Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire and Flood
Fire and Flood: Book One
Written by Victoria Scott
Published in Australia April 2014
366 Pages
Thank you to Scholastic Australia
Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying, and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Tella still can't believe that she lives in the middle of nowhere, after her parents packed up their lives and moved to Montana. Each day, she watches her brother Cody deteriorate, his health slowly fading as disease takes his life. The brother and sister try to keep what little of their sanity remains, by using banter as a coping mechanism. With no technology present within the house, when Tella discovers the blue box sitting on her bed, containing what looks to be a small in ear music device, she wonders how Cody was able to pull off his latest prank... Until he parents are distraught, Cody is covering for them and they confiscate the device that isn't the prank that Tella had assumed.

The message is clear, Tella has been invited to compete in the Brimstone Bleed as a Contender. She only has forty eight hours to accept the invite and select her Pandora companion before the race begins. The Brimstone Bleed runs for three months and takes place across four separate ecosystems, desert, sea, mountains and the jungle terrain. The prize? The one winner will be awarded The Cure, to wipe out any illness in any single one person. Her brother needs her more than ever and Tella refuses to let him down.



I'm a fan of Victoria Scott after discovering her Dante Walker series. If you follow her on social media, you'll soon see that she weaves her own fun, sassy and sarcastic personality into her characters, and Fire and Flood is no different. The storyline surrounds a mysterious competition that is reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but rather than a fight to the death, Fire and Flood is a series of survival style races. The competitors, who vary in ages and number in their hundreds, are dropped in a location where it's a race to Base Camp. Each leg of the race is allocated two weeks, with one week of rest in between. Instructions are sent via earpiece and the only assistance competitors will receive is via their chosen Pandora. The only problem is, you have no idea what your Pandora is at the choosing ceremony.

A Pandora is a type of genetically modified animal, that hatch from an egg. From a bear, a lion, even a small fox type creature, but the one thing these animals have in common, that they aren't common at all. Each has a specific element of surprise that will help their human companion within The Race. Tella's Pandora is adorable, adding a softness to the storyline. He's like a playful puppy at times, but is loving and affectionate, traits other Pandora's don't seem to have. Their relationship is unlike any other when Tella names her egg Madox, other competitors choosing to stick to the code that was given to their particular breed of savior. Perhaps that's one of many reasons why Guy softens to the sassy smart mouthed girl.

Guy is your typical young adult male heroine, quiet, moody and mysterious. He holds his cards close to his chest and clearly knows more about The Race than he's willing to share. 
When I first saw the sand, I thought it was beautiful. Like maybe it'd be fun to just roll around in and make sand angels. Now I know the truth, that sand is actually the love child of proud parents Marie Antoinette and Joseph Stalin.
But thankfully he's not arrogant or chauvinistic, but slowly begins to warm to socialising with other competitors, including Tella. Their relationship blooms to a mutual respect, then to something more. The romance is a slow burning friendship without being overwhelmed by instant love, which is refreshing.

I know it's been compared across a wide range of reviews as a replica of The Hunger Games, and perhaps rightly so. Regardless, I loved it immensely and found myself reading into the early hours of the morning, riveted and unable to put it down.



14 comments

  1. I've heard so many mixed things about this book! I'm thinking it's either a love it, or hate it kind of book. Definitely going to put it on the list after your review :)

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    1. Me too Gina but having read the authors other series, I knew I'd probably like this even more, being dystopian and all. I loved it! It really did remind me of The Hunger Games, but without the strained intensity and more humour. I can't wait for book two already.

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  2. Oh, you loved this! Now I've got to try this one, too. Some bloggers didn't love this as much, but it's YOU, so I have to read it, else you're going to do something bad to me and I'm scared...

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    1. You should be Dre. If I find out that you're not enjoying books as much as I have, you know I can't let it slide this time.

      But it really is fantastic, so I don't think we'll have any issues, right?.
      Look at how Aussie Mafia I sounded. Did you see Dre, did you see?

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  3. I'm glad that you loved this so much! I have heard a lot of love for this author's Dante series which I have been meaning to read. If it's a book that kept you up past midnight, then it's definitely something. The characters sound brilliant and easy to like.

    Lovely review! <33

    (are you going to PTA tonight?)

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    1. Sadly I wasn't able to make it, but I followed along in Twitter. It sounded awesome!

      I've got a love of dystopian survival novels, but this had a fantasy element too with the Pandora's. I just loved it!

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  4. I reeeally need to try the Dante series now. I liked Fire & Flood....but, I had issues with it. I LOVED the characters I just didn't feel like the plot made a lot of sense. lol You should see my review coming, it's a bit messy with thoughts all over the place. BUT. I have gifs, which makes everything okay, right? XD I don't think it was that much like THG after all...which was nice.

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    1. Never underestimate the power of a animated image, they really DO make all the difference. Except mine, mine tend to make no sense at all.

      I'm totally biased though, I love dystopians with a fusion of fantasy and survival. Victoria Scott is just so awesomely sassy, I've loved all three of her releases I've read so far.

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  5. So many mixed reviews on this one! I've only read book one in the Dante Walker series and thought it was okay, but Victoria's definitely a fun author to follow on social media. I'm so curious of these Pandoras--they sound super adorable and Pokemon-esque, which is great since I'm a fan! Guy sounds awesome as well. *wink* Lovely review!

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    1. This one is her best work yet I think. I really liked the first two in the Dante Walker series, but Fire & Flood is awesome. I've heard the resemblance to Pokemon is there, but I've never actually seen the cartoon.

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  6. Most of the reviews I've seen for this one haven't been that favourable but I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I still want to read it so when I read a review like yours using words like riveting and sassy - what a good sign! Great review, Kelly :)

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    1. Yeah, most of the reviews I've seen have been the same. But I was so excited to read it and it was beyond my expectations. I loved it and couldn't put it down.

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  7. Yeah! Glad to see you enjoyed this one Kelly! I read it a little while back, and I absolutely loved it as well! I agree, I've seen lots of reviews comparing it as a "Hunger Games rip-off", which honestly, I see some similarities, but like you said, they're quite different.

    Anyway, glad you liked it! Thanks so much for sharing, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! xD

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

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    1. Thanks Zoe and totally agree, it has the same feel as The Hunger Games, but I think this one will appeal to a wider young adult audience, especially with the fantasy elements involved.

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