The Kindling

Fire-us #1

by Jennifer Armstrong, Nancy Butcher

The world has been wiped out by a deadly plague that killed all the adults. Without them, children perished of hunger and disease. No more people, no more electricity, no more civilization -- just mildewed houses, overgrown yards, and abandoned cars. Yet on a highway strip outside a small town in Florida, the words "We're Still Here" are painted in letters big enough to be seen from an airplane -- although no planes ever cross the empty sky. Miraculously, seven children have survived among the ruins. They cannot remember their names, their families, or much else from the Before Time. But they have forged a new family, with new Mommy, Hunter, Teacher, Action Figure, Teddy Bear, Baby, and Doll. They must face each day with enough hope to endure and the strength to realize that there may be nothing out there worth living for. Then one day, a new kid shows up on their doorstep and changes everything. He invites them to join him on a dangerous journey to Washington, to find a man called President if he's still alive -- and seek the answers to the mystery at the heart of the Fire-us. In this first book of the Fire-us Trilogy, Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher weave a compelling post-apocalyptic tale, luring readers into a world that is inventive enough to intrigue, yet true enough to believe.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Teen, Fiction, Adventure

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Jennifer Armstrong learned to read and write in Switzerland, in a small school for English speaking children on the shores of Lake Zurich. The school library had no librarian and no catalog – just shelves of interesting books. She selected books on her own, read what she could, and made up the rest. It was perfect. As a result, she made her career choice – to become an author – in first grade. When she and her family returned to the U.S. she discovered that not all children wrote stories and read books, and that not all teachers thought reading real books was important. Nevertheless, she was undaunted. Within a year of leaving college she was a free-lance ghost writer for a popular juvenile book series, and before long published her first trade novel, Steal Away, which won her a Golden Kite Honor for fiction.

More than fifty additional novels and picture books followed, and before long she also tried her hand at nonfiction, winning an Orbis Pictus Award and a Horn Book Honor for her first nonfiction book, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. In late 2003 she will travel to the South Pole with the National Science Foundation to do research for a book on ice.

Reviews

[J.Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was ridiculous. I almost hated it. Why I even wasted time reading the whole trilogy, I don't know. Although, you would probably call it more like skimming because after reading the first book, I definitely only sped-read through the last two. So, this series is about a gang of kids who survived a deadly virus that swept across the world killing everyone but them (or so they believed). They've been living on their own for five years until a strange boy and twins show up in their town. The strange boy convinces them to go looking for whomever caused the virus. For some unexplained reason, the kids all forgot their real names so they name themselves after what they do, hence, Mommy, Teacher, Hunter, Action Figure and so on. It's stupid and I loathed it. Also, the strange boy (Angerman/Anchorman) is unhinged and goes off on these strange announcerish tangents. I skimmed every one of these horrible tirades. The ONLY thing that even kept me reading past book one was the last paragraph of the entire book when the kids found a grown-up. That foolishly made me think the next book was worth reading. Instead, it only got worse from there. The adults turn out to be religious fanatics who rename themselves books of the Bible (Corinthians 1:5, Deuteronomy 2:7) and who are assisting their "supreme leader" in genocide. Well, at this point, I was so amazed at how ridiculous these books were, I went ahead and skimmed book three. The kids manage to escape the religious fanatics and stumble into a retirement village filled with old women who somehow survived the virus as well. The flimsy reasoning was that the virus seemed only to affect anyone with hormones (so pre-puberty children and post-menopausal women weren't affected). The kids decide they need to take out the "supreme leader" and get to the bottom of the mystery themselves. They end up getting captured by the religious fanatics again and discover that the "supreme leader" is actually the President of the United States who engineered the virus that was supposed to wipe out everyone (except he and his followers who hid in a bunker), so that he could then marry every furtile female in an attempt to produce the next "savior" as an off-spring. Every child born from his "marriages" is tested (and this is code for BURNED TO DEATH) once they start walking. The kids manage to kill the President and his followers immediately (and conveniently) abandon their cause, making the way clear for the kids to live their lives. Oh, and yes, that strange boy who went into unhinged tangents? He happens to be the President's son, who came back to make sure his father paid the price for killing the rest of their family with the virus. So, yes, happy times these books. Steer clear of this trilogy.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kindling is a very interesting collaboration. It's hard to pull off a post-apocalyptic, well anything. (I mean look at Water World, well actually, let's not.) This book beats the odds and succeeds.

Jennifer Armstrong has many books to her name, many of them historical non-fiction works. Nancy Butcher has fewer credits, I think this is a break out book for her.

Armstrong's background in history, especially the effect's of severe trauma to children (her books on child survivors of the Holocaust) gives a realism that is the foundation of this book.

I don't want to go into the plot because I think the authors reveal it just beautifully. I will just tell you that it's very character driven. The jeopardy comes out of your love for them and for me that's the very best kind of book.

[Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I appreciate young adult novels that keep me intrigued enough to continue reading the series. Fire-Us does that for me- not because it's amazingly written (it's not), but because the character development is well done. The premise of the story involves a group of kids (varying ages) who are the sole survivors (or so they think) after a pandemic virus has wiped out human kind. Each child plays a certain family role (mother, hunter, teacher, etc) which, to me, speaks to a human desire to maintain order and structure in community. I also appreciate the way the authors have the children use phrases and words which have been remembered wrong. For example, they sing their "baby sees" (ABCs). It reminds me of those distinct memories I have when I realized I thought phrases and lyrics were something they were not. My favorite character the authors have developed is "Angerman", aka "Anchorman". His behaviors clearly show the effects that trauma can have- he experiences symptoms that are Schizophrenic or Dissociative Disorder. I'm looking forward to following these characters as they make their journey towards Washington DC., where they hope they will find adults and the President.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary-
Fire-Us by Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher is a novel about a deadly plague that killed all the adults. Without the adults around, the children start to die off as well because of hunger and disease. Now its been 5 years and 7 children that have survived the disease have to rely on each other to survive. They have no idea if they are the last ones on this earth because there is no internet, no heat, no electricity at all. All that is left is overgrown yards, abandoned cars, and empty homes. They can’t remember their names, who there real families were or anything. Hunter who is the main character, is the one that holds the family together. But soon they cross paths with a new kid, named Angerman and he's on his way to Washington to find the heart of Fire-Us which is where the disease first started and some answers. When he invites them to come with him, they agree. On this crazy adventure they will encounter danger, and trouble. They all have to work together to make this trip to Washington D.C to find a guy named president to get the answers.

Opinion/Rating-
Fire-Us is an very eye catching and action filled book. When I read this book, I never wanted to put it down. It will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the book, which is the kinds of books I like to read. But this book is part of a series so after the first book, you will want to read the rest. I think my favorite part of the book was the setting. They didn’t have it in a magical place or anything, They had in places that we could actually relate to being to or wanting to be there. Like for an example, They are supposed to be on their way to Washington and I have always wanted to go there, and hoped I would like to. Some other kids maybe would like to get to go to Florida, which in this case, they would. I would suggest this book to kids any ages, Mostly kids that like the Hunger Games series. I really hope you get to read this book, and enjoy it as much as I did.

[Susan Chapek]

A deadly virus--deadly to adults, that is--sweeps through the world.

I read this series in 2005, but it has stuck in my memory because the hook, and how Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher work it out, was so great, and the characters so compelling, that I believe it would make a fascinating read today.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Science-Fiction novel, The Kindling, part one of the trilogy of the Fire-Us books, was written by Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher. The 224 pages long Science-Fiction novel takes place in the year 2007, five years after the 'Fire-Us' incident, killing every grown-up and some teenagers and kids as well. Seven teenagers are left over in Florida, forming a family- there's Teacher, Hunter, Mommy, Action Figure, Teddy Bear, Baby and Doll. They can't remember their real names or families or anything else from the Before Time. Struggles include such as finding food, escaping predators, providing the younger kids with things they need. A lot of strength and endurance is needed for them to survive. Some day though, another teenagers shows up at their doorstep- Angerman. He changes their lives completely by showing them new skills for example. He's the 'newsman' and especially the small children are very amused by him. Angerman wants them to join him on his journey to Washington to find a man named 'Mr. President'- if he's still alive.
This Science-Fiction novel is full of surprises and suspense and has an interesting point of view on simple things we do everyday. The style of writing is somewhat easy and I would definitely recommend this to people who are interested in Science-Fiction or Dystopia. Personally, this novel didn't appeal much to me, as I am not very interested in this topic.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this as an adult and very much enjoyed it. It was a quick read. Were there some plot holes? Sure. I did find myself feeling like I was in the book. I imagined what it would be like to be put in that situation- kind of creepy when I think about it as an adult.
I liked the writing style, and plan to re-read the next two books.

[Jaydan Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rate this book for people from 10-18. In this book, most people die from a deadly plague, or that is what was thought. It turns out 7 kids survive and have to fend for themselves. These kids end up running from the wreckage, not remembering anything from their old lives. Everything changes when a random kid shows up to go on a search for a guy in another state, who might remember everything, and give them the answers they have been looking for. When they go on this search, there are many people, who end up being alive; giving them the answers about their families, and helping them grow up a little more normally. I think this author did a good job with descriptions. She helped make visualizing easier, which made this seem more realistic. i also liked how the book was not fast paced, which helped it make more sense. On the other hand, the book changed perspectives. I think if the book stayed in one character's mind the whole time, or just from an outside view it would have helped make more sense. Overall, I think this is one of the most entertaining books I have read. I would definitely read it again, and recommend it to anyone who likes being on the edge of their seat

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of my favorite books it was a masterpiece and I couldn’t put it down when I was in like 3rd grade. It’s got to be pretty good for that.

[Jamie Dacyczyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2015 Reading Challnge: A trilogy

3.5 stars. This was a trilogy that I read in school (though I can't remember if I was able to read the whole trilogy or not), but completely forgot about until recently. All I could remember about it was that it was a post-apocalypse book about a small group of kids with muddled memories about whatever happened to wipe out all of the adults. I could remember that they all had strange title-style names, and that they had a weird way of singing the alphabet song. Some diligent googling later, and after I remembered that the apocalypse was a viral out break that the kids had yet another muddled name for....and I found it. The Fire-Us Trilogy! Well, now I had to re-read it.

The first book was a fast read at only 224 pages long. The author did a good job of providing clear details, while keeping the language at a level that made sense for a group of children who'd been left to fend for themselves for the last five years in post-apocalyptic Florida. The older children (Teacher, Mommy, and Hunter) are in their low to mid teens at this point, but the younger children are harder to judge ages (Action Figure, Teddy Bear, Doll, and Baby). This group has survived through Hunter's ability to scavenge for food in their abandoned town, Teacher's wisdom and guidance, and Mommy's care taking instincts. None of the children remember their real names, or much about the Before Times at all except snippets of disconnected information. They've been alone for five years when, unexpectedly, another teenage boy arrives out of no where. This new boy has a strange habit of holding up a picture frame to pretend that he's a news anchorman. He's also dragging a beat-up mannequin with him, which he refers to as Bad Guy, upon whom he expresses his rage and frustration about the situation. The kids call this newcomer "Angerman", and we eventually learn that Angerman hears Bad Guy taunting him and saying things that Angerman would rather forget. The plot really begins when the kids notice that there are two more "stray" children in the area, and Mommy insists that these stray children be caught and brought in to be cared for. They realize that the feral children (named Puppy and Kitten) were young enough to have been born AFTER the "Fire-us". Angerman convinces/tricks the group to go with him on a journey to Washington (DC).

The characters are pretty well developed, each dealing with their forgotten memories in different ways. Teacher has a scrap book in which she pastes magazine scraps or other words that she finds, as well as scribbling her own thoughts. Known as The Book, she uses this scrapbook for her guidance, convinced that it holds some kind of divine wisdom. Mommy suffers from agoraphobia, and has never left the house in the five years since the Fire-Us. Angerman seems to have some sort of disassociative condition, completely changing personalities, voice, and even thoughts when the Anchorman persona takes over. The laughing and taunting that he hears from Bad Guy gives us a little window into some of the suppressed memories and worries churning around in Angerman's head.

Overall, this is a good "first post-apocalypse book" for YA readers. There's plenty of foreshadowing that gets released bit by bit, pulling the reader in to find out what's going on. More advanced readers might not be as shocked by some of the twist, but there's still enough heart in this story to be appealing to readers of all ages. Reading this as an adult, I still felt very engaged in the story, and didn't really have a feeling that things had been "dumbed down" for a younger audience.

[Aric]

it was nice

[Kristopher Ogram]

It is a great book about a family of kids that met five years ago when a plague took out all the adults or so they believe. The faith these 7 kids have in each other is put to the test when three new kids come in to the house. The oldest one being Angerman ( and his manican Bad Guy) want to go to Washington to find President

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kindling is the first of three books in the Fire-us trilogy. It is about an apocalypse that wipes out all the adults on earth. Soon, without any adult guidance, the children die out too. The book is centered around a group of children who banded together and survived. In this book, they leave their "hometown" and wander around the country looking for food.

This was an extremely good book, one of the best I've ever read, actually. The characters are VERY well developed, although it is hard to remember all of their names as there are a lot of them in that group and they don't have real/normal names. The plot is very deep and involved. This is one of those books that I didn't really want to put down once I started reading it.

One thing I didn't like was how in the beginning, I was totally lost. Totally. I had no idea who the heck the characters were, what they were doing, and what had happened to the world. A bit more background information would be nice, say, a prologue of some kind explaining what happened. Also a thing I didn't like was how you have to read all three books in the trilogy to completely understand the plot. Actually, the third book is the book where everything is fully explained. The bad thing about this is that although you gain some understanding of what is going on in the first and second books, it's like you put on glasses with Vaseline on the lenses. You get the basic gist of it, but there are still things that you need to have explained.

Overall, The Kindling has that sci-fi twist that makes everything so much more interesting and adventurous, but at the same time, seemed very real for some reason.

[Sonya Huser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. The story is a virus ("Fire-us") has destroyed all the adults, leaving children orphaned and taking care of themselves. Five years later, almost all the kids are dead too, having run out of food, medication, fresh water, no electricity, etc. etc. The books follow a group of kids who have managed to survive, living together as a family. Their names derive from the role they play in the family: Hunter, Mommy, Teacher, Baby, Doll, Teddy Bear, Puppy, Kitty, Action Figure, and Anchorman, aka Angerman. It's a really well imagined end of the world scenario, leaving a lot of room for discussion. Could you forget your own name? How much emotional pain can humans endure?
Except for the cliffhanger ending, I think it works great as a stand alone novel. Spoiler: I have read the rest of the trilogy and much of the story focuses on the misuse of religion. I thought it was interesting enough to read about how children might adapt in a world without adults without having them go on a quest to find the reason for the plague. But that's not where the authors wanted to take the books. I can see how a lot of people would feel uncomfortable with how Christians are portrayed in the second and third books.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this trilogy a few years back and absolutely loved it. Time passed and I forgot the titles and authors of the books, but didn't forget the story. I spent a lot of time scouring library catalogs trying to find them and after many searches with various keywords I finally found them. Thank goodness! I re-read the entire series and fell in love all over again. I'm a big fan of realistic sci-fi and this series fit into that category nicely. The way the children adapted to their situation was very realistic, and the story had just the right amount of plausibility mixed into the plot to keep you hooked. The 'family' that the children formed was very endearing and the way the survival instincts manifested in each child was very interesting, it's amazing what the brain will do to cope with extreme situations. I enjoyed the trek they made to find an explanation for what had happened. The hardships they faced and managed to overcome helped to captivate me throughout all three of the books. I would definitely recommend these books to someone who enjoys post-apocalyptic sci-fi. This would be a good read for middle- and high-schoolers as well as young adults.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first two books of this series back in middle school. My school’s library had only had the first two books in the series, but I waited, hoping that we’d get the last one so I could read the end, but they never did. Time passed, as it does, and I forgot about this series. I forgot the title and a lot about it, but every once in a while, it tugged at something in the back of my mind and I would spend a couple hours searching the internet, trying to find it. It took almost 9 years, but I found this series again after one of those times where is comes back to memory! And it was well worth all the work!
I don’t think I forgot this series because it was terrible. I think it was just an age thing. I was young and couldn’t remember every single book I’d read. But after such a long time, I have just finished the first book and loved it just as much as I remembered. And I am happy to say, that I purchased the whole series so that I could find out how it ends.
I know this is t a review necessarily, but I think that it shows how much I loved it, for it to bug me for 9 years.

[Robin]

This was so awful I could not force myself to finish it or even give it a single star. It's bad. Not well thought out. The plot rambles about, the main character Anchorman (Angerman) is apparently insane, and the "fire us" (get it? VIRUS) it turns out was unleashed on us all by the equally insane POTUS, whose religious delusions have driven humanity to the brink of destruction.

How likely is it that children this young would survive this post apocalyptic world without an adult?

And it's blatantly anti-religion: all the (really awful) adults in the book have names like Deuteronomy and Corinthians, and do terrible things to children, including burning them to death.

The names are absurd: what ten year old "forgets" the name their parents gave them, the name they were called all their lives up to that point, and goes by "Mother" or "Hunter" instead? Or even what four year old?

Complete silliness. And not the GOOD kind of silliness.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting series, set in a future where all the adults have died as the result of a mysterious virus, and only the children survived. But not all the children, it seems only a handful managed to last the 5 years from the virus to the time the story picks up. As I was reading this first book I kept wondering to myself how my own children would fare in a world suddenly devoid of adult life. Would they be smart enough, resourceful enough, and just plain tough enough physically and mentally to survive? Being a juvenile fiction series the author doesn't explore much more than the present events that the children have to experience, there's not much back story, but it still made for an interesting read. There were some major discrepancies in the 3rd book, but I was able to overlook them and just enjoy the story.

[Audry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book and series is about a group of children who survive the virus that was spread and killed all the grown-ups. They are trying to survive the lack of food, the predators, especially the alligators. It is set in Florida. The virus happened five years ago.

Hunterm, around 11, is the one who hunts for things they need in the abandonded homes and stores, such as food, clothing, medicines and such. Mommy, around 13 or 14, is the girl who mothers all the children. Teacher, around 12, is the girl who keeps a book that she writes in, but in the morning can't remember writing in it. But the book gives them courage. There are four more little children, also. None of them can remember their own names, so they have these other names like Mommy and Teacher.

This book has lots of courage and personal growth in it.

Might be too scary for young children 8 and under.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is the year 2007. Most of the world's population has been wiped out by a killer virus. Seven children remain and have become a family, trying to survive and acclimate to this new world. Food, clean water, and basic living needs are becoming scarce. When Anchorman suggests traveling from Florida to Washington, D.C. to seek out the president, if he is still alive, the little troupe of ragamuffin children follow him.

They find a boat and travel on the river and finally reach the ocean. Exhausted, running low on supplies, and just-plain-weary, they rest for the night...when all at once a vision in white appears.

Clearly, this is a series since so many questions are left unanswered. I am not sure it is compelling enough to seek out book #2.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this as one of the earliest post-apocalyptic/survival books I read. I fell in love with the genre, especially with the idea of youth locked in a life-and-death struggle against death, disease, despair, personal demons, and other youth. Nothing helped me deal with the always-angsty throes of adolescence better than books like these.

Admittedly, the writing is styled to younger readers and predictable but the characters were relatable and the pace tolerable. It is also a fair introduction to moral ambiguity for young readers. My only complaint is that when I read this book I was the same age as the characters and constantly felt they were portrayed as less mature and clever than they could have been.

[Phair · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there were a few points that puzzled or disappointed me (ex: Teacher relies on her scrapbook of clippings to find "mystical clues" and answers to problems confronting the group- why does she never seek out BOOKS or a library instead of relying on half-forgotten songs & stories to teach the littles & find the answers they need. It's not like she & some of the older kids were too young when the disaster came to know what books are. How did they all regress so far so quickly?) I ultimately forgave all for the completely absorbing adventure. It's been a long time since I felt the need to tear through a whole series one after another because I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy is amazing, outstanding, brilliant any word that means terrific. It blew me away. Aimed at a younger audience but easily enjoyed by all. The characters are children, act like children and have the outlook of children while still having the maturity of any adult. The characterization is perfect, where some books would have the characterization fall apart in the mess these children must work through Armstrong manages to keep her characters strong. My favourite part of this book is definitely the naming; Mommy, Hunter, Action Man. The snippets of "today" that get weaved into these books are a joy to watch the children work through. Truly an outstanding novel.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While i liked the story line I had a big issue with some of the things that the kids could not remember even though they were 9 when all the adults dies (ABCs, their names, basically their entire lives, etc), but that at the same time they remember enough to take care of little kids and survive with no running water and electricity. I am not saying that they would remember everything, but I thought that it was a little unbelievable that they forgot everything.
That aside, the story was interesting and if my library has the second book I may give it a chance. I do not think I will be seeking it out any time soon if they do not though.

[Golden Secondary School]

No adults have survived the world wide plague and most children have died from starvation or disease. Against all odds, seven have managed to survive. They remember little of the "before time", including their names. They scavenge for food and do what they can to help each other in their bleak day to day existence.

They have seen no one else for five years when, suddenly, a stranger and two small children appear in their town. This appearance brings about unwelcome change that pushes the "family" to adapt and accept that if they want to live, they have to leave.

Fans of The Maze Runner and dystopian fiction in general will enjoy this easy read.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main characters are some kids who are among the last humans alive on earth after a terrible global disaster. They decide they must go on a dangerous journey from Florida to Washington to try and find help. The story is about the troubles they face along the way with no trappings of the world as we know it - no running water, no cars, no phones, no commerce, no electricity, no adults! It sounded great because I like end of the world books, but it just didn't deliver what I expected. It would have been a GREAT short story. It was short and easy to read though and not bad.

[Librariann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ages 10+

In 2002, a virus ("fire-us") kills all of the grownups in the world. Now, five years later, a ragtag 'family' of children and teenagers with little memory of the "before time" (right down to their adopted names - Teacher, Hunter, Mommy, Teddy Bear, Doll, Baby, and Action Figure) discover that they are not the only survivors. Led by 'Angerman' and newly discovered five year old strays Puppy and Kitty - the family reluctantly embarks on a quest to leave Florida and find the mythical President in Washington.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Year is 2007 Fire-us has killed all the adults over 5 years ago. A group of children have banded together as a family-trying to survive in their small Florida town. Buth they are running out of supplies. The new family includes Mommy, Teacher, Hunter, Action Figure, Teddy Bear, Baby & Doll. Then Anchorman/Angerman comes to town & joins their group along w/2 wild children. Puppy & Kitty. Angerman s sure they must go to Washington to find a man they must go to called President. So the perilous journey begins. Neat idea, wonderful play on terms/words Great

[ShuoHao Ruan]

In this book, few of the main characters have this extraordinary power base on their own characteristics. however, the world were nearly destoryed soon. They gather up together as a team and tended to save the work by finding the key that they needs. Throughout the entire book, they had to face throught many obsticals and death of their companiouns. It was a very tough like for them since they were still young.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I read this one about a year ago and i give it a 5 star. I usually don't read these type of books and didn't really like the cover but I read it anyway. The reason why I like this book because you can totally relate to the characters and almost get emotional because of the sitution there in. Its sad and I love the history through out the book and how the Fire-Us started I find this book intriging and intresting. A must read for my taste.