Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum

Year on Fire Reviews

• 
  Nilufer Ozmekik

  Julie Buxbaum is such an expert to develop realistic coming of age stories! This book is another great example of her unique approach to dysfunctional families and teen problems!
  
  Multi POVs of teenage stories about family dramas, traumas, daily struggles, resentments, buried anger, secrets they kept blended so well.
  The characters were vivid, easy to resonate and empathize with.
  
  Even though I found the beginning chapters’ writing a little choppy, I eventually got into the story and the mystery meets cute romance with triggering issues were truly well executed and honestly approached!
  
  Welcome to the Wood Valley High : a school for elites. Let’s meet with our multi MCs to learn more about the relationship dynamics! Immie is the center of the story, taking the blame on kissing her best friend Paige’s boyfriend to protect her twin brother Archer, still trying so hard to soothe things with Paige.
  
  But a mysterious, hot British boy’s sudden move halfway from the world and involvement to their inner circle change the entire balance of their friendships.
  
  Rohan: the British boy gets attention of entire class including Paige who get used to take what she wants. Too bad for Immie who also has a secret crush to him. But she already took the fall for the kids incident and so she has no intention to go against Paige’s wishes!
  
  Let’s not forget Paige’s ex Jason and Archer’s combustible attraction!
  
  There are so many secrets, resentments, lies lurk around the corridors of Wood Valley High. Like the feelings blast like wildfires, somebody dared to put the girls’ bathroom into fire! But who and why? Who may hold the grudge against specifically one of the girls?
  
  It was gripping reading with satisfying conclusion! Highly recommended to the YA coming of age/ mystery/ romance readers!
  
  Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
• 
  jessica

  this was okay. not JBs best, but she has had some books that are absolute winners, so shes set a super high standard for herself.
  
  there are some attempts at some deep reflection and emotional impact. the motif of fire and flames is seen throughout, but its very basic. the connection of that theme to what the characters are going through is just not quite as strong as it could have been.
  
  also, when it comes to the characters and their development, i saw a lot of similarities between this story and ‘ill give you the sun.’ which is one of my favourite books ever, so its a little bit of an unfair comparison. but if you enjoy brother/sister twin connections, that you will really enjoy this. immie and arch are pretty much the highlight of this. and a british love interest always makes things better.
  
  so some good things are present in this, but its not quite as amazing as it could have been.
  
  ↠ 3.5 stars
• 
  Christy

  3.5 stars
  
  I love Julie Buxbaum's books and I was so excited to read her newest release Year of Fire. This book follows four characters through their junior year of high school.
  
  First there is Immie, then her twin brother Arch. They have a best friend named Paige, and there is a new international student named Rohan. The book starts with a lie and a secret and at the same time there is a bit of a mysterious aspect regarding multiple fires at their school.
  
  What I liked about this one- I loved the twins. Immie and Arch were my favorite part about this story. I always love a good coming of age story and I enjoyed a lot of the scenes with Ro and Immie. Also, Jackson was wonderful. I wish we would have gotten his perspective.
  
  What didn't quite work for me. This was written in third person and followed four people. It honestly just felt like a lot. I also wasn't a fan of Paige and didn't like her chapters at all. This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me but more enjoyable than not!
• 
  Julie

  Of course I might be a little bit biased but I think this book is….wait for it…FIRE.
• 
  Fanna

  ➵ once again, i'm reminded how much more a story's plot matters to me than four characters' point of view trying to draw emotions. rtc.

  
  
  13.03.2022 i expect chaos and i want chaos.
• 
  Alaina

  I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Year on Fire was an interesting book. I think this is the third book of Julie's that I have read and so far, they've been good. It did take me a while to get into this though and I wasn't in love with all the characters either. The twins, Immie and Arch, were lovable and I adored them so much. It's just unfortunate that I really didn't like their best friend, Paige. Even the new kid, Ro, was way more likable than her.
  
  Other than that, the drama and mystery were entertaining. Some of the secrets that came out were a little predictable. While others annoyed me a smidge because I just wanted them to come out and for everyone to know already. I definitely had a problem being patient when it came to these four and will need to work on that.
  
  In the end, I'm happy that I got the chance to jump into this. I kind of wished that I liked Paige more than I originally did because I probably would have enjoyed this a lot more. Also, I really liked how Julie dove into certain hard topics throughout the book. She did an amazing job, and I can't wait for her next book.
• 
  Lexi Kruse

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
  
  I was a little worried I had outgrown YA novels as I wasn’t connecting with this book right away but after a few chapters I was hooked! (Phew - I’m really not ready to grow up yet… 😂😅)
  
  This was such a sweet read. I really enjoy Julie Buxbaum’s writing and story telling, and I appreciate how she effortlessly incorporates heavier topics into her books. I also love the diversity we got with the characters in this book. I think my favorite character was Ro, our London transplant who was just trying to figure out life in the US while simultaneously trying to figure out the next steps in his life with his complicated family.
  
  After another solid book, I have every intention of reading Julie’s books for the rest of my life. ❤️ I gotta give big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s publishing for the advanced copy of this book. Year on Fire releases on April 12 so get it added to your tbr!
• 
  Jennifer

  This young adult novel alternates between four different perspectives, all juniors at a private high school in California: twins Immie and Arch, their best friend since middle school Paige, and newly arrived from London Rohan. Each are dealing with their own issues of family, relationship, and just the general issues accompanying being a teenager - plus the fires happening at their high school.
  
  I am an OG Julie Buxbaum fan, dating all the way back to when I read her debut novel in 2009. She is one of my favorite writers of both YA and contemporary fiction, and a new book from her is a can’t miss occasion for me. This, her latest book, comes out on April 12th, and I wanted to read it so badly that I did something I’ve almost never done - sent an email to the publisher begging them to grant my Netgalley request and gushing about how much I love her. So a huge thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte for granting my request!
  
  If you like realistic YA fiction, do yourself a favor and read this and her other 4 YA books if you haven’t already!
• 
  Jalynn (ificouldreadallday)

  0.5
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
  
  This was pretty boring for me. It felt like there was barely a plot to push the story along. The fire thing felt like an afterthought thrown in to make the book more engaging. I didn't really like the characters either since they were flat and uninteresting. It was like their whole personality revolved around being friends rather than being individual people. Also, what was the message? It felt muddled and I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to take away from this. Unfortunately, this book is pretty forgettable to me, to the extent that I feel like I forgot the plot while I was reading it. It's disappointing because I enjoyed
  Tell Me Three Things by this author.
• 
  Eliza

  Just like What to Say Next, the book started off horribly and then gradually got better and better until I was vaguely disappointed that it was over. Ro and Jackson were the best characters by far, and Paige really annoyed me. This book was also weird because it doesn’t seem like it would be heavy, but it was.
  
  Also, WAY TOO MANY FIRE METAPHORRRRS 😭😭😭😭😭😭🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
• 
  Amelia

  This was not exactly what I expected, but I think it was better so I’m not mad
• 
  Mary Beth

  This is a wonderful coming of age book geared for young adults but enjoyable for any age. Told in the alternating points of view of four 16 year old who are juniors at a prestigious high school in Los Angeles. Arch and Immie are twins that have a stressful home life but are always there for each other. Paige is their best friend who has her own stress filled life at home and school. Ro is the new boy in the group after moving to Los Angeles from London with his Dad. These characters are written very realistically and their adolescent problems are sadly very relevant these days.
  This book started off a bit slow but as I got to know the characters I truly started to enjoy it thoroughly. It tackles hard topics such as sexuality, friendships, family dynamics, betrayal, and mental health in a very realistic way. I may be being selfish because I was not ready to say goodbye to these characters but I wish there were a couple of more chapters toward the end to wrap up the storylines better. But even with the slow beginning and the quickly wrapped up ending I highly recommend this superb book.
  I am extremely grateful to Delacourte Press/Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for an egalley of this book in exchange for a honest review.
• 
  Sarah

  2.5 stars
  
  I really enjoyed Julie Buxbaum's previous works of Tell Me Three Things and What to Say Next. But this one just did not work for me.
  
  Year on Fire is about Immie and her twin brother, Arch, have been best friends with Paige since middle school. But one night at a party, Arch kisses Paige's boyfriend. Arch isn't ready to come out, so Immie takes the blame for the kiss, straining her friendship with Paige. Shortly after, a new boy, Ro (Rohan) transfers to their school from London, and both Paige and Immie are interested in him. Paige calls dibs on him, so Immie pushes her feelings for him aside, even though there is clearly a connection.
  
  I just couldn't get into the writing style. Year on Fire is written so vastly different from her other books, it's a little hard to believe it's the same author. Year on Fire is told in 3rd person, and told from FOUR different povs; Immie, Arch, Paige and Ro.
  
  Between the shorter chapters, and switching between so many narrators, I couldn't really connect to the characters and to the plot. And there was a lot going on with the plot- Struggling to be yourself, family issues, relationships, and fixing of friendships. Since each narration only had so much time to work through their given conflict, nothing really flowed naturally, and it all felt a little rushed.
  
  I honestly feel if this was cut down to one or two povs it would've worked a lot better.
  
  *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
  
  
  
  
• 
  Jodi Schulz

  I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up. I had read other books by Julie Buxbaum and enjoyed them and when I saw this at the library I picked it up. And it is about 4 high school juniors told in alternating chapters over the course of the year. I’m not sure if it is because I have a senior, or because I really enjoy Julie Buxbaum’s writing, but I loved this. The characters are super relatable and the writing is superb. It is technically YA but it didn’t feel juvenile at all. I flew through it and couldn’t put it down.
• 
  T. Rosado

  
  4.25 Stars
  
  I enjoyed this so much. Easy and compelling reading with some depth and none of the fluffy, silly romance. This had two romances that were swoony, but not fluffy. Very sweet mixed with some light angst. It’s why Julie Buxbaum is one of my top favorite YA authors. I loved Paige, Immie, Rohan, and Archer’s intersecting stories. Buxbaum seamlessly interwove these four narratives into a lightly complex story about being honest with who you are, what you need, and all the demands of life before being thrust into “the real world.”
• 
  Maggie

  I absolutely love Julie Buxbaum. Her writing speaks to me on a whole other level.
• 
  Aida Hernandez

  3.5 Enjoyed, cute-ish. Was not upset it seemed like things were not resolved since they were heavy adult topics mentioned like mental health and abuse.
• 
  Maddy M

  Not my thing. Didn't like it. Couldn't follow it.
• 
  Bridget

  2/5
  
  Dnf halfway through
• 
  Maureen

  I adore every novel written by Julie Buxbaum, yet this one is my favorite of all time. Friends Immie and Paige navigate high school in LA with Immie’s twin Arch and Paige’s boyfriend Jackson. But a stolen kiss changea the dynamic and then the new boy from London shows up. It’s about to get really hot in LA! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.
• 
  Cel

  When you are young and uncertain, every little thing means the world.
  
  📖Book Review📖
  Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum
  My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
  
  This is my 5th Julie Buxbaum’s book and by now I can say that I have enjoyed all of it. They always say terrible two’s are the age where parents gets warned but as now a mom of two driving teens, my vote for the cautionary warning is on the terrifying teens age. Somehow, Julie Buxbaum is expertly navigating teen life by writing the warmest, the most relatable and realistic contemporary YA novels.
  
  Twins Arch and Immie are best friends with the rich kid and popular Paige. In one pool party, Arch kissed Jackson, the class president and Paige’s boyfriend. Immie decided to protect her twin and took the blame by lying to Paige about the kiss with the goal of keeping her twin brother’s biggest secret. Ro is from London and the new kid at Wood Valley High . Overcoming the break up from Jackson, Paige called dibs on Ro. But, Ro likes Immie and Immie can’t once again “kiss” her best friend’ Paige’s boy. Can’t she?
  
  On the other hand, while fires are blazing in most parts of LA, the fire alarms of Wood Valley High is simultaneously going off quite frequently. The school is on fire and someone is setting it up. The question is- WHO?
  
  This book started slow for me but I can’t ignore how very well presented the plots were. Julie Bauxbaum once again has given us a delicate coming of age story by this multi-POV teen characters. They all were unique and have their own indifferences. They each have their issues with dysfunctional family set ups and social expectations. The story wrapped around their secrets, the drama, their dreams and worries, the expectations, their success, their struggles and these makes a reader a bit more empathic and deeply connected. It was fast and soothing.
  
  Special thanks to @prhaudio for the complimentary listening copy to review and @delacortepress via @netgalley for the advance e-arc in exchange of my honest review. Please check out more of Julie Buxbaum’s work, I always had fun reading them!
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  #bookreview #yearonfire #yacontemporary #bookworms #bookish #book #bookstagram #bookishlove #booknerd #bibliophile #bookrecommendation #bookstagramphilippines #bookishpinoys #netgalley
• 
  Ashley

  “That was one of the many prices we paid to be human: the bitter acceptance that we’d never truly know the people we love best.”

  
  
  I actually ending up really enjoying this book. The first few chapters don’t fully give away the how the book will end being like and are more so superficial. We meet the four main characters, Immi and and Arch, the twins. Paige, their best friend. And Rohan, the new kid from London. The plot starts after the aftermath of a kiss. Immi takes the blame for her brother kissing Paige’s boyfriend Jackson. Immi feels guilty (even though she hasn’t actually kissed him) and is trying to get things to go back to normal with Paige, which means when she calls dibs on the new kid, Immi backs off and tries not to get involved with him. On the outside this seems like a very cut and dry ya novel about life during high school, which it is but the depth into each character the book goes into had me hooked. Learning about Immi and Arch’s problems at home and their inability to talk about it both at home with each other or with Paige and instead pretend like it’s not really happening, and excusing it away till now that is. Rohan is dealing with his own family issues after his dad has cheated on his mom and they both come to California when his dad gets a job opportunity while his mom stays behind. He’s bitter about being here and away from his mom and friends but he’s still a kind person and becomes closer with the trio, especially Immi. And Paige, she is such a complex person. I would be so irritated with her especially in the beginning but seeing past her exterior and learning about her lifestyle and loneliness made me empathize with her. All these characters find a breaking point and start to heal.
  
  I really enjoyed many of the individual relationships and friendships. Immi and Arch ofc are there at the top. This brother sister twin duo was everything. The way the care about each and know each other like the back of their hands, I adored it. Rohan and Immi were cute as well, twin flames with their outlook on life and wanting to explore and move away. Loved the growth between Paige and the twins as well, as they become honest with each other and let go of past actions and move forwards. Jackson and Arch were also incredibly cute and I wish we saw a little more of them.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions stated here are my own.
• 
  Mary

  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Year on Fire follows four teens -- twins Immie and Arch, Paige, and Rohan -- as they navigate friendships, romance, and growing up.
  
  This was a sweet YA coming-of-age story that felt incredibly real and honest. Our four narrators all have to navigate different issues, such as parental pressure, being a child of divorce, and abuse, and spend a majority of the book figuring out who they are and what it means to be a good friend and a good person.
  
  Though I did find the arc of the plot ultimately predictable -- the "who" behind the fires, the way the romances would play out, etc. -- I didn't think the predictability majorly detracted from the story in any way. I still loved getting to know the characters, and it hurt to watch them go through the difficult parts of growing up. I was glad that everything really did turn out all right in the end, even if it wasn't all picture perfect. I also adored Buxbaum's writing, and the choice to follow all four narrators in a close third.
  
  As there was a lot to like, it feels weird to be picky, but one thing that came up relatively early in the book that kind of bugged me was the idea that this LA that our characters live in is supposedly a post-COVID LA. There's one specific mention of the pandemic that I recall, and nothing about the world our characters live in feels like our post-pandemic world. I spent a lot of time wondering what the purpose was of including it at all if the ways in which the pandemic has changed the way we navigate the world are not really present on the page.
  
  I'm not sure what exactly sets this book apart from other stellar YA coming-of-age stories -- the revelations of the story were not particularly unique -- however I still feel like this book has earned its place among the best.
• 
  Thamy

  I find Buxbaum's writing so good it pulls in. Even in this case of a story that wasn't that interesting.
  
  3+
  
  Told in four points of view, we're introduced to a double love triangle? A pentagon? The mess had already started when Immie lied to protect her twin still in the closed in fear of what it could trigger in his family. The lie, that she had kissed her best friend's boyfriend, which ended the relationship. It gets worse when Immie falls for Ro, the new guy in school, for whom her friend had already called dibs.
  
  The read is dynamic, for we have three stories, Immie's romance, her brother's journey to dealing with his feelings and identity, and Immie's friend's feeling on the verge of a breakdown. they're well connected, in a way it doesn't feel like they were three separate stories forced together to be a book long enough, but it's not confusing. As always, the writing is wonderful, a pleasing read.
  
  However, I feel that I couldn't feel interested enough for most of it. I liked the premise for Immie's part, but the more we advanced the less I couldn't care—Immie is a nice character, but the story by itself felt like a thousand others I've read before. Her friend Paige's part was a little better, but I couldn't connect this time. In the end, her brother's, Arch, was the gem in this.
  
  It's quick to read and the chapters are short enough that will get you reading a couple more even when you already feel it's time to stop, which made it go by even faster. I know the author tried to lend it the depth her stories usually have but it didn't do it, unfortunately. It's still above average for a YA, so don't feel discouraged. It is good. Good but it could have been excellent.
  
  
  Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
• 
  Anika

  3.5/5 stars
  
  This book follows a set of twins named Immie and Archer, their best friend Paige, and Ro, an English boy who just moved to Los Angeles and becomes friends with the trio. This is the third book I have read by Julie Buxbaum, Tell me Three Things was one of my favorite books so I hoped I would feel similarly about this book, but it just did not hit the mark.
  
  Had this book been a bit longer, I think it could've been a 4 star or 5 star book. The book didn't feel finished and aspects were not fleshed out enough, it could have benefited from a few more chapters. Everything resolved itself so quickly and was a bit too tidy for what was happening.
  
  Something I enjoyed was how each character had different challenges they were working through and how each of their perspectives had a different voice. However, going back to the book feeling unfinished, while each character was going through their own challenges, they all wrapped up at one point when it was clear that Paige's ended was rushed to fit in with the others when her story was far from being wrapped up.
  
  Overall, I would recommend, it was a fairly quick read.
• 
  Megan

  I love Julie Buxbaum. Period. That's the review.
  
  But seriously, she creates such vivid, realistic characters and this book was totally unputdownable. Each of the four main character's struggles were unique and their voices stood out, despite the story being written from 4 POVs. I just found it to be engaging as a whole and I still would have enjoyed it if it was twice as long.
  
  5 stars, definitely recommend. She is a real YA author hero of mine.
  
  Thank you to Delacorte, Netgalley, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.
• 
  Kate (kate_reads_)

  Being a teenager is really really hard. If you are a teenager and pick this book up - I hope it can help you feel seen in all the challenges of navigating friends and relationships and families and school stress.
  
  If you are an adult who reads this - as I am - you may find it fills you with gratitude to be past that stage. Sometimes I read YA and can be right back in that mindset and other times I find myself relating to the parents these days.
  
  Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
• 
  Rachel

  This was good. I appreciate Julie Buxbaum’s ability to write a light yet heavy book. This story was mostly about the interpersonal relationships and the secrets between them all, so while all of the characters were not fleshed out perfectly (is Ro an artist or is he just awkwardly wanting to draw her ankles?), the plot is not lacking and proceeds seamlessly. The little mystery that weaves from the beginning of the book to the end was really fun, and by the end, I really wasn’t even expecting a real answer, though I am glad I got one and that it was legit. I kinda feel dumb 😂
• 
  Kimberly

  First: I want to say that I think Julie Buxbaum is amazing, and Tell Me Three Things and What to Say Next are in my top ten YA books of all time.
  
  Second: I did not love this book. I'm not sure if it was too many POVs for me (four different characters), or the flow of the story, or just that...I'm not sure there really was a story here? I think the fire/arsonist plotline was meant to feel pervasive, but mostly felt like an afterthought; so much so that when the arsonist was "revealed" my primary reaction was (in the immortal words of John Oliver): "cool."
  
  I think the book was fine, but certainly not one I'd re-read.