Blog Tour: Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Thank you to The Write Reads for including me in this blog tour!

Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

In Gap Mountain, California, everyone knows about fire season. And no one is more vigilant than 18-year-old Hannah Warner, the sheriff’s daughter and aspiring FBI agent. That is until this summer. When Hannah and her best friends accidentally spark an enormous and deadly wildfire, their instinct is to lie to the police and the fire investigators.

But as the blaze roars through their rural town and towards Yosemite National Park, Hannah’s friends begin to crack and she finds herself going to extreme lengths to protect their secret. Because sometimes good people do bad things. And if there’s one thing people hate, it’s liars.

Lies Like Wildfire throws you right into the story when the main characters accidentally start a fire within the first couple chapters. You instantly feel the guilt, fear, and regret the “monsters” are experiencing within themselves. This tension stays consistently with you for the entire book and does not give you a moment to relax. In fact, things only get worse.

If you love morally gray characters, this is the YA thriller for you. While the characters’ motivations were understandable sometimes, I was never sure if I should be rooting for them or not. When the loyalty to the people who mean most to you conflicts with your morals and values, what takes priority? As the reader, we get to watch Hannah grapple with this internal conflict.

Of the YA thrillers I have read, I would say this is one of the darkest. From my experience, I consider YA thrillers to be exciting and fast-paced for the most part. This one genuinely left me unsettled as the characters made disturbing decisions to protect themselves and each other.

Without getting into much detail, there were a couple of smaller plot points that I felt were wrapped up too easily or not acknowledged. But overall, I believe the story stands strong despite these concerns.

Lies Like Wildfire is a great read! I recommend it to all fans of YA thrillers!