Ignite the Sun: Book Review

• 1 star: Did not finish
• 2 Stars: Finished but do not recommend
• 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
• 4 Stars: Loved this book!
• 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.

Ignite the Sun is a really solid debut YA title that shows a lot of promise for the

Let’s start with the ways this really worked for me. I loved the concept of this book and its allegorical approach to anxiety and depression. The idea of light versus darkness came through loud and clear. The sun became the heroine’s source of power, forcing her to seek out the light to make it through her trials. Siria uses her greatest fear, the light, as her ultimate catalyst, giving her the strength to overcome the kindom’s great evil.

The Issues

I want to prove in a few points why I liked the book but thought there could be improvement.

The concept of the story was incredibly vivid, but a lot of the most visceral and action packed scenes weren’t explored as they could have been. The descriptions of light and darkness, the colors, the water powers, all were painting a beautiful picture. Then, a challenge would come and more often than not, Siria passed out. Since the story was told through her POV, we wake up with her in the aftermath, but miss the action. As each of the encounters worked well for the overall story, I would have liked to experience them.

I loved Siria’s character arc, as I was a big fan of her by the end, but I felt the beginning took too long to develop. It almost seemed liked this concept was intended for a series rather than a standalone novel. It took so long for me to invest in Siria, mostly because she took so long to come to terms with her powers that I almost felt whiplash from how quickly she accepted them and began mastering. In a series, I feel this could have been explored at the correct pace.

Along the same lines, Ignite the Sun needed a longer final confrontation. This is a compliment, because I really liked the ending, but needed more from it. I wanted to be spend more time there, inside of that battle, watching Siria fight for her future. The emotional toll of the ending was perfectly on point, but with a little expansion could have had an even greater impact.

Conclusion

So, all in all, I really did like this book. Such an interesting concept and would be perfect for people who enjoy dystopian YA, as its a solid addition to this ever increasing genre.