Book Review: Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott

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Salt & Stone
Fire & Flood #2
Author: Victoria Scott
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: February 24th 2015
Review Source: Scholastic Press

In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

Guess who loves this series? Shannon loves this series. Now that we’ve established the obvious, let’s get down to business. So we’re back at the Brimstone Bleed, a race for survival, a race to save a life. The contenders are to race through the four ecosystems, jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain and be the first person at the end to get the one and only cure of their loved one. In Fire & Flood our contenders have survived through the jungle and desert, with just two more to go anything could happen, anyone could win, and not everyone will cross the finish line.

You know what I love best about this series? Tella Holloway. The way Scott writes her makes her so believable as a teenager, I found her annoying at times, and even stronger in others. She loves fiercely and her heart is unbelievably huge. She is not only fighting for a cure for her brother, Cody, but she’s fighting for her friends in the Brimstone Bleed, and the Pandoras.

Speaking of the Pandoras, they are probably my second favorite thing about this series, Guy Chambers is in a close running, but the Pandoras win. For genetically altered/made they have such a strong personality and a true presence in the story. If they weren’t around our contenders wouldn’t have a shot at even finishing the race, let along actually winning.

This is a series that should definitely be checked out by any fan of young adult survival stories, dystopian, or The Hunger Games. The characters are fun, strong, and real. They’re not perfect, they make mistakes, and dwell on things that shouldn’t be, but overall they’re true.

Check out my review for Fire & Flood, book 1.

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In case you missed it during the holidays, This is Teen & Victoria Scott shared a video where she reads the 1st chapter from Salt & Stone! Enjoy!!!

Book Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

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Fire & Flood
Fire & Flood #1
Author: Victoria Scott
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: February 25th 2014
Review Source: Scholastic Press

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Fire & Flood totally took me by surprise, in a good way. Tella Holloway, a 16 year old girl, who has the chance to save her brother’s life. Tella’s family has moved from Boston to the middle of nowhere in Montana so that her very sick brother, Cody, can have the fresh air. Cody is dying and the doctors have no idea what is making him so ill. Until one faithful day a gift has arrived telling Tella she has a chance to save her brother and obtain the Cure. She must enter the Brimstone Bleed, a race to survive through four terrains; jungle, desert, mountain, and ocean.

I absolutely fell in love with Tella from the very beginning, her personality is so big and bright it just grabs you straight from the page. She isn’t painted as a heroine, at first, she’s just a normal 16 year old girl, but very headstrong. When she finds out there is a chance to save her brother’s life she doesn’t hesitate and heads straight to the join the Brimstone Bleed. Before the race begins each contestant gets a Pandora, an egg, which hatches when the race begins. The Pandora is their biggest source of protection throughout the race. Tella’s Pandora turns out to be just as entertaining as she is. I would love to see this movie be optioned for film just so I can see the Pandora’s in real life.

Eventually Tella finds a group of contestants that are traveling the race together and plan on splitting up at the end of the race, but can she really trust these people? Everyone is here to save someone they love and who knows if they’ll take all the necessary precautions to obtain the Cure.

So generally I would definitely recommend this, especially if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games. Tella’s personality is what drew me in, but then everything begins to unfold during the Brimstone Bleed making you want more. I know I cannot wait to find out what happens in the sequel to Fire & Flood and what they’ll uncover.