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Cold Fury #2
Flicker & Burn
Sara Jane Rispoli is still searching for her missing family, but instead of fighting off a turncoat uncle and crooked cops, this time she finds herself on the run from creepy beings with red, pulsing eyes and pale white skin chasing her through the streets in ice cream trucks; they can only be described as Ice Cream Creatures. They're terrifying and hell bent on killing her, but they're also a link to her family, a clue to where they might be and who has them. While she battles these new pursuers, she's also discovering more about her own cold fury and more about the Chicago Outfit, how the past misdeeds--old murders and vendettas--might just be connected to her present and the disappearance of her family. But connecting the dots is tough and time-consuming and may finally be the undoing of her relationship with the handsome Max--who's now her boyfriend. But for his own safety, Sara Jane may have to end this relationship before it even really starts. Her pursuers who've shown her her mother's amputated finger and the head of the Chicago Outfit who's just whistled her in for a sit-down make a romance unthinkable. The only thing that matters is finding her family and keeping everyone she loves alive.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2013
19 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
T.M. Goeglein
3 books108 followersT.M. Goeglein began his career as a writer of print and television ads for a host of advertising and media companies. As a screenwriter, he created both original scripts and worked as a script doctor for several production companies in Los Angeles. He was an original contributor to the Huffington Post 'Living' section, and continues to write for both the national edition and Huffington Post Chicago. Read T.M. Goeglein's stories on the Huffington Post.
His debut young adult novel, COLD FURY, will be published by Penguin/Putnam in 2012 and is the first in a trilogy; he’s currently working on the second book. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Laura, and two young children.
His debut young adult novel, COLD FURY, will be published by Penguin/Putnam in 2012 and is the first in a trilogy; he’s currently working on the second book. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Laura, and two young children.
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January 1, 2013
So not digging this cover.. And why does the summary sound like we're going Supernatural Romance... *bites lip*
I really hope this doesn't disappoint me.. I adored book 1, so I will definitely be trying this one out, but.. *winces*
February 8, 2015
Review coming soon!
August 23, 2013
In FLICKER & BURN, the sequel to COLD FURY, things get even weirder for Sarah Jane Rispoli. First, her family was kidnapped. Then she turned out to have a special power in her gaze, to paralyze people with their fears. Oh yeah, and she comes from a mob family and has to keep up appearances. As FLICKER & BURN begins, she's being pursued by ice-cream men. White skinned, red eyed ice-cream men. And sometimes she gets sloppy.
FLICKER & BURN contains just as much action as the first book and delivers the answers to several questions about Sarah Jane's family and just what is up with those ice-cream guys. There's not much on the cover to indicate that FLICKER & BURN is anything but a straightforward thriller, and the revelations within make it clear that the stranger elements are more science fiction than paranormal. It's the kind of science fiction that might as well be magic, but it's not magic within the universe of the story. But I think it's wise to market this series as thrillers, since there is far more emphasis on Sarah Jane's search for her family and work for the mob than on the science fiction elements.
The setting continues to be a strong point. FLICKER & BURN's Chicago is a place where the buildings are full of secrets, connected by blood and greed and desperation. Sarah Jane is also a strength. She's resilient and inventive, but her determination to rescue her family does have consequences. She lets people get hurt, or hurts them herself, to further her goals. She doesn't want to be a killer, like so many of her ancestors, but at the same time it's becoming easier and easier for her to bend her morality.
I think FLICKER & BURN added a few too many new characters. One in particular had a lot of potential, but their arc went by so quickly it didn't have the full emotional impact. I liked the returning characters, like Doug, who is the greatest friend ever but deeply unhappy, and Tyler, the smooth young head of a different mob family. But the new characters felt like they came and went quickly instead of becoming a true part of the story.
Like COLD FURY, FLICKER & BURN ends with a hook. It's not a cruel cliffhanger, as so many YA authors seem partial to these days, but there are more mysteries for Sarah Jane to solve. I'm eager to see the answers, especially since Goeglein doles them out at a nice pace.
FLICKER & BURN contains just as much action as the first book and delivers the answers to several questions about Sarah Jane's family and just what is up with those ice-cream guys. There's not much on the cover to indicate that FLICKER & BURN is anything but a straightforward thriller, and the revelations within make it clear that the stranger elements are more science fiction than paranormal. It's the kind of science fiction that might as well be magic, but it's not magic within the universe of the story. But I think it's wise to market this series as thrillers, since there is far more emphasis on Sarah Jane's search for her family and work for the mob than on the science fiction elements.
The setting continues to be a strong point. FLICKER & BURN's Chicago is a place where the buildings are full of secrets, connected by blood and greed and desperation. Sarah Jane is also a strength. She's resilient and inventive, but her determination to rescue her family does have consequences. She lets people get hurt, or hurts them herself, to further her goals. She doesn't want to be a killer, like so many of her ancestors, but at the same time it's becoming easier and easier for her to bend her morality.
I think FLICKER & BURN added a few too many new characters. One in particular had a lot of potential, but their arc went by so quickly it didn't have the full emotional impact. I liked the returning characters, like Doug, who is the greatest friend ever but deeply unhappy, and Tyler, the smooth young head of a different mob family. But the new characters felt like they came and went quickly instead of becoming a true part of the story.
Like COLD FURY, FLICKER & BURN ends with a hook. It's not a cruel cliffhanger, as so many YA authors seem partial to these days, but there are more mysteries for Sarah Jane to solve. I'm eager to see the answers, especially since Goeglein doles them out at a nice pace.
January 4, 2016
I was shocked by how much I enjoyed reading Flicker & Burn. This is definitely one of those rare cases where the sequel surpasses it's predecessor. The first installment of the Cold Fury series was a good read, great even. I found myself enamored with the elaborate world T.M. constructed, as well as the supernatural twist he intertwined with the plot to give it that dramatic flair. This was one of the reasons I found the plot, the whole premise really, to be so intriguing. It isn't your average, everyday blood-sucking vampire or werewolf love story, but a contemporary action thriller with just a hint of something that's not completely human.
I was seriously blown away by it all, more so after I had enough time to digest the book and admire the lengths the author took to make it come to life. And that's exactly what it felt like. As if people who were born with ghiasso furioso (totally just butchered the spelling of that), could actually exist in the world today. The author made it feel realistic by taking actual history and sculpting it to meet his needs, much like what Rick Riordan did with the Percy Jackson series. If you've read the Percy Jackson series, then you probably know what I'm talking about, but for those who haven't, an example would be making the Civil War a battle between clashing demigods, instead of a war between the North and South soldiers in the United States.
In this installment, Sara Jane, SJ for short, has a bleaker outlook on life. After everything she's been faced with, encountering situation after situation that requires fighting or unleashing her secret power just for the sake of survival, she has been forced to grow up faster than any teen ever should. In Cold Fury, we discover that Sara has the ability to wield ghiasso furioso, a cold blue flame of fury that rises whenever she's in emotional turmoil or severe distress, a flame that once unleashed, shows her adversary their deepest, darkest fear. However, as the series progresses, her abilities end up evolving as well, growing in strength and size with continual use.
The more she uses her power for mafia-related business and the more she kills, the more she finds her aversion to death becoming weaker and weaker. Yet, despite it all, she still continues to fight against the monster within her and keep her humanity from withering away. However, although I admired her strength, cunning, and intelligence, there were still a few times when I questioned her actions. She seemed almost indifferent to letting a certain someone destroy themself little by little in order to gain the information she needed to discover her family's location. I wish she would've at least tried to find another way that didn't involve hurting said person in the progress.
In this book, were introduced to a couple of new characters. Since I really don't want to give anything away, I'm going to try my best not to mention who they are to Sara in particular. Heather was a suckerpunch that I truly never saw coming. My emotions were a complete wreck because of her. One minute, I loved her and wanted to be her best friend....and the next, it was all I could do to refrain from punching my pillow in aggravation. Back and forth, Back and forth. In the end, I've finally concluded that although Heather did have her bitchy moments, I still loved her as a supporting character nonetheless.
If you've read my review for Cold Fury, you would already know that I absolutely despised the romance in the last novel and found it completely unnecessary. Not all books need a romance to appeal to the YA audience. I would read this series for the action and suspense alone! I didn't like the relationship between Max and Sara any more than I did in Cold Fury. Max was boring and completely detached from the plot. I really don't see why Sara is drawn to him and thinks he's boyfriend material. Why can we never have a book where the heroine is able to stand strong on her own?
The action was fast paced the majority of the time, and I didn't have nearly as much trouble getting into the book as I did with the first one. The fighting scenes made me feel like I was actually in the book itself, experiencing what the characters felt as the scene unfolded. You could obviously see that the author spent a good chunk of time researching boxing and fighting techniques in order to make his story sound more believable.
However, there were a couple of places where the story dragged on a bit, like the times when T.M. just seemed to be dumping loads and loads of information on us instead of subtly working it into the plot. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't enjoy reading books that take on the tone of a textbook, or my ninth grade research paper for that matter. Once again, I had issues with the movie references.There weren't as many this time around, but every time I did see one, I felt my eyes glaze over, because I had no freaking idea what they were talking about when they compared movie situations to the situation they were currently in.
Overall, I enjoyed Flicker & Burn immensely, considering the fact that I was a bit put off when the synopsis promised creatures with red pulsing eyes who drove around in ice cream trucks. The plot and the characters were intriguing and realistic, albeit a bit corny at times. If you've already read, and enjoyed, Cold Fury, then you certainly won't be disappointed by its sequel.
Heroine- 4.5/5
Romance- 2/5 Unnecessary nuisance.
Action- 4.5/5
Fast paced and exhilarating.
Writing- 4/5
Overall- 4.5/5
For more reviews, visit my website Reading Until Dawn.
I was seriously blown away by it all, more so after I had enough time to digest the book and admire the lengths the author took to make it come to life. And that's exactly what it felt like. As if people who were born with ghiasso furioso (totally just butchered the spelling of that), could actually exist in the world today. The author made it feel realistic by taking actual history and sculpting it to meet his needs, much like what Rick Riordan did with the Percy Jackson series. If you've read the Percy Jackson series, then you probably know what I'm talking about, but for those who haven't, an example would be making the Civil War a battle between clashing demigods, instead of a war between the North and South soldiers in the United States.
In this installment, Sara Jane, SJ for short, has a bleaker outlook on life. After everything she's been faced with, encountering situation after situation that requires fighting or unleashing her secret power just for the sake of survival, she has been forced to grow up faster than any teen ever should. In Cold Fury, we discover that Sara has the ability to wield ghiasso furioso, a cold blue flame of fury that rises whenever she's in emotional turmoil or severe distress, a flame that once unleashed, shows her adversary their deepest, darkest fear. However, as the series progresses, her abilities end up evolving as well, growing in strength and size with continual use.
The more she uses her power for mafia-related business and the more she kills, the more she finds her aversion to death becoming weaker and weaker. Yet, despite it all, she still continues to fight against the monster within her and keep her humanity from withering away. However, although I admired her strength, cunning, and intelligence, there were still a few times when I questioned her actions. She seemed almost indifferent to letting a certain someone destroy themself little by little in order to gain the information she needed to discover her family's location. I wish she would've at least tried to find another way that didn't involve hurting said person in the progress.
In this book, were introduced to a couple of new characters. Since I really don't want to give anything away, I'm going to try my best not to mention who they are to Sara in particular. Heather was a suckerpunch that I truly never saw coming. My emotions were a complete wreck because of her. One minute, I loved her and wanted to be her best friend....and the next, it was all I could do to refrain from punching my pillow in aggravation. Back and forth, Back and forth. In the end, I've finally concluded that although Heather did have her bitchy moments, I still loved her as a supporting character nonetheless.
If you've read my review for Cold Fury, you would already know that I absolutely despised the romance in the last novel and found it completely unnecessary. Not all books need a romance to appeal to the YA audience. I would read this series for the action and suspense alone! I didn't like the relationship between Max and Sara any more than I did in Cold Fury. Max was boring and completely detached from the plot. I really don't see why Sara is drawn to him and thinks he's boyfriend material. Why can we never have a book where the heroine is able to stand strong on her own?
The action was fast paced the majority of the time, and I didn't have nearly as much trouble getting into the book as I did with the first one. The fighting scenes made me feel like I was actually in the book itself, experiencing what the characters felt as the scene unfolded. You could obviously see that the author spent a good chunk of time researching boxing and fighting techniques in order to make his story sound more believable.
However, there were a couple of places where the story dragged on a bit, like the times when T.M. just seemed to be dumping loads and loads of information on us instead of subtly working it into the plot. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't enjoy reading books that take on the tone of a textbook, or my ninth grade research paper for that matter. Once again, I had issues with the movie references.There weren't as many this time around, but every time I did see one, I felt my eyes glaze over, because I had no freaking idea what they were talking about when they compared movie situations to the situation they were currently in.
Overall, I enjoyed Flicker & Burn immensely, considering the fact that I was a bit put off when the synopsis promised creatures with red pulsing eyes who drove around in ice cream trucks. The plot and the characters were intriguing and realistic, albeit a bit corny at times. If you've already read, and enjoyed, Cold Fury, then you certainly won't be disappointed by its sequel.
Heroine- 4.5/5
Romance- 2/5 Unnecessary nuisance.
Action- 4.5/5
Fast paced and exhilarating.
Writing- 4/5
Overall- 4.5/5
For more reviews, visit my website Reading Until Dawn.
September 13, 2017
On the cover of this book one sees the beautiful Sara feeling always hunted. At the end of the second volume she put her hand on this famous notebook, here she continues to try to learn a little more about the writings in this notebook and want to find her family at all costs. She is going to see people who she did not expect and will have to unravel the mystery of finding her family, an end that leaves especially suspense that volume three is not found anywhere.
July 26, 2013
WOW. What is it with you, sophomoric books of 2013? You've all been more or less amazing, if not really good. If you guys thought "Cold Fury" was good, just wait until you get your hands on "Flicker & Burn"! Seriously. Every bit of tension that Goeglein had in "Cold Fury", every stake? It's been upped about a hundred times. This book has turned from paranormal into parascience, which is awesome, and I really can't wait for book three. Another one of my favorite sophomoric effort of 2013, "Flicker & Burn" definitely leaps off the page and sears itself into your brain. Let's just say I'll never look at "healthy" ice cream the same way again.
Three words for you guys: Ice. Cream. Demons. Well, they're not exactly demons (I won't reveal exactly what they are, as that would ruin an entire section of the book for you), but they sure as hell act like them. Picking up pretty much from where we left off in book one, this book just kind of launches itself from page one and it's a crazy, bumpy, and at times, scary ride all the way until the final page. Goeglein is doing something right, because I love Sara Jane all the more in this book, and I wanted to know all of the mysteries that do get some answers (in some form or another - one in a VERY creative way at the end of this book), and some are saved for book three. It was really satisfying to get those answers, and the way Goeglein approached them was great. There's a lot of bait and switch with this one - just when we think we know the answer to one of the questions left by the Volta notebook, nope. We get taken on another wild ride to get to its true answer.
In this book, we don't get too many new characters - only three or four. Which was nice - many sequels get a lot of new characters in, and while that can be useful for worldbuilding, sometimes that obscures the main cast's original series plot target or purpose that was set in book one. Here, it feels like the original plot target is clearer than ever with this handful of new characters, as they all weave into the greater plot of the Cold Fury phenomenon. We also get a lot of backstory and answers into the characters of book one that aren't around in book two, and we also get a general look at the history of the Outfit, as well as how that ties into the diabolical fiends that Mister Kreamy Kone is setting loose on the streets of Chicago, aiming for Sara Jane. There's no infodumping - all of the information we do get is spaced out really well, and from various characters we've either met in book one, or have heard about in book two. Sarah Jane does a lot of investigation work, but doesn't infodump herself. That was a good route for Goeglein to take, because it really felt like Sara Jane was really figuring things out the same time the audience was. And I like that kind of synchronicity - it feels kinda rare in YA as of late, so that's definitely a plus.
There are a lot of questions raised in this book with Sarah Jane's character - what am I? Who am I - especially without my (immediate) family? Can I ever, in good conscience, go back into the civilian world and lead a quiet life with everything that I've done and seen? While some would say there's a lot of navelgazing going on in this book, for Sara Jane's character, it's important. In this book, she has to decide who she is, so that she can go forward with not only trying to find where her family's been hidden, but also with her own questions of what the Cold Fury really is. While the latter question is helped by new character cousin Heather, the rest is pure Sara Jane trying to figure things out. But not without cost - she loses Max, she loses Doug, and she almost loses herself in the need for revenge. And I love it when characters take that kind of turn in their journey arcs - toward darkness, all the while trying to struggle to stay out of it.
Finally, there's the matter of parascience that gets approached in this book - I won't spoil much, but let's just say that the Cold Fury is now no longer purely paranormal in origin. (To be clear, parascience = paranormal + real science.) Which I absolutely adored - it reminded me a bit of "The X-Files" in that way. MKK's henchmen and all of the answers that lie in wait to be discovered in the Volta notebook all tie into this transformation of paranormal to parascience, and I loved how detailed and well-thought out this part of the plot is.
Final verdict? To quote Dominic Monaghan, "badasses like to hang out with other badasses", and Sara Jane is no exception. There's tension on every single page, and I'm not exaggerating. I seriously can't wait until book three now. "Flicker & Burn" is out August 20, 2013 from Penguin in North America, so DEFINITELY check it out when you get the chance!
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
Three words for you guys: Ice. Cream. Demons. Well, they're not exactly demons (I won't reveal exactly what they are, as that would ruin an entire section of the book for you), but they sure as hell act like them. Picking up pretty much from where we left off in book one, this book just kind of launches itself from page one and it's a crazy, bumpy, and at times, scary ride all the way until the final page. Goeglein is doing something right, because I love Sara Jane all the more in this book, and I wanted to know all of the mysteries that do get some answers (in some form or another - one in a VERY creative way at the end of this book), and some are saved for book three. It was really satisfying to get those answers, and the way Goeglein approached them was great. There's a lot of bait and switch with this one - just when we think we know the answer to one of the questions left by the Volta notebook, nope. We get taken on another wild ride to get to its true answer.
In this book, we don't get too many new characters - only three or four. Which was nice - many sequels get a lot of new characters in, and while that can be useful for worldbuilding, sometimes that obscures the main cast's original series plot target or purpose that was set in book one. Here, it feels like the original plot target is clearer than ever with this handful of new characters, as they all weave into the greater plot of the Cold Fury phenomenon. We also get a lot of backstory and answers into the characters of book one that aren't around in book two, and we also get a general look at the history of the Outfit, as well as how that ties into the diabolical fiends that Mister Kreamy Kone is setting loose on the streets of Chicago, aiming for Sara Jane. There's no infodumping - all of the information we do get is spaced out really well, and from various characters we've either met in book one, or have heard about in book two. Sarah Jane does a lot of investigation work, but doesn't infodump herself. That was a good route for Goeglein to take, because it really felt like Sara Jane was really figuring things out the same time the audience was. And I like that kind of synchronicity - it feels kinda rare in YA as of late, so that's definitely a plus.
There are a lot of questions raised in this book with Sarah Jane's character - what am I? Who am I - especially without my (immediate) family? Can I ever, in good conscience, go back into the civilian world and lead a quiet life with everything that I've done and seen? While some would say there's a lot of navelgazing going on in this book, for Sara Jane's character, it's important. In this book, she has to decide who she is, so that she can go forward with not only trying to find where her family's been hidden, but also with her own questions of what the Cold Fury really is. While the latter question is helped by new character cousin Heather, the rest is pure Sara Jane trying to figure things out. But not without cost - she loses Max, she loses Doug, and she almost loses herself in the need for revenge. And I love it when characters take that kind of turn in their journey arcs - toward darkness, all the while trying to struggle to stay out of it.
Finally, there's the matter of parascience that gets approached in this book - I won't spoil much, but let's just say that the Cold Fury is now no longer purely paranormal in origin. (To be clear, parascience = paranormal + real science.) Which I absolutely adored - it reminded me a bit of "The X-Files" in that way. MKK's henchmen and all of the answers that lie in wait to be discovered in the Volta notebook all tie into this transformation of paranormal to parascience, and I loved how detailed and well-thought out this part of the plot is.
Final verdict? To quote Dominic Monaghan, "badasses like to hang out with other badasses", and Sara Jane is no exception. There's tension on every single page, and I'm not exaggerating. I seriously can't wait until book three now. "Flicker & Burn" is out August 20, 2013 from Penguin in North America, so DEFINITELY check it out when you get the chance!
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
August 9, 2013
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I'm almost positive that fans of Cold Fury will devour and absolutely love Flicker & Burn. I was a bit on the fence with Cold Fury, but for the most part it was entertaining. Flicker & Burn retains much of the thriller components that I enjoyed in Cold Fury, but it never seems to improve upon it's predecessors' faults. Flicker & Burn had the potential to be an excellent thrilling Mafia adventure, but the whole integration of paranormal elements ruined it for me.
All of the paranormal elements in the Cold Fury series seem extremely out of place and just unnecessary. I'm still questioning why a mafia novel needs there to be a character with paranormal abilities? It's one thing if the paranormal and thriller aspects mesh well, but these two worlds never really intertwined . I felt as if there were two worlds colliding--competing--each trying to outshine each other. There was never a perfect blend of the paranormal/thriller elements and it seemed like Goeglein was a bit over his head with this attempt. Trying to create a paranormal, mafia thriller is an extremely ambitious idea, but it never really fell through.
Sarah Jane Rispoli is back in Flicker & Burn, but this time she's being attacked by Ice-Cream Creatures. How scary can something referred to as an Ice Cream Creature be? What's it going to do? Make you gain a few pounds and infect you with sugary goodness? The worst thing they could probably do is give you brain freeze, but that can last only a few minutes.
image
I know these creatures aren't "Ice-Cream" perse, but the calling them Ice-Cream creatures seemed to mitigate the intense, thriller feel of the novel. Honestly, I could never picture these creatures at all and I couldn't take them seriously at all.
The rest of Flicker & Burn is a bit on the mediocre side and plot lines from book #1 are still, never resolved. I thought that in the 2nd book in a trilogy, the reader would at least get some more relevant info. All the information we learn about the Rispoli family is more neglible and nothing special. I kept waiting for some deep, dark secret that would totally change how I felt about this book. Needless to say all I was fed were some lousy information and truthfully I am tried of waiting for major answers after two books.
Sarah Jane Rispoli annoyed the bejeezus out of me in Flicker & Burn. She is extremely self-centered and I don't understand her love life at all. A guy treats her like garbage and yet she is still clinging to him and claiming that she loves him. He hurt you badly and you're running back to him one second after the fact. I actually really liked Sarah in book #1, I thought she kicked ass and that she was my type of heroine. In book #2, she really needed to get her act together and pull herself together for her family's sake.
Doug is the crown victor of "favorite character" in Flicker & Burn, but he also constantly irritated me. Yes, Doug has a speckled past and his homelife isn't the best, but does he constantly need to pity himself? Doug seriously needed to pull himself together and be strong because he can't feel sorry for himself forever. It's kind of sad, but the other characters in Flicker & Burn aren't much better at all and one of the new characters gave petulant a new meaning. I'm not going to name this character because that would be a spoiler, but this character had to think before they spoke. Literally almost, every sentence included: "That is so LA" or some variation of it. I have been to L.A. before and Los Angeles is NOT relevant in every conversation, contrary to what the character
T.M. Goeglein really knows how to create a heart pounding thriller, but the thriller components were bogged down by the rest of the book. I will probably be continuing this series because I feel as if I have invested too much time in the series, not to continue. I really hoped Flicker & Burn would be a glorious comeback for Goeglein; I wanted this sequel to be absolutely incredible. Flicker & Burn never really lived up to both my expectations and to Cold Fury.
I'm almost positive that fans of Cold Fury will devour and absolutely love Flicker & Burn. I was a bit on the fence with Cold Fury, but for the most part it was entertaining. Flicker & Burn retains much of the thriller components that I enjoyed in Cold Fury, but it never seems to improve upon it's predecessors' faults. Flicker & Burn had the potential to be an excellent thrilling Mafia adventure, but the whole integration of paranormal elements ruined it for me.
All of the paranormal elements in the Cold Fury series seem extremely out of place and just unnecessary. I'm still questioning why a mafia novel needs there to be a character with paranormal abilities? It's one thing if the paranormal and thriller aspects mesh well, but these two worlds never really intertwined . I felt as if there were two worlds colliding--competing--each trying to outshine each other. There was never a perfect blend of the paranormal/thriller elements and it seemed like Goeglein was a bit over his head with this attempt. Trying to create a paranormal, mafia thriller is an extremely ambitious idea, but it never really fell through.
Sarah Jane Rispoli is back in Flicker & Burn, but this time she's being attacked by Ice-Cream Creatures. How scary can something referred to as an Ice Cream Creature be? What's it going to do? Make you gain a few pounds and infect you with sugary goodness? The worst thing they could probably do is give you brain freeze, but that can last only a few minutes.
image
I know these creatures aren't "Ice-Cream" perse, but the calling them Ice-Cream creatures seemed to mitigate the intense, thriller feel of the novel. Honestly, I could never picture these creatures at all and I couldn't take them seriously at all.
The rest of Flicker & Burn is a bit on the mediocre side and plot lines from book #1 are still, never resolved. I thought that in the 2nd book in a trilogy, the reader would at least get some more relevant info. All the information we learn about the Rispoli family is more neglible and nothing special. I kept waiting for some deep, dark secret that would totally change how I felt about this book. Needless to say all I was fed were some lousy information and truthfully I am tried of waiting for major answers after two books.
Sarah Jane Rispoli annoyed the bejeezus out of me in Flicker & Burn. She is extremely self-centered and I don't understand her love life at all. A guy treats her like garbage and yet she is still clinging to him and claiming that she loves him. He hurt you badly and you're running back to him one second after the fact. I actually really liked Sarah in book #1, I thought she kicked ass and that she was my type of heroine. In book #2, she really needed to get her act together and pull herself together for her family's sake.
Doug is the crown victor of "favorite character" in Flicker & Burn, but he also constantly irritated me. Yes, Doug has a speckled past and his homelife isn't the best, but does he constantly need to pity himself? Doug seriously needed to pull himself together and be strong because he can't feel sorry for himself forever. It's kind of sad, but the other characters in Flicker & Burn aren't much better at all and one of the new characters gave petulant a new meaning. I'm not going to name this character because that would be a spoiler, but this character had to think before they spoke. Literally almost, every sentence included: "That is so LA" or some variation of it. I have been to L.A. before and Los Angeles is NOT relevant in every conversation, contrary to what the character
T.M. Goeglein really knows how to create a heart pounding thriller, but the thriller components were bogged down by the rest of the book. I will probably be continuing this series because I feel as if I have invested too much time in the series, not to continue. I really hoped Flicker & Burn would be a glorious comeback for Goeglein; I wanted this sequel to be absolutely incredible. Flicker & Burn never really lived up to both my expectations and to Cold Fury.
October 20, 2024
Reading this book after so many years since I read the first book, felt a little nostalgic but honestly this book has a lot of information. I would have loved some more action and progression in the story. I may not have enjoyed it as much as I did years ago but it’ll always be one I remember.
The story is told in the past, like a flashback. Each chapter starts or ends with a small preface or hint of emotion to outline the chapter ahead. The chapters are continuous with small time skips in between that aren’t very noticeable. The plot progresses in this book but it also doesn’t and the undertones of brutality and fear are dampened with the constant underwhelming action. Also, the mystery element is present, but its elongated delivery ruins the suspense and surprise.
The story continues with Sara Jane Rispoli continuing her search for her family while uncovering the secrets of the past and the answers to the present. Along the way she learns to master her supernatural ability and tries her best to manage her school life. But it’s difficult as she’s being chased and distancing herself from loved ones by keeping secrets. Throughout the story, many new characters are introduced and mentioned making the story more confusing than complex.
There are a lot of secrets unraveled and many more new ones forming in this story. It’s a lot of information and it’s told in long paragraphs constantly. There are backgrounds, character profiles, recent situations, summarized events captured in the notebook, scenery description and more. Honestly it got tiring after a while because although Sara Jane was learning more about her family and situation there wasn’t much occurring. Personally, the highlight of this book lies in the chases and the last few chapters regarding the possible location of Sara Jane’s family.
Overall, this is a good mystery but it leaves much to be desired. I wish there was more action in terms of revenge because I feel immensely bad for Sara Jane’s family. The backstory seems intriguing and I feel like it would have been better if it was instead witnessed through a character. There is an element of romance but it’s not the highlight of the story. I feel like it just makes things more difficult for Sara Jane in her current situation. I’m definitely going to read the next book to close this series and hopefully there’s a happy end with a dash of revenge.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
The story is told in the past, like a flashback. Each chapter starts or ends with a small preface or hint of emotion to outline the chapter ahead. The chapters are continuous with small time skips in between that aren’t very noticeable. The plot progresses in this book but it also doesn’t and the undertones of brutality and fear are dampened with the constant underwhelming action. Also, the mystery element is present, but its elongated delivery ruins the suspense and surprise.
The story continues with Sara Jane Rispoli continuing her search for her family while uncovering the secrets of the past and the answers to the present. Along the way she learns to master her supernatural ability and tries her best to manage her school life. But it’s difficult as she’s being chased and distancing herself from loved ones by keeping secrets. Throughout the story, many new characters are introduced and mentioned making the story more confusing than complex.
There are a lot of secrets unraveled and many more new ones forming in this story. It’s a lot of information and it’s told in long paragraphs constantly. There are backgrounds, character profiles, recent situations, summarized events captured in the notebook, scenery description and more. Honestly it got tiring after a while because although Sara Jane was learning more about her family and situation there wasn’t much occurring. Personally, the highlight of this book lies in the chases and the last few chapters regarding the possible location of Sara Jane’s family.
Overall, this is a good mystery but it leaves much to be desired. I wish there was more action in terms of revenge because I feel immensely bad for Sara Jane’s family. The backstory seems intriguing and I feel like it would have been better if it was instead witnessed through a character. There is an element of romance but it’s not the highlight of the story. I feel like it just makes things more difficult for Sara Jane in her current situation. I’m definitely going to read the next book to close this series and hopefully there’s a happy end with a dash of revenge.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
July 21, 2013
I received this book from Penguin Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I greatly enjoyed Flicker & Burn's predecessor, Cold Fury. In that book, we are introduced to Sara Jane Rispoli and a sort of Paranormal mafia. It was definitely an unusual backstory, and I went with it, enjoying the ride.
This followup takes place soon after the end of the first novel, and Sara is immediately attacked by some ice cream creature. I kid you not. Doug continues to be one of my favorite (and probably the most intelligent) side characters; he continues to help Sara on her journey to finding her parents, and she struggles with not telling Max, her boyfriend, all of her secrets. Throughout this book, she gets closer to finding out why she and her family are at the center of this conspiracy.
Why does this book get only two stars from me? Several reasons. First, the ice cream creatures-- really? It just seems far fetched and out of the realm of this icy cool story that was previously told. Second, the whole book is a downer. Sara does everything completely wrong, and it took all my willpower to get to the end. What makes it even worse is that she tells you from the perspective of "I should have known it was wrong," and I can't help but completely agree with her. She pretty much decides to sacrifice everyone else for the good of her family, but then we don't even make it any further trying to figure out where these people are. Sorry if that's a spoiler. And poor, poor Doug. He is totally sacrificed to the plot and Sara's unfailing self absorption. I won't even talk about Max because he is basically a non-entity at this point. Lastly, the only new interesting character Heather is also gunned down by Sara being just utterly self absorbed. REALLY?
I felt like this book was just filler and an artificial method of placing more obstacles so that we would have another book. I certainly hope it's just another book and not several-- I don't think this story has enough meat to hold up much longer.
Overall, I admit I was disappointed by this second novel. And it's too bad, because Cold Fury was a great start.
I greatly enjoyed Flicker & Burn's predecessor, Cold Fury. In that book, we are introduced to Sara Jane Rispoli and a sort of Paranormal mafia. It was definitely an unusual backstory, and I went with it, enjoying the ride.
This followup takes place soon after the end of the first novel, and Sara is immediately attacked by some ice cream creature. I kid you not. Doug continues to be one of my favorite (and probably the most intelligent) side characters; he continues to help Sara on her journey to finding her parents, and she struggles with not telling Max, her boyfriend, all of her secrets. Throughout this book, she gets closer to finding out why she and her family are at the center of this conspiracy.
Why does this book get only two stars from me? Several reasons. First, the ice cream creatures-- really? It just seems far fetched and out of the realm of this icy cool story that was previously told. Second, the whole book is a downer. Sara does everything completely wrong, and it took all my willpower to get to the end. What makes it even worse is that she tells you from the perspective of "I should have known it was wrong," and I can't help but completely agree with her. She pretty much decides to sacrifice everyone else for the good of her family, but then we don't even make it any further trying to figure out where these people are. Sorry if that's a spoiler. And poor, poor Doug. He is totally sacrificed to the plot and Sara's unfailing self absorption. I won't even talk about Max because he is basically a non-entity at this point. Lastly, the only new interesting character Heather is also gunned down by Sara being just utterly self absorbed. REALLY?
I felt like this book was just filler and an artificial method of placing more obstacles so that we would have another book. I certainly hope it's just another book and not several-- I don't think this story has enough meat to hold up much longer.
Overall, I admit I was disappointed by this second novel. And it's too bad, because Cold Fury was a great start.
March 11, 2013
WOW.
I wasn't expecting quite a few aspects of this book. When I finished Cold Fury, I was really curious about how the story would unfold, and the way it does was surprising, scary and in a way even more thrilling than the first book.
Readers who thought Cold Fury took a while to really get going will definitely reap the benefits of that rich background story development, when reading Flicker & Burn.
This time, there's no rest, not a slow moment, no time to catch your breath as the author throws Sara Jane (and the reader) mercilessly into crazy action, right from the start.
Our girl Sara Jane has changed. A lot. She's developed into a tough, relentless person, forced to adapt to an environment that couldn't be farther from the sheltered life she used to know - the life in a beautiful city she loved, surrounded by family.
Oh, and how about that beautiful city? While Cold Fury was still taking place in the "normal", pretty, touristy Chicago locations, this book really kidnaps the reader to the city's dark and gritty side, showing the ugly underbelly of its dark history that seeped into present time, preserving all the violence and crime just beneath the shiny surface.
T.M. also introduces a few very interesting new characters who are great additions to the story... Can't really say anything more than that without giving something away.
Be prepared for another crazy thrill-ride, expect the unexpected! And cherish every page, because it'll be a much too long wait for the third and last book in the trilogy.
I wasn't expecting quite a few aspects of this book. When I finished Cold Fury, I was really curious about how the story would unfold, and the way it does was surprising, scary and in a way even more thrilling than the first book.
Readers who thought Cold Fury took a while to really get going will definitely reap the benefits of that rich background story development, when reading Flicker & Burn.
This time, there's no rest, not a slow moment, no time to catch your breath as the author throws Sara Jane (and the reader) mercilessly into crazy action, right from the start.
Our girl Sara Jane has changed. A lot. She's developed into a tough, relentless person, forced to adapt to an environment that couldn't be farther from the sheltered life she used to know - the life in a beautiful city she loved, surrounded by family.
Oh, and how about that beautiful city? While Cold Fury was still taking place in the "normal", pretty, touristy Chicago locations, this book really kidnaps the reader to the city's dark and gritty side, showing the ugly underbelly of its dark history that seeped into present time, preserving all the violence and crime just beneath the shiny surface.
T.M. also introduces a few very interesting new characters who are great additions to the story... Can't really say anything more than that without giving something away.
Be prepared for another crazy thrill-ride, expect the unexpected! And cherish every page, because it'll be a much too long wait for the third and last book in the trilogy.
August 26, 2019
! ACHTUNG - ENTHÄLT SPOILER ZUM VORGÄNGER !
Inhalt:
Immer noch hat Sara Jane keine Ahnung, wo ihre Eltern geblieben sind. Ihre einzige Spur sind die merkwürdigen Eiswagen, allerdings verfolgen diese sie nun unaufhörlich. Doch die Personen darin sind alles andere als normal ...
Somit befindet sich Sara Jane durchgängig auf der Flucht, nebenbei muss sie Rolle der Vermittlerin in dem „Outfit“ einnehmen, das ghiaccio furioso möglichst schnell verstehen lernen, herausfinden, wo ihre Eltern sind - und überleben ...
Meine Meinung:
Von Anfang an ist das Buch actiongeladen, sodass der Leser kaum zu Atem kommt. Verfolgungsjagden mit dem Auto quer durch Chigaco wechseln sich ab mit Nahkämpfen oder düsteren Enthüllungen. So viel steht fest: Langweile kommt auf jeden Fall nicht auf.
Auch sonst scheint dieser zweite Teil wenig von der Überbrückungsfunktion der meisten zweiten Bände zu haben. Die Handlung entwickelt sich weiter, Sara Jane wird noch tiefer in die dunklen Machenschaften ihrer Familie gezogen, wird verfolgt und würde alles dafür tun, ihre Familie zu finden. Alles.
Gerade dadurch, dass sie immer verfolgt wird und eigentlich niemandem trauen kann, außerdem einer mächtigen Verbrecherorganisation vortäuscht, ihre Familie wäre gar nicht verschwunden, entsteht eine hohe Spannung, die den Leser an das Buch fesselt. Wie auch im ersten Teil gibt es definitiv einen Thrill-Effekt, da Sara Jane niemals sicher ist und auch der Leser nie weiß, wem er trauen kann.
Am Anfang zeigt sich, dass hier ein kleiner Zeitsprung gemacht wurde, sodass sie zum Beispiel mit Max zusammen und der Großteil der Ferien schon wieder passé ist. Das fand ich aber gar nicht schlimm, da so Längen vermieden werden und der Fokus sowieso immer auf der Suche nach der Familie liegt und unwichtigere Teile so gekürzt werden.
Wie erwähnt trägt natürlich auch der Mafia-Part zu der Spannung bei. Einerseits entsteht dieser typische Nervenkitzel durch die Gesetzlosigkeit, andererseits zeigt Sara Jane aber auch, dass diese Organisation skrupellos, kalt und nur auf Profit aus ist.
Sie selbst wird weitgehend unfreiwillig da hineingezogen, muss ihren Vater in der Familienrolle als Vermittler ersetzen und stößt so an die Grenzen ihrer moralischen Prinzipien. Auch dieser innere Konflikt wird nachvollziehbar dargestellt.
Gleich zu Beginn wird die Entwicklung deutlich, die Sara Jane durchlaufen ist. Sie hat einen Teil ihrer Skrupel verloren, ist nicht mehr das unschuldige Mädchen, sondern die Erbin einer Familie, die in Mafiageschäfte verwickelt ist und die zudem über das ghiaccio furioso verfügt. Sie weiß sich weitgehend auch gegen die brutalen Kerle von der Mafia zu behaupten.
Sie handelt weitgehend eigenständig, nur mit Doug als Gehilfe, allerdings wird auch deutlich, dass sie auf der anderen Seite darunter leidet, ganz auf sich gestellt zu sein. Dennoch will sie auch andere Personen und insbesondere Max nicht da reinziehen, um sie nicht in Gefahr zu bringen. Hier wird dann auch der Konflikt ihres Doppellebens deutlich, der sich daraus ergibt, dass sie Max kaum was über sich erzählt, was die Beziehung stark strapaziert, und was die Geschichte authentisch macht.
Der Leser lernt ein paar neue Charaktere kennen und insgesamt sind auch diesmal wieder viele unerwartete Wendungen vorbei. Die Geschichte ist weitgehend unvorhersehbar und mitreißend. Der Mystery-Teil erlangt an Bedeutung, gleichzeitig werden hier relativ rationale, authentische Erklärungen gesucht.
Das Ende ist wieder einerseits irgendwie abgeschlossen, andererseits aber auch wieder offen, und weckt Spannung auf den Abschluss der Trilogie.
Fazit: Hochspannender, actiongeladener Mystery-Thriller, deren Protagonistin sich weiterentwickelt und mit Konflikten kämpft!
Inhalt:
Immer noch hat Sara Jane keine Ahnung, wo ihre Eltern geblieben sind. Ihre einzige Spur sind die merkwürdigen Eiswagen, allerdings verfolgen diese sie nun unaufhörlich. Doch die Personen darin sind alles andere als normal ...
Somit befindet sich Sara Jane durchgängig auf der Flucht, nebenbei muss sie Rolle der Vermittlerin in dem „Outfit“ einnehmen, das ghiaccio furioso möglichst schnell verstehen lernen, herausfinden, wo ihre Eltern sind - und überleben ...
Meine Meinung:
Von Anfang an ist das Buch actiongeladen, sodass der Leser kaum zu Atem kommt. Verfolgungsjagden mit dem Auto quer durch Chigaco wechseln sich ab mit Nahkämpfen oder düsteren Enthüllungen. So viel steht fest: Langweile kommt auf jeden Fall nicht auf.
Auch sonst scheint dieser zweite Teil wenig von der Überbrückungsfunktion der meisten zweiten Bände zu haben. Die Handlung entwickelt sich weiter, Sara Jane wird noch tiefer in die dunklen Machenschaften ihrer Familie gezogen, wird verfolgt und würde alles dafür tun, ihre Familie zu finden. Alles.
Gerade dadurch, dass sie immer verfolgt wird und eigentlich niemandem trauen kann, außerdem einer mächtigen Verbrecherorganisation vortäuscht, ihre Familie wäre gar nicht verschwunden, entsteht eine hohe Spannung, die den Leser an das Buch fesselt. Wie auch im ersten Teil gibt es definitiv einen Thrill-Effekt, da Sara Jane niemals sicher ist und auch der Leser nie weiß, wem er trauen kann.
Am Anfang zeigt sich, dass hier ein kleiner Zeitsprung gemacht wurde, sodass sie zum Beispiel mit Max zusammen und der Großteil der Ferien schon wieder passé ist. Das fand ich aber gar nicht schlimm, da so Längen vermieden werden und der Fokus sowieso immer auf der Suche nach der Familie liegt und unwichtigere Teile so gekürzt werden.
Wie erwähnt trägt natürlich auch der Mafia-Part zu der Spannung bei. Einerseits entsteht dieser typische Nervenkitzel durch die Gesetzlosigkeit, andererseits zeigt Sara Jane aber auch, dass diese Organisation skrupellos, kalt und nur auf Profit aus ist.
Sie selbst wird weitgehend unfreiwillig da hineingezogen, muss ihren Vater in der Familienrolle als Vermittler ersetzen und stößt so an die Grenzen ihrer moralischen Prinzipien. Auch dieser innere Konflikt wird nachvollziehbar dargestellt.
Gleich zu Beginn wird die Entwicklung deutlich, die Sara Jane durchlaufen ist. Sie hat einen Teil ihrer Skrupel verloren, ist nicht mehr das unschuldige Mädchen, sondern die Erbin einer Familie, die in Mafiageschäfte verwickelt ist und die zudem über das ghiaccio furioso verfügt. Sie weiß sich weitgehend auch gegen die brutalen Kerle von der Mafia zu behaupten.
Sie handelt weitgehend eigenständig, nur mit Doug als Gehilfe, allerdings wird auch deutlich, dass sie auf der anderen Seite darunter leidet, ganz auf sich gestellt zu sein. Dennoch will sie auch andere Personen und insbesondere Max nicht da reinziehen, um sie nicht in Gefahr zu bringen. Hier wird dann auch der Konflikt ihres Doppellebens deutlich, der sich daraus ergibt, dass sie Max kaum was über sich erzählt, was die Beziehung stark strapaziert, und was die Geschichte authentisch macht.
Der Leser lernt ein paar neue Charaktere kennen und insgesamt sind auch diesmal wieder viele unerwartete Wendungen vorbei. Die Geschichte ist weitgehend unvorhersehbar und mitreißend. Der Mystery-Teil erlangt an Bedeutung, gleichzeitig werden hier relativ rationale, authentische Erklärungen gesucht.
Das Ende ist wieder einerseits irgendwie abgeschlossen, andererseits aber auch wieder offen, und weckt Spannung auf den Abschluss der Trilogie.
Fazit: Hochspannender, actiongeladener Mystery-Thriller, deren Protagonistin sich weiterentwickelt und mit Konflikten kämpft!
November 15, 2019
I hate to write an unflattering review to a second book in a series without reading the first one. There are many good ratings to the first one by the GR readers, that influenced me before I bought this one at an outlet store for $2. The concept of "cold fury" intrigued me and the cover art put me over the edge. The starts explosively with an attempted kidnapping and a car chase that's told very well. Then it slows as the story has to address the issues of teenage girl, and I mean the basic insecurities of a teenage girl that must be inserted to appeal to the demographic of this audience. It takes about 80 pages to get with the plot that's carried over from the first book and meanwhile the "cold fury" concept I was interested in has been bypassed until her rival shows signs of having it also. The Mafia story line is hard to swallow. If anyone believes a teenage girl is an consigliere to Mafia crime bosses, regardless of a super power, well..... Hey, it is a fantasy. I didn't see anything at the end that suggested a third book, nor any reviews in GR that suggested a third book and that's ok with me
September 8, 2020
2 stars... I was going to give this a 3, but the more I think about it.....
This trilogy is just getting worse as it goes on. I thought the "ice cream" figures were a bit lame and I can't stand Doug at all. He is awful and I hate the way he talks. The romance went from
'like" in book 1 to intense love within 1-2 months? I just don't understand how in the world your family could be kidnapped/killed and you're busy thinking about some guy. It was just so unrealistic and then she wanted to go to Rome on vacation while, AGAIN, her family (if still alive) is in terrible danger and are counting on her. I just didn't get that at all. I also thought the whole "Sec-C" name was lame and AGAIN we have another character that doesn't know whether they like boys or girls or both (ughhhh....).
The whole superpower thing (sighs) was so unnecessary. It didn't go at all with the story. Book 1 wasn't my favorite read, but I preferred the whole mafia feel of the story, but with all the added superpowers, ice cream figures, etc... it takes away from the mafia feel. I don't know, this was just not for me. I have book 3 and honestly I am not looking forward to reading it---the story is so silly and juvenile-like in parts and has too much cursing for my liking. I wouldn't recommend this series at all.
Content: no actual sex, but mentions of sex and questioning ones sexuality, etc.
Language: too much
This trilogy is just getting worse as it goes on. I thought the "ice cream" figures were a bit lame and I can't stand Doug at all. He is awful and I hate the way he talks. The romance went from
'like" in book 1 to intense love within 1-2 months? I just don't understand how in the world your family could be kidnapped/killed and you're busy thinking about some guy. It was just so unrealistic and then she wanted to go to Rome on vacation while, AGAIN, her family (if still alive) is in terrible danger and are counting on her. I just didn't get that at all. I also thought the whole "Sec-C" name was lame and AGAIN we have another character that doesn't know whether they like boys or girls or both (ughhhh....).
The whole superpower thing (sighs) was so unnecessary. It didn't go at all with the story. Book 1 wasn't my favorite read, but I preferred the whole mafia feel of the story, but with all the added superpowers, ice cream figures, etc... it takes away from the mafia feel. I don't know, this was just not for me. I have book 3 and honestly I am not looking forward to reading it---the story is so silly and juvenile-like in parts and has too much cursing for my liking. I wouldn't recommend this series at all.
Content: no actual sex, but mentions of sex and questioning ones sexuality, etc.
Language: too much
March 8, 2017
While I enjoyed the continuing story, I wished it hadn't taken such a fantasy turn. While I absolutely loved the Chicago Outfit aspects and the crime novel aspects, and normally I'm a fan of the paranormal, I just didn't think it was a good fit in this particular story. I'll still read the next in the series, but will likely not encourage folks to read only the first and skip the rest unless the 3rd book is crazy good.
September 25, 2017
I still have conflicting feelings about this book (series). I couldn't believe there was 2 months between the end of the first book and the beginning of the second! 2 months is a seriously long time to have your family being kidnapped/tortured etc. Max just seemed like a strange distraction that didn't really fit. I'm not sure if I'll fully read the third one or just skip through it to see what happens.
April 25, 2018
Kept me on my toes, great story!
March 19, 2017
Chicago's Mobsters Were Never This Interesting!
Google's second book of A Cold Fury series is well-written and well-thought out. What was nearly too weird to believe about the people who drive the black ice cream trucks gets an almost satisfying explanation. A step closer to Sarah's family ends with them disappearing again. Sarah's well being means more to the reader now so I am waiting for Book 3.
Google's second book of A Cold Fury series is well-written and well-thought out. What was nearly too weird to believe about the people who drive the black ice cream trucks gets an almost satisfying explanation. A step closer to Sarah's family ends with them disappearing again. Sarah's well being means more to the reader now so I am waiting for Book 3.
June 10, 2013
After finishing Cold Fury almost a year ago, I have been super excited to begin reading the sequel to the novel. Sarah Jane was yet to find her parents when Cold Fury ended, she’d learned that her family was involved in the Chicago Outfit (a.k.a. The Mafia) then became a member of the Outfit herself. And just when things couldn’t get any more insane, Sarah Jane learned that her eyes held power in the form of fear inducing cold fury. I know that for a lot of people who read Cold Fury they found the novel to be playful while also maintaining a serious tone and that it definitely delivered in giving a main character worth cheering on to the very last page. All that in mind, the novel instantly became one of my all-time favorites and I’ve had super high expectations for the sequel Flicker & Burn. What happened in this sequel were things… things that I didn’t see coming (and I’d compare the twists in the novel to Flashpoint for any of you DC comic buffs that have read the graphic novel) and yes Flicker & Burn was awesome.
Flicker & Burn starts off a couple of months after the end of Cold Fury, Sarah Jane has moved with Doug into the Bird Cage Club and has been re-reading the notebook to uncover to uncover ultimate power in the notebook’s final chapter “Volta”. The novel starts off with a fast pace when Sarah Jane is attacked by a creature with glowing red eyes that have been stalking her inside of Mister Kreamy Kone trucks. As Sarah Jane tries to figure out what these creatures are and what they want with her, she finds her relationship with her boyfriend Max is spiraling out of control especially since he wants to meet her family. Sarah Jane is in luck when family members she didn’t know she has drop in from out of the blue; Her great-uncle, Uncle Jack, his daughter Annabelle and her daughter/Sarah Jane’s cousin (ex-teen star) Heather.
Using them as an excuse to keep her distance from Max, Sarah Jane finds friendship in her cousin heather and delves into a world full of mystery and past-murders that are connected to her family’s business in the Outfit. Sarah Jane’s friendship with her cousin is tested when she discovers that Heather has cold fury and is quickly beginning to discover how to use it. While juggling having to battle Ice Cream Creatures, a power hungry cousin, Max and the search for her family—Sarah Jane finds herself becoming one of the Outfit’s most valuable members. In pursuit of finding her family, Sarah Jane uncovers secrets about cold fury and becomes at odds and ends with her duty and her mission dedicated to her loved ones.
When I first started reading Flicker & Burn I will admit that being thrown into some fast paced action was nice and refreshing, while also reminding me of why I loved the first novel so much. It was the introduction of the Ice Cream Creatures that had me a bit skeptic about my love for the entire series, I have been so used to the series being (mostly) realistic in that there’s some science to the plot and it isn’t supernatural/paranormal in any way or form… however the addition of creatures with glowing eyes had me wondering if vampires or something had been thrown into the mix. I learned in the end that all along there was science to the Ice Cream Creatures’ existence and that readers shouldn’t be worried about paranormalcy being added into the series at all.
A big part of Flicker & Burn is Sarah Jane’s family reunion (kinda). We experience the weirdness that would come with finding out at the worst time possible that Sarah Jane has more family to look out for, but also get to become interested in the character Heather. She is the anti-Sarah Jane Rispoli. Where Sarah Jane is tomboyish and badass, Heather… is Heather. She’s the pretty popular mean girl that is always clichéd on TV, but what makes her a worthwhile character is the fact that she goes from an ally to Sarah Jane to an antagonist. She masters her cold fury like a boss (bau5) and uses it against Sarah Jane, resulting in a faceoff worthy of any film adaptation. There are a ton of bad guys in Flicker & Burn, ranging from crazy cousins to Ice Cream Creatures to gangsters to a creepy fat guy (Jabba?). I know that sometimes when there is more than one main antagonist the reader can get overwhelmed, so not the case in Flicker & Burn. The antagonists in Flicker & Burn are mean, sinister and everything that real villains should be.
At the end of the day, I’ll admit that this novel concluded in a way that has left me dying for a sequel. I want—no I need to know what happens next to Sarah Jane. There are so many ends that need to be tied up and maybe she’ll finally get the happy ending she deserves.
Flicker & Burn starts off a couple of months after the end of Cold Fury, Sarah Jane has moved with Doug into the Bird Cage Club and has been re-reading the notebook to uncover to uncover ultimate power in the notebook’s final chapter “Volta”. The novel starts off with a fast pace when Sarah Jane is attacked by a creature with glowing red eyes that have been stalking her inside of Mister Kreamy Kone trucks. As Sarah Jane tries to figure out what these creatures are and what they want with her, she finds her relationship with her boyfriend Max is spiraling out of control especially since he wants to meet her family. Sarah Jane is in luck when family members she didn’t know she has drop in from out of the blue; Her great-uncle, Uncle Jack, his daughter Annabelle and her daughter/Sarah Jane’s cousin (ex-teen star) Heather.
Using them as an excuse to keep her distance from Max, Sarah Jane finds friendship in her cousin heather and delves into a world full of mystery and past-murders that are connected to her family’s business in the Outfit. Sarah Jane’s friendship with her cousin is tested when she discovers that Heather has cold fury and is quickly beginning to discover how to use it. While juggling having to battle Ice Cream Creatures, a power hungry cousin, Max and the search for her family—Sarah Jane finds herself becoming one of the Outfit’s most valuable members. In pursuit of finding her family, Sarah Jane uncovers secrets about cold fury and becomes at odds and ends with her duty and her mission dedicated to her loved ones.
When I first started reading Flicker & Burn I will admit that being thrown into some fast paced action was nice and refreshing, while also reminding me of why I loved the first novel so much. It was the introduction of the Ice Cream Creatures that had me a bit skeptic about my love for the entire series, I have been so used to the series being (mostly) realistic in that there’s some science to the plot and it isn’t supernatural/paranormal in any way or form… however the addition of creatures with glowing eyes had me wondering if vampires or something had been thrown into the mix. I learned in the end that all along there was science to the Ice Cream Creatures’ existence and that readers shouldn’t be worried about paranormalcy being added into the series at all.
A big part of Flicker & Burn is Sarah Jane’s family reunion (kinda). We experience the weirdness that would come with finding out at the worst time possible that Sarah Jane has more family to look out for, but also get to become interested in the character Heather. She is the anti-Sarah Jane Rispoli. Where Sarah Jane is tomboyish and badass, Heather… is Heather. She’s the pretty popular mean girl that is always clichéd on TV, but what makes her a worthwhile character is the fact that she goes from an ally to Sarah Jane to an antagonist. She masters her cold fury like a boss (bau5) and uses it against Sarah Jane, resulting in a faceoff worthy of any film adaptation. There are a ton of bad guys in Flicker & Burn, ranging from crazy cousins to Ice Cream Creatures to gangsters to a creepy fat guy (Jabba?). I know that sometimes when there is more than one main antagonist the reader can get overwhelmed, so not the case in Flicker & Burn. The antagonists in Flicker & Burn are mean, sinister and everything that real villains should be.
At the end of the day, I’ll admit that this novel concluded in a way that has left me dying for a sequel. I want—no I need to know what happens next to Sarah Jane. There are so many ends that need to be tied up and maybe she’ll finally get the happy ending she deserves.
May 13, 2013
My Actual Ratings is 4.5 stars!
Man. Oh. Man! Like, where to start? Flicker and Burn was ACTION PACKED and I loved every single moment of all that extremeness! I could not wait to dive back into the mystery of Sara Jane's missing family, to the creepy ice cream creatures, and finally to the mysterious book of all the old Outfit's secrets. So many amazing things, good and bad, happened within within this installment that has me really anxious to see how everything will end in the final book! If you enjoyed the first book, then I really suggest you give the sequel a try :) It was awesome! And if you haven't started this series and like a good action packed mystery, then I would definitely recommend starting the series!
Lets start with how awesome Sara Jane is. I mean seriously, that girl is kick ass! From the outside looking in she's your average, plain Jane (haha), but once the Rispoli in her kicks in, she is no joke. SJ has an ability called Cold Fury (ghiaccio furioso), which stops a person in their tracks and makes them see there WORST FEAR come to life! Not only that, but her power is an important part in settling the Outfit's business disputes. Now, a teenage girl, handling mob business?! Awesome :D I loved when Sara Jane shows all the big bad mobsters who's boss! But I feel for SJ in so many ways. With the kidnapping of her family (Mom, Dad, and little brother), the girl is handling so many emotions while trying to find her family and also keeping up with the Outfit so they won't get suspicious of why her parents are really 'away'. And I really don't know what to think about Max, SJ's love interest. I really liked him, but I have no clue of what will become of them or if there will be anything going on with them at all within the next book. And what about Tyler? So confusing! And I did not like that letter from Max at the end. And let's not forget Doug! I also feel for him and can definitely relate to him about his insecurities. Everyone has their own personal insecurities that they deal with and that really makes me like him more and more as a character.
Now on to those creepy ice cream creatures. I'm not going to lie to you... When those things showed up in the story, multiple times, I was seriously FREAKED OUT! The way they're described is so disturbing to me lol But they really make for great action in the story, especially the creeper Teardrop! But like I said before, this book was complete with the right kind of running for your life and trying to escape and to finding out more secrets about yourself, family and the mob. Uh, I loved it! I am a die hard action kind of girl and this book pleased me in that department! The only thing bad I can say about the book is that sometimes info about the mob can pop up at the weirdest times in the story. Like, SJ will be running for her life and book she's home and we get some mob history. Unless the information was about the Rispoli family history, I honestly didn't care for it. But I did love learning about that deadly shooting! And Heather :( That was sad!
Overall, I really loved the story! :) And am dying for the next installment! I love the mystery aspect of the book and of course all the action. And I must say, the drama in the romance department of the story really kept me entertained! Thanks so much T.M. Goeglein for getting me an arc of Flicker and Burned! I would definitely recommend this series if you like a good mystery and LOTS of action :D
February 21, 2014
*Genre* Contemporary
*Rating* 3-3.5
*My Thoughts*
Flicker & Burn picks up four months from the ending of Cold Fury and once again puts 16-year old Sara Jane Rispoli into the spotlight where there are more secrets than facts. More enemies, than friends. And, not everything is at it seems. She's moved in with her friend and confidant Doug Stuffins into the Bird Cage Club where she continues looking for clues into the secrets of the "Volta" and the Ultimate Power. She's still being chased around Chicago by Mister Kreamy Kone trucks driven by creepy things with red eyes that want what she has in her blood and tends to make more mistakes than good decisions.
She's slowly coming to terms with her own abilities by using Ghiaccio Furioso (Cold Fury) which can scare the crap out of anyone she uses it on. She's taken on even more responsibilities as the Outfits counselor-at-large the position her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather once held because her parents and brother are still missing with no clues as to where they are. There are clues as to a long standing family secret that may or may not fall back on the Rispoli's.
If that weren't enough, her relationship with Max has hit the skids, and new family members, her great-uncle, Uncle Jack, his daughter Annabelle and her daughter/Sarah Jane’s cousin (ex-teen star) Heather, arrive from California and they may hold a key part of the Volta's secrets. I will say that while their arrival added a different spice to the storyline, in the long run, Sara has to make her own choices, and decisions without putting too much emphasis on what others think.
Flicker and Burn is a step in the right direction when it comes to second novels in a series. The story was far from boring, or lacking substance, and creative ways to push and pull Sara in different directions. There's plenty of action, and mysteries to solve, and the plot thickens as to who is actually behind Sara's families disappearance and why the creepy trucks are following Sara all around town. Sara's own abilities are broken down, and apart, and revealed that she hasn't even touched the surface yet as to what she is capable of.
Sarah Jane is far from a perfect character, but she is resilient, inventive, and determined. Her actions do come with consequences including Doug's own decisions, and Heather's inventive choices in pushing Sara's buttons. I personally think it is time to withdraw Sara from school, and focus the story entirely on the Outfit, Volta's secrets, Sara's cold fury, and revealing who is ultimately responsible for Sara's parents disappearance. I think there are also moral issues involved in Sara's willingness to use Cold Fury against others and whether or not killing someone really makes her a bad person in the long run.
While Flicker & Burn ends with a sort of cliffhanger ending, it wasn't in your face or irritating. Embers & Ash (Cold Fury #3) releases July 10th 2014 by Putnam Juvenile and the synopsis already has me worried about the fate of Sara and others. I sincerely hope that Embers & Ash wraps up things nicely and doesn't crash and burn.
Published: August 20th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
*Rating* 3-3.5
*My Thoughts*
Flicker & Burn picks up four months from the ending of Cold Fury and once again puts 16-year old Sara Jane Rispoli into the spotlight where there are more secrets than facts. More enemies, than friends. And, not everything is at it seems. She's moved in with her friend and confidant Doug Stuffins into the Bird Cage Club where she continues looking for clues into the secrets of the "Volta" and the Ultimate Power. She's still being chased around Chicago by Mister Kreamy Kone trucks driven by creepy things with red eyes that want what she has in her blood and tends to make more mistakes than good decisions.
She's slowly coming to terms with her own abilities by using Ghiaccio Furioso (Cold Fury) which can scare the crap out of anyone she uses it on. She's taken on even more responsibilities as the Outfits counselor-at-large the position her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather once held because her parents and brother are still missing with no clues as to where they are. There are clues as to a long standing family secret that may or may not fall back on the Rispoli's.
If that weren't enough, her relationship with Max has hit the skids, and new family members, her great-uncle, Uncle Jack, his daughter Annabelle and her daughter/Sarah Jane’s cousin (ex-teen star) Heather, arrive from California and they may hold a key part of the Volta's secrets. I will say that while their arrival added a different spice to the storyline, in the long run, Sara has to make her own choices, and decisions without putting too much emphasis on what others think.
Flicker and Burn is a step in the right direction when it comes to second novels in a series. The story was far from boring, or lacking substance, and creative ways to push and pull Sara in different directions. There's plenty of action, and mysteries to solve, and the plot thickens as to who is actually behind Sara's families disappearance and why the creepy trucks are following Sara all around town. Sara's own abilities are broken down, and apart, and revealed that she hasn't even touched the surface yet as to what she is capable of.
Sarah Jane is far from a perfect character, but she is resilient, inventive, and determined. Her actions do come with consequences including Doug's own decisions, and Heather's inventive choices in pushing Sara's buttons. I personally think it is time to withdraw Sara from school, and focus the story entirely on the Outfit, Volta's secrets, Sara's cold fury, and revealing who is ultimately responsible for Sara's parents disappearance. I think there are also moral issues involved in Sara's willingness to use Cold Fury against others and whether or not killing someone really makes her a bad person in the long run.
While Flicker & Burn ends with a sort of cliffhanger ending, it wasn't in your face or irritating. Embers & Ash (Cold Fury #3) releases July 10th 2014 by Putnam Juvenile and the synopsis already has me worried about the fate of Sara and others. I sincerely hope that Embers & Ash wraps up things nicely and doesn't crash and burn.
Published: August 20th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
August 21, 2013
This review and more reviews can be found at: http://framed-in-words.blogspot.co.nz/
Final rating: 3.5 stars
Firstly,I want to thank T. M. Goeglein and Putnam Publishing for providing me with an ARC for an honest review. I really appreciate it.
After a quick recap of what was happening in book one, Flicker & Burn dives straight into seat-gripping action. Once again, the reader is running alongside Sarah Jane as she runs for her life or runs towards saving her loved ones. The plot was a little bit too slow at the beginning, however it gradually picks up and incorporates a lot more interactions between characters as the story progresses. Dialogues in YA books are generally really good at keeping the pace moving and capturing the reader's interest, whereas if there's only one character on the page for many pages in a row, the reader loses interest in reading the character's internal monologue. I felt a bit like that in the first part of the book. Once more characters are introduced, and not just revenge is on Sarah Jane's mind, the story became a lot more interesting. There are quite a few unexpected twists in relationships bewteen characters and you never really know what the characters are going to say or how they will react. This I really enjoy because it gives the reader a sense of surprise when their anticipation is proven wrong which prompts him/her to keep reading.
Sarah Jane becomes even more independent and kick-ass in this book. I really admired her determination and persistance when her goal is set. She fights through numerous obstacles and never loses hope, although at time she may have contemplated it. While she is busy fighting against or with dangerous yet alluring Italian/Chicago Mafias, she also manages to keep up the outside appearance of a normal life. The fact that after what she has gone through, she hasn't curled up into a ball and have emotional break-downs makes her a fearless heroine. However, at times, her decisions really do seem quite stupid and annoy me to no end. I just want to shake her and tell her what to do! Ah, but overall, she, as a character, grew, compared to the last book.
My favourite character in the book is actually Tyler. He makes me laugh and totally confuses Sarah Jane. Their interactions/meetings always makes me chuckle and the way Tyler acts makes me like him a lot. He isn't your usual hero in the book and the reader still doesn't really know him that well, even at the end of the book. But he has this charisma that draws people in. Looking forward to reading more about him in the next book.
There is also characters that I did not like or relate to for one bit. I really really really didn't like Max. I have no idea why Sarah Jane would fall for him even in that first book and now he is even more despicable in my opinion in the second. Sarah Jane's life would be so much easier without troubles about Max thrown in there.
Overall an interesting and intense read. Looking forward to the conclusion of this series and find out what really happens to Sarah and co.
Final rating: 3.5 stars
Firstly,I want to thank T. M. Goeglein and Putnam Publishing for providing me with an ARC for an honest review. I really appreciate it.
After a quick recap of what was happening in book one, Flicker & Burn dives straight into seat-gripping action. Once again, the reader is running alongside Sarah Jane as she runs for her life or runs towards saving her loved ones. The plot was a little bit too slow at the beginning, however it gradually picks up and incorporates a lot more interactions between characters as the story progresses. Dialogues in YA books are generally really good at keeping the pace moving and capturing the reader's interest, whereas if there's only one character on the page for many pages in a row, the reader loses interest in reading the character's internal monologue. I felt a bit like that in the first part of the book. Once more characters are introduced, and not just revenge is on Sarah Jane's mind, the story became a lot more interesting. There are quite a few unexpected twists in relationships bewteen characters and you never really know what the characters are going to say or how they will react. This I really enjoy because it gives the reader a sense of surprise when their anticipation is proven wrong which prompts him/her to keep reading.
Sarah Jane becomes even more independent and kick-ass in this book. I really admired her determination and persistance when her goal is set. She fights through numerous obstacles and never loses hope, although at time she may have contemplated it. While she is busy fighting against or with dangerous yet alluring Italian/Chicago Mafias, she also manages to keep up the outside appearance of a normal life. The fact that after what she has gone through, she hasn't curled up into a ball and have emotional break-downs makes her a fearless heroine. However, at times, her decisions really do seem quite stupid and annoy me to no end. I just want to shake her and tell her what to do! Ah, but overall, she, as a character, grew, compared to the last book.
My favourite character in the book is actually Tyler. He makes me laugh and totally confuses Sarah Jane. Their interactions/meetings always makes me chuckle and the way Tyler acts makes me like him a lot. He isn't your usual hero in the book and the reader still doesn't really know him that well, even at the end of the book. But he has this charisma that draws people in. Looking forward to reading more about him in the next book.
There is also characters that I did not like or relate to for one bit. I really really really didn't like Max. I have no idea why Sarah Jane would fall for him even in that first book and now he is even more despicable in my opinion in the second. Sarah Jane's life would be so much easier without troubles about Max thrown in there.
Overall an interesting and intense read. Looking forward to the conclusion of this series and find out what really happens to Sarah and co.
January 16, 2016
4.5 stars
As someone who lives in Chicagoland, I love reading YA books set in my area. Besides this series, there’s Divergent, XVI, The Dark Elite series and a few others, but not many. This series does the city more justice than the other I mentioned. Sure, a few names of companies are tweaked (StroBisCo is actually NaBisCo) for the sake of not saying bad things about them. Some places are just completely fictional. But for the most part, it’s really Chicago. I don’t get to go downtown that often, but it’s easy to picture the story because he says what street Sara Jane is on and describe stuff.
The story feels kind of like a diary because there a lot of telling rather than showing, but it works pretty well. I usually prefer more dialogue and descriptions of actions and no info dumping. There’s a lot of stories and anecdote, almost like Sara Jane is writing it, or summarizing it. The author does a good job of making background stories for each of his characters. Since this is a mafia story, it works.
There’s more paranormal-ish stuff (that’s probably more sci-fi than anything else) in this book than the first one. There’s these “Ice Cream Creatures” as Sara Jane calls them. They have red eyes. They seem very odd, and I wondered what they were, in the beginning. And Sara Jane learns more about the Cold Fury, and how it works. I wish there was a paranormal explanation for it. Sadly, the Rispoli’s are not descended from a god or are witches, or anything like that.
The characters are still pretty awesome. Sara Jane is a tough heroine, a real kick-butt girl. Doug, her overweight side kick is funny as ever and begins to act even more ridiculous as the story moves along. Max is a great guy, and there are some very romantic scenes in parts, but the romance doesn’t ply a super huge role in the book. We also get to meet some new characters: Heather, who’s a relative, and a few other relatives. But if I told you too much about them, I’d spoil the surprises.
There were definitely a lot of twists, and the plot was great. I can’t wait to see how it all ends in the final book. Hopefully I can get an ARC of it like I got of Cold Fury and this book. Met the author a prepub event and this is also for another prepub. Anyways, if you’re looking for a YA book worthy of an action-thriller movie, then I recommend this series.
Cover Art Review: I liked the old cover for Cold Fury better. They had to change the cover to something less interesting. Sure, it may have Chicago on it now, but the fire doesn’t look that great on the title. I suggested to the author that he should call the sequel Heat Wave, but Flicker & Burn is nice too.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
As someone who lives in Chicagoland, I love reading YA books set in my area. Besides this series, there’s Divergent, XVI, The Dark Elite series and a few others, but not many. This series does the city more justice than the other I mentioned. Sure, a few names of companies are tweaked (StroBisCo is actually NaBisCo) for the sake of not saying bad things about them. Some places are just completely fictional. But for the most part, it’s really Chicago. I don’t get to go downtown that often, but it’s easy to picture the story because he says what street Sara Jane is on and describe stuff.
The story feels kind of like a diary because there a lot of telling rather than showing, but it works pretty well. I usually prefer more dialogue and descriptions of actions and no info dumping. There’s a lot of stories and anecdote, almost like Sara Jane is writing it, or summarizing it. The author does a good job of making background stories for each of his characters. Since this is a mafia story, it works.
There’s more paranormal-ish stuff (that’s probably more sci-fi than anything else) in this book than the first one. There’s these “Ice Cream Creatures” as Sara Jane calls them. They have red eyes. They seem very odd, and I wondered what they were, in the beginning. And Sara Jane learns more about the Cold Fury, and how it works. I wish there was a paranormal explanation for it. Sadly, the Rispoli’s are not descended from a god or are witches, or anything like that.
The characters are still pretty awesome. Sara Jane is a tough heroine, a real kick-butt girl. Doug, her overweight side kick is funny as ever and begins to act even more ridiculous as the story moves along. Max is a great guy, and there are some very romantic scenes in parts, but the romance doesn’t ply a super huge role in the book. We also get to meet some new characters: Heather, who’s a relative, and a few other relatives. But if I told you too much about them, I’d spoil the surprises.
There were definitely a lot of twists, and the plot was great. I can’t wait to see how it all ends in the final book. Hopefully I can get an ARC of it like I got of Cold Fury and this book. Met the author a prepub event and this is also for another prepub. Anyways, if you’re looking for a YA book worthy of an action-thriller movie, then I recommend this series.
Cover Art Review: I liked the old cover for Cold Fury better. They had to change the cover to something less interesting. Sure, it may have Chicago on it now, but the fire doesn’t look that great on the title. I suggested to the author that he should call the sequel Heat Wave, but Flicker & Burn is nice too.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
November 19, 2013
Possible spoilers...
Okay. This book was great in the beginning and the end.
But in the middle? There's a lot of...Max.
Flicker & Burn was amazing when Max wasn't being mentioned. I got so, so sick of hearing about Max Max Max that I wanted to throw the book across the room.Sara Jane goes from this strong-willed young woman who is hell bent on finding her family to this love struck teenager who is hell bent on keeping Max. Max Max Max. I was so relieved when he finally left to live in California.
And Heather. I liked Heather when she first came on the scene, but jesus, Sara Jane, we don't need to be convinced every other page that Heather is beautiful but that you're only admiring her in the way that other girls admire other girls. Not sexually at all!! We get it. She's a she, she's not Max, and she's your cousin. She's pretty and you're not sexually interested in her. Admittedly, I cried when she died; I usually don't get emotional over deaths in books, but this one just kind of touched a nerve and I shed a few tears.
Again, I got a bit misty eyed when Uncle Jack turns to Sara Jane at the end and asked who she was; it hit a bit close to home, and I had to take a breather.
I thought this whole operation (the ice cream creatures, sec-c, etc.) coming from a spurned individual was a bit predictable, but whatever. I wish that had taken a different route, but I'm glad that that story line is over with and we can move on.
I feel like Goeglein fixates too much on movie scenes. It's okay to mention them when they're especially important (Ferris Bueller, for example), but when whole scenes are quoted word for word, it gets a bit hard to discern when a character of the book is talking and when a character of the mentioned movie is talking. I had to go back and read some because I was mixing them all up.
I like the notion of Cold Fury/Ghiaccio Furioso. It's a really cool concept, and I think the author should have stopped there, but then this other element, electricity, is brought in and it just...I don't know, it just kind of ruins it for me.
I love Sara Jane and Doug's friendship. Together, they are unstoppable and I hope that she returns to him when she gets back to Chicago.
Loved the Lord Voldemort reference; never hurts to drop some Harry Potter.
Overall, the book was great (even if I think Max could have been taken out of the equation and the book could have been 50 pages shorter, twice as good, and easily worthy of four stars at least). I'm not going into the third book when it comes out with extremely high expectations, but it will be nice to see the conclusion.
Recommend to anyone who doesn't mind a pointless romance story stuck into an otherwise very decent mafia story.
Okay. This book was great in the beginning and the end.
But in the middle? There's a lot of...Max.
Flicker & Burn was amazing when Max wasn't being mentioned. I got so, so sick of hearing about Max Max Max that I wanted to throw the book across the room.Sara Jane goes from this strong-willed young woman who is hell bent on finding her family to this love struck teenager who is hell bent on keeping Max. Max Max Max. I was so relieved when he finally left to live in California.
And Heather. I liked Heather when she first came on the scene, but jesus, Sara Jane, we don't need to be convinced every other page that Heather is beautiful but that you're only admiring her in the way that other girls admire other girls. Not sexually at all!! We get it. She's a she, she's not Max, and she's your cousin. She's pretty and you're not sexually interested in her. Admittedly, I cried when she died; I usually don't get emotional over deaths in books, but this one just kind of touched a nerve and I shed a few tears.
Again, I got a bit misty eyed when Uncle Jack turns to Sara Jane at the end and asked who she was; it hit a bit close to home, and I had to take a breather.
I thought this whole operation (the ice cream creatures, sec-c, etc.) coming from a spurned individual was a bit predictable, but whatever. I wish that had taken a different route, but I'm glad that that story line is over with and we can move on.
I feel like Goeglein fixates too much on movie scenes. It's okay to mention them when they're especially important (Ferris Bueller, for example), but when whole scenes are quoted word for word, it gets a bit hard to discern when a character of the book is talking and when a character of the mentioned movie is talking. I had to go back and read some because I was mixing them all up.
I like the notion of Cold Fury/Ghiaccio Furioso. It's a really cool concept, and I think the author should have stopped there, but then this other element, electricity, is brought in and it just...I don't know, it just kind of ruins it for me.
I love Sara Jane and Doug's friendship. Together, they are unstoppable and I hope that she returns to him when she gets back to Chicago.
Loved the Lord Voldemort reference; never hurts to drop some Harry Potter.
Overall, the book was great (even if I think Max could have been taken out of the equation and the book could have been 50 pages shorter, twice as good, and easily worthy of four stars at least). I'm not going into the third book when it comes out with extremely high expectations, but it will be nice to see the conclusion.
Recommend to anyone who doesn't mind a pointless romance story stuck into an otherwise very decent mafia story.
July 26, 2013
Flicker & Burn
T. M. Goeglein
I received and ARC from the publishers for review. I loved Cold Fury and was waiting on pins and needles to get a hold of Flicker & Burn. While I was reading it there are times that I wanted to inhale it whole and times I wanted to slow down and make it last longer. It is that good! Part of me was thinking how long before we get where Sara Jane is trying to go? I can’t take this. The other part of me thought when is she going to box someone’s ears? She is straddling this line between being a teenager who goes to school and hangs out with a best friend and being a mafia princess of sorts. I have to admit that mafia books and movies are not my thing. But, the author has wrapped this thing up in such a nice package that I can’t help but enjoy it. I have to admit I am starting to despise clowns also.
I look at the really nice cover of Flicker & Burn and see the blurb “A heart-pounding mafia action-adventure” and think wow that is so true. This book is full of chase scenes, fight scenes and a great mystery which turns multipronged. That was handled very well. We get to meet some of Sara Jane’s family and from the beginning I wondered why they were suddenly there. I have to admit I thought they worked for the people holding Sara Jane’s family. It was great to be wrong. Their part of the story was a great addition to the storyline. This part of the story and the part with Max did bring out some emotions for me because it really portrayed how alone Sara Jane seems in this fight. Doug’s exciting part of the story also brings that home.
One of the big breakout facets of Flicker & Burn is seeing more of Sara Jane’s immersion into the Chicago mafia. We meet some colorful characters. There is some great character development in this edition and it looks like we will see more of them in future books as opposed to only getting summaries of what occurred from Sara Jane. We got to see blow-by-blow, if you will, interactions. I have to admit that I hope that things change with regard to her family. I am one of those people that do not like when the storyline goes on and on across multiple books with no resolution. I would like to see a new story arc with regard to her family after they are home and the family is back together. Lou is fascinating and I can’t wait to see more of him in the books. Flicker & Burn is a great addition to the series and I look forward to seeing where the Cold Fury series goes from here.
Review can also be seen at LadyTechie’s Book Musings, http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspo....
T. M. Goeglein
I received and ARC from the publishers for review. I loved Cold Fury and was waiting on pins and needles to get a hold of Flicker & Burn. While I was reading it there are times that I wanted to inhale it whole and times I wanted to slow down and make it last longer. It is that good! Part of me was thinking how long before we get where Sara Jane is trying to go? I can’t take this. The other part of me thought when is she going to box someone’s ears? She is straddling this line between being a teenager who goes to school and hangs out with a best friend and being a mafia princess of sorts. I have to admit that mafia books and movies are not my thing. But, the author has wrapped this thing up in such a nice package that I can’t help but enjoy it. I have to admit I am starting to despise clowns also.
I look at the really nice cover of Flicker & Burn and see the blurb “A heart-pounding mafia action-adventure” and think wow that is so true. This book is full of chase scenes, fight scenes and a great mystery which turns multipronged. That was handled very well. We get to meet some of Sara Jane’s family and from the beginning I wondered why they were suddenly there. I have to admit I thought they worked for the people holding Sara Jane’s family. It was great to be wrong. Their part of the story was a great addition to the storyline. This part of the story and the part with Max did bring out some emotions for me because it really portrayed how alone Sara Jane seems in this fight. Doug’s exciting part of the story also brings that home.
One of the big breakout facets of Flicker & Burn is seeing more of Sara Jane’s immersion into the Chicago mafia. We meet some colorful characters. There is some great character development in this edition and it looks like we will see more of them in future books as opposed to only getting summaries of what occurred from Sara Jane. We got to see blow-by-blow, if you will, interactions. I have to admit that I hope that things change with regard to her family. I am one of those people that do not like when the storyline goes on and on across multiple books with no resolution. I would like to see a new story arc with regard to her family after they are home and the family is back together. Lou is fascinating and I can’t wait to see more of him in the books. Flicker & Burn is a great addition to the series and I look forward to seeing where the Cold Fury series goes from here.
Review can also be seen at LadyTechie’s Book Musings, http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspo....
July 19, 2013
Sarah Jane Rispoli still hasn't found her kidnapped family, but she has found herself a big player in the midst of Chicago's mafia, the Outfit. While she's busy running from pale, red eyed assailants she's called Ice Cream Creatures, she's easily forgotten that she's still a sixteen year old girl, and one that has to start her school year like nothing is wrong in the world.
While balancing this, Sarah Jane also learns more about her family legacy, the ghiaccio furioso, or Cold Fury. Will she learn to take control of her power before it turns her into a person she doesn't recognize?
I know I've mentioned it in my review of Cold Fury, but I'll say it again. I LOVE SARAH JANE RISPOLI. Though she's quickly becoming an integral part of the Outfit, she's doing it begrudgingly and is trying so hard to stop herself from becoming like the killers she's surrounded by. She doesn't have many people she can lean on, and for those she does have, she must make the decision to keep them close for her own sanity or let them go for their own safety. Who could imagine a teenage girl having a weight like this on her shoulders?
While this sequel didn't have as much fast-paced action as the first book, it was a page turner in a different way. Sarah Jane is still researching everything she's found in the Rispoli Notebook, and uncovering horrific secrets about her family she wishes she'd never learned. But she's also learning more about her Cold Fury, and why it just may be connected to her family's disappearance. She is definitely next on the list, so she's doing all she can to stay one step ahead of her enemies.
My favorite parts of this book are the stories about Prohibition-era Chicago. T.M. Goeglein makes the tales about seedy speakeasies so realistic, you can imagine yourself there drinking a glass of bootleg molasses rum. While some history buffs wish it was a time they could go back to, the author paints a different story, and the main color is red--for blood.
Sarah Jane has suffered so much, and just when she thinks she's catching a break, something comes up to take a good thing away from her once again. She's got some steely reserve, but I'm not oblivious to the little cracks in her coldly furious armor. I can't wait to finish her journey with her.
While balancing this, Sarah Jane also learns more about her family legacy, the ghiaccio furioso, or Cold Fury. Will she learn to take control of her power before it turns her into a person she doesn't recognize?
I know I've mentioned it in my review of Cold Fury, but I'll say it again. I LOVE SARAH JANE RISPOLI. Though she's quickly becoming an integral part of the Outfit, she's doing it begrudgingly and is trying so hard to stop herself from becoming like the killers she's surrounded by. She doesn't have many people she can lean on, and for those she does have, she must make the decision to keep them close for her own sanity or let them go for their own safety. Who could imagine a teenage girl having a weight like this on her shoulders?
While this sequel didn't have as much fast-paced action as the first book, it was a page turner in a different way. Sarah Jane is still researching everything she's found in the Rispoli Notebook, and uncovering horrific secrets about her family she wishes she'd never learned. But she's also learning more about her Cold Fury, and why it just may be connected to her family's disappearance. She is definitely next on the list, so she's doing all she can to stay one step ahead of her enemies.
My favorite parts of this book are the stories about Prohibition-era Chicago. T.M. Goeglein makes the tales about seedy speakeasies so realistic, you can imagine yourself there drinking a glass of bootleg molasses rum. While some history buffs wish it was a time they could go back to, the author paints a different story, and the main color is red--for blood.
Sarah Jane has suffered so much, and just when she thinks she's catching a break, something comes up to take a good thing away from her once again. She's got some steely reserve, but I'm not oblivious to the little cracks in her coldly furious armor. I can't wait to finish her journey with her.
May 17, 2021
If anyone offers me a cone, I'll break his nose.
Sara Jane's adventure continues after Book 1, but with several months in between. It always takes a bit of getting used to, whenever I read Flicker & Burn, because it just seems odd, somehow, that not a lot happens in that period. The story itself is also clearly set apart from Cold Fury: We now know a lot about the Rispoli's backgrounds, and we've finally figured out what happened to Sara Jane's family. In Book 2, the story changes, it becomes much more focused on the who, whereas in Book 1 it was also the how, what and why. It makes the book a bit easier to read, although I have to say that those 343 pages could have been a bit shorter, I think. There are some parts where the plot starts lagging a bit.
But the idea of big baddies hiding themselves in ice cream cars is so very original. It's such a stupid, everyday image. Goeglein had a stroke of genius when he came up with that idea. And not only that, he also dives deeper into the cold fury itself. It seems just one of those genetic/fantastic anomalies at first, and as a reader you don't expect an answer of what it exactly is and where it comes from - but this book does provide you with an answer. Is it realistic? Not a clue, I'm not a biologist or geneticist - but at least it's there.
Doug annoyed the heck out of me, this book, but he was clearly meant to be. The relationship between Sara Jane and Max is also irritating - it's just one of those storylines no one ever asked for or wanted, if you ask me. On the other hand, though, Sara Jane is still awesome, the scenes with Gina are fun too, and I absolutely adored Heather! She really made her mark this book, she's a very likeable character, and . Her character changes a lot in just - what? - 200 pages or so. She's so different from and yet the same as Sara Jane. She really livens up the mood - as did Uncle Jack, who made a surprise entry. Also, I liked the scene with Lucky, and the other guys from the Outfit. There are a lot of good side characters in this book, actually.
The story is... There are some scenes which felt a bit rushed, such as when MKK gets to Heather, and the way Doug deteriorates... But most of the time, it's a terrific ride. Action-packed, original, fast... Such a shame that this series isn't very famous.
7.5/10
Sara Jane's adventure continues after Book 1, but with several months in between. It always takes a bit of getting used to, whenever I read Flicker & Burn, because it just seems odd, somehow, that not a lot happens in that period. The story itself is also clearly set apart from Cold Fury: We now know a lot about the Rispoli's backgrounds, and we've finally figured out what happened to Sara Jane's family. In Book 2, the story changes, it becomes much more focused on the who, whereas in Book 1 it was also the how, what and why. It makes the book a bit easier to read, although I have to say that those 343 pages could have been a bit shorter, I think. There are some parts where the plot starts lagging a bit.
But the idea of big baddies hiding themselves in ice cream cars is so very original. It's such a stupid, everyday image. Goeglein had a stroke of genius when he came up with that idea. And not only that, he also dives deeper into the cold fury itself. It seems just one of those genetic/fantastic anomalies at first, and as a reader you don't expect an answer of what it exactly is and where it comes from - but this book does provide you with an answer. Is it realistic? Not a clue, I'm not a biologist or geneticist - but at least it's there.
Doug annoyed the heck out of me, this book, but he was clearly meant to be. The relationship between Sara Jane and Max is also irritating - it's just one of those storylines no one ever asked for or wanted, if you ask me. On the other hand, though, Sara Jane is still awesome, the scenes with Gina are fun too, and I absolutely adored Heather! She really made her mark this book, she's a very likeable character, and . Her character changes a lot in just - what? - 200 pages or so. She's so different from and yet the same as Sara Jane. She really livens up the mood - as did Uncle Jack, who made a surprise entry. Also, I liked the scene with Lucky, and the other guys from the Outfit. There are a lot of good side characters in this book, actually.
The story is... There are some scenes which felt a bit rushed, such as when MKK gets to Heather, and the way Doug deteriorates... But most of the time, it's a terrific ride. Action-packed, original, fast... Such a shame that this series isn't very famous.
7.5/10
September 8, 2013
I have been anticipating Flicker and Burn since I read the excerpt in the back of Cold Fury last summer. As sequels go, I found myself immersed into the story right away without forgetting much about the first book, even though it has been a year since I read it. That's how much the first book stood out and Sara's character really swept me away in the first book. She is full of raw emotion and starts off just as edgy in the second book.
Possibly the one thing I didn't like about this book was the weakness of Doug's character. I know that Goeglein is very good at writing flawed characters, as each one we meet in this series has their own strengths and weaknesses. Doug transforms in this book and reveals his biggest weakness, the want to fit in and belong. Sara seems willing to let him go, if it means getting close to her family. I do love the singularity of her mission and find that she is willing to cut off all ties of friendship and caring if it means bringing her family back. Even so, it bothered me that the one person Sara relies on can become so easily turned away by the thought of popularity and beauty.
I felt the twist of this book was really when other family members randomly returned to visit and she finds her cousin might be more like her than she originally thought. Really all three of them are a bit of a shock and are more than meets the eye. I love the depth that the characters have in these books and the flaws and weaknesses shown. Sara starts to realize in this book that while she was playing at being part of the mafia, she finds that world pulling her in even more than she wanted. While she thought she was using them, they also are using her and in a way that may change her character forever.
I cannot review this book without saying that the villains of the book are quite the most creative and creepiest ones I have read. Sexless humanoid creatures that drive creepy black ice cream trucks around are the main enemy of Sara, although whoever is controlling them is the obvious boss villain. I still shiver just thinking about them.
Final Verdict: A solid sequel that really shows a turning point for the main character Sara while leaving a lot yet to be discovered. A great series filled with action, some paranormal elements and I am absolutely in love with the idea of hidden doors across the city of Chicago.
Possibly the one thing I didn't like about this book was the weakness of Doug's character. I know that Goeglein is very good at writing flawed characters, as each one we meet in this series has their own strengths and weaknesses. Doug transforms in this book and reveals his biggest weakness, the want to fit in and belong. Sara seems willing to let him go, if it means getting close to her family. I do love the singularity of her mission and find that she is willing to cut off all ties of friendship and caring if it means bringing her family back. Even so, it bothered me that the one person Sara relies on can become so easily turned away by the thought of popularity and beauty.
I felt the twist of this book was really when other family members randomly returned to visit and she finds her cousin might be more like her than she originally thought. Really all three of them are a bit of a shock and are more than meets the eye. I love the depth that the characters have in these books and the flaws and weaknesses shown. Sara starts to realize in this book that while she was playing at being part of the mafia, she finds that world pulling her in even more than she wanted. While she thought she was using them, they also are using her and in a way that may change her character forever.
I cannot review this book without saying that the villains of the book are quite the most creative and creepiest ones I have read. Sexless humanoid creatures that drive creepy black ice cream trucks around are the main enemy of Sara, although whoever is controlling them is the obvious boss villain. I still shiver just thinking about them.
Final Verdict: A solid sequel that really shows a turning point for the main character Sara while leaving a lot yet to be discovered. A great series filled with action, some paranormal elements and I am absolutely in love with the idea of hidden doors across the city of Chicago.
December 20, 2013
Cold Fury's sequel. First thing I want to say about this book is how cold it is. Well, it's not that cold, but it's colder than many books. There's a lot of action in this book, involving kills and war and death and everything else in between.
Flicker & Burn is obviously a mafia book (not as good as the chocolate books like All The Thing I'd Done), with a whole bunch of insane people. Sara Jane Rispoli herself is one. *Ponders for a minute, rethinking what I just said.* Yeah, she's definitely insane. I don't know who she can act in so many ways without being the same person. It's like an actress who's playing ten roles of Sara Jane Rispoli. (Does she have PMS? Because it would totally explain the entire craziness).
Flicker & Burn evoke a mostly neutral expression from me, even though it was insane. It failed in giving good surprises (mostly because the synopsis is huge spoiler).
As I said before, the character of Sara Jane Rispoli. For one second, it seems like she wants to end it all by... Then she wants to keep on fighting. She's torn from all sides, from her friends to her family to the monsters. She's...lost. That's the easiest way of saying it. And the word "insane" can be used to describe her correctly. Sara Jane Rispoli is totally not a family person even though she's after her family. Totally ironic.
Cold Fury ended off on a interesting note, giving us a lot of questions to ask. Flicker & Burn did its best and succeed for the most part. It failed epically in the romance section, passing in the action with creepy stalkers and undying friendship. Oh, it failed in romance? Poor book, but most importantly: Why did it fail?
Max and Sara practically have zero chemistry yet the author sets them together. Sara is pretty much always lying her...off while Max has been straight and truthful. Max accidentally cheated on Sara (read the book if you want to know Max's side). Wait, he didn't cheat. They broke up before that incident. Never mind. And Sara? She's pretty much heartbroken but there's virtually no trust between her and Max. There's no hope for Mara (or Sax? No, definitely Mara). Unless Sara changes her ways and learn to love Max. I don't see that happening in the future.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
Flicker & Burn is obviously a mafia book (not as good as the chocolate books like All The Thing I'd Done), with a whole bunch of insane people. Sara Jane Rispoli herself is one. *Ponders for a minute, rethinking what I just said.* Yeah, she's definitely insane. I don't know who she can act in so many ways without being the same person. It's like an actress who's playing ten roles of Sara Jane Rispoli. (Does she have PMS? Because it would totally explain the entire craziness).
Flicker & Burn evoke a mostly neutral expression from me, even though it was insane. It failed in giving good surprises (mostly because the synopsis is huge spoiler).
As I said before, the character of Sara Jane Rispoli. For one second, it seems like she wants to end it all by... Then she wants to keep on fighting. She's torn from all sides, from her friends to her family to the monsters. She's...lost. That's the easiest way of saying it. And the word "insane" can be used to describe her correctly. Sara Jane Rispoli is totally not a family person even though she's after her family. Totally ironic.
Cold Fury ended off on a interesting note, giving us a lot of questions to ask. Flicker & Burn did its best and succeed for the most part. It failed epically in the romance section, passing in the action with creepy stalkers and undying friendship. Oh, it failed in romance? Poor book, but most importantly: Why did it fail?
Max and Sara practically have zero chemistry yet the author sets them together. Sara is pretty much always lying her...off while Max has been straight and truthful. Max accidentally cheated on Sara (read the book if you want to know Max's side). Wait, he didn't cheat. They broke up before that incident. Never mind. And Sara? She's pretty much heartbroken but there's virtually no trust between her and Max. There's no hope for Mara (or Sax? No, definitely Mara). Unless Sara changes her ways and learn to love Max. I don't see that happening in the future.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
August 8, 2013
Sara Jane's family is still missing, creepy creatures are trying to kidnap her every chance they get, her boyfriend just wants to meet her parents, and she is still acting as The Outfit's Counselor-at-large...in a nutshell her life is NUTS! Will she be able to hold everything together AND be able to figure out the answer to all her mysterious questions!? Who has taken her family? What do they want with them? What is the ultimate power that her family is supposed to have knowledge of?
My thoughts: This was an interesting ride...I have to be honest though that when I picked up the 1st book, I was really hoping that when I picked up a completely different genre then I usually read, since I always read fantasy and science fiction, I was so excited to read a mystery, mafia story based in Chicago and then it went all sideways and fantasy! I'm not sure how I feel about that...BUT the story in general was an amazing action adventure thrill ride from beginning to end just like the first book. It was just silly me who had the issue with the mystery v. fantasy.
The ice cream creatures were incredibly creepy and the whole bad guy story too was so, so creepy! WOW! It actually reminded me of the old 007 Bond movies and how utterly bizarre the bad guys were sometimes, like the guy with those creepy teeth! Plus, twisting her best friend was beyond creepy. Of course still living in the Bird Cage is very cool; what a neat building for a hideout and center for their operations! (I still maintain that this would make the COOLEST TV SHOW!!!)
To read more, go to:
My thoughts: This was an interesting ride...I have to be honest though that when I picked up the 1st book, I was really hoping that when I picked up a completely different genre then I usually read, since I always read fantasy and science fiction, I was so excited to read a mystery, mafia story based in Chicago and then it went all sideways and fantasy! I'm not sure how I feel about that...BUT the story in general was an amazing action adventure thrill ride from beginning to end just like the first book. It was just silly me who had the issue with the mystery v. fantasy.
The ice cream creatures were incredibly creepy and the whole bad guy story too was so, so creepy! WOW! It actually reminded me of the old 007 Bond movies and how utterly bizarre the bad guys were sometimes, like the guy with those creepy teeth! Plus, twisting her best friend was beyond creepy. Of course still living in the Bird Cage is very cool; what a neat building for a hideout and center for their operations! (I still maintain that this would make the COOLEST TV SHOW!!!)
To read more, go to:
July 17, 2013
Okay so after I read Cold Fury I was so glad to come home and find Flicker & Burn because I had a lot of questions that I needed answers to. I mean I could not put Cold Fury down because it is such a fast moving story and the plot was just right because things happened in order and everything jived right but I was still left wondering about the cold fury. What exactly was it and why did they want Sara so badly. Lord I kept thinking dam she does not have a chance in hell to find her kidnapped family because the mob has hidden them so well and they want what they want so she better figure out something soon right? Well Sara is working on getting her family back in one piece but she is also on a mission to figure out who her family is and what they do.
While on her mission to find the truth she and Max are having a hard time spending time together because let's face it who the hell can think about love while their family has been kidnapped and the mob supposedly sent a body part to Sara to prove to her that they will hurt her family. With all this going on Sara really doesn't have time for Max. Plus to add more drama to the mix she is being chased by pale faced red eye things running around in ice cream trucks. How is she supposed to learn more about herself and her cold fury when she has to worry about new creatures messing with her. At least on the upside her uncle has left her alone. But what is Sara to do? Will she ever find her family and bring them home? Will she ever figure out what the cold fury is? And will she ever just wake up and have normal again? Well in order to get those answers and so much more you need to read Flicker & Burn because you will not be disappointed I promise!
While on her mission to find the truth she and Max are having a hard time spending time together because let's face it who the hell can think about love while their family has been kidnapped and the mob supposedly sent a body part to Sara to prove to her that they will hurt her family. With all this going on Sara really doesn't have time for Max. Plus to add more drama to the mix she is being chased by pale faced red eye things running around in ice cream trucks. How is she supposed to learn more about herself and her cold fury when she has to worry about new creatures messing with her. At least on the upside her uncle has left her alone. But what is Sara to do? Will she ever find her family and bring them home? Will she ever figure out what the cold fury is? And will she ever just wake up and have normal again? Well in order to get those answers and so much more you need to read Flicker & Burn because you will not be disappointed I promise!
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