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Ablaze
Christopher Krovatin is on fire with his latest horror thriller for Scholastic. Aly Theland doesn't understand what's happening to her. She comes from a very normal family and lives a very normal life.There's only one thing off. When Aly gets angry, things burst into flame. Aly doesn't feel she's in control of this. But as the fires get better and the stakes get higher, something has to be done. Because it's not just flames Aly's unleashing, it's . . . evil.
224 pages, Paperback
Published January 3, 2023
21 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Krovatin
22 books157 followersI'm Chris Krovatin, author of DARKNESS, RED ROVER, FREQUENCY, VENOMOUS, HEAVY METAL & YOU, the GRAVEDIGGERS trilogy, and HELLRAISERS).
I'm also a journalist for multiple heavy metal press outfits, specifically The Pit, Kerrang!, Noisey, Invisible Oranges, and MetalSucks.
I'm a horror enthusiast, Halloween worshipper, husband and dad living out in New Jersey. My favorite musicians are Slayer, Rob Zombie and Frank Sinatra, and my favorite food is gnocchi (it's made of potatoes!).
I'm also a journalist for multiple heavy metal press outfits, specifically The Pit, Kerrang!, Noisey, Invisible Oranges, and MetalSucks.
I'm a horror enthusiast, Halloween worshipper, husband and dad living out in New Jersey. My favorite musicians are Slayer, Rob Zombie and Frank Sinatra, and my favorite food is gnocchi (it's made of potatoes!).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 28, 2023
A dark and psychological thriller about three siblings, Rachael the oldest, Aly, the middle child, and Simon the youngest. It is told mostly from Aly's perspective.
When fires start happening at school whenever Aly is around and feeling strong emotions, Aly with the help of Rachael is determined to figure out what is happening to her. Can Aly figure out how to control her power?
When fires start happening at school whenever Aly is around and feeling strong emotions, Aly with the help of Rachael is determined to figure out what is happening to her. Can Aly figure out how to control her power?
May 21, 2023
Tbh i’m kinda surprised this is such a big seller for kids. Maybe I was looking at it too much from an adult perspective? but my overall impression of this was that it was really poorly written, lazy with the character development, and a choppy plot. I don’t think I would even read this as a read aloud because it would just be showing students how a bad book is written?
There’s very little character attachment at the beginning. For a book that centered on the quiet girl who doesn’t like attention, we’re not really given much about her other than saying she is quiet and doesn’t like attention. There was a major lack of “show don’t tell” in this characters.
The plot was find. Making fire with your mind is a cool idea and I think that’s what really got readers into the book. But it’s definitely more of a carrot in front of their noses rather than a contributing and quality book.
There’s a twist that was interesting and definitely something I wasn’t expecting. I liked the way it came about and how you learn more about the family secrets. It definitely is set up for a sequel in a very commercial way (wakes up suddenly in the hospital room). Pretty lazy trope that could’ve been more interesting. But again, i’m getting this book and the next ones are simply money grabs rather than being aware of the quality of writing.
I would say yes read this because it does have an interesting idea. I will have it in my classroom but i’m really interested to see what MG readers think!
There’s very little character attachment at the beginning. For a book that centered on the quiet girl who doesn’t like attention, we’re not really given much about her other than saying she is quiet and doesn’t like attention. There was a major lack of “show don’t tell” in this characters.
The plot was find. Making fire with your mind is a cool idea and I think that’s what really got readers into the book. But it’s definitely more of a carrot in front of their noses rather than a contributing and quality book.
There’s a twist that was interesting and definitely something I wasn’t expecting. I liked the way it came about and how you learn more about the family secrets. It definitely is set up for a sequel in a very commercial way (wakes up suddenly in the hospital room). Pretty lazy trope that could’ve been more interesting. But again, i’m getting this book and the next ones are simply money grabs rather than being aware of the quality of writing.
I would say yes read this because it does have an interesting idea. I will have it in my classroom but i’m really interested to see what MG readers think!
April 3, 2023
Excellent story. Just like Red Rover, it is very well-written! I will definitely be looking for more work by Mr. Krovatin.
May 12, 2024
2.5⭐️
mid. I BOUGHT THIS BOOK AS A JOKE JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR.
theres smth to be said abt the fact that i read it in a day bc it definitely... kept my attention.
i will not be purchasing the sequel.
mid. I BOUGHT THIS BOOK AS A JOKE JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR.
theres smth to be said abt the fact that i read it in a day bc it definitely... kept my attention.
i will not be purchasing the sequel.
October 25, 2022
Krovatin, Christopher. Ablaze.
January 3, 2023 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Aly struggles a bit in middle school, unlike her more confident and well dressed older sister Rachael. Aly has braces, and is made fun of by some of the kids in her class. On several occasions, fires start when she gets angry, and when she manages to burn up her math homework on her desk at home, she can no longer deny that something strange is going on. He uncle has a few clues that this might be a family trait, and even claims that Aly's father can move things iwth his mind. Aly confides in Rachael, who counsels her to think about some anger management techniques like breathing and meditation in order to get her emotions under control. It's not enough, and soon Aly is melting the tennis shoes of a boy who is tormenting her younger brother Simon. Or is Aly really pyrokinetic? She does some online research, but there are some clues that the fires might not be her doing. Simon also seems to have some strange abilities of his own. When things heat up, literally, at school, will Aly be able to douse the flames before it is too late?
Strengths: This had some good twists and turns that I don't want to spoil, so the short review is not reflective of the quality of the book. This had a lot of nice details about the fire, some psychological intrigue, and a really interesting sibling bond. Rachael was nicely unhinged, Aly tormented, and Simon the unlikely hero in many ways. Solid creepy read, and this cover will make it fly off the shelves.
Weaknesses: Do people really make fun of other children for braces these days? Seems unlikely, since so many people wear them. Back in the '70s, when fewer people had them and children made fun of everyone for everything, this would have been more prevalent. Can't say anyone makes fun of people for wearing glasses, either.
What I really think: I have four copies of this author's Red Rover, so will buy at least two copies of Ablaze. Is it as scary as Red Rover? Hmmm. Not really, but there was something oddly captivating about it. I'm sure that pyrokinesis has been done before (a friend mentioned that King's Carrie could set things on fire, but it's been so long since I read it that I don't remember), but it's probably not something most middle grade readers have seen. I remember being slightly disappointed by this author's Gravediggers series, but he is really on a roll how with Darkness and several other titles!
Ms. Yingling
January 3, 2023 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Aly struggles a bit in middle school, unlike her more confident and well dressed older sister Rachael. Aly has braces, and is made fun of by some of the kids in her class. On several occasions, fires start when she gets angry, and when she manages to burn up her math homework on her desk at home, she can no longer deny that something strange is going on. He uncle has a few clues that this might be a family trait, and even claims that Aly's father can move things iwth his mind. Aly confides in Rachael, who counsels her to think about some anger management techniques like breathing and meditation in order to get her emotions under control. It's not enough, and soon Aly is melting the tennis shoes of a boy who is tormenting her younger brother Simon. Or is Aly really pyrokinetic? She does some online research, but there are some clues that the fires might not be her doing. Simon also seems to have some strange abilities of his own. When things heat up, literally, at school, will Aly be able to douse the flames before it is too late?
Strengths: This had some good twists and turns that I don't want to spoil, so the short review is not reflective of the quality of the book. This had a lot of nice details about the fire, some psychological intrigue, and a really interesting sibling bond. Rachael was nicely unhinged, Aly tormented, and Simon the unlikely hero in many ways. Solid creepy read, and this cover will make it fly off the shelves.
Weaknesses: Do people really make fun of other children for braces these days? Seems unlikely, since so many people wear them. Back in the '70s, when fewer people had them and children made fun of everyone for everything, this would have been more prevalent. Can't say anyone makes fun of people for wearing glasses, either.
What I really think: I have four copies of this author's Red Rover, so will buy at least two copies of Ablaze. Is it as scary as Red Rover? Hmmm. Not really, but there was something oddly captivating about it. I'm sure that pyrokinesis has been done before (a friend mentioned that King's Carrie could set things on fire, but it's been so long since I read it that I don't remember), but it's probably not something most middle grade readers have seen. I remember being slightly disappointed by this author's Gravediggers series, but he is really on a roll how with Darkness and several other titles!
Ms. Yingling
March 11, 2024
The book ablaze was one of the BEST horror books I have ever read. I love how the author (Christopher) described every little detail that happened with every character in the book such as Aly, Simon,Rachel, and more. Christopher did an amazing job writing this book. I have reread this book millions of times and if it wasn't for the author (Christopher) I would not be leaving this review. You should try it out for yourself.
March 29, 2023
Is this a great book? Definitely not. But it is the kind of book that I can sell multiple copies of for years on end and that is a kind of great. I enjoyed all of the plot twists throughout, a couple of which took me by surprise. For middle schoolers looking for a quick thriller, this is a good choice.
July 10, 2023
One of my students talked me into getting this at last year’s book fair. I was not disappointed. Middle grades horror is my speed. This book had relatable characters, twists and some pyrokinesis. The ending left room for additional stories to be told. I would definitely not be sad if the story continued.
November 26, 2023
Aly is convinced she has the ability to start fires when she loses her temper. Her older sister and younger brother try to help her but she can see that they, like her school mates, are growing increasingly fearful of her. Will Aly learn to control her temper – and her firepower – before she hurts someone? Give this to middle grade readers asking for Stephen King.
December 20, 2023
Great concept (hello, middle grade Firestarter!), but this was not what I was hoping for at all. I kind of liked the twist with the older sister and younger brother, but it made Aly feel like an even bigger dud of a character with nothing to offer. I don’t think I’ll be recommending this to kids at school.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2023
Teens & tweens who like scary books might enjoy this one. I couldn’t handle the dialogue or the fact that the author clearly never met a 12 year old or bothered to research what grade a 12 year or is in, etc
May 26, 2023
This book was a bit weird at first but it got really good really quickly. It was great to see the plot twist in this book. I did not see a lot of it coming. The ending was so good it made me stare at a wall for 5 minutes. This book ended up being really good. I definitely recommend it. ❤️
December 3, 2023
Picked this up at my school’s book fair because I have a slew of kids who really enjoy scary stories. The cover made it seem like it was perfect for that genre, but it felt less like horror and more like thriller. Still, a decent addition to our collection.
January 19, 2024
I found this to be a solid book. There were a few passages that were confusing and I was not fond of the ending. Given how the eldest sibling acted, I thought she was a couple years older than what she turned out to be. Meaning her age wasn't consistent with her actions.
January 5, 2023
The plot twist got me! Was a 4 star read until the last two chapters.
January 31, 2023
Stephen Kingesk. In the “Carrie” theme.
5-6 graders may like it.
5-6 graders may like it.
March 4, 2023
Very hard to put down and has an awesome twist
May 17, 2023
It was good until the end! The end was disappointing ☹️
May 21, 2023
Plot twist!!!!! It’s actually Aly’s sister…..
Song: Girl on fire-Alicia Keys
Song: Girl on fire-Alicia Keys
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2023
Good horror book for kids except I didn’t like the line that said teachers don’t care.
January 14, 2024
Quite a twist. Good read.
February 1, 2024
I read the whole book in one day. I couldn't put it down.
March 22, 2024
It has suspense and action and a good book to read for a preteen/young adult
April 15, 2024
Kind of cheesy, but I think my students will like this book. Good middle grade horror. It’s like King’s Firestarter for kids.
May 9, 2024
The build up was awesome and I loved the characters but it had me expecting more for the ending. 3-3.5 stars!
May 20, 2024
The book was very confusing. I think it could have been better. 2.5😬
June 11, 2024
Why? Just why? Aly why would you bring her a candle? 4.5 stars
September 17, 2024
Amazing book! love the plot twists
November 9, 2024
It's not my cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews