Book Review: Playing With Fire

*I received this book as an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm speechless.

For starters, I am blown away by how this story was inspired by a true story - the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017.  Second, Henry really did her homework to make the scenes as realistic as possible... and, trust me, it was a crazy amount of homework.

This book was featured in one of the emails I received from Netgalley and was listed under the mystery/thriller genre, but if there's a survival genre, I'd put it there instead.  Yes, this story most certainly was a thrill (because what could possibly go wrong next?!) but it wasn't too much of a mystery which what I was bracing for most.  Therefore, I was not prepared for the literature ride Henry was about to take me on.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, nor did I have time to envision what they look like, because I was more concerned about whether or not they were all going to make it out alive.  Add a dog to the mix and you already know if something goes awry with the pup, I'm going to give up on the book.  However, with this book, I don't know if I could stop reading if I tried.  I had a 30 minute cardio workout on the treadmill and I extended the time to keep reading... this is coming from a girl who hates cardio.

As more of Natalia's backstory was revealed, I became more invested... and heartbroken.  Seriously, Henry shows her characters no mercy.  (That might be a slight exaggeration, but read the book and you'll see what I mean).  The main detail that stuck out to me the most is how Natalia takes all these emergency response classes to be prepared and feel more in control per her therapist's advice.  It makes me think of driving in the snow in Wisconsin with four wheel drive - just having it makes you feel more confident.  And even if she didn't entirely feel confident, her skills helped her come across as confident in the countless high stress situations she and the other characters endure on their journey to safety.

Clearly, I can't shut up about this book.  For readers who enjoyed Hatchet and Into the Wild, you'll want to get your hands on a copy of Playing with Fire.

Playing with Fire was released January 19, 2021.  It is available to purchase through major retailers, or my personal favorite book distributor, Bookshop.  Buy through Bookshop, support local bookstores!