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We Set the Dark on Fire #1
We Set the Dark on Fire
In this daring and romantic fantasy debut perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Latinx authors Zoraida Córdova and Anna-Marie McLemore, society wife-in-training Dani has a great awakening after being recruited by rebel spies and falling for her biggest rival.
At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.
Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.
And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.
Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?
At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.
Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.
And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.
Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2019
1013 people are currently reading
62038 people want to read
About the author
Tehlor Kay Mejia
21 books1,171 followersTEHLOR KAY MEJIA (he/him) is a bestselling and award winning author of books for all ages.
His debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range.
Tehlor strives to create stories which showcase the importance of community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values. He lives with his child, wife, and two dogs in his home state of Oregon, and is active on Instagram @tehlorkay.
His debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range.
Tehlor strives to create stories which showcase the importance of community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values. He lives with his child, wife, and two dogs in his home state of Oregon, and is active on Instagram @tehlorkay.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,013 reviews
July 20, 2020
Really like the setup and appreciate the F/F relationship and Latinx representation; the concept here has a lot of potential (an arrogant straight man has two wives who fall in love with each other instead… we love to see it). Unfortunately I found the romance developed way too quickly and the rebellion to be handled in a flimsy manner (the main character’s role was mostly just conveniently overhearing important information at the right time lol).
May 22, 2020
imagine being a weak straight man and your two wives don’t love you, and instead fall in love with each other. instantly crushed
[3.5]
[3.5]
October 21, 2019
what would you do if 🤔 we kissed 🧐😗 under the roof 🤭😳😳 of the rich guy we’re both married to 🙈🙈🤫😛 and we’re both girls? 😜😘😳😳😱🤭
February 19, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
At The Medio School for Girls, young women are prepped for one of two roles within their future husband's household: Primera or Segunda.
Before you get too excited, let me just say, these aren't highly challenging positions, but rather socially-assigned womanly roles.
Beauty or brains, those are the choices because apparently you can't be both, or neither for that matter.
A Primera essentially handles the business required for a functioning household, while the Segunda takes care of the more emotional sides of day-to-day life.
This makes school a harsh competition, as your performance affects your future placement.
At graduation, a selection process ensues where upper class families choose the girl who shall marry their sons. Their whole future is determined at that point. Made to serve the man.
Daniela Vargas has sacrificed a lot to be a student at Medio. Her parents faked documents in order for her to even attend.
She comes from one of the poorest neighborhoods and her lineage definitely would not make her a desired match for any up-and-coming males.
When Dani graduates top of her class and is chosen as Primera for a young man who is slated to soon be running Medio, she knows she has made it.
As a member of the Garcia family, the whole world will now be open to her, but Dani quickly discovers this assignment isn't all it's cracked up to be.
The Segunda of the Garcia household, Carmen, is a young lady who was very unkind to Dani at school, but with no one else around, the two girls start to develop a relationship.
Even after the strike up a friendship, however, Dani isn't sure if she can trust her. In her new life, Dani really isn't sure if there is anyone she can trust.
Set in a Latinx-Dystopian world, providing timely commentary on societal roles, structure and function, this book had so many admirable attributes.
In fact, this book is everything I wanted other books to be. Ahem, I'm looking at you: The Belles.
I meshed really well with Mejia's writing and upon reaching the end figured out, hey, this isn't a standalone. I'm very excited for the next in the series!
With secrets and lies, rebellions and undercover agents, a female-female relationship, and so much more, I would definitely recommend this book to other YA Readers!
At The Medio School for Girls, young women are prepped for one of two roles within their future husband's household: Primera or Segunda.
Before you get too excited, let me just say, these aren't highly challenging positions, but rather socially-assigned womanly roles.
Beauty or brains, those are the choices because apparently you can't be both, or neither for that matter.
A Primera essentially handles the business required for a functioning household, while the Segunda takes care of the more emotional sides of day-to-day life.
This makes school a harsh competition, as your performance affects your future placement.
At graduation, a selection process ensues where upper class families choose the girl who shall marry their sons. Their whole future is determined at that point. Made to serve the man.
Daniela Vargas has sacrificed a lot to be a student at Medio. Her parents faked documents in order for her to even attend.
She comes from one of the poorest neighborhoods and her lineage definitely would not make her a desired match for any up-and-coming males.
When Dani graduates top of her class and is chosen as Primera for a young man who is slated to soon be running Medio, she knows she has made it.
As a member of the Garcia family, the whole world will now be open to her, but Dani quickly discovers this assignment isn't all it's cracked up to be.
The Segunda of the Garcia household, Carmen, is a young lady who was very unkind to Dani at school, but with no one else around, the two girls start to develop a relationship.
Even after the strike up a friendship, however, Dani isn't sure if she can trust her. In her new life, Dani really isn't sure if there is anyone she can trust.
Set in a Latinx-Dystopian world, providing timely commentary on societal roles, structure and function, this book had so many admirable attributes.
In fact, this book is everything I wanted other books to be. Ahem, I'm looking at you: The Belles.
I meshed really well with Mejia's writing and upon reaching the end figured out, hey, this isn't a standalone. I'm very excited for the next in the series!
With secrets and lies, rebellions and undercover agents, a female-female relationship, and so much more, I would definitely recommend this book to other YA Readers!
March 3, 2023
Who is attacking, and who is dying?
4 1/2 stars. We Set the Dark on Fire follows Dani, a girl being trained in the art of being a wife. In the inside of the wall, men each have two wives: Primeras run the house, while Segundas are the childbearers. On the outside, people live in poverty. Dani is an interloper, and when a resistance fighter threatens her with this information, she’s forced to use her primera status to spy. All the while, though, she is falling for her home’s segunda, her school enemy Carmen.
The novel serves as a fascinating exploration of immigration politics: despite the desperation of those outside the walls to break through, those on the inside see them as beggars, beneath them in some cosmic framework. It’s hard not to draw parallels with America in this era. The novel doesn’t want you not to. The dynamics of classism, racism, sexism, and homophobia are all carefully examined, then carefully subverted.
The scene where Mateo harasses Dani is specifically resonant. Men in power can always abuse that power. No matter the intent behind this society, no matter the goals, those in power may always abuse it.
The arc between Dani and Carmen is the heart of this book, and it is WONDERFUL For the first 30% of the book or so, the tension between Dani and Carmen almost reads as subtext; there are moments where Dani’s relationship with La Vos member Sota feels as if in any other ya novel, it would be the main pairing. (Meanwhile, Dani is experiencing gay jealousy towards Carmen.) But this relationship build… floored me. The trope of falling for an ex-friend you had a falling out with is an excellent way to build character development, and here is no exception. The tension between them is so vivid and excellent. Dani has to learn to not be alone, to trust Carmen; Carmen has to learn to do the same. Through the ensuing story, they serve as excellent narrative foils to each other.
I’ve seen some really excellent discussion of the pervasiveness of the trope of forced marriage, or forced heteronormativity within a society, in f/f romances. This trope is definitely notable and one worth considering when reviewing what f/f gets published. However, on a personal level, I think this book does a good job of expressing and unpacking homophobia, while also focusing on Dani and Carmen as a couple.
Dani’s character growth also really worked for me. Dani is at times somewhat of a passive heroine, but she never feels like one: seeing her grow from her passivity, in fact, is at the heart of the story.
Also, THE ENDING. When I say I was on the verge of wailing in real life… am I ashamed? Yes. Am I being honest? Also yes. How did you all wait a year? I checked out the sequel and started it twenty minutes after finishing this. I think this is the most upset I’ve been by a book ending all year.
The only complaint I had about this novel was an occasional reliance on telling-not-showing, and some overly flowery writing. I… am really really sad to say that in the sequel which I started twenty minutes after finishing this, this seems to have worsened significantly, if only because there was less about the book that I actually liked. I was really disappointed by book two, personally. I have no idea if that’s a popular opinion but I’m putting it out there.
But I still do adore this book, and would read it again. We Set the Dark on Fire is a great story and a fantastically compelling romance.
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February 12, 2022
How cruel is it to promise a forbidden wlw romance and an internal struggle between a deep-seated yearning for equality and parents' sacrifice for privilege hardly anyone else has the opportunity to reach for... and then not execute it in an interesting way? I wanted to scream, but I yawned instead.
Dani is the top student at the Medio School for Girls, where women are trained to either become a Primera or a Segunda, the two types of wives each man marries. Primeras run the household, while Segundas raise children. It's a problematic, misogynistic system that a rebellion called La Voz is determined to change. But Dani's parents sacrificed everything to help her gain the privilege of being the Primera for a wealthy politician, and she is torn between two choices: protecting and secretly courting Carmen (the Segunda she is technically married to but isn't allowed to be in a relationship with) and joining La Voz full-time, or being the Primera she was trained to be and staying faithful to Medio.
I wanted to love We Set the Dark on Fire so badly, but it disappointed me. It felt very juvenile. The rebellion was like a romanticized idea of a resistance, but was never explored beyond the surface level. Dani, despite being a "spy" for La Voz, did nothing but accidentally eavesdrop on important conversations. She doesn't do any spying, she's just really lucky and everyone else apparently doesn't care who hears the family secrets.
I was looking forward to the romance, but it lacked something. It progressed so quickly, I honestly thought I had skipped part of the book because Carmen and Dani went from being suspicious of each other to being in love with each other within thirty pages. There was a half-hearted attempt to continue that suspicion, but it ended up just being heavy-handed foreshadowing that led to a very obvious plot twist.
I loved the ideas behind this book. The exploration of privilege, the mythology, the feminism, maybe a glimpse into the grey morality of La Voz. But We Set the Dark on Fire felt very flat and forgettable instead.
2.5 stars
Dani is the top student at the Medio School for Girls, where women are trained to either become a Primera or a Segunda, the two types of wives each man marries. Primeras run the household, while Segundas raise children. It's a problematic, misogynistic system that a rebellion called La Voz is determined to change. But Dani's parents sacrificed everything to help her gain the privilege of being the Primera for a wealthy politician, and she is torn between two choices: protecting and secretly courting Carmen (the Segunda she is technically married to but isn't allowed to be in a relationship with) and joining La Voz full-time, or being the Primera she was trained to be and staying faithful to Medio.
I wanted to love We Set the Dark on Fire so badly, but it disappointed me. It felt very juvenile. The rebellion was like a romanticized idea of a resistance, but was never explored beyond the surface level. Dani, despite being a "spy" for La Voz, did nothing but accidentally eavesdrop on important conversations. She doesn't do any spying, she's just really lucky and everyone else apparently doesn't care who hears the family secrets.
I was looking forward to the romance, but it lacked something. It progressed so quickly, I honestly thought I had skipped part of the book because Carmen and Dani went from being suspicious of each other to being in love with each other within thirty pages. There was a half-hearted attempt to continue that suspicion, but it ended up just being heavy-handed foreshadowing that led to a very obvious plot twist.
I loved the ideas behind this book. The exploration of privilege, the mythology, the feminism, maybe a glimpse into the grey morality of La Voz. But We Set the Dark on Fire felt very flat and forgettable instead.
2.5 stars
In a battle between two men trying to control her, she'd chosen herself.
June 10, 2020
This was an ‘okay’ read. A school set up to prep girls for a life of ‘wife’- catch being, you’re not the only wife. Two enemies get placed in the same government officials home. As the ‘wives’ one is there for brain/support the other is there to be arm candy. Sounds interestingly chauvinistic, right?! 🤨 Well of course there’s some corruption with the government, which results in some spy action. 🤫 This ends on a cliff hanger.... and I honestly can’t say I’m hankering to see what happens next. My TBR pile is huge and I’d rather keep tackling that than continue this ‘okay’ series. ✌️
March 4, 2019
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Harper Collins, via Edelweiss+ for an honest review.
Opinion:
I cannot tell you guys how excited I was to receive an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss+!
SO excited.
So, when I started actually reading, I realized…maybe, this isn’t exactly what I imagined it to be.
But naturally, I kept reading…
And reading…
And…reading…
*Sigh*
This was ALMOST my first DNF book of 2019.
Daniela’s family sacrificed everything they had to give her a better life. In a world where men are the hierarchy and are sold two wives to prosper and be happy, there is a school for girls where such women are educated and molded. As a Primera, Daniela is made into a wife that is both strong and intelligent. One that is cunning and to be used as the right-hand for her future husband. It is a life of calculated sentences, practiced facial expressions, and complete modesty and structure. But when Daniela is forced into making a deal with a member of a dangerous rebel group, in order to hide the past that could get her killed, she begins to question the life that she has spent so many years striving for. Should she do what is expected of her and stand with a man that is both cruel and devious, or should she fight for her people to hopefully make a difference?
It took me almost 2 weeks to finish We Set the Dark on Fire, which is practically UNHEARD OF for me! What I was HOPING was going to be a creative and fresh YA story about the oppression of women in a world of men salivating on excessive power, was a dreary story that barely held my attention and one that resembled other books a little too closely. This is The Handmaid’s Tale set in the Latin Community, and resembles current events that can either be closely similar or completely off-base, depending on your stance and view of the world.
I wanted this book to be innovative and a new outlook on themes/issues that have/can/are happening in the world.
But it didn’t quite feel like that.
For me, this book didn’t touch on any feelings and issues that I didn’t already see or think about. It seems like SO much of this book was a parallel version of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is so spectacular and gut-wrenching, that I can’t imagine ANYONE wanting or even ATTEMPTING to try and replicate it. But that is what this story feels like to me, a less heart-shattering YA version of a story that is and was so incredibly impactful.
As soon as I started reading, I found I had a difficult time getting into the story and sticking with it. My mind was wandering, my eyelids were getting heavy, and it took a good few chapters for the story to make me want to keep reading. The turning point for me was when Dani leaves the Medio School for Girls, and begins her new life as a married Primera. Though I was hoping more of this story was going to be held at the school, because that is what the description lead me to believe and that, after all, is what grabbed my interest. But that aside, the story finally starts to “become something” when Dani is moved into her new home and given her wifely duties.
But as soon as I started to gain interest, I found myself bored and skimming pages again.
In this story, that author uses a writing style where she has Dani reflect on her childhood or what it was like over the border. I love flashbacks and moments from the present that will spark a memory for the character, but how it was done here just wasn’t executed well. At times, It feels like the author has put too much emphasis on making the story detailed and creatively written. Usually I am a HUGE advocate for a poetic way of words that describes everything so vividly, but the exuberance of reflections and descriptions kept losing my interest. There was TOO MUCH of this and it took away from the story and made me lose focus countless times.
Regarding the characters, everything felt rather predictable. Carmen became the chosen Segunda in Dani’s marriage, which the reader will have easily saw coming. Mateo was the typical villain with zero heart or even a glimmer of kindness in him, which I found to be slightly unbelievable. It made his character one-dimensional and simplistic, rather than a villain with layers and a backstory that molded him to be such a ruthless and cold soul. Carmen started out as a character that could have really stolen the show with her charm and charisma, but she was really put on the side and only made a love interest and the second wife of Mateo.
But where I really lost interest in this story, was the bizarre way the author introduces the romance of this book.
It was, to be simply put, sudden and uncomfortable. It didn’t flow smoothly, it came out of such an unimportant conversation and encounter and was suddenly just…there. WHAT?! Where was the hints that this could be a relationship? The buildup?? The moments of fluttery nervousness and thoughts from our main character that this COULD be something she wants?! It just made ZERO sense, and felt ridiculous. This could have been a beautifully woven romance that was gentle and made strong by their shared bond. But instead, it came across feeling like some fleeting little fling with no substance.
At this point, I just kept reading to get it over with.
This isn’t to say that the book is horrible, that it has no direction, and that the writing is impossible to get through. Because it isn’t any of those things. It just didn’t hold my interest and attention, and I couldn’t connect with the characters or what they were really FEELING in these serious and scary situations.
I just wanted more substance for this story.
I wanted to feel the anger, agony, anguish and sadness for these characters! I wanted to be excited for rebellion, understand every aspect of what they were fighting for, and be yanked into the story with no yearning to come out.
Unfortunately, We Set the Dark on Fire just wasn’t what I expected and what I was looking for.
Opinion:
I cannot tell you guys how excited I was to receive an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss+!
SO excited.
So, when I started actually reading, I realized…maybe, this isn’t exactly what I imagined it to be.
But naturally, I kept reading…
And reading…
And…reading…
*Sigh*
This was ALMOST my first DNF book of 2019.
Daniela’s family sacrificed everything they had to give her a better life. In a world where men are the hierarchy and are sold two wives to prosper and be happy, there is a school for girls where such women are educated and molded. As a Primera, Daniela is made into a wife that is both strong and intelligent. One that is cunning and to be used as the right-hand for her future husband. It is a life of calculated sentences, practiced facial expressions, and complete modesty and structure. But when Daniela is forced into making a deal with a member of a dangerous rebel group, in order to hide the past that could get her killed, she begins to question the life that she has spent so many years striving for. Should she do what is expected of her and stand with a man that is both cruel and devious, or should she fight for her people to hopefully make a difference?
It took me almost 2 weeks to finish We Set the Dark on Fire, which is practically UNHEARD OF for me! What I was HOPING was going to be a creative and fresh YA story about the oppression of women in a world of men salivating on excessive power, was a dreary story that barely held my attention and one that resembled other books a little too closely. This is The Handmaid’s Tale set in the Latin Community, and resembles current events that can either be closely similar or completely off-base, depending on your stance and view of the world.
I wanted this book to be innovative and a new outlook on themes/issues that have/can/are happening in the world.
But it didn’t quite feel like that.
For me, this book didn’t touch on any feelings and issues that I didn’t already see or think about. It seems like SO much of this book was a parallel version of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is so spectacular and gut-wrenching, that I can’t imagine ANYONE wanting or even ATTEMPTING to try and replicate it. But that is what this story feels like to me, a less heart-shattering YA version of a story that is and was so incredibly impactful.
As soon as I started reading, I found I had a difficult time getting into the story and sticking with it. My mind was wandering, my eyelids were getting heavy, and it took a good few chapters for the story to make me want to keep reading. The turning point for me was when Dani leaves the Medio School for Girls, and begins her new life as a married Primera. Though I was hoping more of this story was going to be held at the school, because that is what the description lead me to believe and that, after all, is what grabbed my interest. But that aside, the story finally starts to “become something” when Dani is moved into her new home and given her wifely duties.
But as soon as I started to gain interest, I found myself bored and skimming pages again.
In this story, that author uses a writing style where she has Dani reflect on her childhood or what it was like over the border. I love flashbacks and moments from the present that will spark a memory for the character, but how it was done here just wasn’t executed well. At times, It feels like the author has put too much emphasis on making the story detailed and creatively written. Usually I am a HUGE advocate for a poetic way of words that describes everything so vividly, but the exuberance of reflections and descriptions kept losing my interest. There was TOO MUCH of this and it took away from the story and made me lose focus countless times.
Regarding the characters, everything felt rather predictable. Carmen became the chosen Segunda in Dani’s marriage, which the reader will have easily saw coming. Mateo was the typical villain with zero heart or even a glimmer of kindness in him, which I found to be slightly unbelievable. It made his character one-dimensional and simplistic, rather than a villain with layers and a backstory that molded him to be such a ruthless and cold soul. Carmen started out as a character that could have really stolen the show with her charm and charisma, but she was really put on the side and only made a love interest and the second wife of Mateo.
But where I really lost interest in this story, was the bizarre way the author introduces the romance of this book.
It was, to be simply put, sudden and uncomfortable. It didn’t flow smoothly, it came out of such an unimportant conversation and encounter and was suddenly just…there. WHAT?! Where was the hints that this could be a relationship? The buildup?? The moments of fluttery nervousness and thoughts from our main character that this COULD be something she wants?! It just made ZERO sense, and felt ridiculous. This could have been a beautifully woven romance that was gentle and made strong by their shared bond. But instead, it came across feeling like some fleeting little fling with no substance.
At this point, I just kept reading to get it over with.
This isn’t to say that the book is horrible, that it has no direction, and that the writing is impossible to get through. Because it isn’t any of those things. It just didn’t hold my interest and attention, and I couldn’t connect with the characters or what they were really FEELING in these serious and scary situations.
I just wanted more substance for this story.
I wanted to feel the anger, agony, anguish and sadness for these characters! I wanted to be excited for rebellion, understand every aspect of what they were fighting for, and be yanked into the story with no yearning to come out.
Unfortunately, We Set the Dark on Fire just wasn’t what I expected and what I was looking for.
January 10, 2019
Let's start by saying that I appreciate the representation and the timeliness of the topic but unfortunately that's all which is the reason for the low rating.
The MC, Dani, was nothing special. She was the typical character who wants to please her parents even if it means sacrificing their own desires. This character that we've all read a hundred times, rebukes the rebels or ignores them until she's confronted with the realness and joins them. IF YOU MUST WRITE THIS CHARACTER THAT APPEARS IN EVERY DYSTOPIAN YA NOVEL, PLEASE MAKE THEM STAND OUT (HAVE A NEW VOICE). Making Dani Latina isn't enough; she has to have a different voice-a personality.
The romance was insta-love. Carmen is a biotch and has hated Dani for FIVE YEARS (TREATED HER LIKE A PIECE OF SHIT) but then she has one civil conversation and it's booty time? What?! Is there a lack of f/f romance among minority characters? Yes but please do it well.
The supporting cast of characters were forgettable. Mateo was a caricature of a villain. Carmen's only asset was that she filled out a dress. Sota was interesting on this first two appearances on the page but he fizzled. I would have liked to see the older Primera and Segunda have a larger role but once again-forgettable.
The writing. I used to say that a book has bad writing but I'm going to stop saying that. Instead, I'll say that this type of writing wasn't for me. Mejia tried to create tension and sometimes in landed but most of the time it was familiar. Snooping in someone's office that you're forbidden to enter, eavesdropping on convos, making plans to meet with the rebels only to have someone unknowingly inviting themselves. These are all straight out of movies and TV; you have to have some nuance but there wasn't much.
More about the writing and this time I will criticize. There were at least three times where Dani received VITAL information by eavesdropping. One time is okay but three? That's lazy writing. There has to be other ways for characters to obtain information that will move along the plot. When the author has to use the same tactic more than once, they've run out of ideas.
The idea was new because it was a metaphor for the border wall but the border wall concept was too on the nose. In other words, there was no depth and I wouldn't even go as far as to call it a metaphor. It was a literal wall keeping poor people out. When you write a have vs. have-nots or government vs. rebel story, you have to do something different with it. The government hates the have-nots because they were poor? I'm not even sure if that was the reason but that's not the point. Okay, they hate them and lie to the public to make them hate the have-nots by turning them into criminals. So, Trump is doing this right now and it's timely but Mejia wasn't giving it a new perspective. We are currently living this and she's just telling us what we already know and feel and see. GIVE ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I can turn on CNN and hear what she's saying in this book. GIVE ME A NEW VOICE, A NEW PERSPECTIVE, A NUANCED POV OR STORY FROM A REBEL. DON'T JUST REGURGITATE WHAT I HEAR ON THE NEWS EVERY DAY.
If you've seen any spy-type movie, you will totally predict everything. I don't go into stories trying to predict everything but when it's kind of obvious, I have no choice but to try. That's all I'll say about that.
I rated this low because I didn't enjoy any of it. Sometimes I will enjoy the first 50 pages or there will be one great character but there was none of that in this book. I didn't enjoy the first 10 pages. There was literally nothing new or special about the PLOT.
This is a straight forward way of writing and that's just not the type of writing for me. I like beautiful metaphoric prose. I want to be challenged an this book fulfilled neither of those for me. This book is frustrating because it had potential especially because ALL the characters were Latina (I apologize if I'm categorizing this wrong. Is it Latinx? Please correct me) and it was set in a dystopian world.
It basically comes down to-I don't want to read a book that I've already read before. If you liked Girls of Paper and Fire, which I coincidently also didn't enjoy, you'll like this book.
The MC, Dani, was nothing special. She was the typical character who wants to please her parents even if it means sacrificing their own desires. This character that we've all read a hundred times, rebukes the rebels or ignores them until she's confronted with the realness and joins them. IF YOU MUST WRITE THIS CHARACTER THAT APPEARS IN EVERY DYSTOPIAN YA NOVEL, PLEASE MAKE THEM STAND OUT (HAVE A NEW VOICE). Making Dani Latina isn't enough; she has to have a different voice-a personality.
The romance was insta-love. Carmen is a biotch and has hated Dani for FIVE YEARS (TREATED HER LIKE A PIECE OF SHIT) but then she has one civil conversation and it's booty time? What?! Is there a lack of f/f romance among minority characters? Yes but please do it well.
The supporting cast of characters were forgettable. Mateo was a caricature of a villain. Carmen's only asset was that she filled out a dress. Sota was interesting on this first two appearances on the page but he fizzled. I would have liked to see the older Primera and Segunda have a larger role but once again-forgettable.
The writing. I used to say that a book has bad writing but I'm going to stop saying that. Instead, I'll say that this type of writing wasn't for me. Mejia tried to create tension and sometimes in landed but most of the time it was familiar. Snooping in someone's office that you're forbidden to enter, eavesdropping on convos, making plans to meet with the rebels only to have someone unknowingly inviting themselves. These are all straight out of movies and TV; you have to have some nuance but there wasn't much.
More about the writing and this time I will criticize. There were at least three times where Dani received VITAL information by eavesdropping. One time is okay but three? That's lazy writing. There has to be other ways for characters to obtain information that will move along the plot. When the author has to use the same tactic more than once, they've run out of ideas.
The idea was new because it was a metaphor for the border wall but the border wall concept was too on the nose. In other words, there was no depth and I wouldn't even go as far as to call it a metaphor. It was a literal wall keeping poor people out. When you write a have vs. have-nots or government vs. rebel story, you have to do something different with it. The government hates the have-nots because they were poor? I'm not even sure if that was the reason but that's not the point. Okay, they hate them and lie to the public to make them hate the have-nots by turning them into criminals. So, Trump is doing this right now and it's timely but Mejia wasn't giving it a new perspective. We are currently living this and she's just telling us what we already know and feel and see. GIVE ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I can turn on CNN and hear what she's saying in this book. GIVE ME A NEW VOICE, A NEW PERSPECTIVE, A NUANCED POV OR STORY FROM A REBEL. DON'T JUST REGURGITATE WHAT I HEAR ON THE NEWS EVERY DAY.
If you've seen any spy-type movie, you will totally predict everything. I don't go into stories trying to predict everything but when it's kind of obvious, I have no choice but to try. That's all I'll say about that.
I rated this low because I didn't enjoy any of it. Sometimes I will enjoy the first 50 pages or there will be one great character but there was none of that in this book. I didn't enjoy the first 10 pages. There was literally nothing new or special about the PLOT.
This is a straight forward way of writing and that's just not the type of writing for me. I like beautiful metaphoric prose. I want to be challenged an this book fulfilled neither of those for me. This book is frustrating because it had potential especially because ALL the characters were Latina (I apologize if I'm categorizing this wrong. Is it Latinx? Please correct me) and it was set in a dystopian world.
It basically comes down to-I don't want to read a book that I've already read before. If you liked Girls of Paper and Fire, which I coincidently also didn't enjoy, you'll like this book.
August 7, 2018
full review on my blog
Representation: Latina main characters and an f/f romance. According to the publisher, these are both ownvoices.
This was such a refreshing and original read that takes on so many prevalent issues in today's society. I hate comparing books, but if you like diverse reads with queer characters of colour that have the same vibe as The Handmaid's Tale (except Young Adult), then you'll love this. Even if you don't like it, pick it up for the amazing ownvoices diversity in a fantasy/dystopian setting.
Since the plot is unique and complex, I'll put it simply: young girls are trained at the Medio School for Girls to becomeemotionless, conservative (glorified) maids Primeras or aesthetically pleasing, scandalous child-bearers Segundas and are sold married off to rich men. Except, based on the mythology of the world, a girl from each side is married to one man. The main character, Dani, is a Primera from the lower class and will be married off to the chief military strategist's son alongside her first friend at the school (and now "enemy"), Carmen.
Obviously, I can't go into a lot of detail because this doesn't come out until 2019 but I can definitely say this is something you shouldn't miss. The world is terrifying, yet so relevant. The world-building and writing are both absolutely stunning. The characters are all complex and well-developed. The f/f romance is adorable (though it needed more development in the beginning). My only complaint was the lack of action throughout the novel where the explanations of the corrupt government were explained to us rather than shown.
P.S. Don't read an ARC of this because there's an intense cliffhanger and you'll have to wait two years for the sequel. You're welcome.
Representation: Latina main characters and an f/f romance. According to the publisher, these are both ownvoices.
ARC kindly provided by Katherine Tegen Books in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a refreshing and original read that takes on so many prevalent issues in today's society. I hate comparing books, but if you like diverse reads with queer characters of colour that have the same vibe as The Handmaid's Tale (except Young Adult), then you'll love this. Even if you don't like it, pick it up for the amazing ownvoices diversity in a fantasy/dystopian setting.
Since the plot is unique and complex, I'll put it simply: young girls are trained at the Medio School for Girls to become
Obviously, I can't go into a lot of detail because this doesn't come out until 2019 but I can definitely say this is something you shouldn't miss. The world is terrifying, yet so relevant. The world-building and writing are both absolutely stunning. The characters are all complex and well-developed. The f/f romance is adorable (though it needed more development in the beginning). My only complaint was the lack of action throughout the novel where the explanations of the corrupt government were explained to us rather than shown.
P.S. Don't read an ARC of this because there's an intense cliffhanger and you'll have to wait two years for the sequel. You're welcome.
August 10, 2019
Fell victim to what I call "what's the plot, again?" syndrome where so little new things happen for such a long time that I had to keep re-reading the summary to remember what the book was about. BUT! It's a good set up. I just wanted more of the spy action and less of the same conversations and thoughts being rehashed.
I wasn't into the romance that much, although Mejia writes romance well. It was the particular dynamic between the characters of deep mistrust didn't vibe with me. I don't really want to root for a relationship where 1 is a former bully and the other can never stop questioning her. I hope this grows in book 2.
The world was scarily realistic and the descriptions of the settings were beautiful. Overall would recommend, heeding the triggers below.
Audiobook: Great, would recommend!
tw: border walls, anti-immigrant government, classism, misogyny, forced hetero-normative marriages, polygamy, being trapped in a fire.
I wasn't into the romance that much, although Mejia writes romance well. It was the particular dynamic between the characters of deep mistrust didn't vibe with me. I don't really want to root for a relationship where 1 is a former bully and the other can never stop questioning her. I hope this grows in book 2.
The world was scarily realistic and the descriptions of the settings were beautiful. Overall would recommend, heeding the triggers below.
Audiobook: Great, would recommend!
tw: border walls, anti-immigrant government, classism, misogyny, forced hetero-normative marriages, polygamy, being trapped in a fire.
dnf
December 29, 2018ARC provided in exchange for honest review 🔥
June 21, 2019
HI I AM NOT OKAY WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME HOW MUCH THIS WOULD HURT. THE ENDING DESTROYED ME. NEED. SEQUEL. NOW. THIS BOOK WAS SO PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVED IT SO SO SO MUCH. (AND I *MAY* HAVE STAYED UP TIL 3 AM READING IT AND I HAVE NO REGRETS).
Dislikes
... nothing. Literally nothing. The fact that it ended. The fact that I have to wait 8 months to read the sequel. Nothing.
THINGS THAT WERE PERFECT AND WONDERFUL AND I LOVED
- Tehlor Kay Mejia's writing is legit the prettiest thing. Like holy fuck I love her writing so much ahhhhh. It is STUNNING. I've read a few short stories by her, so Iknew this already, but reading a 20 page short story vs reading an entire book... wow. I can't get over how gorgeous her writing is.
- The world building was so amazing. It was so richly developed, and she somehow managed to give enough details for me to feel like I'd lived there my whole life, like Dani had, without info-dumping, and that was hella impressive. And the world building coupled with her gorgeous writing? I forgot the real world existed.
-The freaking gorgeous cover
- DANI. This girl was such a nuanced character and I LOVED HER SO MUCH. She had so much internal struggle and she didn't know who to trust but she always tried to stay string, until it was all too much. <3
- CARMEN. This girl. My heart. I loved her so so much. At first she comes off as cold and closed off, but then you slowly get glimpses of the real her, and she's so fucking precious. Deep down she's just a disaster gay who cares too much for her own good.
- And their romance. THEIR ROMANCE. I cannot stress enough how perfect their romance was. It was beautiful and soft and it made my heart ache. These two are so perfect for each other and I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY GODDAMMIT.
- The social commentary in this book is also really fucking good. It addresses immigration and socioeconomic inequality and misogyny and I think it's done so well.
Overall? I'm fairly certain this book doesn't have a single flaw (okay fine it probably does but not ones I could see) and it was perfection and I loved it with my whole entire heart and if you haven't read it already GO READ IT RIGHT NOW.
Dislikes
THINGS THAT WERE PERFECT AND WONDERFUL AND I LOVED
- Tehlor Kay Mejia's writing is legit the prettiest thing. Like holy fuck I love her writing so much ahhhhh. It is STUNNING. I've read a few short stories by her, so Iknew this already, but reading a 20 page short story vs reading an entire book... wow. I can't get over how gorgeous her writing is.
- The world building was so amazing. It was so richly developed, and she somehow managed to give enough details for me to feel like I'd lived there my whole life, like Dani had, without info-dumping, and that was hella impressive. And the world building coupled with her gorgeous writing? I forgot the real world existed.
-
- DANI. This girl was such a nuanced character and I LOVED HER SO MUCH. She had so much internal struggle and she didn't know who to trust but she always tried to stay string, until it was all too much. <3
- CARMEN. This girl. My heart. I loved her so so much. At first she comes off as cold and closed off, but then you slowly get glimpses of the real her, and she's so fucking precious. Deep down she's just a disaster gay who cares too much for her own good.
- And their romance. THEIR ROMANCE. I cannot stress enough how perfect their romance was. It was beautiful and soft and it made my heart ache. These two are so perfect for each other and I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY GODDAMMIT.
- The social commentary in this book is also really fucking good. It addresses immigration and socioeconomic inequality and misogyny and I think it's done so well.
Overall? I'm fairly certain this book doesn't have a single flaw (okay fine it probably does but not ones I could see) and it was perfection and I loved it with my whole entire heart and if you haven't read it already GO READ IT RIGHT NOW.
February 24, 2019
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
After following Tehlor Kay Mejia on social media for years and hearing some early buzz about her debut, I was highly anticipating this one. And, friends, let me tell you: it did not disappoint!
We Set the Dark on Fire is set in a world that feels uncomfortably close to our own. Medio is a world in which women are expected to conform to prescribed subservient roles, one where a whole nation of people is viewed as “illegal” and is constantly demonized by the oppressive government. I hesitate to use “dystopian” as a descriptor nowadays, because it holds so many seemingly negative connotations to a lot of readers. However, We Set the Dark on Fire is a dystopian novel in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and Red Clocks, as opposed to Divergent or The Hunger Games. The entire book feels like very pointed political commentary, and the subject matter was incredibly timely. Like, there’s literally a wall built by the Median government to keep out the “border-crossing illegals” who they blame for all of the country’s problems. Sound familiar?
Anyway, we follow Dani, who has just graduated from the esteemed Medio School for Girls, which prepares young women for one of two roles: Primera or Segunda. Basically, every rich, influential dude in Medio has two wives, a Primera and a Segunda, who are trained in different arenas of womanly duties *vomit noises*. At the beginning of We Set the Dark on Fire, Dani graduates at the top of her Primera class and is sold to the wealthiest, most influential family in the country… alongside her nemesis, Carmen, who is to be Mateo’s Segunda.
I was enthralled by the world of Medio from the first page. Mejia describes it so vividly, from the food, to the clothing, to the social customs. It’s heavily influenced by Mexican culture, which I loved. As such, almost every character in this book is Latinx, which I also loved. I mean, obviously, it has some flaws (see all of the misogynistic, heteronormative, classist, and xenophobic rhetoric spouted by the country’s elite), but it was fascinating to read about. The chapter headings are excerpts from the Medio School for Girls’ handbook, which I thought was a really clever way to acclimate readers to some of the more nuanced social expectations in Medio. The whole concept of Primeras and Segundas was both fascinating and horrifying. It was such a structured system of oppression, but one that hid behind the facade of valuing women’s vast talents and skills– AKA, the most insidious kind of oppression.
Dani herself was a really fun character to follow. She has a huge secret that I constantly feared was going to be discovered and, consequently, ruin her life. Throughout the book, she gets more and more involved with La Voz, the resistance movement in Medio, and I loved seeing her desire to stand up for what’s right eventually eclipse her fear. I love that the resistance was painted as imperfect, but trying. Like I’ve mentioned, everything about Medio and its politics felt uncomfortably close to home.
Okay, let’s get to my absolute favorite part of We Set the Dark on Fire: THE. ROMANCE. In such a bleak story, the romance was what gave me hope and made me want to keep reading. It’s one of my favorite f/f romances I’ve read recently. It felt a little instalove-y at first, but I grew to really love and understand the quick bond between Carmen and Dani. There’s something so vindicating about seeing two queer, Latinx ladies basically burn the entire system down. Also, I need their husband to die a painful death in the next book. What a jerk.
Overall, We Set the Dark on Fire kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it. It was missing that special *something* to bump my rating up to a full five stars, but rest assured that it did not disappoint in the slightest. This was a very strong series opener, and I am anxiously awaiting book two in this duology! If you need more queer Latinx rep, as well as some excellent social commentary, in your life, you have to pick this one up.
After following Tehlor Kay Mejia on social media for years and hearing some early buzz about her debut, I was highly anticipating this one. And, friends, let me tell you: it did not disappoint!
We Set the Dark on Fire is set in a world that feels uncomfortably close to our own. Medio is a world in which women are expected to conform to prescribed subservient roles, one where a whole nation of people is viewed as “illegal” and is constantly demonized by the oppressive government. I hesitate to use “dystopian” as a descriptor nowadays, because it holds so many seemingly negative connotations to a lot of readers. However, We Set the Dark on Fire is a dystopian novel in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and Red Clocks, as opposed to Divergent or The Hunger Games. The entire book feels like very pointed political commentary, and the subject matter was incredibly timely. Like, there’s literally a wall built by the Median government to keep out the “border-crossing illegals” who they blame for all of the country’s problems. Sound familiar?
Anyway, we follow Dani, who has just graduated from the esteemed Medio School for Girls, which prepares young women for one of two roles: Primera or Segunda. Basically, every rich, influential dude in Medio has two wives, a Primera and a Segunda, who are trained in different arenas of womanly duties *vomit noises*. At the beginning of We Set the Dark on Fire, Dani graduates at the top of her Primera class and is sold to the wealthiest, most influential family in the country… alongside her nemesis, Carmen, who is to be Mateo’s Segunda.
I was enthralled by the world of Medio from the first page. Mejia describes it so vividly, from the food, to the clothing, to the social customs. It’s heavily influenced by Mexican culture, which I loved. As such, almost every character in this book is Latinx, which I also loved. I mean, obviously, it has some flaws (see all of the misogynistic, heteronormative, classist, and xenophobic rhetoric spouted by the country’s elite), but it was fascinating to read about. The chapter headings are excerpts from the Medio School for Girls’ handbook, which I thought was a really clever way to acclimate readers to some of the more nuanced social expectations in Medio. The whole concept of Primeras and Segundas was both fascinating and horrifying. It was such a structured system of oppression, but one that hid behind the facade of valuing women’s vast talents and skills– AKA, the most insidious kind of oppression.
Dani herself was a really fun character to follow. She has a huge secret that I constantly feared was going to be discovered and, consequently, ruin her life. Throughout the book, she gets more and more involved with La Voz, the resistance movement in Medio, and I loved seeing her desire to stand up for what’s right eventually eclipse her fear. I love that the resistance was painted as imperfect, but trying. Like I’ve mentioned, everything about Medio and its politics felt uncomfortably close to home.
Okay, let’s get to my absolute favorite part of We Set the Dark on Fire: THE. ROMANCE. In such a bleak story, the romance was what gave me hope and made me want to keep reading. It’s one of my favorite f/f romances I’ve read recently. It felt a little instalove-y at first, but I grew to really love and understand the quick bond between Carmen and Dani. There’s something so vindicating about seeing two queer, Latinx ladies basically burn the entire system down. Also, I need their husband to die a painful death in the next book. What a jerk.
Overall, We Set the Dark on Fire kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it. It was missing that special *something* to bump my rating up to a full five stars, but rest assured that it did not disappoint in the slightest. This was a very strong series opener, and I am anxiously awaiting book two in this duology! If you need more queer Latinx rep, as well as some excellent social commentary, in your life, you have to pick this one up.
February 24, 2022
l 51% l
the concepts for this book are really good but the execution is….not it. the whole book is just a bunch of vague ideas mushed together into a book that feels very unsubstantial. theoretically, this book has everything: plot, characters, romance, intrigue, etc. and then you put it all together and get ~nothing.~
you don’t even need to read this book, you can read the blurb and that’s it. that’s the whole book.
☾the plot
this takes place in a dystopian world that is very misogynistic where the rich men pick two wives, a Primera and a Segunda. the women are trained differently to be able to fulfill different duties for their husband and it’s a whole thing because they have to go to an academy and everything. and then there’s the people outside the city who are starving and dying while being neglected by the government, so there ends up being a rebellion (surprise surprise)
literally everything that happens during this book is super vague. i don’t know anything about this society other than what i just mentioned. the world building sucks. i don’t know anything about the rebellion or the people in control, the book never explains anything in any detail whatsoever.
the main character is pretending to be one of the rich people in society even though she actually came from outside of the city, so then she becomes a “spy” for the rebellion etc etc except for that she never actually does anything. you would think, with all of her “training”, that she would be better with what she does, but surprisingly she isn’t. all she ever does is happen to be in the right place at the right time to eavesdrop on iMpoRTanT cOnvErSAtiONs, and let’s be honest, there’s no skill in that.
there are supposed to be “twists” in this book, but if you’ve ever read a YA dystopian book before then everything is easily predictable.
i did enjoy reading this book and i liked that it was easy to read and not too complicated, but it’s really just a skeleton.
☾characters
dani: this was a big case of telling instead of showing. dani’s whole inner monologue was about how she was in control of her emotions all the time and she was good at acting and being a Primera. literally her entire personality revolves around being a Primera. which i understand, because that’s what her school taught her and how she was raised, but i would’ve liked to see a little bit more character depth from her. besides being a Primera, what is she like? who is she? and supposedly if she’s so good at concealing her emotions then why did she mess up and freak out multiple times.
carmen: carmen is intriguing but has nothing else besides that. i think it’s probably on purpose, but we never really get to know carmen or who she is. she’s interesting but other than that she has no character depth. i might read the second book just so i can see her pov and get to know her better.
alex: we don’t know anything about her but i’m still ~mesmerized~ by her and she’s def hot
sota: literally who is this guy besides being part of the rebellion? he was such a side character with barely any character development, he serves his purpose and then basically disappears. he’s only around when he’s necessary to the central plot of the story, and i prefer books to have proper character development instead of just using the characters to move the plot forward, but that’s just me.
mateo: BRO WHAT AN ASSHOLE
jasmin: just another character being used as a plot device, which sucks because i feel like she had potential to be interesting.
☾writing
i enjoyed the writing in the beginning but then near the end it started being super dramatic and cheesy and it just felt so unnecessary and dumb. i would need way more development of the characters and story overall if i’m going to like the dramatic and emotional language. because the whole story was pretty much just an outline, the sudden flowery and dramatic writing just came across as really cheesy and random. it would’ve worked well in a case where there was a big enough emotional investment to support the emotional language, but since i wasn’t invested in this story at all it just felt really cheesy and cliche.
the writing is just really vague most of the time and then really dramatic the other part of the time and those two things just didn’t go together well at all and just made me cringe.
the internal monologue of the main character is done well, although it gets tedious listening constantly to her thoughts and plans that she never follows through with. she has constant suspicions and doubts, which i understand in a society like this, but we could’ve had some actual details of what was going on instead of just subjective thoughts from the main character.
the writing wasn’t bad overall but would’ve worked better in different contexts.
☾the romance
ummmm so i was promised a nice enemies-to-lovers-forbidden-love sapphic romance.
that is not what i got.
in the beginning, we get the vague sense that they are enemies but we never really know because they barely ever interact. the only aspect of “enemies” is about two glances or bitchy comments but nothing substantial.
40% of the book goes by and they exchange a couple more comments and glances that get a little less negative.
then they interact like 2 more times and then suddenly they have a whole dramatic kiss while they’re burning something and then spend the whole night kissing??? like where did that come from?? they don’t even know each other. there’s no tension or anything, their whole relationship seems completely random. and because of that, when the characters start talking about their fEELiNgS it all feels really forced.
and then at the end there’s a whole bunch of unnecessary angst, like “oH mY GoD yOU bEtRaYeD mE” type shit but they don’t even know each other so like what???
i think this romance could’ve worked really well if it was a slow-burn throughout multiple books in the series and stuff actually happened and there was ~tension~, but instead it all happened way too fast and felt really forced.
i really do appreciate the rep though.
and anyways the concept of the romance is fantastic, two women have to marry a rich asshole but fall in love with each other instead like OMFG IM SUCH TRASH FOR THAT
so just imagine that that concept is what the romance is actually like and everything’s good.
also on a side note, the mc kept alluding to the fact that there was something between her and sota and then it was just randomly dropped, so what the hell was that??
☾wrap-up
i wanted to read this because of the representation and i got it, so no complaints there.
this wasn’t for me, but i definitely think that this has the potential to be enjoyed by people. it’s a light, fast read and it’s not too confusing or anything.
the concepts for this book are all there and they’re all great, but the execution just didn’t match up.
this is a shell of a book so just be aware of that before you read it.
rep:
✔︎ sapphic (bi?) mc
✔︎ sapphic li
✔︎ sapphic relationship
✔︎ latinx cast
3 stars
thank you to RoRo for buddy reading this book with me!!
the concepts for this book are really good but the execution is….not it. the whole book is just a bunch of vague ideas mushed together into a book that feels very unsubstantial. theoretically, this book has everything: plot, characters, romance, intrigue, etc. and then you put it all together and get ~nothing.~
you don’t even need to read this book, you can read the blurb and that’s it. that’s the whole book.
☾the plot
this takes place in a dystopian world that is very misogynistic where the rich men pick two wives, a Primera and a Segunda. the women are trained differently to be able to fulfill different duties for their husband and it’s a whole thing because they have to go to an academy and everything. and then there’s the people outside the city who are starving and dying while being neglected by the government, so there ends up being a rebellion (surprise surprise)
literally everything that happens during this book is super vague. i don’t know anything about this society other than what i just mentioned. the world building sucks. i don’t know anything about the rebellion or the people in control, the book never explains anything in any detail whatsoever.
the main character is pretending to be one of the rich people in society even though she actually came from outside of the city, so then she becomes a “spy” for the rebellion etc etc except for that she never actually does anything. you would think, with all of her “training”, that she would be better with what she does, but surprisingly she isn’t. all she ever does is happen to be in the right place at the right time to eavesdrop on iMpoRTanT cOnvErSAtiONs, and let’s be honest, there’s no skill in that.
there are supposed to be “twists” in this book, but if you’ve ever read a YA dystopian book before then everything is easily predictable.
i did enjoy reading this book and i liked that it was easy to read and not too complicated, but it’s really just a skeleton.
☾characters
dani: this was a big case of telling instead of showing. dani’s whole inner monologue was about how she was in control of her emotions all the time and she was good at acting and being a Primera. literally her entire personality revolves around being a Primera. which i understand, because that’s what her school taught her and how she was raised, but i would’ve liked to see a little bit more character depth from her. besides being a Primera, what is she like? who is she? and supposedly if she’s so good at concealing her emotions then why did she mess up and freak out multiple times.
carmen: carmen is intriguing but has nothing else besides that. i think it’s probably on purpose, but we never really get to know carmen or who she is. she’s interesting but other than that she has no character depth. i might read the second book just so i can see her pov and get to know her better.
alex: we don’t know anything about her but i’m still ~mesmerized~ by her and she’s def hot
sota: literally who is this guy besides being part of the rebellion? he was such a side character with barely any character development, he serves his purpose and then basically disappears. he’s only around when he’s necessary to the central plot of the story, and i prefer books to have proper character development instead of just using the characters to move the plot forward, but that’s just me.
mateo: BRO WHAT AN ASSHOLE
jasmin: just another character being used as a plot device, which sucks because i feel like she had potential to be interesting.
☾writing
i enjoyed the writing in the beginning but then near the end it started being super dramatic and cheesy and it just felt so unnecessary and dumb. i would need way more development of the characters and story overall if i’m going to like the dramatic and emotional language. because the whole story was pretty much just an outline, the sudden flowery and dramatic writing just came across as really cheesy and random. it would’ve worked well in a case where there was a big enough emotional investment to support the emotional language, but since i wasn’t invested in this story at all it just felt really cheesy and cliche.
the writing is just really vague most of the time and then really dramatic the other part of the time and those two things just didn’t go together well at all and just made me cringe.
the internal monologue of the main character is done well, although it gets tedious listening constantly to her thoughts and plans that she never follows through with. she has constant suspicions and doubts, which i understand in a society like this, but we could’ve had some actual details of what was going on instead of just subjective thoughts from the main character.
the writing wasn’t bad overall but would’ve worked better in different contexts.
☾the romance
ummmm so i was promised a nice enemies-to-lovers-forbidden-love sapphic romance.
that is not what i got.
in the beginning, we get the vague sense that they are enemies but we never really know because they barely ever interact. the only aspect of “enemies” is about two glances or bitchy comments but nothing substantial.
40% of the book goes by and they exchange a couple more comments and glances that get a little less negative.
then they interact like 2 more times and then suddenly they have a whole dramatic kiss while they’re burning something and then spend the whole night kissing??? like where did that come from?? they don’t even know each other. there’s no tension or anything, their whole relationship seems completely random. and because of that, when the characters start talking about their fEELiNgS it all feels really forced.
and then at the end there’s a whole bunch of unnecessary angst, like “oH mY GoD yOU bEtRaYeD mE” type shit but they don’t even know each other so like what???
i think this romance could’ve worked really well if it was a slow-burn throughout multiple books in the series and stuff actually happened and there was ~tension~, but instead it all happened way too fast and felt really forced.
i really do appreciate the rep though.
and anyways the concept of the romance is fantastic, two women have to marry a rich asshole but fall in love with each other instead like OMFG IM SUCH TRASH FOR THAT
so just imagine that that concept is what the romance is actually like and everything’s good.
also on a side note, the mc kept alluding to the fact that there was something between her and sota and then it was just randomly dropped, so what the hell was that??
☾wrap-up
i wanted to read this because of the representation and i got it, so no complaints there.
this wasn’t for me, but i definitely think that this has the potential to be enjoyed by people. it’s a light, fast read and it’s not too confusing or anything.
the concepts for this book are all there and they’re all great, but the execution just didn’t match up.
this is a shell of a book so just be aware of that before you read it.
rep:
✔︎ sapphic (bi?) mc
✔︎ sapphic li
✔︎ sapphic relationship
✔︎ latinx cast
3 stars
thank you to RoRo for buddy reading this book with me!!
July 14, 2022
#2) We Unleash the Merciless Storm ★★★☆☆
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Dani (mc) & Carmen (li) are Latinx and sapphic; Latinx cast.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
February 26, 2019
♦
Video Review
♦
We all know Dystopian has had its big hype and it seems like it's not coming back anytime soon. But with WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, Tehlor Kay Mejia managed to write a truly engaging, very timely Dystopian Fantasy that feels different from what we've seen before.
I thought the Dystopian world building was super interesting. A good Dystopian has a concept that is really horrific, while at the same time realistic, and the author pulled this off so well. Not one second while reading this, did I doubt that this is an actual way a society could develop into and that made it all the more well done.
I definitely wish we had seen a little bit more of the school that the girls get trained at. I think it would've been even better for the world building to include that as well and also to show more of the relationship between the main character and her love interest and develop feelings a little earlier.
And while the main character talks about her growing up outside the wall, I wish we had seen some flashbacks or just generally more of the world outside the wall to really understand what was going on there, to see the differences of the in- and outside and to understand what the rebellion was actually fighting for/against.
All of this fell flat mostly because the main aspect of the story is the rebellion group but sadly I found myself not caring too much about the rebellion, especially in the beginning. Because we don't have that much background knowledge, I found it hard to care and to understand why Dani would give up her safety she and her parents have fought for so hard.
In Dystopians I like to see a normal life happen for a bit before the rebellion aspect comes into play, which is also something that I was missing from this novel. While Dani obviously knows how corrupt the system she's living in is, I still would've loved to see her just live in it for a little while, kind of being oblivious to the fact that she actually has the power to change things. She was kinda pushed and pressured into caring and I think it would've been nicer if she developed that more for herself.
One of my biggest gripes with the story was the character development of the love interest, Carmen. Her change of heart came basically out of nowhere, which made it very hard for me to get invested in the romance at first. While we find out her reasons as to why she first disliked Dani and was mean to her, the development just happened to quickly. To me there wasn't much chemistry and the feelings came out of nowhere. This was such wasted potential because once the characters actually talked about their feelings for each other and were romantically involved, I thought it was beautifully done. The romance in itself was wonderful and I was super invested, it's just that I didn't enjoy the path towards it at all.
As you can tell from the above paragraph, this features a f/f romance. This also has a really great female masturbation scene that I appreciate a lot in YA! And all of the characters in this world are Latinx!
Overall, this was a really entertaining read, that had a good balance between the cruel Dystopian world and still being an enjoyable to read novel. This is a Dystopian novel that deserves a chance in today's publishing world and could very much bring this genre back.
♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦
Thanks to Edelweiss for providing me with an early review copy!
We all know Dystopian has had its big hype and it seems like it's not coming back anytime soon. But with WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, Tehlor Kay Mejia managed to write a truly engaging, very timely Dystopian Fantasy that feels different from what we've seen before.
“'Women, I'll never understand them.' With only his Primera and Segunda present, there was no one in the room to laugh at his joke. While he was busy congratulating himself on it, Carmen shot Dani a look over her napkin. It almost looked... conspirational.”
I thought the Dystopian world building was super interesting. A good Dystopian has a concept that is really horrific, while at the same time realistic, and the author pulled this off so well. Not one second while reading this, did I doubt that this is an actual way a society could develop into and that made it all the more well done.
I definitely wish we had seen a little bit more of the school that the girls get trained at. I think it would've been even better for the world building to include that as well and also to show more of the relationship between the main character and her love interest and develop feelings a little earlier.
And while the main character talks about her growing up outside the wall, I wish we had seen some flashbacks or just generally more of the world outside the wall to really understand what was going on there, to see the differences of the in- and outside and to understand what the rebellion was actually fighting for/against.
All of this fell flat mostly because the main aspect of the story is the rebellion group but sadly I found myself not caring too much about the rebellion, especially in the beginning. Because we don't have that much background knowledge, I found it hard to care and to understand why Dani would give up her safety she and her parents have fought for so hard.
In Dystopians I like to see a normal life happen for a bit before the rebellion aspect comes into play, which is also something that I was missing from this novel. While Dani obviously knows how corrupt the system she's living in is, I still would've loved to see her just live in it for a little while, kind of being oblivious to the fact that she actually has the power to change things. She was kinda pushed and pressured into caring and I think it would've been nicer if she developed that more for herself.
One of my biggest gripes with the story was the character development of the love interest, Carmen. Her change of heart came basically out of nowhere, which made it very hard for me to get invested in the romance at first. While we find out her reasons as to why she first disliked Dani and was mean to her, the development just happened to quickly. To me there wasn't much chemistry and the feelings came out of nowhere. This was such wasted potential because once the characters actually talked about their feelings for each other and were romantically involved, I thought it was beautifully done. The romance in itself was wonderful and I was super invested, it's just that I didn't enjoy the path towards it at all.
“You're a hundred shades of a girl. You hold those shadows and bring them to life when you need them, and they're flawless. Look how far you've risen, how many people you've fooled.”
As you can tell from the above paragraph, this features a f/f romance. This also has a really great female masturbation scene that I appreciate a lot in YA! And all of the characters in this world are Latinx!
Overall, this was a really entertaining read, that had a good balance between the cruel Dystopian world and still being an enjoyable to read novel. This is a Dystopian novel that deserves a chance in today's publishing world and could very much bring this genre back.
♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦
Thanks to Edelweiss for providing me with an early review copy!
Read
November 6, 2018*is no longer speaking to Tehlor*
Now that we have that out of the way, this is an unsettlingly prescient read for the state of politics in 2018-19 - like, it's literally about wall-crossing "illegals"and has a bunch of characters you'll want to rip apart with your bare hands and thank God there is some kissing in there.
Now that we have that out of the way, this is an unsettlingly prescient read for the state of politics in 2018-19 - like, it's literally about wall-crossing "illegals"and has a bunch of characters you'll want to rip apart with your bare hands and thank God there is some kissing in there.
March 7, 2019
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS!!!!! I'M NOT OK!!!!! SOMEONE SEND HELP!!!!!
I absolutely adore the MC in this one, she's so smart, resourceful, strong willed and confident, she doesn't let anyone step on her toes and her trust is very hard to earn! I also loved her LI (spoiler but not really: it's f/f) and the way their attraction and later on romance bloomed! I loved the urgency and intensity of it all!
I also LOVED how politically charged this was. It set parallels with our world's current political climate and it's terrifying at times, it subtely sets a parallel with things undocumented immigrants do through and i thought that the wall between the inner island and the outskirts and the people who live right by the sea was a brilliant idea. As well as the way it showed the way people can easily be endoctrinated and lied to to see the villains as the good guys and the victims as the bad guys.
I only docked half a star because Dani was conveniently always at the right place at the right time to hear Important Revelations and it bugged me a little.
Can we also talk about that ending? Because i'm prepared to sue!!!! How am i supposed to wait OVER A YEAR?
This was just SO GOOD!!!! Also the narrator (Kyla Garcia) did an absolutely brilliant job in the audiobook!
I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS!!!!! I'M NOT OK!!!!! SOMEONE SEND HELP!!!!!
I absolutely adore the MC in this one, she's so smart, resourceful, strong willed and confident, she doesn't let anyone step on her toes and her trust is very hard to earn! I also loved her LI (spoiler but not really: it's f/f) and the way their attraction and later on romance bloomed! I loved the urgency and intensity of it all!
I also LOVED how politically charged this was. It set parallels with our world's current political climate and it's terrifying at times, it subtely sets a parallel with things undocumented immigrants do through and i thought that the wall between the inner island and the outskirts and the people who live right by the sea was a brilliant idea. As well as the way it showed the way people can easily be endoctrinated and lied to to see the villains as the good guys and the victims as the bad guys.
I only docked half a star because Dani was conveniently always at the right place at the right time to hear Important Revelations and it bugged me a little.
Can we also talk about that ending? Because i'm prepared to sue!!!! How am i supposed to wait OVER A YEAR?
This was just SO GOOD!!!! Also the narrator (Kyla Garcia) did an absolutely brilliant job in the audiobook!
March 26, 2019
If we’re not all free, none of us are free.
I'm looking forward to writing down my thoughts on the amazingness that is WSTDOF, but for now let me just say that. Ending. was. WILD. I seriously cannot wait for the next book and read what becomes of Dani, Carmen, Sota, & Alex...
July 20, 2020
disclaimer: i received an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review. this in no way impacted my review.
I love a book about revolutionary sapphic girlfriends fighting against a corrupt government.
And We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia is just that - a groundbreaking love letter to girls everywhere - queer girls, girls of color - that is shockingly time-efficient in its discussion of a corrupt government, including issues pertaining to poverty and to illegal immigration and corrupt and prejudiced leadership, considering the current political climate in early 2019.
With her debut novel, Meijia writes a perfect first book to this duology. She weaves together the perfect blend of beautiful writing, well-developed characters and incredible character dynamics, and near-perfect worldbuilding, all while confronting relevant and timely issues to the world today.
Though all the aspects listed are important to creating, frankly, a good novel, without good writing, the rest of it can never truly make up for writing that falls flat. Meijia's knack for word-choice and sentence structure and all the qualities it takes to make a damn good writer are obvious when reading this novel. She perfectly blends together a lyrical tone with the cut and dry nature that many books often fall into, creating the ideal middle-ground that can appeal to any reader.
I still get chills thinking about the first quote included at the top of this review.
But all the other aspects of this novel are, as previously alluded to, equally brilliant. The character formation and character dynamics are downright exquisite. I hated every character I was meant to hate, and loved every character I was meant to love. And I was flat-out in love with the main character and love interest.
The leading lady, Daniela Vargas, is a badass latina young woman who built her entire life on a web of lies in order to survive in her world. She manages to be intelligent and emotional at the same time. She is both fierce and stoic. But at the end of the day, she is brave. She is a picture-perfect representation of the kind of well-developed female characters we deserve to see in media everywhere.
And the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance was beautifully woven into the story. Meijia develops this romance well, really moving the dynamic slowly and raising important distinctions between lust and love and the integration of trust in those dynamics. The bond between between these two women develops into something that represents important necessities in every relationships, particularly stressing the important of consent and trust.
And of the course, there is the largest and most powerful part of this novel - the plot/worldbuilding/real-world aspects (which I believe are all intertwined.)
The worldbuilding of Medio is, again, near-perfect. I understood this world so well, to the point where I could picture living in it.
Throughout this novel, Meijia considers dynamics of sexism, in the societal expectations and rules placed on these girls from a young age. Meijia incorporates issues that discuss poverty and immigration and movements to battle a corrupt government. She writes a novel with issues that, when you really look at it, do not tread that far from the direction our current world is in.
At its core, this novel is about bravery in the face of corruption and prejudice. It is about girls of all communities rising up in a world that tries to stifle their voices. It is about finding joy and strength when the world is dark. It is everything I could have expected, and more.
And all I can say is, I highly urge you to read it and then sit in eager anticipation with me as we await the conclusion to this duology after that unbelievable cliffhanger.
"I heard about men with big boots and helmets who would come in the night, step on your garden and steal your food, and make your parents disappear. I heart about a dark room with no windows where they'd take you if you didn't behave. Where they'd ask you questions until you forgot what the sun felt like on your skin. I heard about a wall so tall and so wide that if you woke up on the wrong side of it you'd never find your way home again...You know what the difference was between the scary stories they told my husband, and the ones they told me? [Mine] were true."
I love a book about revolutionary sapphic girlfriends fighting against a corrupt government.
And We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia is just that - a groundbreaking love letter to girls everywhere - queer girls, girls of color - that is shockingly time-efficient in its discussion of a corrupt government, including issues pertaining to poverty and to illegal immigration and corrupt and prejudiced leadership, considering the current political climate in early 2019.
With her debut novel, Meijia writes a perfect first book to this duology. She weaves together the perfect blend of beautiful writing, well-developed characters and incredible character dynamics, and near-perfect worldbuilding, all while confronting relevant and timely issues to the world today.
Though all the aspects listed are important to creating, frankly, a good novel, without good writing, the rest of it can never truly make up for writing that falls flat. Meijia's knack for word-choice and sentence structure and all the qualities it takes to make a damn good writer are obvious when reading this novel. She perfectly blends together a lyrical tone with the cut and dry nature that many books often fall into, creating the ideal middle-ground that can appeal to any reader.
I still get chills thinking about the first quote included at the top of this review.
But all the other aspects of this novel are, as previously alluded to, equally brilliant. The character formation and character dynamics are downright exquisite. I hated every character I was meant to hate, and loved every character I was meant to love. And I was flat-out in love with the main character and love interest.
The leading lady, Daniela Vargas, is a badass latina young woman who built her entire life on a web of lies in order to survive in her world. She manages to be intelligent and emotional at the same time. She is both fierce and stoic. But at the end of the day, she is brave. She is a picture-perfect representation of the kind of well-developed female characters we deserve to see in media everywhere.
"...she wanted to do more than exist on the fringes. That she wanted to fight back against the husband who thought he could control her, the government who thought they could decide who deserved to live and die. That she wanted to make her own choices, and she was ready to start today."
And the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance was beautifully woven into the story. Meijia develops this romance well, really moving the dynamic slowly and raising important distinctions between lust and love and the integration of trust in those dynamics. The bond between between these two women develops into something that represents important necessities in every relationships, particularly stressing the important of consent and trust.
"'So you knew...Even then?'
"'What? That I wanted to hold hands with girls?'
'Yes,' she said, almost a whisper..."
And of the course, there is the largest and most powerful part of this novel - the plot/worldbuilding/real-world aspects (which I believe are all intertwined.)
"That's what it means, to fight. It means believing in the movement, and doing whatever it takes to further it, no matter what the consequences may be."
The worldbuilding of Medio is, again, near-perfect. I understood this world so well, to the point where I could picture living in it.
Throughout this novel, Meijia considers dynamics of sexism, in the societal expectations and rules placed on these girls from a young age. Meijia incorporates issues that discuss poverty and immigration and movements to battle a corrupt government. She writes a novel with issues that, when you really look at it, do not tread that far from the direction our current world is in.
"The violence has already begun. The violence is committed every day you defend that wall and let citizens of Medio starve."
At its core, this novel is about bravery in the face of corruption and prejudice. It is about girls of all communities rising up in a world that tries to stifle their voices. It is about finding joy and strength when the world is dark. It is everything I could have expected, and more.
And all I can say is, I highly urge you to read it and then sit in eager anticipation with me as we await the conclusion to this duology after that unbelievable cliffhanger.
"The bad stuff will be there. If we want to fight it, we have to find joy where we can. We have to find beauty. We have to take our moments to be happy. Because the joy is what keeps us strong, and reminds us we have something to fight for.
Read
January 6, 2018I'm a simple person...
I see a Latina main character, I press TBR
I see a Latina main character, I press TBR
August 27, 2022
FOUR STARS
slay. SLAYYYYY!!!!
Review to come
slay. SLAYYYYY!!!!
Review to come
November 24, 2019
“I just need to get out of here. I'm doing what I have to do to survive. I'm not signing up to set things on fire.”
This book was chosen by my twitter followers as my book to read this month and I actually ended up enjoying it A LOT more than I thought I would
We Set the Dark on Fire is a wlw, latinx inspired YA fantasy that incorporates modern-day political concerns, especially those emerging in the Trump era, and explores poverty, sexuality, misogyny and race and how these identities intersect. It is comparable to works like The Handmaids Tale or Girls of Paper and Fire - but is also distinct from these, primarily in how it more strongly deals with politics, protest and the impacts of poverty and race. We follow Daniela Vargas, who is graduating from the Medio School for Girls at the start of the novel. This school trains women to be the wives of important political men, a tradition originating from a cultural folktale that says the salt god required two women for his wives and further, that the people who live beyond the borders of the Salt God's realm are of lower importance and value to society.
While many of the elements are familiar, such as the heteronormative society, the sexist society and the 'women as submissive and subservient' ideas, I do think this book tries to do something new. First, the incorporation of an f/f romance subverts the expectation of the romance and is posited as a form of protest against the patriarchal, sexist society. The protest and the resistance are also much more active here and I really liked how protest and resistance are such a large part of this book. Finally, many of the ideas and themes can easily be linked to contemporary political concerns. One of the main villains wishes to build a wall in between the inner city and the outer borders, the book deals with sexism and misogyny that infuses contemporary politics and poverty and how it links to race and class is a central tenet of the book.
“In a battle between two men trying to control her, she'd chosen herself.”
My favourite part of this was the inclusion of the resistance, and the f/f romance between Carmen and Dani. At the start of the book, Daniela is blackmailed into becoming a double agent working for the resistance. I really liked the political intrigue the inclusion of this group gave, and it was what surprised me. While I expected this to be 'woman deals with her horrible sexist husband for 400 pages', it was much more about Dani becoming embroiled with the resistance and the politics of tjat group.
I also LOVED the relationship between Carmen and Dani, it's slow burn and is so satisfying. The girls have a lot of chemistry and they're so sweet and I loved the development of their relationship throughout the whole book. The next book is from Carmen's POV AND I CANNOT WAIT. This is one of my favourite f/f ships I've read in a while, I was literally yelling in my car in some of their scenes.
“On the outside, she was frozen, but inside her, whole cities were being razed to the ground. Explosions were shaking the walls of her stomach. People were screaming in her throat.”
This book definitely wasn't as intense or pulse-pounding as it could have been. There's some good political tension and mystery elements but sections and reveals were a little predictable. I did like it for how it drew out the political threads, but some of the scenes that were supposed to be nail-biters didn't hit it for me.
I also thought the writing was a bit corny at times. Some of the metaphors and similes used were a bit ... strange. I thought sometimes the author was trying too hard to make something sound pretty and she just ended up using some words that don't actually mean anything. It wasn't horrible, I just noticed a few too many times something being likened to something else that didn't make sense.
“You have a big heart, a strong mind, and you will find a way to make a life you love. No matter how different it is from the one you left.”
We Set the Dark on Fire has a lot of elements that might tempt people to give it a miss. The sexist/heteronormative world and the 'Handmaids Tale' elements might be something people are growing tired of. However, I do think this is worth the read. It deals with a wide array of issues and presents new perspectives on these issues. It does more to be intersectional and explores more issues, especially class and poverty. It also has a central f/f romance that is amazing and includes more 'plot' in the resistance/political machinations and a more active main character than some similar works.
I am so glad I gave this a chance. I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would and I can't wait for the sequel
February 14, 2019
. : ☾⋆ — 5 ★
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2SxlsQY
ARC provided from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review (thank you Katherine Tegen Books and HarperCollins!!)
OOF, if it isn’t one of the most exciting, original, well written and gorgeously set up books I’ve read. it’s a YA The Handmaid’s Tale AND ALSO The Handmaiden all at once: a dark, forbidden sapphic romance with intensely vivd world building?? count me in!! and as if that wasn’t enough to pique your interest—it ALSO introduces a cast entirely made up of latinx characters!! (and I gotta say, I get it now. it’s pretty exciting to find a book that features a character with the same name as you!! I’ve never come across another Daniela, even if her nickname is Dani with an “i” and not Dany with a “y”, it’s still Daniela and it’s still something that caught me by surprise and immediately warmed me up to the book).
aside from the main character and I having the same name, though—We Set the Dark on Fire is absolutely captivating in its own right and deserves every piece of buzz you’ve heard about it. it’s beautifully written and gorgeously built. I read it in almost a single sitting and the entire time I was absolutely immersed in every single word. every character and chapter felt unique to anything I’ve ever read before, and the relationship between Dani and Carmen CONSUMED every single one of my thoughts for hours after I’d finished reading. everything about this book was beautiful, and the fact that it’s ALSO Tehlor Kay Mejia’s debut just makes it even better. We Set the Dark on Fire is truly a triumph!!
I don’t want to go into a lot of detail because I’m afraid if I get myself going I will literally never stop talking about this book. all I want to say is that this isn’t a book that you should allow to pass by, and I know it’s only February but I’m willing to bet it’s one of the best books I’ll read this year. I’m still reeling from it, to be honest. thanks again to Edelweiss+, Katherine Tegen Books and HarperCollins for providing a free copy!!
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2SxlsQY
ARC provided from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review (thank you Katherine Tegen Books and HarperCollins!!)
OOF, if it isn’t one of the most exciting, original, well written and gorgeously set up books I’ve read. it’s a YA The Handmaid’s Tale AND ALSO The Handmaiden all at once: a dark, forbidden sapphic romance with intensely vivd world building?? count me in!! and as if that wasn’t enough to pique your interest—it ALSO introduces a cast entirely made up of latinx characters!! (and I gotta say, I get it now. it’s pretty exciting to find a book that features a character with the same name as you!! I’ve never come across another Daniela, even if her nickname is Dani with an “i” and not Dany with a “y”, it’s still Daniela and it’s still something that caught me by surprise and immediately warmed me up to the book).
aside from the main character and I having the same name, though—We Set the Dark on Fire is absolutely captivating in its own right and deserves every piece of buzz you’ve heard about it. it’s beautifully written and gorgeously built. I read it in almost a single sitting and the entire time I was absolutely immersed in every single word. every character and chapter felt unique to anything I’ve ever read before, and the relationship between Dani and Carmen CONSUMED every single one of my thoughts for hours after I’d finished reading. everything about this book was beautiful, and the fact that it’s ALSO Tehlor Kay Mejia’s debut just makes it even better. We Set the Dark on Fire is truly a triumph!!
I don’t want to go into a lot of detail because I’m afraid if I get myself going I will literally never stop talking about this book. all I want to say is that this isn’t a book that you should allow to pass by, and I know it’s only February but I’m willing to bet it’s one of the best books I’ll read this year. I’m still reeling from it, to be honest. thanks again to Edelweiss+, Katherine Tegen Books and HarperCollins for providing a free copy!!
Read
May 24, 2020
lost-interest
January 10, 2019Nothing about the blurb sounds interesting or new, but 4 starred reviews? Can't resist...
March 3, 2019
uhhh this was SO SO GOOD?
I expected it to be really good because so many people I trust have been raving about this book, but it still managed to exceed my expectations. Wow.
I expected it to be really good because so many people I trust have been raving about this book, but it still managed to exceed my expectations. Wow.
March 6, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️
DNF at 83%
I just wasn’t feeling it anymore so what’s the point.
Kinda liked the GxG romance though. Nice touch.
DNF at 83%
I just wasn’t feeling it anymore so what’s the point.
Kinda liked the GxG romance though. Nice touch.
January 26, 2019
This book made me feel a lot. Mostly anger. But not at the book. Just at some of the similarities to what we're seeing in the world right now.
Dani came illegally over the wall into the legal side of her country. She still grew up close to the border which is very poor. Her parents got her papers illegally and did everything they could to get her into the Medio School For Girls. In this school, the girls are prepared to be married off to prominent boys. Dani is the top in her class. She doesn't want to be married, but she goes through it for her parents. Each boy marries two girls. One girl is supposed to help her husband with his business and be his partner. The other is to make the house pretty and to give him babies. Dani is chosen for Mateo, a boy who may become president. The girl chosen with her is Carmen, a girl Dani tried to be friends with, but who bullied her through school.
There is a resistance group, La Voz, that is trying to help the poor. They don't like the government and want to find a way to overthrow it. They have spies everywhere and they blackmail Dani into helping them. They knew her papers were forged and she was about to be found out by a new detection system. A boy showed up her last day of school with new papers for her. But they came with a price. He shows up at her new home and starts giving her tasks. The more Dani does, the more she realizes that she sides more with La Voz than her new husband. Dani risks everything to continue helping them. Partly out of blackmail, but also because of her own feelings.
Dani quickly realizes that her training from school won't help her with Mateo. He doesn't want an equal. He wants wives who listen, do what they're told, and obey him. I hated Mateo. Usually I can find a positive in a bad character, but there was nothing with him. I swear my blood pressure went up when I read the parts he was included in.
"I'll thank you to watch your tone," he said, his own face flushing now though his tone had gone colder still. "No one likes a mouthy woman."
As I mentioned in the beginning, I found many similarities to what we're seeing in the US right now. It's not to the point of killing, but the way people past the southern border are being treated. The talk of a wall. Of how they are somehow lesser people because of where they were born. Again, blood pressure went up a lot while reading. I like books that make me feel something and this one definitely did.
"Who do you think is responsible for the militarization of the border?" he asked. "For the shoot-on-sight policy regarding border crossings?"
There is a lot of action, betrayal, and some f/f romance in this book. It's very political. And the ending had a big twist with a cliffhanger. Warnings for misogyny, prejudice against the poor and people from across the border, kidnapping/abduction, and attacks/killing.
I gave this book 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 on Goodreads. Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for my copy for review. Quotes taken from an arc and may change before final publication. I cannot wait for book two!
Dani came illegally over the wall into the legal side of her country. She still grew up close to the border which is very poor. Her parents got her papers illegally and did everything they could to get her into the Medio School For Girls. In this school, the girls are prepared to be married off to prominent boys. Dani is the top in her class. She doesn't want to be married, but she goes through it for her parents. Each boy marries two girls. One girl is supposed to help her husband with his business and be his partner. The other is to make the house pretty and to give him babies. Dani is chosen for Mateo, a boy who may become president. The girl chosen with her is Carmen, a girl Dani tried to be friends with, but who bullied her through school.
There is a resistance group, La Voz, that is trying to help the poor. They don't like the government and want to find a way to overthrow it. They have spies everywhere and they blackmail Dani into helping them. They knew her papers were forged and she was about to be found out by a new detection system. A boy showed up her last day of school with new papers for her. But they came with a price. He shows up at her new home and starts giving her tasks. The more Dani does, the more she realizes that she sides more with La Voz than her new husband. Dani risks everything to continue helping them. Partly out of blackmail, but also because of her own feelings.
Dani quickly realizes that her training from school won't help her with Mateo. He doesn't want an equal. He wants wives who listen, do what they're told, and obey him. I hated Mateo. Usually I can find a positive in a bad character, but there was nothing with him. I swear my blood pressure went up when I read the parts he was included in.
"I'll thank you to watch your tone," he said, his own face flushing now though his tone had gone colder still. "No one likes a mouthy woman."
As I mentioned in the beginning, I found many similarities to what we're seeing in the US right now. It's not to the point of killing, but the way people past the southern border are being treated. The talk of a wall. Of how they are somehow lesser people because of where they were born. Again, blood pressure went up a lot while reading. I like books that make me feel something and this one definitely did.
"Who do you think is responsible for the militarization of the border?" he asked. "For the shoot-on-sight policy regarding border crossings?"
There is a lot of action, betrayal, and some f/f romance in this book. It's very political. And the ending had a big twist with a cliffhanger. Warnings for misogyny, prejudice against the poor and people from across the border, kidnapping/abduction, and attacks/killing.
I gave this book 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 on Goodreads. Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for my copy for review. Quotes taken from an arc and may change before final publication. I cannot wait for book two!
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