Fire Becomes Her

Gr 9 Up–As a child of a criminal father, Ingrid has worked hard to create a life separate from him. Now a scholarship student at an exclusive academy in Candesce, Ingrid is living out her dreams by dating a senator’s son, Linden Holt. However, Ingrid knows that in order to get what she wants and marry Linden, she is going have to win the senator over. To do so, she goes undercover to get dirt on his rival presidential candidate. There, she meets several new friends who accept her for who she is. Will she be able to betray them and win Linden’s hand, or will she have a change of heart? Narrator Shannon Tyo’s unique voices bring to life Ingrid and the other complex characters. She does a great job of keeping pace with the different nuances and pacing changes. The plot and worldbuilding are well done. The 1920s-style fantasy elements fit into the story well, but the twist ending is predictable. The cast is diverse, with a mix of socioeconomic statuses, sexualities, and ethnicities.