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Friendship on Fire

by Danielle Weiler (Goodreads Author)

3.45 of 5 stars 3.45 · rating details · 77 ratings · 36 reviews

Daisy Brooks’s senior year is not off to a great start. Her first assembly as school captain is slightly ruined by her new bright orange hairdo – thanks to her father’s inability to choose correct permanent hair dye. The local Blonde Brigade is already giving her a hard time (and affectionately dubbed her ‘ranga’) and her teachers have done the unthinkable and handed out a...more

Paperback, 1, 471 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Sid Harta Publishers

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2011 Aussie YA releases

36th out of 56 books — 176 voters

2011 Debut Authors (Young Adult and Middle Grade Lit.)

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Feb 23, 2012 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, young-adult, own, signed, 2012-reads, contemp-challenge

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

May contain minor spoilers.

Friendship on Fire is one of the longer YA contemporaries I've read. There were times in the beginning of the novel where I found myself easily putting it down. The story was a bit slow-going, and I couldn't bring myself to become totally invested, which I figured was all a result of the novel's length. Once I got to a certain point later on, though, I realized it was mostly the main character Daisy who had been holdin...more
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

May contain minor spoilers.

Friendship on Fire is one of the longer YA contemporaries I've read. There were times in the beginning of the novel where I found myself easily putting it down. The story was a bit slow-going, and I couldn't bring myself to become totally invested, which I figured was all a result of the novel's length. Once I got to a certain point later on, though, I realized it was mostly the main character Daisy who had been holding me back. Don't get me wrong. I do think Friendship on Fire could have still achieved the same message had it been shorter, but for me, it was Daisy and her relationships with the other characters that ultimately determined how I felt as I read the book. And while it took me some time to warm up to Daisy, as I got closer and closer to the end I kept wishing more pages would magically appear in my copy. I became that attached to Daisy's story.

Like I mentioned, Daisy initially wasn't my favorite character. I can appreciate a character who is strong-willed and has a fiery personality; however, it was the choices she made that were kind of a turn off. As I got further into the novel, I realized they weren't choices that most of us probably haven't made in our lives, and I began to accept the way things were happening. So, while it can still be a bit frustrating, Daisy's experiences were a necessary part of growing up, just like with any one else. She wouldn't have learned from her naive mistakes if she didn't go through all the situations she did. And comparing the person she was before to the person she is now, it's clear that she has matured greatly. It's a pretty amazing transformation.

Other than the two boys in her life (who I'll mention in a bit), Daisy's relationships with others evolved throughout the novel as well. Certain characters really surprised me in a good way, others in a completely bad way. There was one relationship that was constant throughout, and it was Daisy's relationship with her family. I love how her parents and older brothers were there for her and looked out for her. They let her figure things out on her own, even when they worried she wasn't making the best decisions. It was just great knowing that Daisy had a close and supportive family when she going through some important changes in her life.

Friendship on Fire is a bit like stories we've seen before. There's a girl (Daisy) who falls for the hot and douche-y guy (Nate) and can't see that her best friend (Roman) is actually the perfect guy for her. We know it'll either end badly or...yeah, who are we kidding? Even before reading it, I already had an idea of where Daisy's relationship with Nate was headed. It wasn't such of a surprise. What did surprise me was that I ended up feeling a bit sorry for Nate. Maybe I wasn't suppose to, but I did. Finding out about his home life made me understand why he became the person he is today. It doesn't excuse his behavior because he can definitely decide whether or not to be influenced by the people around him. I do believe his relationship with Daisy might have made him see things differently, and although I'm not sure how much he has changed or is willing to change as result, hopefully Nate realizes that it's not to late for him to become a better person. (view spoiler)

Now, Roman. The best friend, the good guy, the underdog. Oh, Roman. Even though I knew he was the better choice for Daisy, I can't say that I felt much of anything for him in the beginning. Honestly, and I feel bad now for saying this, I remember thinking that he must be a pretty pathetic guy for still obviously pining over a girl who didn't seem like the greatest friend. I think the reason I didn't care about him was because I was seeing him through Daisy's eyes. Since she dismissed his feelings and her focus was always elsewhere, I didn't get to really know him. It led me not to care about him or give him a second thought. I was so wrong about him. Roman ended up being part of why I didn't want the book to end. He's definitely the perfect guy for Daisy. For many reasons, actually. I thought he was sweet and attentive. It just amazes me that, while I had zero interest in him at first, I was seriously swooning over him by the end! I love that! And I love that Daisy was able to realize that he's a very good friend and that she needed to appreciate him the way he deserves to be appreciated.

It took some time for me to get completely hooked into Friendship on Fire, but when it happened, I couldn't bring myself to put it down. Whether my initial feelings were because of the pacing and length or even the characters, I thought it was all worth it in the end. I really liked Daisy's gradual development into a mature character, and I'm happy with how things turned out for her and certain other characters. I'm usually impressed with Australian authors, and Danielle Weiler is no exception. I'm not sure if there's another novel by her in the works, but if there is, I'm looking forward it!(less)

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Dec 23, 2011 Vivien rated it 2 of 5 stars

Daisy is in year 12. She has the perfect family. Great friendships. Is the School Captain. Little does she know what taking on a dare would do to complicate her life.

The lingo in this book took some getting used to. I definitely wasn't on top of my Australian slang before reading this one. This book sure took care of that! But, it's not anything too overwhelming. Just gives you more time to appreciate the character development. After getting into it more, the story picked up more for me towards...more

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May 20, 2011 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, books-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews, 2011-debut-authors, 2011-100-book-challenge

Friendship On Fire's main character Daisy is someone a lot of readers will be able to relate. Being in her 12th year of school she's trying to find her place in the world as she learns more about herself, falls in love for the first time, deals with a broken heart, learns a lesson about friendship, and struggles to keep her head above the water with all her responsibilities. In the process of it all Daisy loses herself for a bit and struggles with being true to herself or giving into the feeling...more Friendship On Fire's main character Daisy is someone a lot of readers will be able to relate. Being in her 12th year of school she's trying to find her place in the world as she learns more about herself, falls in love for the first time, deals with a broken heart, learns a lesson about friendship, and struggles to keep her head above the water with all her responsibilities. In the process of it all Daisy loses herself for a bit and struggles with being true to herself or giving into the feelings of a first love. She makes real choices, and mistakes that many teens will be able to relate too. A few times I found myself wanting to remind her to listen to her inner voice and not make the mistake she was about to, but that's only because I've been in her shoes before. Who hasn't? Being teen is a fun, and challenging time and I thought Danielle did a great job at portraying that.

I also liked the characters around Daisy. She has a very close knit family and I loved how protective her big brothers were of her. There were a few things her parents did or allowed her do that made me scratch my head in wonderment. Is guess because I'm a parent I expected them to be a bit more observant of their daughter, her struggles and what she doing. There were plenty of times I got frustrated with Daisy, especially when so many people around her who really knew her and cared about her kept telling her Nate was bad news, and she ignored them all, even her best friend Roman. Nate himself was written in a way that made it obvious he wasn't necessarily a guy you'd want to bring home for mommy dearest to meet, but for Daisy who was so infatuated with him, he swept her off her feet.

I liked that Danielle brought a lot of issues teens deal with to life in her story, and I liked her character development. I thought the story was good, but there were times I found myself not able to get into the story and really feel like I was apart of Daisy's world, despite the fews times I was able to relate to what she was feeling. There were a lot of little details that took away from Daisy's story, and that turned me off of the book through out the story, which I think that was my biggest struggle. Aside from that I liked the setting. Being set in Australia it was fun to get glimpses of the culture and learn some of the slang, though I had to look up what certain words meant. Over all I think this a book many teen girls would relate to, as Daisy deals with many of the same things they're going through. There is some language, sexual references and a scene in the story, making this a book I'd recommend to older teens.(less)

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Apr 25, 2011 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya, 2011, review-copy, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction

Favourite Quote: "It was only now, alone in my moment of reminiscence, with the rain drizzling softly on the shack's roof, that I felt the full effects of falling in love with him."

I love the cover line on this book "Tempestuous and vulnerable, Daisy struggles to navigate her way towards adulthood". I think it sums this story up perfectly. Friendship on Fire is set over Daisy's final year in high school. Weiler did a brilliant job of writing a real, honest and emotional tale that captures the go...more Favourite Quote: "It was only now, alone in my moment of reminiscence, with the rain drizzling softly on the shack's roof, that I felt the full effects of falling in love with him."

I love the cover line on this book "Tempestuous and vulnerable, Daisy struggles to navigate her way towards adulthood". I think it sums this story up perfectly. Friendship on Fire is set over Daisy's final year in high school. Weiler did a brilliant job of writing a real, honest and emotional tale that captures the good, bad and ugly moments of the phase between teenager and adulthood. So many of the issues that Daisy had to deal with I did too at the same age especially in regards to romance and friendship. And as I read along I was like that is exactly how I felt.

Despite it being 471 pages (that is huge for a contemp) it is intensely readable. Normally I am afraid of books that large but I can say this never dragged for me. There is one point in particular in the story (which I can't talk about since I don't spoil the book) where it completely becomes unputdownable as you want to know how things are going to turn out.

Daisy is a resonant and endearing character. She is feisty yet a sweetheart and has addiction to lollies especially Redskins (yum!). I quickly connected with her on a more on depth level. They are also a interesting bunch of secondary characters that again I don't want to talk about so I don't give anything away. But let just say some I never trusted, some I loved from the moment they appeared and some completely surprised me in a good way.

What I adored most about this novel was the outstanding family dynamics. Daisy comes from a big family consisting of Mum, Dad, Nanna and three older brothers. I feel in love with them especially her Dad and brothers. They brought humour and fun but also some good solid advice. They would have to be one of my favourite literary families ever.

There is plenty of romance which again I can't really talk about (sorry). But I can tell you there is yummy kisses and great chemistry.

Overall Friendship on Fire is an impressive debut that you really get emotionally invested in. I can't wait to see what Weiler writes next!
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Jan 16, 2012 A Canadian Girl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 3-stars

Friendship on Fire by Danielle Weiler is like the Aussie version of Miranda Kenneally's Catching Jordan, minus the football. Although Weiler’s book was released earlier, since I read Catching Jordan first and just before reading Friendship on Fire, it was hard not to notice the similarities in plot.

However, while Catching Jordan has Jordan slowly counting down the days until her trip to Alabama, Friendship on Fire really has no goal per se because it’s just a story chronicling Daisy’s Year 12. W...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

At 471 pages,Friendship on Fire long for a typical story. What I mean by typical is it follows the path of a lot of other love/relationship stories: Girl has best friend who is a boy and is in love with her, but does't tell her, girl meets other boy who is bad for her, but she falls in love with him anyways, best friend boy is hurt by girl's blindness and pulls away, girl gives bad boy everything, girl realizes that best friend boy is the one for her, gets her he...more THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

At 471 pages,Friendship on Fire long for a typical story. What I mean by typical is it follows the path of a lot of other love/relationship stories: Girl has best friend who is a boy and is in love with her, but does't tell her, girl meets other boy who is bad for her, but she falls in love with him anyways, best friend boy is hurt by girl's blindness and pulls away, girl gives bad boy everything, girl realizes that best friend boy is the one for her, gets her heart broken, and her best friend boy ends up being her boyfriend and love of her life. Yall know what I'm talkin' bout. I'm just sayin it was long for such a common storyline.

It's like that for Daisy Brooks. Best Friends are Roman and Rachael. Other friends: Sarah and Shania. Boyfriend: Nate, who goes to the rival school.

I did like that it was set in Australia. I've often wanted to go there, but haven't yet. One day I will. The author uses Australian terms, so make sure you have Google around somewhere, if you aren't from there.

The characters are well crafted, and I enjoyed their personalities. Nate and Rachael are such charismatic, charmingly deceptive villains that it is hard for the reader and for Daisy to see past their deception. It's hard not to fall for Nate! Especially when Daisy is so enamored by him. I did kind of know that he would brake Daisy's heart at some point, though. Daisy and Roman are exceptionally fun characters, struggling to deal with relationship and life. It's hard for the reader to know that Daisy loves Nate, but Roman is better for Daisy.

I think that the author is saying in this novel is that people make mistakes, but have an indomitable spirit, are strong, struggle, but eventually forgive and move on. Nothing stops the human spirit. However, it is confusing to figure out the theme. Maybe it's simply that we should tell people how we feel before it's too late, and that love never fails.

On a final note, I did enjoy reading Friendship on Fire. it is a long, but the characters make up for it. It's sad, but has happiness in it too. Daisy loses friends, but makes new ones, who care for her even more. Being a senior in year 12, I can certainly identify with Daisy, and I know that a lot of others can too.

I recieved this book in exchange for a free review from the author. This is no way affected my opinions. Thanks to Danielle Weiler for sending me the book. (less)

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Apr 25, 2011 Alice A rated it 4 of 5 stars

So I actually won this book (signed!) in a giveaway, and since it's Aussie YA, I was really happy about it. So this book is about Daisy's last year of high school-- Yr 12. And we all know how stressful that is! I loved the beginning of the book. I thought it quite funny and typical of kids my age. The same thing also happens to one of my friends, so I totally got it. No wonder the publishers liked the book:

... 'RANGA.'
Not for the first time today.

Oh, yes. Daisy's dad picked the wrong shade of...more So I actually won this book (signed!) in a giveaway, and since it's Aussie YA, I was really happy about it. So this book is about Daisy's last year of high school-- Yr 12. And we all know how stressful that is! I loved the beginning of the book. I thought it quite funny and typical of kids my age. The same thing also happens to one of my friends, so I totally got it. No wonder the publishers liked the book:

... 'RANGA.'
Not for the first time today.

Oh, yes. Daisy's dad picked the wrong shade of hair dye (Tip 1: don't even trust your dad to pick out hair dye for you when he goes to the shops!), and her hair is now a very vibrant shade of red. Daisy's a blonde, by the way. Her school also has a really nasty rule about dyeing your hair natural colours only (I wasn't sure school even had rules that this! My school certainly doesn't), so her principal, Mr Head, is really not quite happy.

I have to tell you guys this: this book is long. Close to 500 pages. So of course it dragged on a bit at a few points. All books tend to. I spent hours in my bed reading it, refusing to put it down because it was so interesting! I loved how Daisy's life wasn't the glamorous, cool one of a popular senior girl. She's just a normal girl with three brothers, two best friends, and a new boyfriend. Her new boyfriend Nate is really lovely, and Daisy ends up really loving him.

This book is all about life and its really unattractive bits, like betrayals, sadness and general bad luck. Daisy has it all, as well as a great best friend Roman to help her out, though he starts acting kind of weird when she gets a boyfriend... Hmm! I don't want to spoil it for you guys, but you get the idea. ;)

Can I say that I want Daisy's brothers? DUDE. I'm a twin, which means my sister is older by two minutes-- a fact which she lords over me at every possible minute of our lives-- but I've always wanted a big brother to look out for me and tease me. I love to read stories with awesome big brothers, and I loved all of Daisy's. I must say that I am very jealous!

A few things that I wasn't a fan of: the length, I found, was a bit long for a YA novel, because let's admit it: teenagers don't have such a great attention span when it comes to long books, and long books tend to take ages to get to the point. Friendship on Fire didn't really have a 'point': it documented Daisy's last year of school, and the point was at the end when heaps of good things made up for the bad ones that she'd gone through. I also didn't like the kind of cliched mean-popular-girl-gets-what-she-kind-of-deserves-in-the-end-but-turns-good factor. Really quite cliched, and I don't like cliches. And I thought some of the punctuation needed a bit of work. Some sentences didn't have commas where I thought they needed to be-- as in, if I said the sentence, I would have pauses in it that weren't there in the book, if you get what I mean.

My verdict: I really liked this book. It highlighted a really important thing that teenagers need to realise: Life isn't going to magically work out, and when it does, you'll have suffered some mishaps and unfortunate things one the way. Yeah, it wasn't perfect, but I would recommend this to anyone who wanted to read about real life and how it works with and against you.(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Shelby rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: tried-but-just-couldn-t-finish, first-reads

I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program about a year ago, and I am now finally admitting that I never finished it. For a long time I just figured I wouldn't review it, because it didn't seem like a particularly popular book and a sometimes First Reads authors do get a bit touchy about the reviews, especially if they're negative. However, after receiving a note from the author asking me to review this book a while ago, I figured that I'd get it over with. I mean, the book w...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know I spoken about this before but I love the dance of lovers beating around the bush with their feelings. You know, when you like a guy but you think it's better to stay friends cause you don't want to ruin your friendship, but your both really in love with each other. Yeah that dance. I love these types of books cause you get the feeling of frustration in seeing the characters run away from each other. And then there pure joy. The feeling you get when see the two characters finally meet an...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Rusha rated it 2 of 5 stars

***************SPOILER ALERT**********************

THIS BOOK DOES NOT mAKE SENSE AT ALL!!!!
3/4 of the book, Daisy's in love with Nate, then the 1/4 she likes ROman??? WTF?
I know, Nate cheated, but can't she forgive him, like Shana's dad forgave her mom for runnin away with another man? This shows you why Daisy should have forgiven Nate. Daisy fell in love with Nate, she gave him everything! And Nate fell in love with Daisy!!!! Nate showed Daisy the other side of him, the side where he cares abo...more

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view all 4 comments

Sarah Downing I disagree. I think Daisy found Nate mysterious and who doesn't like to be wanted... She didn't really know him for who he was... she knew only a port...more I disagree. I think Daisy found Nate mysterious and who doesn't like to be wanted... She didn't really know him for who he was... she knew only a portion of him... can you really know you love someone if there is a big side of them that you don't know about? If you think someone is honest and you love that about them and then you find out they aren't always honest at all... then...it really changes things, you fell in love with something that doesn't exist... in this case... honesty. Yes, she gave everything to Nate, but at what cost? He was a bad influence from the start - getting her to drive unlicensed etc. Yes, he had family problems. Yes he apologised,but was it sincere or was he just sorry to have been 'caught'. Did this teach him anything? Did he choose to turn his life around for himself and his future happiness or did he continue in his pattern? And yes, he could probably go to a lot of therapy and learn to make better choices if he chose to. But does Daisy need to take him back? She is only 17 and not married to him. She could stick around and try, but then again is he the kind of guy you really want to wait for? He needs to go and heal on his own and really figure out who he is.

Roman is a good solid dependable guy. He has strength of character, he is not going to be easily swayed by those around him just to be 'popular'... and yet he is clearly popular for who he is in being his strong self. I think Daisy really did love Roman, but he was familiar, she had known him for so long that it was hard for her to recognise the love as anything aside from friendship. They had a good solid foundation, their friendship had been tested, they knew each other extremely well. I think Daisy and Roman had real love. It wasn't confused with all the 'euphoria' of a new person, but that eventually passes anyway... having someone you can respect and can communicate with honestly and openly is important and a better choice.

I think this was a good learning process for Daisy. And I'd say she had made a lucky escape!(less)
13 jan. 20:06

Rusha I guess you are soo right...but you know i guess i was like Daisy, i was so caught up with Nate and who he pretended he was...but Daisy moved on..i di...more
14 jan. 09:58

Dec 04, 2011 ALPHAreader rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Dec 04, 2011 Jacinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Novels set in a foreign land are some of my favorite books. While enjoying myself while reading, I’m also learning a bit about another culture. I get to learn different slang and lifestyles then what I’m familiar with. I also love contemporary novels! It’s probably my favorite genre or at least most of the books I read are contemporary. So when the author asked me to review her book, I just had to say yes!

Friendship on Fire is about Daisy in her last year of what us Americans think of as high sc...more Novels set in a foreign land are some of my favorite books. While enjoying myself while reading, I’m also learning a bit about another culture. I get to learn different slang and lifestyles then what I’m familiar with. I also love contemporary novels! It’s probably my favorite genre or at least most of the books I read are contemporary. So when the author asked me to review her book, I just had to say yes!

Friendship on Fire is about Daisy in her last year of what us Americans think of as high school. We get a first-hand look at what she goes through during the year. Prior to this year, Daisy’s life had been pretty steady and predictable all until she dyed her hair (on accident) red and she met a mysterious and maybe slightly dangerous boy.

Daisy had a pretty awesome outlook on many things even though she had difficult moments at times. She was always so nice, willing to help and always wanted to trust everyone, which at times was her downfall. She had a wonderful family who could laugh at each other constantly. She had a best friend, Roman, who at the beginning of the book was always there for her no matter what.

Daisy learned so much during this one year of her life. Many life lessoned were put to heart. Of course some situations she put herself in could have been avoided, but I know at that age I didn’t listen to anyone. I had a feeling about this boy she was enamored with…I’ll just say I was right, but I was expecting something a bit different then what the author gave us…I was a bit surprised.

I only have one minor complaint…I thought the book could be shorter. It’s a pretty long story at 471 pages for a young adult contemporary novel. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed much, if not all of the story, but maybe the author could have found a few scenes in the story to snip off.

Like I mentioned above, I love myself an Aussie setting. One thing to remember, when reading a book set in a foreign land such as Friendship on Fire, usually when a character mentions it’s 30 degrees outside, it doesn’t mean 30 degrees Fahrenheit. So while you’re reading you’re thinking it’s freezing out, but then the characters mention the heat and sweating and then you’ll have a “DUH” moment and realize it’s summer time and in the high 80’s there in Australia! Or maybe I’m the only one who has these problems. :)(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Friendship on Fire was written with fresh, flowing prose. The characters were well developed which shows the importance of having a longer book to read. Other YA books finish before you've even had a chance to get to know and care about any of the major/minor characters.
I loved the fact that the book ended with closure for everyone. It wasn't ambigious or strange, it was satisfying. This book is uniquely Australian - with the beach setting, the parties, and the school environment. All teenagers...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Daisy is in year 12 and things aren't starting out to hot. Her hair has been dyed a disastrous shade of red and she is already losing her temper with other students, which is not a good thing for a school captain to do. Things start to look up in her life when she meets the very attractive Nate and he takes an interest in her. But when their relationship starts effecting others in her life Daisy is forced to start choosing between long time friendships and her brand new boyfriend.

The thing that...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Deborah Andreasen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Daisy has a temper to match her (accidentally dyed) red hair. She also has a heart the size of Australia. She's a senior in high school, and it's cracking up to be the most adventurous year yet. She meets the handsome Nate, and his charming ways instantly appeal to her.

As she and Nate get closer and closer, Daisy's best friends - Roman and Rachel - move further and further away.

Daisy struggles to keep her head above water as she juggles exams, school captain responsibilities, failing friendship...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Arielle (Chimneys and Magic) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Danielle Weiler did a pretty great job in her debut YA novel, Friendship on Fire. The writing was clever, the characters were refreshingly real and I loved the pop culture references to movies and music alike. (I absolutely ADORE Brooke Fraser's music! For a slightly more obscure artist, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Daisy listened to Brooke Fraser too :D.) The local references about our Aussie culture were spot on and so relatable, I was constantly thinking back to my time in highscho...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

It’s long, at times overly so. Some of the details in the first third could have been done without because it took a while for me to get into her story. Daisy is no different from your typical teenager although a bit young sounding for someone about to turn eighteen, she could be feisty and she could be she funny too. She’s smart sometimes, but also prone to making some of the most embarrassing of mistakes.

Now, if it were just her in this story I don’t think I’d have liked it as much. Her diary...more It’s long, at times overly so. Some of the details in the first third could have been done without because it took a while for me to get into her story. Daisy is no different from your typical teenager although a bit young sounding for someone about to turn eighteen, she could be feisty and she could be she funny too. She’s smart sometimes, but also prone to making some of the most embarrassing of mistakes.

Now, if it were just her in this story I don’t think I’d have liked it as much. Her diary entries emphasized how clueless she was could be about certain things. But she did what her teachers said: she never really gave up. Plenty of things happen in this one. And in the end she comes out of it knowing who’s real and who wasn’t. She also comes out of it knowing what she’s capable of.

As usual it’s when she was with others that the things got interesting. Her relationship with her parents, then her relationship with her friends is what made her story slightly different. I say ‘slightly’ because the things that did take place in this one feel like I’d read them all before. And I’ll be brutally honest, at times, I felt like the story got bits and pieces of other stories and smooshed them all together. But if you take those bits and parts separately, it was interesting... sometimes.

Knowing who’s real and those who weren’t (aka realizations about Nate). At first I could see just how new things were. And I bought their little romance. I was right there with her too. But there was a point when she should have stuck her head out of the sand (or pulled her head from the clouds) and paid heed. Things got a bit predictable in the end, but their start had me thinking of other things, different things.

My favorite part of the book is her and Roman. I like that she owned up to it in the end. That they both owned up to where things went wrong and to how badly things were handled. Yes, it starts with a BFF/unrequited love thing, but it was with him that she shone. What made them even better than other pairings before their own is how not perfect he was. She’s not perfect, that’s a given… but the BFF types are always expected to be there when the shit hits the fan. He wasn’t. At least not always. And that made him more possible, likely.

Like I said, bits of this read been there and done that, but there were certain portions that worked for me, namely: Roman.

3/5
Big thanks to Danielle Weiler for sending a copy over.
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Feb 22, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya

When I heard about this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. Firstly, because it sounded like an awesome contemporary and secondly because the author, Danielle Weiler is from Perth, Western Australia, where I live.

Fifteen pages in and I was already craving snakes and redskins! I really recommend you stock up, because trust me, when your reading this book you will get a craving!

The start of the novel was great, as it grabbed my attention and pulled me into the story.

I liked the way the author descr...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Danya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-contemporary-challenge, books-i-own

My reaction: Very mixed, overall. Honestly, my initial reaction after reading the first couple chapters was: this writing needs help and I'm not liking the main character. I was a bit worried it could end up being a DNF, but I persisted and actually ended up getting caught up in it.

I'm not going to lie, I found Daisy to be very annoying much of the time. She struck me as whiny, extremely melodramatic, and self-centered. She acted like the whole world revolved around her — not uncommon for a tee...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Lorie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owns

First off Thank You to Danielle Weiler and Goodreads Giveaways for giving me the book Friendship On Fire :)

When i first started to read Friendship On Fire it was at a perfect time because i was a couple of days from graduating high school. And reading this book made me kinda of reminisce of my time in school.

Anyways while reading the book i could relate to some struggles and things Daisy went through - well like most teens who were or are in school now. Like being teased, being backstabbed, jeal...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Tevya (Reading Lark) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Friendship on Fire follows Daisy Brooks through her last year of high school as she struggles to define who she is and faces obstacles that break her heart along the way. The concept of the book drew me in immediately. A young woman experiencing her first love and struggling to keep her friends while nurturing a new relationship. It’s a struggle that we’ve all faced. How do you explore a new love without pushing away or neglecting your friends? Add in the everyday challenges of high school, from...more Friendship on Fire follows Daisy Brooks through her last year of high school as she struggles to define who she is and faces obstacles that break her heart along the way. The concept of the book drew me in immediately. A young woman experiencing her first love and struggling to keep her friends while nurturing a new relationship. It’s a struggle that we’ve all faced. How do you explore a new love without pushing away or neglecting your friends? Add in the everyday challenges of high school, from maintaining grades to peer pressure to family, and this is a story that any woman who has been there can relate to, and girls going through it now can identify with.

As much as I had been looking forward to Friendship on Fire, it was a very rocky start for me. I had difficulties with the Aussie dialect, causing me to concentrate so hard on what I was reading and what the terms meant, that I felt like I was losing the meat of the story. I also found Daisy and Nate’s relationship awkward and unbelievable at first. I liked it enough that I didn’t have to force myself to keep reading, but it wasn’t a “can’t put it down, must read at all times” story for me in the beginning. I kept coming back for more of Roman, Daisy’s best friend, and her fabulous family. However, the deeper I got into the story, the more hooked I became.

About half way through, I finally reached the point where all I wanted to do was read; I had to know how things were going to turn out for Daisy. I’ve read in other reviews where readers were frustrated with Daisy at times, and while I can see where they are coming from now, after finishing the book, I was 100% with Daisy all along. I guess I am a naive, trusting soul, because I probably would have made the same choices Daisy did through most of the book. I enjoyed watching Daisy navigate through her budding relationship with Nate and floundering friendships with Roman and Rachel. I was so happy that Daisy discovered true friends who could help her deal with her heart break and move forward with her life. Another great part of Daisy’s story was her family. Her brothers were everything I always wanted in a big brother, and I adored them, especially Treston. I questioned Daisy’s parents along the way. I can’t imagine my parents ever allowing some of the scenarios Daisy found herself in, like having Nate in her bedroom, but I appreciated how open they were. The family dynamic was really fun, and I found myself imagining what it would be like to be part of their family.

In the end, Friendship on Fire turns out to be a fun coming of age story. It’s easy to identify with Daisy, impossible not to love her bestie, Roman, and fun to hate the Blond Brigade. The rest of the cast of characters enhance the story beautifully and enrich Daisy’s life in many ways. There were some areas that seemed to drag, and I feel like it could have been shortened to speed up the pace a bit here and there, but I really liked the story and enjoyed the read even through the slower parts. So if you’re looking for a fun YA story full of love, friendship, and family, I would definitely recommend Friendship on Fire. (Just keep your Google app handy and be prepared to learn some new Aussie phrases and slang along the way.) (less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Juliana rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I won "Friendship on Fire" in a giveaway hosted by the blog www.heyteenager.blogspot.com , and the book was sent directly by Danielle, so a huge thank you to Danielle for the signed copy and for being so kind with her readers!
"Friendship on Fire" was a pleasant change after so many Paranormal books I've read lately. A very well written and developed story, with real characters and situations,with which any girl,anywhere in the world,can identify,one way or another.
The story flows n...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Pat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Year 12 starts off with a bang, when Daisy has to give a speech to the whole school, with her hair, dyed disastrously red, covered in a turban. Things look up when she spots a gorgeous boy, Nate, who goes to her rival school Addison Grammar. But she has been best friends forever with Roman and what will a romance with Nate do to that relationship?
This story looks at the trials of Year 12, and finding your place in the world. The characters are skilfully developed and seem real Daisy is a likeabl...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Larissa :) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was basically the "story of my life" except for the major boy drama that is...

The only thing that I didn't like was the lack of scenes between her and Roman. Sure, there were scenes together but the never seemed to be around each other for long and a bit more angst and chemistry would have been great :)

BUT, that said, it was still a nice (although typical) (view spoiler)

Emjoy!

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Jul 23, 2012 Mika rated it 1 of 5 stars

I started this book with high hopes with all the reviews I read. But sadly I was dissapointed. This book although had some twists and turns was predictable and overall unsatisfying for a heavy reader. I'm only 16 so I guess im not as heavy as others but I have read a lot of big books. I was the first to finish the Harry potter series out of every one I know. This book is not something I'm not is hurry to read again.

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Apr 01, 2011 Maryanne/MA rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-books-in-2011

I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. I enjoyed Friendship On Fir but think it could have been shorter. The main character, Daisy, is more than a little frustrating - I wanted to shake her sometimes! But, all in all, it was fun for this American to get a glimpse of Australian life - so similar to ours and yet different. I had to keep looking up Aussie slang on the web. Here's one I used! LOL
koalanet.com

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Jan 07, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Friendship on fire is a unique and funny story that will hold the reader's attention until the very end. This book is hard to put down once you have started reading the first page. The story line is well written and the twist of humour adds a special touch.
Hope to see more from the author; great book!!

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Aug 05, 2012 Cayce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

4 stars

A coming of age story from the Land of Kangaroos. Danielle Weiler's debut novel is a totally "normal" story of teenage love, friendship and family.

More on my Blog

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Mar 22, 2012 Hayley marked it as will-never-read

Shelves: authors-big-mistake

will never read based on this comment.

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Oct 27, 2011 Aprilia Star rated it 5 of 5 stars

it's an amzing book. it was kind of really addictive to read i was really interested in the book from start to finish .

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About Danielle Weiler

I'm a writer living in Perth, WA. I have a big family, with five older brothers who endlessly entertain me. I wrote my first story book when I was six years old. My parents thought it was epic, but looking back on it, it wasn't even finished. But it had potential.

My writing encompasses contemporary YA. 'Friendship on Fire' is my debut novel and I'm very proud of her. My other work is on a fingers...more

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Quotes from Friendship on Fire

“Teenagers are in the throes of learning the biggest lesson of all: life isn’t simple, it isn’t black and white. It’s multiple and varied shades of grey. If you mix these shades of grey you might end up getting close to black or white, but in the end, it’s the darkening of themselves around the edges and the ways in which they bend and break that will make them more wholesome people; people that others will want to be around and who will contribute greatly to society when given the awesome opportunity.” — 8 people liked it

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