Blog Tour ~ Arson Review

Arson
by Estevan Vega

Summary:

Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can't shut it off. Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl--who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin--moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster.

My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Review:    I have to admit that the cover did freak me out at first and I made sure to start reading it during the day in case it was scary because I don't do scary anything.  I quickly found out that it was not scary and the images on the cover do a good job of representing the two main characters in the book.  I gave it three out of five stars because it was not something where I was like "You have to read this", but I was intrigued by the depth and complexity of the characters and their stories that I would recommend those looking for a different type of YA story check it out.  Arson and Emery each have their own personal and family issues to deal with and I like how they find normalcy in their friendship even when things around them seem to be falling apart.  With Arson's "illness" I was reminded of a darker version of Flash from the comics and was waiting to find out exactly how he came that way.  There are several explanations that seem to be implied by different hints, but nothing was directly answered.  While this wasn't what I'd consider my typical type of book, my interest in Arson & Emery's story has been piqued and I am sure at some point I will read the next one to see how their story continues.
Not every book is for everyone, but if you are looking for a darker YA book that is not scary but has a little shock value then this is for you.