My review of Fire and Flood

Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1) by Victoria Scott
Release Date: March 6, 2014
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Tella's brother is dying. He's got cancer, and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thought. When an invitation arrives for Tella to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn't think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness. But Tella will be facing more than just the elements.

In a selective competition where the winner can win a cure to any illness for a member of their family, no one's going to give up very easily. Fire and Flood is jam-packed full of action and  romance set it two breathtaking landscapes that fulfilled and tempted me for more. 

Tella is at the Brimstone Bleed for her brother. She has accepted her place within the competition for a chance to win him a cure to his cancer. The competition involves the competitors to survive four different landscapes. To help through each landscape, you are given a "Pandora", which is basically our equivalent of a pokemon. I especially loved Tella's Pandora "Madox"  who is absolutely adorable and was just the perfect companion.

I really liked the idea for Fire and Flood despite all the talk of it being a rip-off of The Hunger Games. Yes, sure, when you look at it at a certain angle it seems like it's another book about competing in a corrupt system, blahblah. But, like all stories, there are its own quirks, differences, and unique spins and surprises. I thoroughly loved the idea of "Pandoras" and having lots of different landscapes to compete in.

I didn't mind Tella, but I've read so many reviews that raved about how hard she was to like. I found her relatively relatable. She is spurred on by the thought of saving her brother, and yes, she worries about how she looks sometimes. I don't know about you, but I'm a teenage girl and the thought would cross my mind every once in a while too, especially if there's a gorgeous guy in my presence. And it's not even like the whole book was her spent talking about how dirty she was, they were off-hand comments, brief thoughts. But overall, I liked her . I liked her compassion that she shows for not only people but the animals/Pandoras too. 

The love interest, Guy, is a pretty cool guy. ;) I thought he was an interesting character, and I always wanted to find out more about him. I will admit that the romance between him and Tella did happen quite fast, but I didn't mind too much. The romance didn't take over the story so you still got your taste of action, mystery and a whole load of excitement. 

I would definitely recommend Fire and Flood to those who like The Hunger Games, The Testing, or even The Selection, because even if this novel does not measure up to them you would of still had a enjoyable reading experience, much like I did and that's why I'm rating it so highly. I believe that the series has a lot more to give and so do the characters. There is plenty more room for the characters to develop, grow, and show more of themselves.

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