For this week's book, I chose Things We Set on Fire by Deborah Reed.

Synopsis: Begins with Vivvie killing her husband Jackson, disguised as a hunting accident. Her children are young and she knows she will have to care for them alone. Forwards to her receiving a phone call that her granddaughters need care because their mother, Kate, was hospitalized for trying to OD on pills. She takes in Quincy and Averlee, looking to her other daughter, Elin, to help. Elin moves back to Florida from Oregon and we soon learn how complex the small family has become after Jackson’s death. The remainder of the book is a journey of character development, a reflection of the past and how it will shape the future.

As the story progresses, we find out why Kate tried to commit suicide and why Vivvie killed her husband. Not only are the characters struggling with inner conflicts, —Elin’s separation from her husband, Vivvie’s devotion to her dead husband, Kate’s DNR wish—but they each confront external problems, forcing these characters to take another look at their lives. The author does well in demonstrating why each person made the choices they did and how those choices affected themselves and everyone else. In chapter 19, Elin says it looks as though she’s staring into her own eyes as she looks at her niece, and it seems that the reader can compare a young girl with most of her life ahead of her and know that Elin is thinking of that time. She moved to Oregon full of hope and excitement only to end up back in Florida, separated and caring for her sister. This book is a series of consequences and redemptions built around the aftermath of death.

Though the characters are well developed and sympathetic, there are other areas that need more attention to make the book excellent, instead of merely good. The plot is lacking. There is one event that draws the family back together and then very little happens, which tends to make the book’s pace slow. And while the physical landscape is well painted and vivid, other times the internal landscape is lacking. Connecting with the children is difficult as there is not much time spent from their perspectives and when it is, their thoughts and actions seem unlikely and therefore unbelievable. They suffered through their mother’s sickness with almost zero displays of emotion. Also, some of the language and metaphors were not completely thought out and didn’t make sense.

Despite the minor flaws, the book is good and well written. If you don’t mind a slower pace, this is an interesting look at how one family comes together through tragedy. I give this a solid recommend. Happy reading! If you have a book you'd like me to review, send an email to ajknightaj@gmail.com or leave a comment.