Book Review: Bonfire

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Can you ever outrun your past?

Krysten Ritter's debut novel is like some bizarre mash-up of Erin Brockovich and Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects and it kind of works.

I found that it seemed to borrow a little too heavily, for instance Sharp Objects is a pacy thriller that follows a newspaper journalist who returns to her small and slightly odd hometown to report on a series of brutal murders. Bonfire follows Abby Williams an environmental lawyer who returns to her small and slightly odd hometown to investigate a scandal. Sounding familiar so far?

Both focus on teenage girls running wild in a small American town from the POV of an unreliable narrator with an entire suitcase of personal problems, from a troublesome family, a morally ambiguous love interest and alcohol consumption bordering on addition.

However, that's not to say it wasn't thrilling to read. Like Sharp Objects it's a gripping and at times uncomfortable read, letting the action pick up pace before hurtling to slightly predictable outcome.

Personally I found Flynn's novel more accomplished and would recommend it over this, but this tale isn't without merits if you manage to pick it up for a quick read.

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