At The End of the Day I Burst Into Flames

by Nicholas Day

These are his final moments.

In the little city of Wood River, Illinois, a man nicknamed Firecracker knows the end is near. The fire is coming, just like it came for his father, his grandfather, and who knows how many men. After all, folks in those parts have a short-term memory when it comes to history, and lots of stories have a tendency to go to the grave. Maybe the fire was always there. Maybe it came along when the oil refinery went up in 1907. Who can say? Sometimes, a yarn like this is as close to a history book as a Midwest community and its people are apt to get.

When it happened to his father, the doctors only called it an accident. But Firecracker's mother had a name for spontaneous combustion. Firecracker knows there is no way to escape this Act of God, so he retreats into his memories. Past and present become one and the same. The veil of reality pulls away and Death arrives in time for one last conversation, where Firecracker comes to terms with the mysteries of his own life, and realizes that some questions are not nearly as important as the moments which spawned them.

From the first line of the tale that sees his eyes explode to--moments and pages later--his whole body being consumed by flame, Firecracker experiences his life and loves through a succession of memories, reveals his friendship with Death, and talks about the men in his family's unfortunate predisposition.

This is a yarn about life and death and spontaneous human combustion.

This is a tale of a man with a fire inside him.

At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames is a horror story about how beautiful love can be.

Genres: Horror, Bizarro Fiction

82 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2018

About the author

Nicholas Day is an award-nominated author who writes predominantly within the horror, science fiction, and crime genres.

Currently, he co-owns Rooster Republic Press and Strangehouse Books with fellow writer Don Noble. In addition to this, the duo handle acquisitions and oversee production for Bizarro Pulp Press, an imprint of JournalStone.

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book establishes itself like a pyre. Each added element is necessary to describe a man's life and his death. Spontaneous combustion is the ultimate cause of death of the main character, and his occasional glimpses of death personified are fleeting yet pure. Our narrator knows that his death by fire is immanent, and considers suicide. He also contemplates life and our addictive attachment to love, the ultimate reason to keep on living. Love and death are a paradox, and with each passing of a unique individual, history is fragmentally and permanently lost. Names are forgotten and matchless sayings are gone forever. Life has its patterns that are predestined to continue, and it is the exclusive power of the exiled that keeps those patterns from fading to background invisibility. Love is unconditional, and, in the end, it is the only thing that matters. We float on, endlessly dreaming.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had some sleep and several hours to decide how I want to review this book. This is going to look a little bit different.
I'm not going to share any plot details at all. Everything you would want to know is in the handy-dandy description for the book or if you're holding the book in your hands, you can just flip it over.
If you aren't holding the book in your hands, I'll transcribe it for you:
"This is a story about LOVE and DEATH and SPONTANEOUS HUMAN COMBUSTION. This is a story about a man with a fire inside him."
That's all you need, really. It's my opinion you should just go into it blind. It's 78 pages long, you don't need an essay.
(although the prose is so rich, I *could* write an essay but why would you want to hear from me when you can read Nick Day?)
Damn, this Nicholas Day is GOOD.
He's got the good, good.
My unique reading experience with this book: Right away, on the first page, my reader's brain said, "Slow down with this one. Savor the words and savor the experience."
So I'm passing that on to you.
Read this when you have like 2 hours of uninterrupted time to just settle into this read until it has had its way with you.
Also, resist the temptation to write down quotes. They are going to jump out at you right away...but know this: The whole damn thing is quotable and your heart is going to want to remember them all. Don't worry, you'll be revisiting this one again and you can read them all afresh when you do.
Your heart is going to break all over the place. Don't even bother trying to not let that happen. Feel all your feelings and afterward, you're going to want a smoke (even if you're not a smoker) and a drink and you'll want to sit out in the yard with your feelings and your tears and your smoke, feeling like you just got worked.
And you did.
Nicholas Day worked you over.
But it hurts so good, doesn't it?
This was my third Day read. My first one and this is definitely a recommendation, was NOBODY GETS HURT and OTHER LIES. It's a short story collection and I loved getting to know Day's unique author's voice through a variety of strange and creepy tales.
Then, I read GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST.
*waving my hand around aimlessly*
I can't even with that book. Seriously. I already wrote the review and it's nowhere near being released yet but trust me when I say, OH. MY. GOD.
Now this one.
So, 3 amazing books. One unread one on my shelf called, NOW THAT WE'RE ALONE and all I want to say is:
New favorite author. Insta-Buy everything and anything.
Thanks for reading my review-now go buy all his stuff and join me in the fangirling.

[Aniket · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at https://aniketreviews.wordpress.com/2...

“My eyes explode.
I feel inferno in my bones, like my father before me. I’ll be flame soon enough. And I’ll be ash shortly after.”

Those are the opening lines of this amazing tale.
At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames is a powerful novella which manages to be amazingly beautiful while also reminding you of the harrowing fate we’re going to witness eventually.

Martin (nicknamed Firecracker) is a man living in a small city of Wood River, Illinois. When he was only a kid, his father died in a bizarre way – he burst into flames. The doctors called it an accident, and of course, they did, how else could they explain what happened? People don’t just burst into flames, do they? Martin’s mother, however, calls it “spontaneous combustion”. It’s a truly painful way to go but what’s worse is that Martin’s grandfather also died in the same way. And now Martin knows that he can’t escape the fire. He’s going to have to meet the same fate. When you know something like that is going to happen, what else can you do except getting stories of your life off your chest? So, while he waits for his cursed end, he takes a little trip down the memory lane and narrates stories about his childhood.

So what follows is an extremely intimate account of love, loss, friendship, life, death, despair, and suicidal thoughts.

At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames is an unusual book. The prose is beautiful, painful and engaging. There were more than a few moments when it moved me to tears. Some of the narrator’s stories were relatable for me, some weren’t but all of them were emotionally moving.

Descriptions of the book online say that it is a horror story and in some ways it really is. But most of all, it’s a story about Love and everything comes with it. It’s about different loves. It’s about Love in the form of a long-forgotten childhood crush. It’s also about Love with friends you will never forget. It’s about Love of a distant mother and Love of memories of the Father who burst into flames.

At the End of the Day is a story so hauntingly beautiful that it stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. The prose is so engaging and memorable that you can’t stop highlighting and sharing it with everyone who misses out on reading this fantastic book.

This is the first thing I’ve ever read by the author, Nicholas Day and it moved me in so many ways that I’ll definitely keep an eye on every other book he releases in the future.

Thanks for reading! Thanks to the Author and BookTasters for sending me a free copy in exchange of an honest review.

Read all my reviews at https://aniketreviews.wordpress.com

[Mindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow...

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Excellent.

[Kevin Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, powerful read. Highly recommended for anyone looking to stoke the fire inside.

[Sara Tantlinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stunning, poignant, little book this is. The protagonist has a fire inside him as he battles through all life can throw at a person. Martin (aka Firecracker), deals with love, sexuality, suicidal thoughts, the fact that he’s going to die from the raging flames building up inside his body, and an addiction to love:

“And I’m not talking about love in some sentimental way. I’m talking about chemical compositions, like if it were possible to put music in a syringe and then stick it in your arm and feel the ebb and flow of notes pulsing through your veins before music takes an aural shit all over your brain.”

I adore this quote. The whole book is so beautifully poetic in its prose. Nicholas Day has created a powerful story that had me nodding my head several times as both love and death enter the protagonist’s life because of how relatable those deep emotions are that Firecracker is trying to comprehend without losing his sanity along the way. It isn’t easy. This story packs a punch – the unfiltered emotion and truth, and the stunning imagery, all combine to create a gorgeous and fiery tale.

[Kristy Kulski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes talking about a book too loud is like shouting a secret. This book is one of those. It hurts to read, hurts to breathe, and I am so much the better for it. I suppose life is like that too. Thank you, Nicholas Day for writing this and sharing it with the world.

[Todd Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick starts out slow and then unloads all the emotion on you. It is often times brilliant and unsettling. It is a short read but he does not take it easy on you. Highly recommend!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and sad and I’m not sure what else to say.

[Steve Stred · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

Huh.

I’ve seen this book praised for a bit now and it’s been quietly sharing some space on my Kindle TBR for six months or so. Every once in a while, while I’m in the midst of 4 to 6 long reads, I like to take a one night break and plough through a book in a single sitting.

I recently saw Steven Gomzi give this book some love and thought – BINGO – let’s jump in and see how I fair.

I do have Day’s most recent ‘Grind Your Bones to Dust,’ but haven’t read any of his work until now.

‘At The End of the Day I Burst Into Flames’ is unconventional, claustrophobic and exhilarating. It’s heartbreaking to a level I’ve not read lately and at the same time frustrating because as the story unfolds you don’t want to see our main character continue to get hurt.

The story follows ‘Firecracker.’ The nickname our character has been given by his mom due to his resemblance to his father. His father spontaneously combusted when he was little, as did his grandfather.

Now, Firecracker can feel that his time is near. So he reflects on his life and how much he has loved and all of the pain that this love has created.

There are some brutal, brutal moments in this which works so well. God, does it work well. Day has no problem turning the amp up to 11 at times.

I think the most poignant part of the story, though, was Firecracker’s relationship with Death. It’s a very unique perspective and the way that Day weaved that into the story was fantastic, but also heartbreaking.

This was one of those rare books where I fully expected to enjoy it and then ended up loving it. It was different, well thought out and delivered. The last one that did this to me was ‘All Hail the House Gods,’ by Andrew J. Stone.

I’ll be moving ‘Grind Your Bones to Dust’ up my TBR now for sure, but if you are looking for that single sitting, soul-crushing read to break up your TBR, I really can’t recommend this one enough

[Suz Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It's funny how some albums, some songs, are like a séance that conjures up ghosts, the ghosts of moments, the look on someone's face years ago, the uncertainty before first embraces, holding hands, being alone, being a ghost in any given moment, really.”*

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Martin aka Firecracker is a romantic. On the verge of succumbing to his dark family legacy of death by spontaneous combustion, he recalls his life and loves. He remembers his father’s fiery demise and makes sure he’s far away from his wife and children as his time approaches. He attempts to guide his kids without letting them get too attached to him, a man counting the seconds before he turns to ash.

Day’s words are pure poetry as he chronicles Marin’s life, turning memories into a firecracker that lights up the night’s sky before it burns and goes boom. Day reminds us that we all have a clock bolted to our chests ticking away; killing us slowly. Moments matter, like seconds spent in a stolen waltz. The specifics, like the partner’s name, are inconsequential. What matters most is that chemical light show of pleasure in our brains from the connection of two hearts.

The stories that creep from Day’s imagination are unique. The characters are flesh and bone. They live. They love. They bleed. They burn. They are unforgettable.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We follow Martin “Firecracker” on the day that he will go up in flames and we watch and listen to him as he goes through various thoughts and replays memories as he attempts to understand his life, love, and death. The prose is terse, playful at times, and brutally honest. There are very few books that I walk away from slightly out of breath and tense, but this was one of those books."

Read more here: https://pylesofbooks.com/2018/12/30/r...

[Andrew Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Thomas Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the End of the Day… is another departure from the content of his previous books and, yet, it feels comfortably familiar to fans of his work. On the face of it, the story could go in many different directions, most if not all more straightforward and safe. Firecracker is a young man whose father died when he was only a child. The doctors were baffled, but his mother wasn’t. She said it was spontaneous combustion and – the bad news for Firecracker? It’s hereditary. What follows could have been a Mystery with Firecracker trying to unravel the nature of his condition, trying to beat his fate. Or maybe a supernatural horror story about a shady government organisation. Or ancient curse. Or aliens. Instead, Day delivers a heart-warming, heart-breaking tale of one man trying to understand himself through his memories before the inevitable end.

Told from Firecracker’s point of view, we are taken on a mesmerising journey through his memories, none of which really follow a linear path through time. Some may refer to events in other memories, and some feature a meeting with Death itself. The problem with his narration isn’t that he is unreliable, but the reality he experiences is flimsy at best, and the memories do jump about. But it doesn’t detract from the power of the story. Day has proven again that he can create endearing and relatable characters that, if not recognisable in ourselves, are certainly reminiscent of long-lost friends. It is a story about love in its many guises, whether the relationship with a first love, or an abusive step-parent, a distant mother, or the lingering memories of a lost father.

Day writes from a place of experience. Not that I expect him to spontaneously burst into flames any day now. But we are all consumed by fire in one way or another. He captures every emotion he details in Firecracker’s curtailed life story as though he is capturing a memory from his – or someone else’s – life. So, although the reader may not relate to everything, they will relate to something, even if it is just the raw emotion he elicits. Less a horror story or speculative fiction (save the fantastic elements of his unique condition or conversations with Death), this has more in common with literary fiction, Day writing with such profound prose and lyrical language that the reader may be left with a lump in their throat.

It’s about love and loss, life and death, anger and hate. From the highest heights of human emotion to the lowest depths, the reader is taken through the emotional rollercoaster that is Firecracker’s life, told in the most touching and moving way imaginable by the author. He doesn’t shy away from the difficult moments and bares everything like a confession of sin or declaration of devotion; every page, passage, sentence, is musical. It isn’t a very long read, but this only makes it easier for the reader to flip from the final page to the first and indulge in the command of Day’s powerful and evocative storytelling all over again.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review from Ink Heist:

“We yearn for one another until we can only yearn for the facsimile, then at the end, we have neither and we are forced – ourselves – to become a recording, a ghost, to be remembered during someone else’s seance, someone else’s favorite song.”

This is my first time reading work from Day and I went into this novella with little to no idea of what to expect. The synopsis above gives a decent idea of what happens (I did not read it prior to reading), and as I look back to it, I realize that it only scratches the surface of this deep and thought-provoking read.

In 79 pages of some of the most beautiful and bizarre literary writing, Nicholas Day takes us on a journey of love, horror, loss, and what it means to truly live…and die. The quote above is just one of the many highlights I made in my ebook version. Another one that touched me is, “At some point, you lose it all and what you are left with is knowing that you lived, that you heard a voice, saw a face, touched another human being.” Our protagonist (Firecracker) feels his life coming to an end as he soon expects to die by spontaneous combustion just as his father did. What will we think of when we know death is creeping in? What is important in this world? This book is Day’s exploration.

Although the content is heavy and tense at times, the author is able to inject moments of levity, kindness, and wit. This book grabbed me in; as I finished and read the Acknowledgements, I realized that this is also a very personal piece for the author himself, more so than usual. Thank you, Mr. Day, for inviting me into this world and providing thoughts on life I am sometimes too busy to consider. I am eager to pick up more of this author’s work and I urge you to give this one a try.

[John The Crippledgimp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was a very good read. This was a very vivid story of love, loss, death and pain and how they can all be interchangeable. It It better to have loved and lost or just not loved at all.... Would death be better? This is such a smooth engrossing engaging read I highly recommend this.... I will for sure be reading more from this author. What a writer what a story.

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames
Author: Nicholas Day
Format: Paper Back

Book Title:
The title of the book is ‘At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames’ is very mysterious and gripping.

Book Cover:
The cover of the book is an intense painting of a human skull in flames. The hands on the skull make the depiction more unsettling one. The cover page is the perfect illustration of the title and catchy.

Plot:
A horrifying story, beautifully narrated, plotted with various components like love, betrayal, pain, and mainly death. Love is a beautiful feeling that can change into a hideous way. One can never escape love and death. Death is the bitter truth of life neither can be changed or postponed. What if a person gets to know his end is nearby? What memories flash in his mind?

The protagonist of this story goes through the scenarios which no one could even envision in their nightmares. The ‘Firecracker’ plays as a protagonist in the story whereas the fire plays a crucial role in his life. Death is in his way and he knows when he is going to leave this earth with his heart enclosed with all the sweet and sour memories. The man’s heart burning with anger, pain, love and what not. He witnessed deaths in front of his eyes and he turned into a stone-hearted but the heart wants what it wants, the memories of his love life. The mysteries in his life kept him busy and finally when he met his death all the things looked insignificant.

What experiences did he have with his love life? What made him a stubborn guy who witnessed his near one's death? Was he scared that his final day and final moment is arriving? How did he welcome his death? Well, this book has a composition of all the emotions and feelings which makes it a brilliant and heart touching book.

What I like:
1. It will leave the readers awestruck at certain points and give you a horrific feeling which in turn change into an emotional feeling.
2. The protagonist’s journey to his final path and the emotions carried by him and his treasure of memories are very well narrated.
3. Certain scenes make you feel as if you are part of this story or experiencing the Firecracker's role.

What I didn’t like:
In particular, the book does not have any negative points. It is beautifully expressed by the author and readers will find it interesting and ignite their minds. Certain scenes will give goosebumps while reading and make the reader feel the pain and tension.

Narration:
The narration is very well and it will grab your attention until you finish the book. It is so real that you can experience the feelings of the characters in the story. The Nicholas has taken the utmost care in narrating the story and leave the readers in a breath-taking world of Firecracker.

Language & Grammar:
A clear language with neat and uncomplicated grammar is used in the book

My Final Verdict:
A heartwrenching, beautiful and awesome book which touches our soul and keep us on the edge of the seat and makes us read the book at one go. A book, where love and death play a major role and they make the story an astounding one.

Book Title: 5/5
Book Cover:5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Language & Grammar: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5

[Josh reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Nicholas Day, such gorgeous prose mixed with such tragic eventuality. Martin realizes that the day has come where he will spontaneously combust, burn right out of existence. The beautiful theme of this book isn’t that the main character attempts to figure a way out of this burning predicament, he accepts and claims his fate. Through this last day, Martin, reflects on memories, some important, others trivial, but all that played some part in making him the person he has become. Above it all, this is a book about love and discovering who we really are as we approach those final moments of existence. What beautiful writing, I’m super impressed with how much heart and emotion Day was able to bring forth in this short novella. Absolutely worth your time, I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I just had to add, one of the best quotes from this book, loved it! “It's funny how some albums, some songs, are like a séance that conjures up ghosts, the ghosts of moments, the look on someone's face years ago, the uncertainty before first embraces, holding hands, being alone, being a ghost in any given moment, really.”

[Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

At The End Of The Day I Burst Into Flames by Nicholas Day is one powerful novella about a man nicknamed Firecracker whose father spontaneously burst into flames when he was a child, and today is the today he will do the same.

You know how characters in books often say their "life flashed before their eyes"? This is is what flashes before Firecracker's eyes. It is so deeply personal it feels like an invasion of privacy. The thoughts, memories, and feelings you'd likely bury in your mind rather than share with another person are on display here, and it is most deeply uncomfortable, and incredibly moving.

The plot is minimal to almost nonexistent, and feels rather disjointed, however this is one case where it feels intentional and was incredibly effective. It felt like a genuine peak into the psyche of a man preparing to embrace death, and it is both unsettling and beautiful.

This is a story about loss, death, fire, and more than anything, Love.

[Seb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicholas Days's "At The End Of The Day" is a complex little novella, that works on multiple levels. A biography, a last will, a chronicle of life and its little and bigger miseries, a story about spontaneous combustion, it constantly changes identity while the reader turns the pages. Extremely moving and deeply human, it can be seen as a superb chronicle of depression and failure, all triggered by Fate, in the guise of the inherited flame about to combust. It is a short, burning masterpiece, that leaves many embers glowing among the ashes and a reader stunned by so much humanity and beauty.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And I’m so weak, so wrecked and dependent, so addicted, that I can’t even fucking kill myself. It’s depressing. Love is rubbish. If I could just kick the habit, you know? I’d like to have control over my life."

These lines pretty much sum up what the book is about. Well, that fire, how do you deal with it? I guess you just have to live with it and work hard not to let it consume you. You need to fight back. At the end of the day, you don't really want to burst into flames. You cannot let it win you over.

You and I, all of us, need to move on.

"We yearn for one another until we can only yearn for the facsimile, then at the end, we have neither and we are forced—ourselves—to become a recording, a ghost, to be remembered during someone else’s séance, someone else’s favorite song."

[Luis Humberto Molinar Márquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

[English Review + Reseña en Español]

At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames, by Nicholas Day. Published by Bizarro Pulp Pr, 1st. edition, 2018. 82 pages (printed edition). Cover by Nicholas Day and D. F. Noble (both wonderful horror writers). Gender: Horror / Introspection.

Firecracker, husband and father of two, is ready to face an inescapable fate that has inherited from his father's line: die by spontaneous combustion. But before bursting into flames alone in his native Wood River, Illinois, he gives himself time to think about the moments and people that marked his life, his close relationship with death, his premonitory dreams, his addiction to love and the fire that has always burned inside of him.

At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames is an excellent first person horror story, but at the same time it is also a delicious poetic exercise of introspection and an ode to real love. Jumping from one memory to another, Fireckracker offers a warm self-portrait in the middle of the winter; a picture in which a tiny number of people manage to shine as symbolic fire before his life is extinguished in a bonfire of a very different nature.

I have greatly enjoyed this book, whose words of fire are consumed with ease, violently releasing the contained energy of a spirit that burns. The title, At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames, is the most honest and direct presentation I've read for a great story, and although I thought it was a risky title, —it literally tells us the end even before having started, it is tremendously effective. Curious detail: I think it's the first book I’ve read in which the main character's first name is mentioned for the first and only time when the story is about to die (97% of the way, to be more precise). I highly recommend this book to all those who love good narrative, a prose splattered with pure poetry and the honest confession of a human preparing to reach peace in a tragic destiny.


----------

At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames, por Nicholas Day. Publicada por Bizarro Pulp Pr, 1ª. edición, 2018. 82 páginas (edición impresa). Portada por Nicholas Day y D. F. Noble (ambos maravillosos escritores de horror). Género: Horror/Introspección.

Firecracker, esposo y padre de dos, está listo para enfrentar un destino ineludible que ha heredado por parte de su línea paterna: morir por combustión espontánea. Pero antes de estallar en llamas a solas en su natal Wood River, Illinois, se da tiempo para pensar en los momentos y personas que marcaron su vida, en su relación cercanísima con la muerte, en sus sueños premonitorios, en su adicción al amor y en el fuego que siempre ha ardido en su interior.

At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames es un excelente relato de horror en primera persona, pero al mismo tiempo también es un delicioso ejercicio poético de introspección y una oda al amor real. Saltando de un recuerdo a otro, Fireckracker ofrece un autorretrato cálido en medio del invierno; un cuadro en el que un número minúsculo de personas logran brillar como fuego simbólico antes de que su vida se extinga en una hoguera de muy distinta naturaleza.

He disfrutado enormemente este libro, cuyas palabras de fuego se consumen con facilidad, liberando de forma violenta la energía contenida de un espíritu que arde. El título, At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames (Al final del día estallo en llamas), es la presentación más honesta y directa que haya leído para una gran historia, y aunque de entrada me pareció un título arriesgadísimo, pues de manera literal está contando el final aún antes de comenzar, es tremendamente efectivo. Detalle curioso: creo que es el primer libro que yo leo en el que el nombre de pila del personaje principal se menciona por primera y única vez cuando la historia está a punto de morir (al 97% del trayecto, para ser más preciso). Recomiendo ampliamente este libro a todos aquellos que aman la buena narrativa, la prosa salpicada de poesía pura y la confesión honesta de un humano preparándose para alcanzar la paz en un destino trágico.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we first meet Marty, his eyes have just exploded from the intense heat burning inside him, a heat that will boil over and consume him, his body igniting like a Roman candle at his moment of death. His father died in the same way, spontaneously combusting in front of Marty when he was only seven.

Obviously, the fire is a metaphor for death, but as Marty recounts his life to us in his final moments it's clear that Nicholas Day is mining far deeper issues, both emotionally and psychologically. At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames is about the fires that consume us all - life, death, love, hate, anger, our passions and experiences that define us and drive us. While we're expected to take Marty's account at face value, that he and the men on his side of the family literally burst into flames, we all burn in similar ways over the course of our own lives. We all burn from the experience of being human.

At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames is Marty's autobiographical accounting of his life, with a particular focus on those childhood experiences that have informed him as an adult. He's addicted to love, but also on friendly speaking terms with Death. He's known since he was young what his ultimate end would be, and as the fire begins to take hold the moment of his passing is not a time for reckoning but accounting and reflection.

Marty's struggles are intimately familiar, his reflections utterly relatable. Hemingway once said that writing is easy, that "All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." It's clear throughout the whole of this slim novella that Day has bled and bled over each of these pages. In his afterword, Day thanks those who helped bring At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames to life, writing, "Because of you, this text exists as a book instead of a suicide note."

For as well as we get to know Marty, I can't help but feel that I got to know quite a bit about Nicholas, as well. I'm glad this book was brought to life, and I'm glad that Day is still with us and has shared his voice with us. I hope that those things that consume and drive him do not prompt him to burn prematurely and that he decides to stay with us for as long as he can. He's got a great voice, readers, and it's one well worth paying attention to.

[Note: I received an advance reading copy of At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames from its publisher, Bizarro Pulp Press, an imprint of JournalStone.]

[Hestia Istiviani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can no longer remember her name, but I love her

I was interested, mainly, because of the premise. A son of someone who had died because of fire and he's expected to "be in fire" as well.

I started reading At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames with some kind of eerie feeling. Is it thriller story? Or is it horror one? But I want to know what happened to him.

Firecracker believed that Death has been following him all along. From his childhood, he could see Death stand right behind his dad before he bust into flames. Death loves to have a conversation with him, as Firecracker tried to have conversation with his friends. Talking about his personality, you can assume that Firecracker has different persona. He is close enough with a boy named Stephen. And as they grew up together, Firecracker knew something had going on between them but he could not figure out what it is.

Beside Stephen, Firecracker has interest with a girl from his school. He liked her and loved to have small talk whenever they could. But, as Death keep watching on him, he became more distant with both of them. Stephen and the girl.

That I loved her is all that matters and I let the memory of her go

Nicholas Day told us the story in short passage which I found more comfortable to read. He doesn't push us to read in long sentence. Sometimes it only few words with few dialogues. Sometimes it is just 1 page with few words. He builds the story in such simple way yet the reader feels how Firecracker tried to "get out" from his condition.

The best part of this book is when Firecracker really burst into flames. He looked different because of all the things, especially love, that had happened in his life. He still believed that his dad had the fire inside of him.

At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames can be your fast-read because it is only 80ish pages. And with that kind of storytelling, I bet you can finish it in an hour.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've received this book from Nicholas Day for an honest review, and I'm grateful I've had the chance to dive into something different from my usual haunts.

Upon seeing the book's page count, I prepared myself for a short read I had no high expectations of, but a few pages in, I was utterly entranced. The description you see for the book lays out absolutely everything and nothing you'd find within its pages. Every part holds the weight of its own history and leaves you with its afterimage superimposed onto your mind as you pass to the next.

The prose is gut-punchingly gorgeous but not overbearing, and the words do not pull said punches. I don't know if this is a universal experience, but Day has managed to somehow summarize the entirety of a human life and love into something so honest and real and visceral, and categorizing this as 'horror' would be a disservice. It does horrify, but in the same way love as a concept does, and it is, in every aspect of the word, beautiful. Yes, the spontaneous combustion and tangible personification of Death may seem too otherworldly a setting for an exploration of the seemingly mundane, but as you read, you find it the most suited after all, as mundanity is a flimsy veil we've drawn over the truly profound.

I ramble nonsensically as this book has scattered my thoughts and coloured so many of my own memories and experiences and I don't think I'll be able to read anything for a while after this. If only I had the same way with words as the author that I may properly unravel mine. I've deleted paragraphs winding on and off into the depths of what this has made me feel.
At the end of the day, this book is an experience I won't soon forget.

[Daffola · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very emotional and sentimental first person POV story in my opinion ! Martin is a guy who narrates his story Which include memories of his childhood , memories of His wife and kids and his family ! And then he talks about this terrible fate that happens only to males in his family which is mysterious .

They bust into flames and die as weird as that sounds ! His grandfather died like that and then his father and now its his turn ! Its very interesting and painful , the fact that he knows he will eventually die and there is no escape .

he Mentions how he has thought about committing suicide yet he couldn't for the sake of love ! Of course his definition of love is different than that of mine but i could relate to it well ! The fact that you put on with whatever hell life throws at you and dont give up just for the sake of love itself and those you love ! He knows he doesn't have much time left yet it's so sad i mean he can't even tell his wife and kids because he doesn't want to make them sad so he bears this huge burden on his shoulder ! How lonely he is .

I loved the opening line and ending line ! Especially the dialogue at last :
" The seconds slow to a crawl and I know that Death is watching but I do not look at him.
Instead . . .
I think about love
And I burst into flames" this is one of the saddest dialogues i have ever came across .

CzThe moment which he is bursting into flames he bids farewell to love and dies just thinking about it not caring about death . It literally gave me goosebumps !

I loved this story so much and i have to thank Mr Day for bringing these long lost feelings back to me

[Stephanie Ebi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“At The End of the Day I Burst Into Flames” is a book by Nicholas Day, detailing the final moments of a man, Firecracker, about to burst into flames just as his father did, and his grandfather, and all the men in his lineage before him. These final moments are filled with Firecracker’s reflections on seemingly pivotal moments, and people, in his life as he draws closer to his predestined end.

On the surface, this book is startling and strange. You ask, “How does a man burst into flames?” You think “This must be metaphorical”, and in many ways, you could say it is. But the book is also shockingly literal. It is rebellious, in an unusual sense of the word. It is bound to surprise you. But, beyond that, the book is surprisingly intimate, even almost tender. Nicholas Day explores love in unconventional ways- love in its many, shifting forms. Love is many things in this book. Love is a wife. Love is a boy once despised. Love is a friend. Love is a dead father. Love is a girl whose name one cannot remember.

He also explores death unconventionally: death not as an event, but as a person, sometimes, even a longtime friend. One of my favorite parts of the book is a conversation between Firecracker and Death, where Death describes love as “loneliness incarnate”. This book is loudly introspective in an almost philosophical manner, and raw at its core. It will leave you thinking, wondering, shaking. This is what I particularly loved about it. It keeps you thinking. An infinite circle is a straight line. This book is the story of a man about to die by himself- fire within him. It is a poignant reflection on death. Best of all, it is a marvelous story of love.

9/10

[Edidiong (Levi) Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a man simply known as Firecracker who is about to explode into flames like his fathers before him. No one knows where the fire comes from or how it started but Firecracker was about to burst into flames. It is written by Nicholas Day, an author who has written other novellas and short stories.

The story starts with the words: “My eyes explode; I feel the inferno in my bones, like my father before me. I’ll be flame soon enough. And I’ll be ash shortly after…” Then it unfolds into story of a troubled young man who watched his father burst into flames. He faces life problems with the knowledge that he too will soon burst into flames.

At the End of the day, I burst into flames is a book like other. The book blends love, life and death in such an enthralling way that every page draws you deeper into the pages. Well balanced in the horror genre, the story talks a lot about depression and other topics that bugged the human mind. The characters are woven into the story in such a way that each character presents a new story which leaves you breathless.

The book is an interesting and unusual read. Though the name or rather the nickname of the main character isn’t introduced early in the book, it doesn’t dissuade the story from captivating your interest. This is a book that tells beauty of love and death. A tale of man that accepts the fire that burns within him.
At the End of the Day, I Burst into Flames is a tale like no other.

[LaTonya Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

When going into reading this book, I was expecting it to be a horror or thriller, it was neither.

For me the book felt disjointed because throughout the book the the main character switched in and out of the past, but nothing came together for me. But maybe that was the point. I did feel some sort of connection to the main character, but I was halfway done with the book before I did. I really believe because I’m not used to this style of writing, it was difficult for me to connect the story. There were parts of the book that shocked me, made me laugh, and pissed me off. I LOVE when a book can arouse my many emotions like that! I wanted to know more of the back story of the main characters and what caused them to become who they turned out to be.

My favorite paragraph in the book is “It’s funny how some albums, some songs, are like a seance that conjures up ghosts, the ghosts of moments, the look on someone’s face years ago, the uncertainty before first embraces, holding hands, being alone, being a ghost in any given moment, really.” This paragraph is so real and true for me!

I recommend checking this book out because it is different and definitely PUSHED me out of my comfort zone! Thank you Nicholas Day!😊

THANK YOU to the author Nicholas Day and BookTasters for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!