Together We Caught Fire

December 1, 2019
Eighteen-year-old Lane Jamison's enduring crush, Grey McIntyre, moves into her house and becomes her stepbrother. When she was 5, Lane's mother died by suicide, leaving her motherless and traumatized. Inundated with relentless nightmares of that bloody and violent night, Lane prefers to keep people at arm's length lest she begin to care about them. Her life is further complicated when her father remarries and the object of her desire since eighth grade moves in. Green-eyed, cinnamon-haired Grey is everything Lane wants but can't have, not only because he's now her stepbrother, but also because he's in a relationship with Southern belle Sadie Hall. When Lane and Connor (Sadie's older brother) start a flirtation that irritates Grey as much as it delights Sadie, both relationships and friendships are tested. Lane must decide how far she's willing to go for her attraction to Grey and what Connor really means to her. Flawed and fully fleshed out, the characters attempt to navigate their lives as best they can with the baggage they each carry. While the plot meanders at times, this is a solid debut that realistically portrays teens and touches on issues like sex, drugs, trauma, and mental illness. The writing is captivating and fluid--easily switching from lyrical and dreamy to raw and violent. All characters are assumed white. An addictive page-turner that begins with a forbidden romance but turns into so much more. (Fiction. 14-adult)

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January 31, 2020

Gr 10 Up-When Lane Jamison was five years old, her mother died by suicide. Since then, Lane has feared knives, blood, and getting too close to people. Things get complicated when her long-time crush becomes her stepbrother. Grey McIntyre has always been handsome, kind, and unattainable, dating evangelical Southern belle Sadie Hall. In an attempt to distract herself from her undeniable tension with Grey, Lane befriends Sadie's brother, Connor. As her relationship with Connor grows, so too does her chemistry with Grey. Lane is forced to face her trauma and come to terms with who she is and what she wants in life. Gibson's debut novel is stunning in its total honesty, to borrow a phrase often used by the characters. They are human and flawed, while heavy issues such as mental health, substance abuse, religion, and sex are dealt with realistically. The romance itself is a foregone conclusion, but readers will connect with Lane as she struggles with her feelings. VERDICT Fans of Kathleen Glasgow and Nina LaCour will appreciate this sometimes lyrical, sometimes brutal, always unflinching portrayal of a girl struggling with her past in order to find her future.-Mimi Powell, Library Systems and Services, Kissimmee, FL

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