We are the ashes, we are the fire by Joy McCullough

 

Em Morales’s older sister was raped by another student after a frat party. A jury eventually found the rapist guilty on all counts–a remarkable verdict that Em felt more than a little responsible for, since she was her sister’s strongest advocate on social media during the trial. Her passion and outspokenness helped dissuade the DA from settling for a plea deal. Em’s family would have real justice.

But the victory is lived. In a matter of minutes, justice vanishes as the judge turns the Morales family’s world upside down again by sentencing the rapist to no prison time. While her family is stunned, Em is literally sick with rage and guilt. To make matters worse, a news clip of her saying that the sentence “makes me want to use a fucking sword” goes viral.

From this low point, Em must find a new reason to go on and help her family heal, and she finds it in the unlikely form of the story of a 15th-century French noblewoman, Marguerite de Bressieux, who is legendary as an avenging knight for rape victims.

We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire is a searing and nuanced portrait of a young woman torn between a persistent desire for revenge and a burning need for hope.

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I'm struggling to write this review, because I'm not quite sure how I feel about this novel.

As was noted on a recent review, I hate that books like this keep being necessary. Because of course it is necessary, because things like this happen all the time, even nowadays. It's awful and hideous and unfair. 

I hesitate to say that I enjoyed this, just because of the subject matter. But I did enjoy it. The characters are great and the writing flows, especially in the Marguerite sections. I loved the illustrations there as well, especially a lovely spread of the girls helping each other into armour.

There were a couple of times I didn't like Em very much, but I always understood her and what was going through her mind. Overall, I want to be like her when I grow up. 

We are the ashes, we are the fire publishes on the 9th February, 2021.