A review by gabrielle_erin
The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper

3.0

This was an interesting insight into a part of Australian history that I lived through, yet don't know much about. Reading the first hand accounts of the survivors of the Black Saturday bushfires was truly harrowing and gives a new relevance to what we have just faced in December and January of 2019-2020. Considering bushfires are such a normal part of life for most Australians, it's interesting that there isn't more literature on it. Hooper's exploration of Sokaluk's character was so intricate and nuanced at times I felt as if I was speaking to the man himself. I appreciated the conclusion Hooper drew about the motivations behind arson; however there are some moments in the book which represent Autistic people in a misleading way and I thought this could have been given further consideration.