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ARC Book Review: Firebug – Lish McBride


firebugFirebug
Author: Lish McBride
Series: Firebug #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Humor, Horror
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

Ava can start fires with her mind…but is it a blessing or a curse?
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 Ava’s 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.

 
First Sentence: Ryan slammed the book shut and tipped his head back, sprawling on the bench and claiming it as his own.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

My Review:

Doesn’t Firebug have the most awesome premise ever? A hitman (in this case, a hitwoman, but hitman sounds a lot better in my opinion – hitwoman just sounds really awkward) who can start fires with her mind, who is also on the run from a magical mafia. To make things even more intriguing, the magical mafia probably wants to kill her. Who would not love a book with that kind of premise? Answer: No one. However, despite Firebug‘s intriguing premise, I found myself really struggling to finish it due to multiple issues I had with the book, issues that definitely affected my enjoyment of the book.

If you want to be mad at me, fine. I probably earned it. When they go out of their way to sulk in your presence, however, then it’s more about hurting you than it is about their own hurt. (ARC 97)

Without doubt, the biggest problem I had with Firebug was all the info-dump in it. In fact, 60% of my notes on Firebug was me complaining about the info-dump and mentioning which parts have info-dump. Not only did Firebug have tons of info-dump at the beginning of the book, there were also tons of info-dump every few couple of pages. You want to know Ava’s history with a guy? No problem, some info-dump will help you out. You want to know about Ava’s past? No problem, some info-dump will be there to help you out. The info-dump was painful to read, especially since it occurred so often. To make things even worse, there was also some telling, not showing, added into the mist with all the info-dump. My eyes and brain just wanted to cry when I was reading all this.

My mom had taught me what it meant to love a firebug. Everything was fine as long as you kept it light. No delving into major relationships. Avoid all complications, especially the pitter-patter of little feet. (ARC 33)

Look at the summary of Firebug and note the part where Ava and her friends have to run away from the magical mafia. Doesn’t that sound exciting and just plain awesome? Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, but that doesn’t happen until around a little more than one-third into the book. The first one-third or so introduces you to Ava’s life, her background, her friends, and her boyfriend. There was barely any action in the first third of the book and it just bored me to death. Then the action parts happened and it picked up a little, but by then, it was already wayy too late.

Even though Firebug left off with a sort-of cliffhanger, I am pretty sure that I will definitely not be reading the sequel, if there is a sequel. Yes, I may want answers, but I don’t think I can get through any more info-dumping.

Overall, Firebug sadly failed to impress me at all. It’s such a disappointment to find a book with such a promising premise and to have it not live up to its premise.

two

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-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 9-21-14 · 25 Comments
Categories: 2014 book, book review Tagged: 2 star

« Stacking the Shelves [98]
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Speak Your Mind

  1. Carolyn says

    9-21-14 at 9:49 AM

    Aw but this one sounded really good! I’m not a big fan of info dump so I’ll skip this one. I haven’t seen many good reviews from you lately, I really hope you find a really enjoyable book soon! :D

    Reply
  2. Kristen@My Friends Are Fiction says

    9-21-14 at 10:37 AM

    Aww, I’m sad this one didn’t work for you. I was bothered in the beginning by the info dump but enjoyed from midway on a lot. Do you think you’ll read any other books from this author?
    Kristen@My Friends Are Fiction recently posted…Stacking the ShelvesMy Profile

    Reply
  3. kara says

    9-21-14 at 6:19 PM

    Bummer . . . I was just thinking of reading this book. Thanks for another honest review!

    Reply
  4. Jaime Lester says

    9-21-14 at 11:48 PM

    Well, crap. I wanted to read this one so badly but no action? Info-dump? Gotta admit that I am not so sure that this is the book for me. I might just give it a shot though, just to make sure.
    Jaime Lester recently posted…Kylie reviews Don’t TouchMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Danielle says

    9-22-14 at 12:30 PM

    Gah! That’s such a bummer, this one sounds sooo cool but bah on info-dumping!
    Danielle recently posted…Finding a Voice by Kim Hood | ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Claire says

    9-22-14 at 3:17 PM

    The plot is so exciting though. I hope there’s gonna be a sequel and becomes better.

    Reply
  7. Hillary R. says

    9-22-14 at 8:55 PM

    I’ve never heard of Firebug by Lish McBride before this review, but I’m sure I don’t want to read it anytime soon or ever. Your parting line about how disappointing the whole book ended up being made me feel disappointed in the book, even when I haven’t read it for myself. It kind of sucks when some awesome story is to be released soon, building up all the hype and making you want to get it as soon as your grabby hands can, but in the end feeling like your hopes have been shot down by a bunch of disappointment. I’ve experienced the feeling a few times, but thankfully not too many times. I hope your next read is amazing though! :D

    Reply
  8. The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club says

    9-28-14 at 6:28 AM

    Man, I’m sorry to hear that. I have Firebug on my TBR, but after reading your review I’m not sure I’d read it. I hate when books disappoint me, because I wish I had read another story and with the little time I have to read? MMMmm… It’s a shame, ’cause the synopsis sounded pretty interesting and it had a lot of potential from what I read.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts! ;)
    The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club recently posted…Promotional Event + Giveaway: Again by Lisa BursteinMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Molly Mortensen says

    9-28-14 at 9:43 AM

    Ugh, such a cool premise spoiled by a writer who didn’t know what she was doing yet. Info dumps are the worst, they’re boring and don’t really show you anything about well anything. At least it picked up a little, perhaps the next book the author will have things figured out a bit better.
    Molly Mortensen recently posted…Afterworlds By Scott WesterfeldMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Valerie says

    9-28-14 at 10:41 AM

    This one actually sounded really awesome, which is why I was disappointed when my request was denied. But then again I HATE info dumps, they make my head hurt. It sucks to see one of the books I was looking forward to wasn’t as good. Thanks for the review Kelly!
    Valerie recently posted…Stacking the Shelves #11My Profile

    Reply
  11. Monica M says

    9-28-14 at 5:11 PM

    I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. I agree that the book didn’t live up to its amazing premise, but I really fell in love with the characters. The plot, on the other hand, was a little too slow for my taste and didn’t have an element that made it super engaging. Overall the wonderful character development was enough for me, so I did end up enjoying the book.
    Monica M recently posted…Review: Firebug by Lish McBrideMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Diana Grace says

    9-30-14 at 6:41 AM

    A firebug? That sounds super cool. Great review btw! :)
    Diana Grace recently posted…Cover Reveal and Giveaway: REBORN (Angel Creek 3) by Ada AdamsMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Maria Medeiros says

    9-30-14 at 12:14 PM

    Great honest review. Info dumps are brutal to read. I don’t bother finishing the book if it continues to be all info dump. Lol
    Maria Medeiros recently posted…M.C. Beaton The Blood of an Englishman-Book Review and GIVEAWAY!My Profile

    Reply
  14. Suz Reads says

    9-30-14 at 2:34 PM

    I agree with you that the idea for this story sounds amazing! I’m disappointed to read that you didn’t really like it though! I may still read it but I might read other books first :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    Reply
  15. Wendy Liu says

    10-01-14 at 12:12 AM

    I love this cover so much! It’s really too bad that it didn’t live up to expectations, but I completely understand your frustration about info-dumping – it really gets on your nerves especially if it happens all the way through a book! Thank you for your honest review and I might give this a shot…maybe. At least I’ll be prepared thanks to your review ;)

    Reply
  16. Maria Malaveci says

    10-03-14 at 7:05 AM

    I think this cover is amazing, but like the old saying goes, DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER :( Was wanting to read this but now not so much. Thanks for the review.

    Reply
  17. Jayvee @ Writer For Misfits says

    10-05-14 at 2:09 PM

    I honestly thought when I saw this that it was Firefly, that movie! And I was looking forward to reading this too… Now, I just wanna hide it from my Goodreads shelf
    Jayvee @ Writer For Misfits recently posted…NAIL-ING IT! Novel Nail DesignsMy Profile

    Reply
  18. Cali W. says

    10-06-14 at 2:29 PM

    Good review. Too bad the book was so-so. The cover is beautiful. ;)

    Reply
  19. Thais Pampado says

    10-10-14 at 10:50 AM

    Great review, too bad that you didn’t like the book. I hate it when books that promise action take a long time to actually start with the action scenes.
    Thais Pampado recently posted…O Aniversário de AnyaMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Hailey Cl says

    10-12-14 at 12:46 AM

    I was going to read this one but now I’m not so sure… Thanks for another honest review!
    Hailey Cl recently posted…What I’m Reading…My Profile

    Reply
  21. Schen says

    10-16-14 at 4:52 PM

    Wow. To know that some books have a shitty story makes me think of a bound with wasted paper. OH and info-dump, ugh. I hate that, too, and esp. when actions start late in the book.
    But would you look at the cover, this won’t sell at all. (Imo, I don’t like it.)
    Great job on the review!

    Reply
  22. Alyssa says

    10-18-14 at 9:32 AM

    I actually loved Lish McBride’s Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. So when I heard that another book from her was set to come out on September, I immediately looked up for it. The summary was very awesome indeed! But then as more and more negative reviews came out, I’m still in doubt if I should read it despite all those bad reviews. :/

    Reply
  23. Sarah Bauman says

    10-25-14 at 1:53 PM

    This book sounds great. I might have to check this one out.

    Reply
  24. Clarisa Ramirez says

    11-02-14 at 8:43 PM

    I love Lish so much and was worried about reading this sine it had nothing to do with Hold Me Closer, Necromancer but after reading this I feel a little bit better thanks.

    Reply
    • Clarisa Ramirez says

      11-02-14 at 8:45 PM

      a little bit better not reading thanks

      Reply

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