Saturday 25 August 2012

Book ~ "(You) Set Me on Fire" (2012) Mariko Tamaki

From Penguin.ca ~ This is a story about college, about fire and also about love.

Allison Lee is seventeen and off to college in the fall. So far, she's been in love once (total catastrophe) and on fire twice (also pretty bad). Both love and fire have left their scars.

Looking a little more burnt chicken and a little less radiant phoenix, Allison takes up residence in Dylan Hall at St. Joseph's College, where she discovers the true gift of freshman year: the opportunity to reinvent yourself. Miles away from the high school she's happy to leave behind, her all-female dorm is a strange new world, home to new social circles and challenges. Allison still feels like the odd girl out ... until Shar appears. Beautiful and blinding, Shar quickly becomes the sun at the centre of Allison's universe, drawing her in with dangerous allure.

Will Allison get burned again? And, if she does ... what kind of scars will she earn this time?

Allison is leaving home for the first time to go to university.  She hasn't had a happy time at school so far so she sees it as a chance to start over and make friends ... which she does until she meets Shar.  Shar is mean and rude to everyone (she's a bitch!) and Allison is drawn to her.  They hang out, skip school, and become friends.

This book was written in the first person in Allison's voice.  The style of the writing at times is like she is talking to you.  Depending on what's going on, the sentences tend to run on or they are short and choppy.  Sometimes words are capitalized for emphasis.  It was written in an abrupt and honest style and the language and content is mature at times.


Though it's been many years since I was 17, going to university and living it residence, I didn't find it too young for me and I enjoyed it.

I participated in a blog book tour and received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review. Here are the other tour host participants:

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