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A review by bookswithmaddi
We Are the Ashes, We are the Fire by Joy McCullough
3.0
Do not let my 3 star rating fool you into believing this book does not have my whole heart! I'm not even sure how to begin rating this book. My life changed after I read Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough and since I read it I've been in a desperate search for the same reading experience with another book. So when reaching for WAtAWatF I wanted exactly what BWP gave me. It would be ignorant of me to think that my rating of this was not affected by my expectations for something different from this book. While half of this book takes a historical angle and the same format and BWP (verse), the other half is a YA contemporary which handles the trauma of existing in this world as a woman.
Because these two formats are so different I think it is hard to find the perfect audience for this book. The juxtaposition between the formats and the time periods truly show of McCullough's talent for writing heartfelt and meaningful stories. I thought that at some points the story felt drawn out, I wasn't as invested in the story of Em and Nor and I know some people had the exact opposite reaction. It's difficult to place these two stories in the same binding because in some ways by their existence they rip you out of the story your reading. It's hard to say what should have been done differently, but although the stories had the same themes it felt jolting each time the story would shift from Em to Marguerite.
Overall this book is so important. It singlehandedly captured all of my pent up anger at men and wrote it in the words that I have always struggled to say. I highly highly recommend this book, I think the story of Em makes this book more accessible to a wider audience and although I preferred the verse I can imagine there are so many people who would enjoy the beautiful contemporary inside of this just as much as I enjoyed the history.
Because these two formats are so different I think it is hard to find the perfect audience for this book. The juxtaposition between the formats and the time periods truly show of McCullough's talent for writing heartfelt and meaningful stories. I thought that at some points the story felt drawn out, I wasn't as invested in the story of Em and Nor and I know some people had the exact opposite reaction. It's difficult to place these two stories in the same binding because in some ways by their existence they rip you out of the story your reading. It's hard to say what should have been done differently, but although the stories had the same themes it felt jolting each time the story would shift from Em to Marguerite.
Overall this book is so important. It singlehandedly captured all of my pent up anger at men and wrote it in the words that I have always struggled to say. I highly highly recommend this book, I think the story of Em makes this book more accessible to a wider audience and although I preferred the verse I can imagine there are so many people who would enjoy the beautiful contemporary inside of this just as much as I enjoyed the history.