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missh3ll's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I don't love spy books, but my propensity for randomly selecting books without reading the description occasionally lands me in books that aren't my cup of tea but are still good. This is one such book. I loved reading Dani's drive to survive, the world building was excellent, and I enjoy the enemies to lovers trope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I so very much wanted to love We Set the Dark on Fire. On an extremely superficial level, the title and cover of this book are both excellent. I think they were the reason I put this book on my TBR to begin with, long before I read Miss Meteor. That was another reason I wanted to love this book so much — I really enjoyed Miss Meteor and was quite certain I would enjoy more of Mejia’s work. This book was rated so highly within the online blogging community, I was sure it was going to be a smash hit. I have some pretty mixed feelings after reading it.
Okay, okay. First of all, I really enjoyed the story this book was telling. Medio is a fictional world, but in many ways, it feels like one of our own countries or cities. Mejia calls out prejudice so easily in this book, but has been so clever as to do it in such a way that it allows the reader to disconnect. We look at classism, colorism, region-related prejudice, elitism, and more. The hum of war is all around Medio and from very early in the book, the reader can feel that in their bones. The subjects Mejia approaches in We Set the Dark on Fire are important conversations to have not just in fictional world, but in our real world.
I liked the characters as well. At the very beginning of the book, Dani is married off to Mateo with her sister wife Carmen, her long time school-hood nemesis. The worldview is set up in the very first pages of the book, and we know what the role of the Primera and Segunda wives are for, and we are well-prepared for this masculine-driven society. The character dynamics as they move along the Garcia family are incredibly interesting, and I like being in Dani’s head because she is so analytical. I like seeing a character with so much doubt because she feels more real to me than many protagonists. I wish her situation was not so real, but I don’t think a better protagonist could’ve been chosen for We Set the Dark on Fire.
What really kills me about this book is the pacing. For some people this is a slow burn, but for me, We Set the Dark on Fire approached each of its plot points at a frustrating pace. It is not a short book by any means, but by the end, I only felt we were halfway to where we should’ve been. For this reason alone, I had a difficult time concentrating on the story because the moments of action and interaction were slow to come. I suppose many people would consider this a slow burn, but for me, it was hard to stay focused. Dani is in such a position where she is surrounded by revolution and political intrigue, there should’ve been more going on and fewer interludes.
The pacing was only good for me when it comes to the romance. Personally, I loved Mejia‘s choice in Dani’s love interest, and I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t read it yet. The romantic scenes were electric and yet so gentle. I am definitely rooting for these two characters.
Did I like We Set the Dark on Fire? Yes, I did. I thought it was an excellent story with excellent characters and has a lot of promise. Is it going to make one of my top ten books of the year? Probably not. Well I read the sequel? Definitely! Will I reread this book? Probably not. It is good, but it hasn’t won that place in my heart to be a book I’m going to crave. I think it’s really worth reading, and I do recommend it, but the pacing was such for me that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Car accident, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, and Lesbophobia
megj23's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Classism
Minor: Police brutality and Murder