Ren is living a perfectly ordinary life ... until she and her family get home one evening to find a fire raging through their house and the fire brigade declaring that it is not safe for anyone to enter. Ren and her family feel lucky to be alive and head to a B&B with only a few clothes that the neighbours have donated. However, as night turns to day, Ren realises that they have lost absolutely everything and life isn't quite going to be the same. They move into Ren's grandma's place with her parents living in a caravan on the driveway, but even that is tricky: her parents are desperately trying to salvage their business which they ran from their home office and are also battling with the insurance company in the hopes they will pay for their home to be rebuilt; Petie, Ren's younger brother, is struggling without Mr Softie, his cuddly bear, and Ren's grandma has so many strict rules. Ren is struggling to get used to things but doesn't feel she has anybody to talk to. She needs an outlet for her feelings.
I have always loved Cath Howe's books: they are a wonderful mix of engaging story-telling and strong messages, all rolled into plots that are immersive and incredibly relevant so I was excited when My Life On Fire arrived in the post.
You are instantly transported into Ren's world and the horrendous situation she and her family are facing. I cannot image losing everything like that; it must be heart-wrenching. Ren is trying to be strong for everyone whilst also struggling to come to terms with having everything in her world turned upside down. She doesn't fully understand why her parents are stressed and completely absorbed in work and telephone calls and, understandably, feels as though she is being ignored. Everywhere she turns, she feels as though she is being hard done to (her grandma believes that she should be more responsible; her brother is relying on her...) so when she goes back to school to discover that they are doing a project based on 'my life in a box' it seems to be the last straw. I don't want to give away the plot so I won't say any more, but on so many occasions, I wanted to reach into the book and help Ren: she is going through so much.
The book is told through dual narrative, with Caspar and Ren telling the story from their own point of view. Ren is a unique character and I loved his enthusiasm for asking questions and his honesty shine from the pages as it is this that leads him to want to get to the truth of what is happening in the classroom.
My Life On Fire is full of warmth and heart; it's a book that shows the strain that can be put on families when they least expect it and reminds us that friends can come along when you least expect them to.
Released on the 6th April, My Life On Fire is another guaranteed hit for Cath Howe and will definitely be featuring on my Waterstones display in April.
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