A review by landofkait
The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I think a good story is one of growth. And this story is not short on growth. It started with a bang, giving you a good idea of the kind of person Ranka is, only for her to be someone different by the end of the book—and in the best way possible. Her hesitations, fears, hopes, dreams, and heartbreaking truths are all so real and nuanced. Her triumphs and failures were so tangible. A few times I had to stop reading just to catch my breath. With a single, focused perspective, you really get to dive into her head, feel what she feels, and understand her decisions (even when they infuriated me).

I think Mix was ambitious in this venture and she accomplished a lot in this story. Ranka was a heartfelt narrator who felt everything so deeply and who was emphatically human, despite not being quite human at all. I’d read another whole book about her if I could.