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Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult

My Rating: 4.5 stars

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ignite by Danielle Rogland is a dystopian book. It follows the story of Jacks who has been living on the streets of London Ruins as a pickpocket ever since her parents were killed by the Empire. The Empire is the ruler of London Ruins. Jacks discovers the Flames while they are carrying out a mission and eventually joins them. The Flames is a rebel group who carries out missions against the Empire.  

First of all, huge thanks to Inkitt for sending me a hard copy of this book for review. I really liked the cover as well. It was simple but reflected the inside of the book.

Plot

It has been a long time since I read a Dystopian book so I was really excited read this. I didn’t know much about the book and didn’t have very high expectations. However, I didn’t know I was in for a surprise. I was hooked within a few pages and the book immediately got very exciting. It was very well paced- not very fast and not very slow. It was very easily readable and I constantly wanted to know what would happen next. The plot is very interesting. I loved the concept of a group of teenagers rebelling against a cruel government. Something was constantly happening throughout the book. It is not very emotional and I liked that. Also, the book has a perfect balance of a well-structured plot and character development. It had great plot twists as well. The story is told in multiple perspectives which were done very well. There’s also an element of mystery in the book. First, we don’t know what happened with Jacks and her previous gang. Then there comes another rebellious group that secretly helps the flames.

The Flames is a rebel group who are revolting against the Empire. I loved how they were so brave and selfless. They were working to protect the people from the brutality of the Empire. They were extremely smart, efficient and very courageous. They were a team. I really cared for them and was worried about them. I had actually been looking for books with a group of close friends for a long time and I was really glad this book had that.

Writing

The writing was quite simple. It wasn’t bad but it wasnt anything special either. The book would’ve been my perfect read if the writing was a little different. Still, it was fast paced and I could read the book quickly.

Characters

The story starts with Jacks. I really felt bad for her. Her parents were murdered in front of her own eyes by the Empire’s agents and she was now living alone on the streets with practically nothing. In the beginning, Jacks is very reluctant to get involved with the Flames. She’s scared and confused and she doesn’t want to be a rebel again. She doesn’t come off as a very strong character in the beginning but she does get braver as the story progresses.

I thought Jacks’ personality was very realistic. She is brave but she isn’t heroic. She doesn’t just jump into dangerous situations and risk her life like a lot of YA protagonists we see. There is a little character development of hers but I would’ve liked to see more.

Zira was probably my favorite character. She the leader of the Flames. She was very strong and brave but also very guarded. She is very cautious of Jacks and doesn’t trust her in the beginning. I liked that Zira eventually starts trusting Jacks and they even bond a little. I was really rooting for her throughout the book. She was the most complicated and well structured character. Her strength and bravery were very admirable. She appears to be cold but she is also extremely selfless and cares a great deal about her friends. She absolutely hates the Empire and is a real rebel. I loved that we got to know so much about her.

Corry is another member of the Flames and the closest to Zira. He cares a lot about her and that makes him a little reckless.

I loved Jeremy! He was funny and added some lightness to the book. I loved the budding friendship between him and Jacks and I shipped them instantly.

The romance is this book was very different than any book I’ve read before. This was because the people who are actually compatible come together in this book. This was different because usually in books, opposites attract more towards each other. It was very refreshing to see this.

Overall Verdict

I liked this book more than I thought I would. It really felt good to read a fun YA book after a long time.It is done very cleverly. There were no YA cliches. Towards the end. it also gets a bit more emotion driven.

Also, I think the blurb is a little misleading. From reading it, we come to believe that Jacks is the main character but it is not exactly that way. There’s more of Zira in the book- her backstory and her role in the overall plot.

Despite the gloomy tone of the book, I had a lot of fun reading it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves YA and wants to read something refreshing. It is a great fast-paced, action-packed and exciting dystopian novel. This book does not only have a good plot but it is also carried out very well. The pace was perfect. It is a great start to what I think could be an amazing series. This book is a page-turner and the most enjoyable book I’ve read in a while.