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nytephoenyx's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley and Flatiron Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Everything That Burns is exactly what I want in a sequel.
When we left Camille in All That Glitters, it felt as though she had finally be relieved of a great burden. There was a sense of freedom and of hope… but as we enter this new book and whispers of the revolution dance along the streets of Paris… things, somehow, feel less safe. Less certain.
Gita Trelease has dared to view the French Revolution not from the perspective of the common folk as is commonly done in pop culture (Les Miserables) but rather from the perspective of those who are attacked as the oppressors. I thought this was such an interesting perspective, especially in these days when we are called upon to fight against hate and for equality. The conversation here about attacking humans vs. attacking a system was fascinating and made me pause. Because it’s a difficult conversation, right? We don’t want to go into the French Revolution or any movement talking about taking corrective action and protect the oppressors. But I think the conversation about people vs. policy was a very good one to consider, and I appreciated the way Trelease ultimately handled the character’s reaction. There were moments where I was nervous, but it paid out in the end. After all, we want to be productive and create reform, not just count bodies as retribution… right?
This could be a whole political conversation, and it’s certainly something worth talking about, but for the sake of this review, I want to get back to the content and structure of Everything That Burns as a book.
The characters continued to grow and develop despite the urgency of the plot threatening to slip away. When you are in a period of history as important and renown as the French Revolution, it’s easy to slip into the streets and away from the characters. Although there were major events going on in the world around them, we were also able to somewhat stay within the sphere of Camille, Sophie, Rosier, and Lazarre’s little world. The balance struck just right to keep me invested in characters as well as the greater world.
Everything That Burns is a very different book from All That Glitters. The world is bigger, the pace is quicker, and there are moralizes at stake. Although la magie still plays an important part in the story, it is less present in this novel. Instead, we see the work of hands and minds and imaginations rather than supernatural forces, and I think that perfectly matches the feel of the times.
There were moments that took me by surprise, and I absolutely could not put the book down after the 50% mark. In fact, the last 30% tore my heart out of my chest and cast it off a cliff, with twists and turns and worries and all that glorious stuff that makes us love and hate books with equal passionate fervor.
At the end of the day, this duology is a must-read. It’s fresh in the YA genre, it’s relevant to modern discussions, and has a cast of characters who are easy to love. I think if she wanted, Gita release could continue this story further (though the end was lovely) and I would read more of Camille’s adventures. I’m certainly looking forward to anything else Gita Trelease may have in store, whatever it may be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexism, and Blood