Catching on Fire

by Sue Knott

Visions of a horrific, dystopian future have been tattooed on Rachel's brain for as long as she can remember. She believes the strange symbols attached to those visions are the key to avoiding that future.

When she discovers someone else shares the same visions, she dedicates herself to finding other seers and unlocking the mystery of the symbols. Her quest grows in urgency as the present appears to increasingly resemble the path to the future she fears.

During her quest, Rachel discovers that answers -- and love -- are elusive. And people are not always as they appear.

Blurring the line between reality and fiction, this novel combines elements of romance, mystery, intrigue, and science in a way that should appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Set in Buffalo, NY.
Suitable for mature young adults as well as adult readers.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Fantasy

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2012

About the author

Sue Knott has been writing professionally for more years than she cares to admit. She enjoys writing parodies as they make her laugh while she's writing. However, she also enjoys writing fiction, especially romance and stories that imagine the future.

Sue is the doting mother of a teen son and the long-suffering wife of an equally long-suffering (but much crankier) husband. She has also been "mom" to a bunny (now deceased) and an extremely energetic Siberian Husky who jumps on her keyboard when she's busy writing.

She has had a varied and successful career as an advertising copywriter. She has lived in Pittsburgh, PA; NYC; LaCrosse, WI; Scranton, PA; and currently makes her home in upstate NY. Occasionally she tries her hand at stand-up comedy, though she is in complete and total terror whenever she takes the stage.

Sue is an avid gardener and wishes she had time to pursue craft projects or even just to clean her house. Sue has a sweet tooth. She wears a size 9 shoe. She collects art glass. She recycles. She sewed her own wedding gown (big mistake). She revels in the outdoors and longs to be on the beach. She prattles on at the keyboard. She is a safety nutcase. And she loves to Zumba.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I would like to say thank you to the author and to Goodreads for my copy of "Catching On Fire" which I received through Goodreads First-Reads giveaways.

"Catching On Fire" is about Rachel and how she sees these symbols in her head, which she names 'Glyphs', that she's seen since she was young. The story starts with her and her best friend Kim at a bar where a couple creeps start bothering them and then some stranger, we later know him as Jim, comes who saves the day and the 'two damsels in distress'. She invites Jim to eat with them as a thank you and they discover that he sees the same symbols as she does. Slowly more and more people start to come out of the wood work that see the same things her and Jim see and they begin to realize how important all of this may be. Things start to develop rather quickly and Rachel's 'Glyphs' begin to take her on a whirlwind adventure of intrigue, love, heartbreak, danger, and possibly a way to save the world.

Majorly not what I was expecting, but I definitely liked it way more than I thought I would and had a hard time putting it down. I feel the author did an amazing job building up the story line while making it extremely unique and different from other novels. This is definitely a book that will make you feel like you're on the adventure with Rachel instead of simply just reading about it. It does leave you at somewhat of a cliff-hanger which just makes me that more impatient for the next book to come out. I must say I do look forward to the next book and can't wait to see what happens next.

"Catching On Fire" is definitely a book to be recommended and majorly an unexpected page turner that you'll fall in love with.

[~reader~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopia is a new found love of mine and this is another winner. I loved that this book covered all of the major points from romance to mystery. The concept of the seers is very cool and well done. Two thumbs up from me.

[Neha Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly said by Rachel in Sue Knott’s “Catching on Fire”, “Everything bad has some good to it and everything good has some bad to it”. Special abilities can be a gift and a curse at the same time. When Protagonist Rachel Shannon is rescued by a cute, attractive guy Jim at a bar; she realizes that they both share something mutual; a vision which shows images of mankind being destroyed by the nature. She prepares herself to interpret the meanings of these strange visions and sets on a venture to find other people sharing similar abilities. But to discover the truth she will have to meet unknown people, who can be dangerous. And then there is also Jim, who has become her love interest, but she knows not whether he feels the same way for her.

Engaging and alluring, Catching on Fire is a dystopian novel with a captivating plot blended with mystery and romance. Besides the impressive storyline, the characters also leave an imprint on the reader. Rachel’s soliloquies give an insight in her deep character; innocent and witty at the same time; she is quite the show stealer of the novel. Her witty remarks and moralistic character successfully draws the readers. The novel also has the first person narrative from Rachel’s perspective which adds to its appeal. Above all, it turned out to be a fine creation by writer Sue Knott in which she employed great imagination and characterization. Also, it’s fast paced and has all the ingredients of a successful best seller. Yes, I will definitely recommend it to all fiction lovers

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Rachel, or Rae, who lives a quite ordinary life until she discovers that she may have the key to a secret that can save humanity. This is not a very original premise, but the story develops into a quite interesting one. Well written and fast paced, we are drawn into Rae's efforts to fill out and decode what she calls the "Glyphs", a series of signs which she believes hold the secret to avoid the world's rush towards a catastrophic climatic change. In her efforts, she finds the help of many people, and these secondary characters help create a very vivid atmosphere for the novel, which otherwise would be a bit excessively dominated by Rae's personal point of view. These characters have their own stories which easily intertwine in the main story, diluting tension and creating entertaining subplots. So there are problems to settle, mysteries to be solved, conspiracies to skip, even terrorism and, of course, love. As for the love story, the love triangle between Rae, Amis and Jim was a positive surprise because I did not expect that not-so-happy end. If I were to find a fault in the book, it would be the big amount of time devoted to explain how Rae set up the web page and on-line community to work with the glyphs. Being no geek myself, I felt a little lost and disinterested on the matter.
In short, I had a very good time reading this novel, and I am looking forward to reading the next installment of Rae's adventures

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received a free copy through Goodreads*

This book is not the type of book I usually read. I enjoy reading it and I am looking forward to the follow-up! Was kind of disappointed to be left hanging so much at the end though.

Catching on Fire is about people who see certain images which are referred to as Glyphs. Only certain people see these images and the book is trying to get the people that do to help to solve what the meaning of the glphys is. Their is romance and mystery in the story. I found myself wanting to keep reading to try to figure out what the glpyhs were all about. I'm anxious to read the next book and hopefully alot of my unanswered questions will be answered.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Interesting lead character. Suspenseful. Great dialogue. Could have used a sultry sex scene. I'm on team Amir!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems so real. A true page-turner, but I'm biased.

[human · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review has been removed due to Amazon's purchase of Goodreads.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for self-published books. The task of producing and selling a book without the aid of professional editors and publishers is monumental, and with that in mind I applaud any author who is able to complete the task. Sue Knott’s story is interesting, unique, and has me curious about the explanation for the book’s events. Her lead character was generally likable and often the droll, slightly sardonic humor made me laugh.

Rachel’s first law of paranoia: Just because you think everyone is out to get you doesn’t mean they aren’t.
These made me seriously consider bumping the rating up by one more star, but I ultimately decided against it.

Using this criteria to judge books, I gave it 6 points out of 15, amounting to 2 stars.
While the story had an interesting premise, the plausibility is unfortunately very lacking. It begins weakly and declines at an increasing rate with each new event. By the end of the book, I was just shaking my head at everything. The characters were caricatures and while the good guys were all pretty likable, they were often inconsistent (ie The lead is introduced as skeptical and untrusting of men, but she stumbles into love with two of them with very little impetus after meeting them. ). The pace was fine, except for some passages where the dialogue dragged. Also some things happened far too quickly (ie The lead sets up a website and is almost immediately approached by an absurdly wealthy person wishing to fund her efforts. Within a week or so of this, the website has attracted so much traffic that she can support herself, with no job, on the strength t-shirt sales that feature only one design.). The numerous editorial errors weakened the style of the book, and though the author has an entertaining turn of phrase, too many times the humor was sacrificed by either a lack of ingenuity or too casual a tone (ie This quote:
I sat alone in my cold apartment after my roommates left for work and assessed my life. I was deeply attracted to two men. One I could never have a future with and one who pretty much hated me at the moment – and was engaged to someone else, no less. The FBI was watching me. My best friend, who thought she was in the first wonderful relationship of her life, was actually being used by the FBI to get to me. I couldn’t warn my best friend about this guy. In fact, I had to lie to all my friends and family about half the goings on in my life.

All of this was my fault. I longed for a big bag of pretzels.

The pretzel line made me laugh, but it sounds like it was written for a much younger readership.).

Worldview struggled as the author presented the story with a rather narrow perspective. Piles of cash can pay through any complication (because the lead has no other way to accomplish the things she needs, so blank checks start appearing early on), law enforcement officials don’t care about the safety of little girls (in fact law enforcement is nearly always the villain in this story, which is a pretty unkind generalization about those who do this work well), and conservatism is consistently villainous. That’s the biggest irritant for me- books that make an entire classification of people the enemy are sure to be weaker. You can’t assume every person with a certain set of political or personal leanings has all the stereotypical flaws of the movement. Knott didn’t seem to focus as much energy on thinking through how people can function in ecommerce or as a Muslim living in the USA or as a Republican or a spy, and the result was a glaring loss of balance in this area for which the story suffered.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads. Aaaaaand I made it to page 61. I just can't continue. I've tried and tried to give this book a chance but I groaned every time I picked it up. It's painfully boring and the punctuation mistakes are frequent. The author overuses parentheses and ellipses to the point where I just want to tear the page into shreds out of frustration. Where most writers would insert a scene or section break, this author puts in entirely new chapters, some not even a page long. I found myself constantly reading over sentences and rewording them in my head so they'd sound better. For example, on page 59 it says, "I was glad we took my car. It handled really well in the snow. And I like to be in control of tricky situations." How about, "I was glad we took my car as it handled really well in the snow, and I like to be in control of tricky situations." There. That sounds less choppy, doesn't it? On page 26 ALONE, there are 15 completely unnecessary uses of ellipses. It's annoying, and apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/...
I like a book that grabs me in the first few pages. This book hasn't managed to grab me in the first 61.

[Jennifer McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually without adequate words but I'm feeling a bit that way about this book because I LOVED it that much. I think I'm kind of difficult to impress. I read voraciously and have high expectations for any book that I'm going to give my time to. This book was so well worth the hours I spent reading it, in fact I was bereft when it ended. I wanted more, more of the characters, more of the story, I wanted to know what comes next. That's a rare thing for me to find in an author. In the weeks since I've finished this stellar novel I've thought of the characters often, wondering what's happening with them now, wishing I could look in on their world again and learn more about the story. The good news is that the ending of this book gives the strong impression that the story will continue. Yippee!!

"Catching On Fire" is ostensibly a paranormal romantic mystery but in the meat of the book it's all about the characters. The author writes characters expertly. Although they're not real people, they become real to you as you read. That is the true gift of a talented novelist, to make the reader care and worry about their characters. I can't wait to read more from this artist and and I await the next instalment of this (probable) series.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this from Goodreads as a first reads.

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel and found it interesting enough to keep reading.

Rachel was born with "Glyphs" imprinted on her mind and thought she was the only one until one fateful night she meets Jim. They think what they share is actually a map on how to heal the world. Little did they know that they weren't the only ones.

Ms. Knott has a potential best seller on her hands, with a bit more work on a clearer storyline and better prose. I believe the first chapter alone had the word "boobs" three times in one paragraph.

This technically isn't a dystopian novel, it's more on how to prevent a dystopian future.

The characters are engaging, but seem to lack depth. I believe with a better editor the second installment could be better. After all, this was a refreshing read.

The problem I had with this was more esthetics than anything else. They layout of the chapters was just odd and seemed a rather waste of space. Not even sure why it looked that way but it was distracting.

All in all, it was a nice break from the norm and worth picking up.

[Lozz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in a giveaway, and found it quite entertaining in a superficial, basic kind of way. The main character is one of those reluctant, average style protagonists who appear to fall into 'complex' situations with a number of attractive men and in this case, orphaned children as well. The concept of glyphs is strangely introduced and doesn't seem to make a lot of sense except to make me feel that the author is propagating her own, original creationist theory. While a novel concept in itself, it was too strange for me to really want to get behind - the main character 'sees' them in her head, it eventuates that allegedly many others do as well, and this in itself becomes the focal point of strange covert government actions, which luckily the protagonist manages to avoid by virtue of the fact that she is of a suspicious nature.

An interesting concept, and not a bad reading experience, however at times I felt some of the phrases used were strange and could benefit from a more thorough editing experience. If the sequel managed to avail itself to me I would read it but I don't feel a desperate longing to know what happens next.

[Heather]

All through this book I kept thinking "really". It's kind of far fetched and extreme. It starts out with a young woman who sees symbols in her head. Then she runs into a guy who sees the same symbols. Then in the next second they are setting up anonymous web cites and doing everything super covert so there is no trace back to them to get these symbols or Glyphs online to see if other people have seen them. Then he can't take the 'heat' and she meets a middle eastern guy that wants to financial back her efforts. She starts making jackets with the glyphs. The FBI gets involved. There are disguises and fake ID's. There is a shoot out. She and the 2 girls she fosters (random) (one of which is blind and 'sees' the glyphs too) end up on a tropical island in the middle of no where. I kept waiting for the whole thing to be a joke or for aliens to make an appearance or for a diagnosis of a brain tumor. It was just super weird but I did read to the end.

[Viv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. If someone were to asked me to describe this book in one sentence it would be: One of the best book I have read.I love how the author makes us care about the characters like they were real. I laughed, cried, and loved when the characters did. Catching on Fire is an engaging and amazing story of mystery and romance. I wish I could know what the characters are doing now, hopefully there would be a sequel.I love how the author kept me intrigue that I wasn't able to put the book down. I am so happy and thankful for being one of the winners of the first reads giveaway. I truly recommend it to everyone not only fiction lovers. It's totally two thumbs up for me. I'm looking forward to read more for Sue Knot. She's has so much talents to make the reader care about the characters. Love it.

Received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Received a free copy through Goodreads*

This book is not the usual type that I go for, but I did enjoy reading it, and I am looking forward to the follow-up!

Catching on Fire starts out with Rachel and her bff being rescued by Jim after 2 guys followed them out of the bar. Rachel offers Jim a bite to eat at a local burger joint, which he accepts, after they eat Rachel takes out her pad of paper to take down Jim info when he notices her doodles, and he then shows her his drawings, which are almost identical. Rachel and Jim want to see if there are others out there who also see the glyphs (which what they start calling the drawings). I won't divulge any more about the book, since I don't want to give anything away, but I recommend this to any type of reader, no matter what genre of book you tend to enjoy!

[Asuka0278 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the concept of the glyphs and the whole idea made me wish I could see them! I liked the main character and I have to admit was especially drawn to her because she goes by Rae. I have a sentimental tie to that name. ;) I also enjoyed her personality and totally understood her issues with being a busty girl. I myself happen to be well endowed and I've been there done that so I could completely relate to her. I liked the non-relationship dynamics that occurred; how the small romances were there and happened but weren't the main focus of the book. It left more room for the awesome idea and theory about the glyphs to develop. I also liked how the last part of the book really picked up the pace. I can't wait for the second one to come out to find out what happens next. :)

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, I didn't read the description of the book before downloading.

The book's focus was unusual (for me) and interesting. There's not a whole lot of romance, just a lot of conspiracy theories, secrets and paranoia.

Overall, the book was pretty good and the intrigue factor stayed throughout the entire storyline. I do wish there was more to it though; pictures, diagrams, phrases...just something more.

I'm writing this review a few days late, and unfortunately a lot of what I wanted to say has been forgotten.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair review. Thank you!!

There are plenty of summaries on here, so I will just say that I liked this book from the first page. It actually made me laugh out loud right off the bat which is always a good sign. The story was believable, and Rachel was very relatable. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series; I just wish this book had a better cover - it deserves a good one!

P.S. I enjoyed reading that the author once lived in Pittsburgh because that's where I'm from as well :)

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received as a first reads give away.
The structure of the writing was an obstacle to what was otherwise a worthy plot. Usually I finish a book all in one go; it took several attempts to make it through.
First person can be really clunky.
I would suggest that the author consider changing point of view for the sequel novels, as I would love to try reading again. If not, need to try to find a way to rephrase so that the sentences are not all (or mostly) starting with "I".

[Paddy O'callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many authors producing opera on dystopian future world at the moment, due to the bleak outlook we all seem to have for the world at the moment. Novels of this genre really need to stand out in order to get noticed. Catching On Fire does. It'll be remembered.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through a giveaway and was skeptical at first. The book wasn't bad and I was able it finish it with ease, but it wasn't anything special. I would recommend this book to anyone who just needs something to read but if you do end up liking it then there is suppose to be a sequel.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this since it was unique, very different. Left hanging at the end though. Looking forward to the next one to find out what happens.

[David Chittenden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the snarky nature of the protagonist. A good read.

[Abby Tackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book! I highly recommend it. I got this as a Giveaway and I can't wait to get more.

[Nancy L. Turk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scintillating tale that ends too soon

Bizarre but just believable enough to keep your fingers turning the page. Cute quixotic and full of rapid paced intrigue. This book keeps you reading long into the night. Such a disappoint that it is first in a series and nothing is actually resolved!

[Cosmin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to start this review off by saying I'm probably not the demographic this book is intended for.
I found this book to be a bit weak for the reasons I was reading it. I was hoping to get more of a feel of the central plot of the book but it was very clouded, and not very well explained. It seemed that the author was more interested on telling the story of the main character's life more than the plot, adding trivial and very unimportant details.
There was no mystery to the book, but it wasn't exactly to-the-point either. The whole book edged around the main problem, but never got in depth about it. Maybe more will be explained in books to come.
The characters in this book were very 2-dimensional. They had no depth, and were not entirely believable. When the book switched characters for a short while, I had my hopes up, thinking that it would be an amazing way to explain a plot mechanic. I was disappointed when the chapters only talked about the history of the character, rather than adding anything important to the story.
Overall, this book had potential, but the way the story was told made it really boring and drab. There was no feel of adventure, of excitement. The parts that I thought were going to be worth reading disappointed me every time.
I am grateful for having read this book, but I cannot say that I would read the rest of the series.

Also, there were some spelling and grammatical errors, but those do not contribute to the rating I gave this book.

[Laurie]

boring

[Ted]

"*** I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads ***
** The Giveaway was Listed By Sue **
* I received my copy on *

THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRST READS AND Sue! "

[LaDawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just couldn't find it believable enough. Do give it points for originality, though.
Oh, but I almost quit reading in the first couple of chapters: instalove and a love triangle!