Title: Firecracker
Author: David Iserson
ISBN: 9781595143709
Publisher: Penguin
Released: May 16, 2013
Page #: 336
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary:
"Being Astrid Krieger is absolutely all it's cracked up to be.
She lives in a rocket ship in the backyard of her parents' estate.
She was kicked out of the elite Bristol Academy and she's intent on her own special kind of revenge to whomever betrayed her.
She only loves her grandfather, an incredibly rich politician who makes his money building nuclear warheads.
It's all good until...
"We think you should go to the public school," Dad said.
This was just a horrible, mean thing to say. Just hearing the words "public school" out loud made my mouth taste like urine (which, not coincidentally, is exactly how the public school smells).
Will Astrid finally meet her match in the form of public school? Will she find out who betrayed her and got her expelled from Bristol? Is Noah, the sweet and awkward boy she just met, hiding something?"
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First Lines: (Quotation from the eARC. Subject to change.)
"My grandfather liked to say, 'The only time you are ever truly alone is when you are dead.' And I thought that was perhaps something to look forward to as I sat among my bags and trunks on the steps outside the front door of the Krieger estate."
Page 1
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Review:
So, I picked up this book because I love New Girl so much. Really. If the person who does that wrote a book, I would assume that it would be amazing. And I can honestly say that I've never read a book like this one.
Astrid got kicked out of boarding school after a cheating scandal. She knows that someone set her up - she just has to figure out how. She's from a family that is rich and powerful, but not in the good way. And she knows she needs to get back to boarding school... but her family has other plans. She gets sent to the local public school and her life is flipped. Now she has to recreate her group, her thinking, and her way of doing things.
I'm not even sure how to describe a character like Astrid. She's super smart, rich, spoiled, clever, crazy, and revengeful. It makes for a fun combination. She cares nothing about other people - except, maybe her grandfather. Any friends she makes are really just tools to help her get what she wants. And what she wants is power over other people. To make them fear her. She succeeded in her boarding school... but the public school is a different story.
This is a fast paced story that really takes you on a journey of Astrid reinventing herself. I didn't like her all that much in the first part of the book. She was too self absorbed and angry. She kept everyone at arms length and just did things because they were expected of her. It's not like she does a 180 at the end of the book, but things really come together nicely. You really start rooting for her.
I think this is the type of book that will appeal to many teen readers - especially those who are a little weird themselves. Astrid is the type of girl I think we all wish we were more like. She's fearless and won't back down from anything or anyone. She's also super snarky. I mean, who doesn't love that, right?!
So even though I only read this book because the cast of New Girl told me to, I'm glad I did. It's a fun story that will be well loved by those who find it. I recommend it to anyone who reads YA - especially adults. I think it will be one that we can latch onto. It's a fun story and I really look forward to whatever Iserson has up his sleeve next.
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Word Spelunking
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The Young Folks
Boekie's Book Reviews
Marsha Lytle's Blog
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