BOOK REVIEW ~~ Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan ~~

Title: Tell the Wind and Fire
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Expected Release: 4/5/2016

Blurb:

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets.

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself? 

My Review:

4 out of 5 stars

This one was really intriguing to me before I even read it.  There are so many things, places, people, groups, etc. that this concept can represent in our current, everyday lives: the simple light vs dark.  In the case of THIS book, light and dark are two different, very purposely divided sides of a future New York – the one created after magic comes.  Like many instances in our current society, ‘light’ is considered good, and ‘dark’ is considered bad, but neither has a choice in which one they are – they’re born either light or dark.

I really like what the author does with these two extremely divided sides, and what it’s like for those that are stuck on one side or the other, but doesn’t agree with the division.  Whether dark or light, speaking out against the light brings some serious consequence.  So, how worth it is it to speak out?  And those groups that ‘rise up’…are they just as dangerous, although under the guise of doing the right thing?

Then there’s Lucie…born as a light child on the dark side, and one big event she creates moves her to the light city; another large event brings to her attention the dangers of the politics of both sides, and as she grows up herself, her eyes begin to open.  However, she’s in love with the son of one of the most powerful and dangerous families, and she’s becoming forced to decide if keeping quiet to keep her and her loved ones safe is still worth it.  Especially now that there are so many others involved, with so much centered around her.

I think one of the most important thing to keep in mind when reading this book, and people are thinking her choices should be obvious is that a) she’s only 16 or 17, and b) it’s always SO much easier to tell someone else they should speak up about things when it’s not your own life or the life of your families on the line.

I really enjoyed the viewpoint of this book, and I think it would be a really interesting book for book club discussions – especially how it compares to SO many modern day issues, and how it compares (as the author has stated) to A Tale of Two Cities.  I definitely recommend this book.  And maybe reading it twice…once for the story itself, and once for how many underlying discussions could come out of it.