Book Review for Inside the Fire by Heather D. Glidewell

Inside the Fire, by Heather D. Glidewell, is a fantastical tale about saving your beloved, even if you have to let them go.

The book is separated into three parts. Prologue tells the story of how Dawn Weathers came to be, from when her mother had conceived her to her lonely, yet content, childhood. Inside the Fire details how Dawn meets a boy named Wesley, and how they fall in love. The final part, Betrayal, brings about the powerful lesson of losing the person you love, along with the harsh reality that you need to face the world, no matter what comes your way.

I enjoyed reading about Dawn. Despite the inhuman nature of her parents, she was able to live a relatively stable life. It’s clear she cares about her mother, and whenever I read about the tender moments between these two, it’s touching. It shows that though her mother had been barred from Heaven, not once did she blame her husband or daughter. Her father did what he had to do to support her as well. It’s a relief to know that Dawn has this support system behind her. And while the romance between Wesley and Dawn was fast, they do bring a certain wonder to the concept of love.

Needless to say, even that dream doesn’t last long. Glidewell shows that almost anything can shatter it, however abrupt it may be. It’s a call to grow up, to live in a world you might not necessarily find fair, whether it’s moving on from your first love, or dealing with two divorced parents who are still attracted to each other, to even fighting off an old, obsessed vampire. Still, it’s because no one abandoned her that Dawn didn’t lose her way. Heaven and Hell, after all, are still humanity’s; they’re the ones that can influence good and evil. These themes help ground the book to an otherwise unrelatable story.

Nonetheless, there was a point in the story where I, again, thought Dawn and Wesley’s relationship did progress a little too quickly, so much so that Dawn had even called it out. Still, other than that the book was a good read. Dawn’s demonic and angelic sides were well-written, as was her devotion to her loved ones. The characters brought a level of humanity to the book. Thus, I would give this book a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it