FDL Reads: The Fireman

The Fireman by Joe Hill

Reviewed by: David Gibbons, Volunteer

Genre: Horror, Audiobook

Suggested Age: Adults

What is the book about?: Living in a burnt out dystopia can be rough, and it only gets worse when you have to deal with the effects of being several months pregnant. This is the situation Harper Willows finds herself in as she escapes her righteously abusive husband after contracting the “dragonscale” plague. Nearly always resulting in spontaneous human combustion, this plague makes its victims’ skin erupt with delicate black lines not unlike elaborate tattoos. Rescued by the enigmatic Fireman and his cohorts from a society’s fear induced sociopathic culling, Harper flees to a summer camp turned refugee commune where she finds renewed purpose. But just as every bright light casts a shadow the camp’s darker side reveals itself as Harper begins to learn more about dragonscale and its implications as the true natures of those around her show for better and worse.

My Review: One part Michael Crichton and two parts Margret Atwood, The Fireman is a bright burning magenta phoenix in the beige landscape that dystopia fiction is starting to become. Taking an idea that is on its surface completely absurd, a disease that causes it’s carriers to spontaneously combust, Hill manages to make the premise very believable. While not always sympathetic, the diverse cast of characters are at times very extreme in their beliefs and actions but never become two dimensional tropes. Rather, you find that each is desperately hanging onto a core belief. Harper’s need to stay positive and protect those she loves (including her unborn child) are regularly tested, and rather than coming off as a “Pollyanna” she feels like someone who is toughened but not broken. Her husband clings to his own sense of superiority as do those he falls in with. Even the  over use of pop culture references hint at characters’ needs to hold to the idea of a better world.

This book has been compared by many to The Stand, which I honestly feel is a bit unfair. When boiled down, the similarities amount to its length and the fact that both involve a plague. While The Stand reads as more of a quasi-religious tome where things happen by divine right, this story feels more like a well researched sci-fi novel that moves at a rapid fire pace. If any comparisons to other books could be implied a good choice would be Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

Story: 4/5
Audio: 3/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!