This is a debut novel full of secrets. I felt as though the book lacked direction. The characters felt very superficial.

I'm unsure, honestly, how to feel about this book. The two plots were handled really well. but the themes of grief and familial ties were, at times, a bit difficult and dense. It took a lot to get through and sit with, which makes it, conversely, a book that I'll think about for a long time.
I found that the characters were compelling, and I sympathised with most of them.
The plot and overarching themes were also handed well. And the …. I think, texture, or language, or however you'd like to think of it - was rich, and strong and wonderful and perfect for the story. I have, really enjoyed this book, and have already been telling people to read it.

Beautiful writing, with a great, strong sense of setting. I failed to connect with a lot of this story and I don't think a lot <i>happens</i>, which was disappointing. Ultimately, I felt like -- for me, at least -- the emotional heft of this story didn't quite hit. But Sophie Jai had a lyrical quality to her writing which I really enjoyed. This was an interesting debut and I hope there's only better ahead for her, because I think with some work she could really flourish.

I am providing this review and an average three star rating to clear it off my shelf - thank you for providing me with a copy, and I will not share any reviews.

Honestly, I was a little confused throughout this novel. I cannot really understand all that happened in the book. I am not sure if it is my fault for that fact that it just did not compute with my brain or is it some of the confusing lay out of the novel. Overall, I did like the character Cassandra and the general essence of the book. I just wished it was told in a more linear way.

I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book - learning about the family & the ways in which they deal with grief. I found also the tension & struggles to be really realistic - the atmosphere throughout the book was so tense & uncomfortable & that was brilliantly done, however for me it was too slow moving & I struggled to connect with the protagonist.

Unfortunately I didn't connect with the characters in the book, they were interesting to read about but the jumps in the timeline made it hard to follow. The main focal point of the story is the funeral, and grief, but this did become jumbled with the jumps. There were vivid descriptions given and an interesting writing style, but not one I would read again.

I enjoyed this book and thought the author has a beautiful writing style. I felt like the book revealed enough secrets to keep you reading but I liked that even at the end there was still more to be uncovered. A believable and thrilling take on a dysfunctional family dynamic.

The writing in this book is so captivating ! It paints such a vivid picture that I could not stop reading once I had started.
I would highly recommend

Thank you so much to the author and publishers for this wonderful read

I tried to power through with this book but unfortunately couldn’t finish. The premise sounds like it’s right up my street so disappointing.

Wow - Wild Fires will stick with me for a long time!

A huge theme of grief, written in a very effecting way.

Had heard mixed things about this one, and unfortunately I fell into the camp of being on the lower side - just didn’t think there was enough there to propel me through.

Although the pace could've been faster, I was absolutely enthralled with this family saga.
I am excited to see what comes next for Jai.

"There blackness brought to light emotions she had not yet known slept within - where in her heart had these devious darknesses hid? It is almost futile to use words for that thing which words evade, to shape what has no shape, to that which the body simultaneously contains and expels. Any effort to structure it begins failing; it has no boundaries, it does not colour within the lines. This thing is grief, and grief is like an inside joke: you have to have been there to really get it".

TW: death of a child, grief.

I don't know what I expected, but Wild Fires delivered considerably past my expectations. On the surface, the book follows Cassandra as she returns home to join her family following the passing of a relative. Connected by blood and physically together, their history of unspoken open secrets and the grief attributed to their familial fractures.

Jai makes the reader work for it. She gives nothing away easily, imploring the reader to delve into the history of the family, understanding who every single person is, and where they fall into the winding history of Chevy's life and death. She goes into painstaking detail emphasising how sister played a part in the others lives, where circumstances were so difficult, that one "could have been cruel...vile...turned hysterical and run into the wild never to return and no one would have blamed her". Just like life, however, there was no smooth resolution, no happy ending, no perfectly rounded up ending where everyone gets what they deserve.

Instead, the reader has the opportunity to experience true grief in real time along with the characters. Through those who have lost a family member, a lover, the anonymity of an unspoken secret and the innocence of distance from the event. It's rare to read a story where you can dive so deep, and if I'm honest - there were moments where I wasn't sure if I had it in me. But I enjoyed the prose, the bleak, honest look at lives unfairly impacted by others without a second thought.

Thank you SO much NetGalley for this Arc.

i am going to be completely honest here, i could not tell you what happened in this book apart from the funeral and the theme of grief. i felt really detached from the story and struggled to connect with the characters, which is such a shame as this could be such a powerful debut with the main theme of grief.

but what i will say is this, sophie jai can WRITE. her writing style is so beautiful and poignant, but it is such a shame that her plot lacked for me. it was just too confusing for follow and felt a little bit mismatched at times. maybe there is less of plot because grief is a part of life and there is nothing else to it? (sorry my analytical skills are coming out here).

if you prefer character driven novels rather than plot driven, then this is definitely a book you will enjoy. even though this book was not personally my cup of tea, i am still very excited to see what sophie jai does next and will keep an eye out for her in the future.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for access to this in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, due to a death in my extended family at the time, this was unable to be downloaded before the deadline. However, the opportunity was much appreciated.

A book that tackles grief and loss. Not the happiest of subjects, but this book is so well written you won't want to put it down.
Highly recommended.

Sadly, this wasn't the book for me. I was super hyped to have received it, but from the first moment I started reading it, I knew it wouldn't be for me. I'm the kind of reader that knows, usually, right off the bat, if the writing style will lure me in and keep me hooked, or whether I'm not going to click with the style and have a rough time while reading.

I'm saying this fully aware that this isn't a general fault of the author by any means, it's just my personal preference. I found that I was often times confused because the story was kind of all over the place. It felt chaotic reading this, to the point where my brain couldn't settle down, soak it all in and begin to FEEL something.

I felt like the story was missing something... It wasn't particularly memorable; I remember all my family drama books. But I also feel like the book had potential because the blurb really caught my attention. Unfortunately, the blurb was great but the story wasn't what I expected it to be.

Once again, I can see how someone might like this, but it's not the book for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a well written book, but I just didn't connect with it. The plot and themes weren't strong enough to keep me invested. Based on the blurb this book should have been right up my street, and the hype supported that too, but ultimately in didn't live up to my expectations.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the setting & food in Trinidad.

I really wanted to enjoy the rest but I found the plot lacking direction & leaving me with to many unanswered questions.