A review by broccoffee
A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter, Ben Kane, Michelle Moran, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Sophie Perinot, Stephanie Dray

adventurous hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The six stories were beautifully interweaved with each other. It was an easy read and I can tell the authors were doing their research (historical events, etc). But overall the book lacked real depth IMHO. I liked the idea of the book more than I liked the actual book.

A lot of the characters seemed a bit fabricated: too nice, too thoughtful (thinking way too modern/ahead of their time), too understanding... Some were a mix of clichés about that time period, and very 21st century kind of thoughts and behaviour. 

I didn't like that so many story lines culminated in a happy ending (either people were rescued or fled successfully, or they made peace with enemies/their past lives/their roles).

After reading half of the book, I got too good at predicting what would happen to the other characters. 

The real story of Pompeii was devastating, but this feeling didn't come across while reading. Maybe it's just me, but if you're into a bit of darker stories, this book might also NOT be for you.