Girls on Fire, Robin Wasserman
Published May 17th 2016 by Harper
Hardcover, 368 pages
Girls on Fire tells the story of Hannah and Lacey and their obsessive teenage female friendship so passionately violent it bloodies the very sunset its protagonists insist on riding into, together, at any cost. Opening with a suicide whose aftermath brings good girl Hannah together with the town’s bad girl, Lacey, the two bring their combined wills to bear on the community in which they live; unconcerned by the mounting discomfort that their lust for chaos and rebellion causes the inhabitants of their parochial small town, they think they are invulnerable.
But Lacey has a secret, about life before her better half, and it’s a secret that will change everything..
Let me just say, I’m among a few black sheep on this book. I saw Michelle at That’s What She Read raving about this story of unhealthy high school friendships in the 90s and I couldn’t wait to pick it up. As one who had my share of unhealthy high school friendships in the 90s I thought this description sounded amazing. But for me, it just wasn’t.
It isn’t the writing – I thought that was great. Something about Hannah and Lacey’s story just went too far for me. It went from feeling real to just shy of ridiculous. Yes friendships are that intense as Hannah and Lacey’s was – two girls against the world. Music can be a lifeline as with Lacey’s beloved Kurt Cobain, drugs are there for experimenting and horrible things happen between teenagers. But all in all it was just too much for me – the drugs, the perception of satanism, the sex, the violence – too much!
Shannon at River City Reading has this post praising The Girls by Emma Cline and Dear Fang, With Love by Rufi Thorpe both of which I’m dying to get my hands on. It sounds like maybe these will give me the look back into the teenage girl that I wanted from Girls on Fire. If I ever get off the library hold list that is!
Thank you Harper and Edelweiss for this advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
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Gun In Act One 
I tend to steer clear of these kinds of books…not because I don’t find them affecting…but my God, I hated high school. I think that’s why I go into anything like this with a modicum of doubt. Sounds like this one crossed a line into silliness (I can only imagine), so if I jump on the bandwagon I’ll opt for the ones you mentioned from Shannon’s blog instead. Thanks for the thoughtful review, Amanda!
Yeah, if you hated high school I’d say steer clear!
Satanism! Wow. That IS hardcore. Probably going to steer clear of this one. Thanks for the heads up!
I definitely don’t get the feeling it was a you kind of book! I could be wrong but that’s my guess.
Thanks for this insight, I hadn’t yet decided whether to pick this one up and now I’ll give it a bit more side-eye.
Always the library at least!
Yours is actually the first review I have seen
Bummer! I’ve been thinking I might try this one, too. I hope The Girls or Dear Fang works a little better for you.
Me too! This one had so much potential and other readers have really liked it. I have high hopes for The Girls!
You’re not the only black sheep – I 100% agree with you! It was over the top…and every time the book switched to Lacey’s perspective, I just started to zone out. Her ramblings about god knows what drove me crazy.
So glad it wasn’t just me!
First Sarah and now you. This is a book that will not be going on my TBR list. Thanks for saving me the time!
I hope you pick up something wonderful instead!
I was pitched this book by the publicist and declined because I kind of worried it would veer into the “too much” territory. From interviews I’ve read with the author, it sounds like she was reacting against the tendency to make female characters “likeable” and steer away from their feelings of rage. But maybe she overcorrected and veered into silliness? Tricky to navigate!
That’s funny because really they weren’t that likeable I don’t think. I’ll have to keep an eye out for an interview!
I am sorry you didn’t like this one as much as I did. I guess I didn’t find it silly at all. Extreme? Yes. Silly? Not a bit. I did find it very angry, and that’s what I liked about it. As for the satanism, I feel that was tongue-in-cheek. After all, the satanism claim was solely the townspeople trying to make sense of the actions of teenagers, as if it was the only way they could understand such behavior.
Oh I totally agree the satanism was tongue-in-cheek! Somewhere it just became too much for me. I don’t know what it was, something just rubbed me the wrong way. I think there are far more reviews agreeing with you than with me though!
I’d also suggest trying Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten for another trippy book about a toxic friendship. And if you want to try Wasserman again, The Book of Blood and Shadow is a book that I have come to like more and more over the years.
Thanks! I will keep an eye out for both.
I’ve seen a handful of people be less than impressed by this one! I just can’t do books that feel inauthentically dark, or like they’re throwing things in for shock value (I’m looking at you, Chuck Palahniuk). Thanks for telling it straight!