A Spark Before The Fire

by Mima.

Jimmy Groome never really believed that his life was worth anything. An overweight and unpopular teen, it takes a suicide attempt to bring a traumatic childhood experience into sharp focus. With some encouragement from family and a counselor, Jimmy picks up a guitar and it quickly becomes obvious that he has a natural talent. After losing weight and joining a band, Jimmy goes from being a shy and insecure child to an outgoing and self-destructive young adult. In a world where sex, drugs and rock n' roll go hand in hand Jimmy’s future is uncertain. In this prequel to Fire, we follow Jimmy Groome on his dark path, where he decides if he'll ignite the fire inside - or if he’ll let it burn out and fade away.

280 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Canadian author Mima (aka Michelle M. Arsenault) is most known for the blood-thirsty Hernandez series, which follows former Mexican narco transitioning into Canadian life with family, politics, and business while holding tight to his ruthless, criminal ways.

Go to mimaonfire.com to learn more about her writing, social media and YouTube channel.

Reviews

[Susan Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I found most interesting about this book was the opportunity to follow Jimmy on his journey from grade five through the heady years of adolescence and on past high school to find a loving relationship and a band he could believe in. As a reader I was able to experience the evolution of his character through those important years, which helped to understand why he made the choices he made. He was well drawn and finely tuned, realistically portrayed, and the author wasn't afraid to show both the yin and the yang in terms of Jimmy's choices.

This is a story of one young man's pain and how he channels it, through music, in a positive manner. I enjoyed the read and look forward to the second book, Fire.

[Jean Arsenault]

Great read hard to put down.very well written.

[E.J. Bouinatchova · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this story is pretty straightforward - an awkward young man gradually morphs into a rock star - but the delivery is just incredible. Mima is a heck of a writer: she sucks you into the story as easily as if you were in this young man's skin, feeling all those familiar pains of growing up. But this is no gushy teenage story: the main character's trials are dark and difficult. He struggles with trauma, low self worth, isolation, despair, numbness, and all kinds of rebellion before being faced with the most difficult challenge a young man can face: vulnerability. Watching him travel from emptiness to the terror of true love is wrenching and inspiring. A fantastic story that would appeal to many different kinds of people. Very intrigued to see what the main book, "Fire" holds!