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A review by lambsears
The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper
4.0
It's been quite a while since Hooper's very excellent "The Tall Man", so I was keen to dive right into this book.
While she does briefly mention the systems failures that resulted in so many deaths from one of Victoria's 'Black Saturday' fires, this book focuses on the man who was convicted of lighting it. Whether or not he fully grasps what he did and what the repercussions from his actions were is unlikely to ever be clear.
Her story is well paced and gripping, depicting the main characters well and honestly portraying the sadness in their own stories.
The descriptions of the fires and the stories of those who tried to flee are vivid - and will be inside my head for a very long time.
While she does briefly mention the systems failures that resulted in so many deaths from one of Victoria's 'Black Saturday' fires, this book focuses on the man who was convicted of lighting it. Whether or not he fully grasps what he did and what the repercussions from his actions were is unlikely to ever be clear.
Her story is well paced and gripping, depicting the main characters well and honestly portraying the sadness in their own stories.
The descriptions of the fires and the stories of those who tried to flee are vivid - and will be inside my head for a very long time.