Latest Read: Firebug by Lish McBride

Firebug (Firebug #1) by Lish McBride
Publication date: Sept. 23, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Category: Young Adult - Paranormal
Source: Received ARC from publisher (Thanks!)
Summary: Ava is a firebug—she can start fires with her mind. Which would all be well and good if she weren't caught in a deadly contract with the Coterie, a magical mafia. She's one of their main hit men . . . and she doesn't like it one bit. Not least because her mother's death was ordered by Venus—who is now her boss. When Venus asks Ava to kill a family friend, Ava rebels. She knows very well that you can't say no to the Coterie and expect to get away with it, though, so she and her friends hit the road, trying desperately to think of a way out of the mess they find themselves in. Preferably keeping the murder to a minimum. (Adapted goodreads.com)

My Thoughts

I read a lot of paranormal so I definitely have certain expectations when I read these kinds of books. I can’t say that Firebug necessarily met them but I will give it this: it made me laugh and the author created a trio of friends whose dynamic I really enjoyed. In the world Lish McBride created there are so many different kinds of paranormal creatures. More than you can imagine but some are more powerful than others. One such person is Ava who is a Firebug meaning she can start fires with her mind. And naturally there is a group of people — like a mafia — to keep everyone in check. This would be the Coterie and they’ve got Ava on a tight leash as one of their hit men. It’s not something she wants to do seeing as that her mother’s death was ordered by the Coterie’s boss, Venus, but once you’ve made (or were forced into) an agreement with them, there’s no turning back. Until Ava is ordered to kill a family friend and she says no. All hell breaks loose and this is where the adventure part of her story begins.

Ava has this incredible ability and I admired her courage when faced off with Venus but I didn’t really connect to her character as a protagonist. It’s hard for me to really pinpoint what it was but she just felt simultaneously bad-ass and helpless at the same time. But what I did like were her relationships. Without her mother, she’s been left in the care of a guardian, who was the love of her mom’s life and a regular human. But she’s known him her entire life and he didn’t hesitate to take her in after her mom died. I loved the familial relationship between them. Then there are her two best friends, Lock and Ezra, both of whom are paranormal creatures as well. They too are under the thumb of the Coterie and when they were all young, the two boys were assigned to help and protect her. Which morphed into a strong, loyal friendship. I enjoyed their banter and the way they had each other’s backs. This was my favorite part of the book!

The book overall is definitely action-packed and we meet a lot of paranormal creatures along the way, which is actually the part that made me laugh. Mind you, I still think some of the paranormal aspects were kind of silly but if I can laugh about it - that’s not so bad, right?

Do I recommend?

Like I said, in the end, the book wasn’t for me so I can’t say I’d personally recommend it to my friends. But if the premise sounds interesting to you and you want something quick & entertaining, check this one out.

Collaborative feature with Alexa! 

What paranormal creatures would you want in your family tree?

I can't say I'd want any of the paranormal creatures mentioned in this book in my family tree. If I had to choose, it would be between faeries or angels. But it would have to be the good, not fallen or evil kind. Only good faeries and good angels, please.