Review: Nothing Left To Burn, Heather Ezell

contemporary, , , 70 Comments

There are no spoilers in this review.

There are so many amazing debuts being released in 2018 and Nothing Left To Burn was one that I was eagerly anticipating. I kind of screamed and cried when I found out that I won a giveaway for this book over on twitter, hosted by the author herself. I’m still screaming to be honest, because you all should read this book, and here’s why.

A COMPELLING STORY-TELLING

💭

I wouldn’t even know where to start with this book. The story takes place in California, over the course of 24 hours, as a wildfire is spreading, yet it’s also punctuated by flashbacks, moments that are absolutely vital to understand what is happening in the present and, most especially, what could be happening inside Audrey’s head.

I am a huge fan of these kind of storytelling and let me tell you right here, right now – Nothing Left To Burn is the kind of book I want to write. When you’re reading the synopsis, the first few pages, you’re probably not thinking much of it, yet… as the words fly in front of your eyes, the tension, the truth and the lies, everything is slowly unfolding in front of your eyes and you can’t help it – at least, I couldn’t -, you are deep. Deep into the book you’ll want to read in one sitting.

Nothing Left To Burn is a compelling, fascinating book that reads itself like you’d do a puzzle. You have all the pieces in your hands, but you need to put it together, piece by piece, slowly realizing what has happened in the past, what is happening in the present and everything else. It was brilliant, really.

COMPLEX, AMAZING CHARACTERS

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The strength of this book, however, truly resides in its characters and how fleshed-out each of them are, especially our main character, Audrey. She was such a complex, flawed, human character, I couldn’t help but root for her, feel for her, wanting to understand her at best. The author allows us to explore Audrey’s deepest emotions, thoughts and desires, wants, needs and struggles in such a natural way, woven flawlessly into the story. I could really feel everything for this main character and I loved it.

Aside from Audrey, we also get a great cast of side-characters, especially Grace, her amazing best friend, always there and supportive and overall this amazing (and bisexual, yay) best friend. There’s also Hayden, Grace’s brother, basically my little glasses cinnamon roll. Wait. I don’t like cinnamon. My little croissant. I’m being very French. There is also an important place for the family in this story, especially a strong relationship between Audrey and her little sister. How protective Audrey was of her little sister, how she thought of her, just everything about their relationship made me. so. so. SOOO happy.

OVERALL

💭

I am not going to talk about this book in details, because I wouldn’t want to give out any spoilers to anyone here. The only little downside to this story was that I kind of guessed part of it, which made me a bit sad but didn’t take away any of the brilliance of it or my enjoyment for this.

Nothing Left To Burn definitely is a book to add on your TBRs, to read right now, if you are into compelling read, past/present narrations and compelling, fascinating reads, really, just read this book. It tackles toxic relationships, mental health, dreams, what you want to do and who you want to be, it’s gripping from page one and what was I saying, seriously just.read.THIS.BOOK.

Final rating:  5 drops…oh damn it, a hurricane!

Trigger warning: this book deals with an abusive relationship.

Heather Ezell, Nothing Left To Burn,  Published by Razorbill, March, 13th, 2018.

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The autumn morning after sixteen-year-old Audrey Harper loses her virginity, she wakes to a loud, persistent knocking at her front door. Waiting for her are two firemen, there to let her know that the moment she’s been dreading has arrived: the enormous wildfire sweeping through Orange County, California, is now dangerously close to her idyllic gated community of Coto de Caza, and it’s time to evacuate.

Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, as Audrey wrestles with the possibility of losing her family home, she also recalls her early, easy summer days with Brooks, the charming, passionate, but troubled volunteer firefighter who enchants Audrey–and who is just as enthralled by her. But as secrets from Brooks’s dark past come to light, Audrey can’t help but wonder if there’s danger in the pull she feels–both toward this boy, and toward the fire burning in the distance.

Did you read Nothing Left To Burn? Do you want to?

Do you like complex stories with past / present narratives mixed-up? Let me know in comments!

Posted by

Book blogger, travel blogger, writer. 📚 |🌍 | 💞 Writing & Communications Graduate. French. Living on love, wanderlust and ya books.

70 thoughts on “Review: Nothing Left To Burn, Heather Ezell”

  2. Wow this sounds amazing! I actually didn’t use to like non-chronological books but after I read a whole bunch last year, they’ve kind of grown on me. And this takes place over 24 hours? I’ve only ever read one other book like that and I really liked the concept (admittedly, I didn’t like the rest of the book but for different reasons). This is definitely going on my TBR! Lovely review, Marie!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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    1. Oh yay this makes me so happy, Laura ❤ It really is a brilliant book and I love the fact that it takes place in such a short time. I really hope you will read and love it 🙂 x Thank you so much!! 🙂

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  3. Another book great book, another book to add to my amazon wish list, lmfaoo! I’m trying to get through a lot of the books I already own before buying new ones, but I will get through this one eventually! Great review, you got me super excited for it 🙂 xxx

    Melina | melinaelisa.com

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    1. Aww this makes me so happy! I get it, I always try to get through a lot of my books beore buying new ones, as well. I can’t wait for you to read it though, I hope you will enjoy it 🙂 thank you, Melina 😀 x

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    1. Oh I get it, but you have nothing to worry about here – there are chapters dealing with the past and chapters with the present so it was easy to know where we stand 😀 I hope you will give this one a try sometime 😀 Thank you so much!! ❤ ❤

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  6. On the one hand I am VERY intrigued by this, because your review of it sounds amazing and with such great characters, but after last summer, I am not sure I want to read about the wildfires. They SUCKED so much! I had multiple friends affected by it and let me tell you, even though I was safe in Vancouver, the air was horrid and there was no escaping the ash and heaviness and smoke.

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    1. Oh no, that must have been terrible :/ I completely get it – even without having experienced wildfires or having one close to me ever, I could really feel the tense atmosphere and ashes and smoke in this story…. both metaphorically and for real haha. I completely understand if you’re not feeling up to reading that one! ❤ Thank you so much for your sweet comment ❤

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  7. OH MY GOD, I’m so excited! I just posted my review of this today too, and I’m so happy someone else has read this!!! HOW CRAZY WAS THIS BOOK?!?! You THINK you know what you’re getting when you read the synopsis, but then it tuns out to be completely different, and amazing, and thrilling, and heart wrenching, and and… Lol. The way this was written and formatted was BEAUTIFUL. Ugh, so good.

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    1. AHHH I am so happy you read it as well! I feel like it’s not as hyped as it should be, it was such a brilliant and addictive book! ❤ ❤ I'm so glad you loved it, too! And wasn't Hayden the sweeteeest. ❤ thank you so much for your sweet comment ❤ ❤

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    1. There wasn’t a map in the book itself, I received a map as well as the book as part of the giveaway I won – I wish the map was in the book itself as well though, that would be super helpful to everyone, have to agree with you on that! :p

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  10. I haven’t read it yet but you just convinced me to add it to my TBR! I love past/present books and the most important for me to enjoy a book are precisely the characters. If they are fleshed out, complex etc. it will be 4 stars minimum. I’m so happy you won this book Marie!

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    1. Oh this makes me so happy! Past/present narratives are my favorite kind, I can’t wait for you to discover this one, I hope you will love it 🙂
      Thank you so much! 🙂

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  12. Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one! It’s one of my most anticipated reads and I’m definitely picking it up as soon as I’m in the mood to start reading Contemporary again. I’m kind of in a Fantasy binge right now and on a roll but hopefully, I’ll get around to reading it soon! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. Such a great review! ❤
    This book is so beautiful and that map, wow! *heart eyes all the way*
    I'm so happy for you that you won this giveaway and that you enjoyed the book so much, it sounds great! I love when flashbacks are involved too and when you have to put pieces together to know what happened.
    I hope I get to read this one soon as well because it sounds very intriguing!

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    1. Thank you so, so much!! And you really are my twin ahah, we seem to love all of the same things in books?! ❤ I love flashbacks so much and this book really was beautiful, it was intriguing from beginning to end. I hope you will read it someday 🙂 x
      Thank you so much!! ❤

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  15. This sounds like a great book Marie, but what’s made me want to add it to my to-read list is how much you loved it and your rating for it too. The fact that this is the kind of book you want to write is high praise indeed so I’m definitely going to add this to my to-read list. I do enjoy character driven stories if they’ve been written right, same goes for stories that are told both in the present day and the past, and it seems like Nothing Left to Burn was written brilliantly.
    Great review, and I’m really glad you enjoyed this one especially considering it was a release you were really excited for. 🙂 ❤

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  16. I have really been wanting to read this book, and now you tell me it’s a hurricane. Boom. A must read now. I am also a fan of the flashback structure and quite enjoying collecting the pieces as I try to figure out what really happened. Great review!

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  21. Yay for this five star read! And omg, I love your pictures and the cover in general. It has a great color scheme! This one sounds like it features awesome characters (love it when they’re fleshed out), and that it’s fascinating in general. Wonderful review, and thanks for putting it on my radar!

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    1. Aww thank you so much Aila, I’m so happy you liked my review and pictures! ❤ It was such an awesome, intense read – I hope you will get the chance to read it as well and enjoy it 🙂

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  22. This book looks amazing! I added to my TBR, and I hope I can read it soon. 🙂 I LOVE it when siblings have strong relationships in books and when they are protective of each other, it just makes me so incredibly happy! I’m excited for that part of it hehe. Great review!

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  23. Oh wow, this book really looks amazing. Your review made me want to read it though sadly I hadn’t heard about it. But now I know to add it to my TBR 😀
    And congrats on winning this in a giveaway 🙂 And I think it’s been a while you have given a book 5 stars? I am so happy you enjoyed this book too much 🙂

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  24. Incredible review Marie!! What a compliment to say this is the kind of book you want to write!! Actually I probably wouldn’t be interested in this at all if I hadn’t read your review! So I’m SUPER GLAD you won it in a giveaway! I’ve won a sum total of 1 book giveaway in my life and it was an old ARC from a blogger… so its exciting you’ve won 2 already! (And surely more to come!) ❤

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    1. Aw thank you so much, Dani! I’m so glad if I could put this book on your radar, it really deserves much more love than it’s currently getting, it was amazing! 🙂
      Ahaah I get it, I am not that lucky with giveaways either so I’m thrilled that I won that one!! 😀
      Thank you! 🙂

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  27. It sounds like a good book, but sadly it’s not on Overdrive. I have been reading the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It does have complex stories with time travel. I’m on the last book of the series which makes me sad and relieved.

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