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A review by travelseatsreads
The Fire Starters by Jan Carson
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
This book was chosen for our Facebook group Book Of The Month with the idea of being something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, and it well and truly succeeded.
The Fire Starters is a book that looks at The Troubles in Northern Ireland from a whole new viewpoint with ribbons of magical realism plaited throughout.
There is so much going on in this book I fear there is no hope of me doing it any justice but there are a few elements which I absolutely adored. Firstly, the writing. It is just simply stunning. Normally I hate books that are overly descriptive or are flooded with imagery but The Fire Starters is full of beautiful and often brutal images and little nuggets that made me actually pause and put down the kindle for a minute. <blockquote>It is like a snapshot of the world’s end: masked children eating ice cream while the whole city glows hell red behind their backs.</blockquote>
I also was fascinated at the contrast between the two roles of Sam and Jonathon as fathers. Immediately once I started reading their stories it had me thinking of just how much of an effect the parenting someone experiences may or may not have an effect on their lives. In one way Sam appears to ignore and sweep the issues under the carpet, leaving his son up to his own devices whereas Jonathon goes completely and drastically overboard in his way of trying to help his daughter. It completely made me question which style was more helpful and which was more detrimental, but also did either father's parenting style even have an impact?
The chapters which looked at The Unfortunate Children were amazing. I personally felt that each of the children's "gifts" hinted at way of them protecting themselves/escaping or a way of setting themselves free from the their situations and surroundings. Chapters such as The Boy With Wheels For Feet and The Girl Who Occasionally Was a Boat especially jumped out in this way to me.
Finally, I loved how Carson looked at the mentality of those surrounding the events of The Tall Fires, especially how some were carrying out these tasks with a sense of duty to their history but without knowing or understanding why.
There is so much to unpick from this book, it really is one to savour and think about rather than fly through. I honestly will probably reread this and come back with some more thoughts.
Overall I just loved how Carson made me think laterally about the troubles, the sense of being trapped in your situation, the need to be free, the concept of protecting or hindering others and so much more.
The Fire Starters is a book that looks at The Troubles in Northern Ireland from a whole new viewpoint with ribbons of magical realism plaited throughout.
There is so much going on in this book I fear there is no hope of me doing it any justice but there are a few elements which I absolutely adored. Firstly, the writing. It is just simply stunning. Normally I hate books that are overly descriptive or are flooded with imagery but The Fire Starters is full of beautiful and often brutal images and little nuggets that made me actually pause and put down the kindle for a minute. <blockquote>It is like a snapshot of the world’s end: masked children eating ice cream while the whole city glows hell red behind their backs.</blockquote>
I also was fascinated at the contrast between the two roles of Sam and Jonathon as fathers. Immediately once I started reading their stories it had me thinking of just how much of an effect the parenting someone experiences may or may not have an effect on their lives. In one way Sam appears to ignore and sweep the issues under the carpet, leaving his son up to his own devices whereas Jonathon goes completely and drastically overboard in his way of trying to help his daughter. It completely made me question which style was more helpful and which was more detrimental, but also did either father's parenting style even have an impact?
The chapters which looked at The Unfortunate Children were amazing. I personally felt that each of the children's "gifts" hinted at way of them protecting themselves/escaping or a way of setting themselves free from the their situations and surroundings. Chapters such as The Boy With Wheels For Feet and The Girl Who Occasionally Was a Boat especially jumped out in this way to me.
Finally, I loved how Carson looked at the mentality of those surrounding the events of The Tall Fires, especially how some were carrying out these tasks with a sense of duty to their history but without knowing or understanding why.
There is so much to unpick from this book, it really is one to savour and think about rather than fly through. I honestly will probably reread this and come back with some more thoughts.
Overall I just loved how Carson made me think laterally about the troubles, the sense of being trapped in your situation, the need to be free, the concept of protecting or hindering others and so much more.