Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Firebug (Firebug, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Firebug

(Firebug #1)

Lish McBride (Goodreads Author)

3.81 · Rating details · 1,595 ratings · 302 reviews

Ava is a firebug—she can start fires with her mind. Which would all be well and good if she weren't caught in a deadly contract with the Coterie, a magical mafia. She's one of their main hitmen . . . and she doesn't like it one bit. Not least because her boss, Venus, killed Ava's mother.
When Venus asks Ava to kill a family friend, Ava rebels. She knows very well that you ...more

Get A Copy

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Published September 23rd 2014 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Firebug, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

New YA September 2014

121 books — 185 voters

YASH 2016 Fall Edition

119 books — 156 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.81 ·

Rating details

· 1,595 ratings · 302 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Firebug (Firebug, #1)

Apr 25, 2014 Brie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, amazeballs, wtf-are-you-trying-to-do-to-me, laughing-my-ass-off, awesome-heroine, swoonworthy-book-boyfriend, lets-nancy-drew-this-bitch, awesome-supporting-characters, come-on-baby-light-my-fire, smells-like-fairy-tales-and-myths

I was really, awkwardly excited for Firebug

See, kinda awkward...

Anyway!

There wasn't anything I didn't love about Firebug. And since I am a rabid pusher of the Necromancer books, I tried to be objective.

I loved Ava; she was snarky, sarcastic, flawed and utterly realistic - down to being stupid over a dude.

I adored the myriad of supporting characters - Ezra is incorrigible and stole my heart quickly. Lock is a steady, quiet constant; almost lurking in the background until the metaphorical clouds ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2014 Ksenia added it · review of another edition

Shelves: signed, publicist-books

I'm in love with everything about this book: the story, Ava, the friendships, and the boys. I love how this book features a great friendship story between Ava, Lock and Ezra. This is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. And honestly, I wish I had a Lock and Ezra in my life, even if one of them is a dryad and the other is a werefox. Lish's writing is fantastic and even made me chuckle a few times.

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2015 Rane rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, keeper, paranormal-pnr-supernatural

Lish McBride throws you smack dab in the middle of the fray with Firebug, as the reader your force to run to keep up the action that is Firebug from page one. Along the ride we join our firebug Ava whose stuck in between a rock and a really crappy job as a hired assassin for a magical mafia called Coterie. Her team and best friends of the half-druyd Lock and were-fox Ezra go out and clean up and take out anyone who has crossed the Coterie leader Veuns.
But when Veuns puts out a hit for one of ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2014 Stacee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: snark-fest, i-want-to-hang-out-with-them, netgalley, read-in-2014, read-in-2017

2/26/17: yep, this book is still snarky and awesome. I did forget just how much I loved Ezra.

This book was exactly what I wanted, I loved every single thing about it.

Ava, Lock and Ezra are all so much fun. Their different personalities make the friendship work so well. As always, Lish provides excellent banter and snark. I always want to hang out with the characters she creates.

The plot was interesting and the twists were delicious. Thankfully, the ending wasn't cliffhangery, but there is one ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

May 20, 2014 Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, mean-girl-bullshit, series-unfinished

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I received from the publisher.

Oh lord, the train wreck that was this book. I wanted to like it–I don’t read a book anymore if I don’t expect to like it–but I should have known from the first chapter this was not going to be anything I’d like. Call a girl a bitch queen right off the bat and I’m going to get angry like a territorial cat because of the girl hate. IT ONLY GETS WORSE. The humor and absurdity of Firebug may appeal to younger ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Aug 10, 2014 Nora rated it really liked it

Shelves: lol-worthy, drool-worthy-guy, surprised-but-in-a-good-way, fiewel-and-friends, vampires, bad-ass-mc, henry-holt, magic, witches, dryads

Warning: This is a highly unprofessional review which will probably make no logical sense but I hope you like it anyway.

Dear Characters:

Ava, you are the perfect heroine. You made me laugh so hard my stomach ached with your sarcastic observations. You were just so damn snarky about everything, even in the most serious situations. But you weren't cold hearted, oh no. You cared so much about your friends it warmed my frozen heart(and yes unlike you I have one). And you were smart, not some ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2016 Mitticus rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasia-urbana, magia, shapeshifters, teen-protagonist, w_hitman-assasin, shifters_fox, driades, z-2016-readings, piroquinesis

4,5 flaming stars

The Coterie, the magical mafia, don't give a second chance. Enter the assasins. Ava is owned for life by the Coterie since she was 13 y.o., she is a firebug and has no scape for that kind of life, her dangerous talent is used for kill other magicals by orders of Venus (the vampire boss who kills Ava's mom). Her best-friends: Ezra a werefox, and Lock a half-dryad are her team (tithes indebted until their 25 b-day)

Most girls my age worry about prom dresses and SATs. I have to weigh the ethical nature of being an assassin against the value of human life and basic freedoms. Makes detention seem like cake.

Among teen-tropes: orphan, angst ('want to be normal go to school and have boyfriends!'), chores, a second normal job, and the 'All Is My Fault'. We have funny dialogues, and lovable characters as Ezra, the fox, the thief, the vain, a good friend. And the caring Lock, who use vegetal life as weapons .

“You be a gentleman,” I said, “and I promise I won’t turn you into cinders.”
“Of course,” Lock said with a huff. “I’m not Ezra.”
“I am a perfect gentleman,” Ezra said. “It’s not my fault that no one can resist me.” He lifted up his shirt. “I mean, have you seen these abs? Who can blame them?”
“And that’s why you’re getting the cot,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Because there’s no way we’ll be able to sleep if we’re constantly touching your abs.”

An assasin trying to guilt her guardian to get permission.

Cade looked at me over the rims of his glasses. “If you went to high school, you’d be the one pantomiming vomit at the girls who wallpapered their lockers with pictures of their boyfriends. You’d tell them you didn’t like the idea of giving over your personhood and identity to the worship of some high school mouth-breather. Then you’d probably ditch class to go get coffee with a college boy in a leather jacket who writes bad poetry and loves Hemingway. If you were going for a cliché, that’s what you would go for.”
Gah, Cade knew me so well. It wasn’t fair.

She lost something for too much weeping and some lack of thinking of the character. But I'm waiting the next book.
...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2017 mith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, in-betweeners, kindle-or-ebook, 2014-publication, fantasy, maaaagic, supernatural-creatures

you can read this review and Pyromantic's on my blog!

Firebug was just so much fun. It's one of those books that makes you want to keep reading, never mind what the time is. I picked this book up on a whim and oh man, I'm so glad I did because this was the type of book that was just perfect for me.

This is an urban fantasy book, so there a lot of, er, creatures--I guess?--that hide amongst human crowds, pretending to be human by magic. Ava is one of them and she's a firebug, which basically means ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2014 Monica rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads

Though Firebug is rather typical for a young adult (YA) urban fantasy, it is definitely one of the more enjoyable stories in the genre. This is the fist installment of the Firebug series by Lish McBride, who is best known for her previous series, which begins with the humorous YA urban fantasy Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Fans of McBride’s Necromancer series will find much of what they love about McBride’s writing present in Firebug, while many readers that are new to her work will be drawn in Though Firebug is rather typical for a young adult (YA) urban fantasy, it is definitely one of the more enjoyable stories in the genre. This is the fist installment of the Firebug series by Lish McBride, who is best known for her previous series, which begins with the humorous YA urban fantasy Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Fans of McBride’s Necromancer series will find much of what they love about McBride’s writing present in Firebug, while many readers that are new to her work will be drawn in by her flawed but sympathetic characters, sarcastic and witty banter, and a fast paced plot that is full of adventure.
Firebug is told from the perspective of Ava, a teenage girl that happens to be able to start fires with her mind. Ava is not the only Firebug in existence, but they are rare, and therefore valuable, within the supernatural community. Because of her unique and useful powers, Ava has been forced into a deadly contract with the Coterie- a kind of magical mafia run by a vicious vampire named Venus. When Venus asks her to kill a family friend for the Coterie, Ava rebels. As a somewhat recent orphan, friends are the only family that she has. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say no to the Coterie and get away with it, so she and her friends go into hiding until they can find a way out of this mess Ava has gotten them in, and hopefully all keep their lives in the bargain.
I do not always enjoy a story with a first person narrative, but it was done very well in this novel. Ava is in many ways a flawed character, but most of these flaws can be attributed to being a teenage girl. She can be stubborn, impulsive, and easily blinded by her emotions, but she is also strong, intelligent, and her sarcastic commentary made me laugh at loud at several points in the story. I was also impressed with the way that Ava grows throughout the story, and her depth of character development. Her best friends Lock and Ezra are also well-developed characters, and their loyalty, distinctive personalities, and general quirkiness make the book even more enjoyable and easy to read.
The novel’s pace stayed fast throughout the story, and the combination of wonderful characters and a suspenseful story line made Firebug one of the more engaging YA novels that I have read this year. Though the plot and setting were not filled with any incredibly unique elements, I found myself more entertained and immersed in this novel than other stories that are typical of the same genre. I would have liked the plot a bit more if it contained more shocking and distinctive qualities, but for a book in this particular genre I was more than satisfied by how pleasurable the novel was to read. I would recommend this novel to anyone that loves YA urban fantasy, and also anyone that likes a character based book filled with plenty of humor. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Firebug series as soon as it is available.
My rating: 7/10
I received a copy of this novel from Goodreads First Reads and the publisher in return for an honest review.
...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 17, 2014 Mari rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf, read-in-english

Lish, I thought we were friends.
You owe me sixteen bucks.

(Might review this later, because I wrote so many angry rants while I was reading. I need to unleash the venom. But right now I'm feeling too lazy and exhausted (it takes some serious energy to go through half of a book as irritating as this one) to properly organise my thoughts. In short: Firebug is Hold Me Closer, Necromancer revamped*; the poor man's version. Now with more bitching, women hating each other, unlikeable, unremarkable, ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 05, 2015 Jeninne rated it it was ok

On principle alone, I really kind of detest reverse-harem books. In manga it works great, but manga is a different medium completely and it fits perfectly in there. But in literature? It almost always feels cheap or unncessary, or worse, it feels like the author's attempt to make the lone female character seem very important. (She usually is, like special snowflake kind of way, and as a general rule, other female characters MUST feel threatened by her). And unfortunately, for the most part, ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2014 Nasty Lady MJ rated it did not like it

To see full review click here

Really 1.5 stars ( I DNF'd it though)

Seriously?

Show some sensitivity, editors. There is currently an Ebola epidemic going on killing seventy percent of the people it infects in multiple countries in west Africa. Having a teenager talk about how she’s going to fake it to get out of a social engagement is probably not the best idea.

Just saying.

Out of all the diseases out there you had to go with that one. Suggestion: next time go with a plain old sinus infection.

That ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 07, 2014 Paula M. of Her Book Thoughts! marked it as dnf

I tried. I don't know.. Maybe it's me. The blurb and that cover lured me in. I thought this is it. This is the book that I've been waiting for. Sadly, it's not. I think it's the main protagonist. She's so boring. I feel like a robot reading this. Anyway, I'll check the other books of the author!

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 21, 2014 Isamlq rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-galley, 2014-so-much-love

Oh, Lish McBride, you make me happy. Like in Necromancer, you've come up with yet another motley crew of the definitely snarky, sometimes cute, and often funny that find themselves embroiled in some dark, dangerous, supernatural goings-on.

That they are all such nice guys is just a bonus- nice because where one pays special attention to potential collateral damage, another is a hodge podge mix of leather jacket clad nature boy... slightly eco-footprint without being preachy about it, and the Oh, Lish McBride, you make me happy. Like in Necromancer, you've come up with yet another motley crew of the definitely snarky, sometimes cute, and often funny that find themselves embroiled in some dark, dangerous, supernatural goings-on.

That they are all such nice guys is just a bonus- nice because where one pays special attention to potential collateral damage, another is a hodge podge mix of leather jacket clad nature boy... slightly eco-footprint without being preachy about it, and the other? The other is sly and hot and aware and UNAPOLOGETIC about none of those things. Thus, it's a toss up to determine just who I enjoyed most- Ezra, for his cocky asshole ways, or Lock for all those smooth moments balanced out by the not-so smooth ones, or Ava- all resigned over the way things are but plodding on and being snarky nonetheless! Or perhaps, them together is what made each of them shine. (Yup, I'm going with the last one.)

But more than the nice they're each capable of, there's the funnier WISE GUY bit they had going for them. They're not the good-guys by typical standards: muscle, assassin, and thief, each crack made by one or the other painted a clear picture of them as a team- one aware of what the other is capable of or what the other's about to do. And funny because of it. There's genuine camaraderie present plus the knowledge of one another that makes for interesting dynamics; because there's them in a sort of comfort zone (mindful of pigeonholes versus possibilities,) but hellbent on not shaking things up. But with the shaking up being inevitable... Gah! all that pressure, all that tension Gah! me thinking back to the Lock and Ava moments has me wanting to reread this... and I just finished it too!

Now that Clique-y group friend thing aside, the dark aspect in this was equally engaging. There's that dark underbelly mafia feel, with more than one crazy present. I liked it even as I am now left with a want to know more. In other words, there's more of Ava and Lock an Ez to come, right?! Right? (Tell me I'm not wishing for the impossible here, people!)

Thank you, NG! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 29, 2012 Boyanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, pov-female, teasers, 50-states, a-z-year-14, 100-all-n-all-books-14, re-reads-17

update 27.08.2014
there is an EXCERPT on TOR.

---------------

Snippet from the book:
* on Lish McBride's blog

"I can be ready in five,” I said.
He wiped what was left of the suds I’d forgotten off my nose. “No, you’ll eat some breakfast, finish your coffee, and I’ll see you in an hour."
“Besides,” Duncan added, “evicting Ezra in under five minutes is hardly humane.”... read the rest HERE!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2015 Stuti T added it

Shelves: the-dnf-shelf, why-oh-why, all-the-cringing, so-much-meh, unspecial-is-the-word, girl-on-girl-hate, rambly-writing, infodumping, zzzzzz

Unrated DNF at 15%. I just couldn't anymore. And passages like these are why:

"Mr. Monticello decided to take the express elevator down before I made it to the top. I can’t say I blame him. The wet sound he made when he landed will show up in my nightmares for a long time.”

What does this even mean? What even happens to Mr. Monticello? Is this kind of vagueness going to describe every single Coterie job the gang does? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND FROM THIS. Stop telling me, AND SHOW ME.

Not to ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2014 Mariel (TheCrownedGoddessReads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: english, young-adult, on-my-shelves

McBride writing is on point, so much wit and sarcasm. I love it. I'll recommend you read her first duology to better understand the world.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 10, 2015 Ravanna Dee rated it it was amazing

I laughed so much in this book! There was action, and romance, and a LOT of sarcasm! Definitely can't wait for the next one! :)

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 01, 2014 Dark Faerie Tales rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Hilarious story full of action, adventure and a splash of romance. McBride once again delivers a purely fun book that I’m sure all young adult paranormal fans will enjoys

Opening Sentence: RYAN SLAMMED the book shut and tipped his head back, sprawling on the bench and claiming it as his own.

The Review:

Seventeen year old Ava has a very special ability, she can start fires with her mind. People with her talents are known as firebugs and they ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 18, 2014 Erin Arkin rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014-real-book-challenge

Firebug was a solid start to a new series by Lish McBride. I may be in the minority with my rating as I didn’t absolutely love this but I will say that while that might be true, I found myself enjoying the characters and the overall story.

Ava is a firebug and lives in a paranormal world where it isn’t uncommon to be friends with a guy who talks to trees, turns into a fox, or even someone who carves figures out of wood which he can then make them real. The challenge for Ava is that her power Firebug was a solid start to a new series by Lish McBride. I may be in the minority with my rating as I didn’t absolutely love this but I will say that while that might be true, I found myself enjoying the characters and the overall story.

Ava is a firebug and lives in a paranormal world where it isn’t uncommon to be friends with a guy who talks to trees, turns into a fox, or even someone who carves figures out of wood which he can then make them real. The challenge for Ava is that her power (the ability to control fire) is rare and due to circumstances outside of her control, she doesn’t lead a normal life…no matter how much she would like to.

I liked Ava. She is sarcastic and loyal…two things I think are important in people and I enjoyed the banter she had with Lock and Ezra. She also had a really solid relationship with Cade (her guardian) and while they didn’t always see eye to eye on things, he respected Ava’s decisions and treated her like an adult and she respected him back.

Another thing I liked about this book was the friendship McBride created between Ava, Lock, and Ezra. There is a bit of sexual tension between Ava and Lock but regardless of anything else going on with them, they were always friends first. Along with Ezra, they supported each other even if they didn’t agree with their decisions and they always protected each other. I think the friendship between these characters was my favorite part of this entire book.

As Ava digs into her background and finds out more about her mother we also end up finding out more about Ava. She is currently in a situation where she, Lock, and Ezra are enforcers for a vampire named Venus. Venus runs the group called the Coterie. This is the same group that is responsible for killing Ava’s mother (actually Venus was behind that too) and now Venus has asked Ava to take a contract that involves taking out a friend of the family. When Ava says no…which she very obviously shouldn’t have done…Venus comes after her with all the firepower she has.

Now, you’re probably reading my review wondering “This sounds fantastic, why only three stars Erin?” Well, I found that there were times the story dragged for me. All the reminders that Cade was only human but was super important to Ava only led to me mumbling “Yeah, I get it.” And I didn’t need all the flashbacks and detail around the past events. I really just wanted to know why her mom was killed and why Ava was stuck in this blood pact.

With that said, I did enjoy this story and look forward to the next book as I’m curious to see what happens next for this group. There was plenty of action and snarky banter to keep me turning the pages and I love the paranormal world these characters inhabit. If you are looking for a new paranormal series, consider checking this one out.

Thank you to Macmillan for the review copy. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2014 Nadine Jones rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, young-adult, paranormal

I read this because I read and enjoyed Ms McBride's torshort Burnt Sugar. I didn't give it All The Stars, but I enjoyed it, it felt fresh and entertaining and just enough kickass, I wanted to read more. I had high expectations for Firebug. Expectations ... dashed. :-(

It's not that this book was BAD per se, not at all! It was good, it was fun, it was exactly what I SHOULD have expected from the short. But somehow I expected something more. This is one of those YA books that should definitely be ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2014 Madeleine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Huge thanks to Macmillan Teen/fierce Reads for hosting their giveaway for this book here on Goodreads!

This book is whip-smart and a wild ride. It moves faster than a forest fire and has all the heat. These characters are so cool, in their dialogue and teamwork, I want to hear spaghetti-western music as their theme song.

Read it and hang on -- I was flipping pages so quickly near the end I was afraid I'd tear them.

I am pleased this is to be a series because, for real, I refuse to sink my ship. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2014 Jenn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I adore these characters and the world they inhabit, even if I might not care to be a part of it. Now if I could just witness Ava and Co. meeting up with Sam and Co., my life would be complete. Can you imagine how much fun that would be?

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2014 Liz rated it it was amazing

The characters in this book can only be described with the best adjectives: kickass, dreamy, sassy, lethal. From start to finish, this one's a winner.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2017 Madeline McGrath rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2019 Carlene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this series backwards, without knowing it - still enjoyable backwards.

There is one thing I was made aware of with the characters that I have noticed others also pointing out - They can be frustrating, full of cringe and cliche, however I channeled into my teen/tween self and was able to enjoy the book well enough.
Ezra came across as the typical, good looking guy cliche but a bit more hyper thanks to his fox heritage. Lock, the typical brooding teen who is also the mother hen to fox kid ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 05, 2015 FictionForesight rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: treavor-g

Review Originally Posted At: FictionForesight

4 or 5 stars?.....that is the question!

Warning, do not read this book until the next in the series is ready to be published. Ignoring this warning may lead to disappointment, depression, fits of rage and frustration. You have been warned....be prepared.

A Quick Summary:

The ability to start fires with your mind, sounds awesome right? Not if your Ava - a "firebug" with a seriously bad mafia-style boss who would like nothing more than to kill her for ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2018 Pages For Thoughts rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

he story moves really fast. It appears to take place over the span of about a week, which made me doubt a little bit how much could happen in that timeline. I loved how black and white it was. All the characters were either good or bad, and all the characters thought that of each other. There was a huge lesson about that. However, I did not like the setting. There was really no explanation for where you were most of the time, and that was really confusing. There was not much background ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 06, 2019 Christian - Knightingale Reviews rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Stars: 1.5/5

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 08, 2017 Jenn rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, library, urban-contemporary-fantasy, paranormal-supernatural, humor, friendship, 2017

Getting a reread of this in before I get my hands on Pyromantic (whenever one of the libraries in our system fiiiinally processes it). Love these characters and this world.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
SCBA: Firebug by Lish McBride SCBAYANOM1617	6	8	Mar 22, 2016 08:13AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

About Lish McBride

Lish McBride

929 followers

Lish McBride is the author of funny and creepy Young Adult books such as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Necromancing the Stone; Firebug; and Pyromantic. She has published short stories in the Normal School, Tor.com, and the anthologies Cornered, What to Read in the Rain, Freaks & Other Family, and Kisses & Curses. She got her BFA in creative writing from Seattle University and her MFA from ...more