming of age stories I’ve read in awhile and I just loved following along Ruby’s blazing path of fire and destruction. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find of what could possibly come next and before I knew it I was already finished and desperately needing more Ruby Miller! My fellow horror fans, this is one coming of age horror novella that you don’t want to sleep on.