Fire and Ice – Jessica Victoria Fisette

Rating: 4 stars

I have been spending the last two weeks of my life swamped in work, but I had Fire and Ice as a break from the stress. It was always a relief to pick it up and let myself get lost in the the story. It tells the story of Allie, a high schooler recovering from a tragedy she can’t quite figure out. The story follows her recovery and a series of daring events that gets the reader involved after the first few pages until the last.

On the surface, the book appears to be somewhat standard fair young-adult novel, however it pushes the envelope in a few ways. Fire and Ice combines Sci-fi and Fantasy with intriguing elements that hint at a larger universe we’re given hints of. There are elements of their combination, that technology is involved with magic, is a consideration that adds an extra punch to the story.

My favorite element is the confusion of the protagonist during the first two acts of the story. It reminded me of human trafficking and kidnapping. Allie becomes confused as she wrestles her returning recollections with her feelings and the counter-intuitive insistences of new friends.

The book wraps up in a way that is satisfying and manages to check a number of boxes to the reader. The strengths of the book come from the basics of the writing. The characters are all relatable and interesting, the settings and descriptions crisp and the inner monolog of the protagonist convincing.

I recommend this book if you are interested in Urban Sci-Fi, Fantasy and YA in an adventure that’s inviting and intriguing.