Kerosene

This is one of my favorite books. Chris Wooding definetley has some talent. He describes the characters in great detail. You become so drawn to the main character Cal, who feels left out and anti-social, you'll even start feeling the same emotions as him. Once you pick it up, it'll be hard to put back down, that's how great it is.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It was one of the best ones i ever read. the way the author displays how the boy is being over come by the need to burn things and how it causees him to actually decide to burn himself by sitting inthe middle of the gym, pure genius. this book had my on edge for hours, i couldnt put it down. If you are a pyro you really have to read this book, even if you arent a pyro you should read it.

Sure this book will not go into the depths of history, it might not even last twenty years but despite all of that it is an amazing read. It takes you into the mind of those anti-social people in our society (which I could relate to being anti-social myself). They are often labled freaks but that is unfair. It is a true picture of what we as humans often due to those anti-social people with low self esteem. We pick on them and make them do crazy things like Cal in Kerosene. Cal starts setting fires because he can find no other way out. Everyone has abused him and he feels alone and unworthy of living until Abby comes along. Abby is one of the first people to truely take an intrest into Cal and to tell him he is worth something. Of course Cal thinks that she is using him for various reasons, this also often happens in real life to those anti-social people. The book is pretty realistic. Sure setting fires everywhere might be a little extreme but besides that this is pretty much what anti-social people are like. If you want an amazing real-life read then read this book. Once you get past the drugs, alcohol and fire you will see a true portarit of what "anti-social" people are like and the true brutality of life.

I love this book it is write different then most books and I love it some ppl might thing o great a guy that likes to burn things but its so much more then that ..its about high school love pain and so much more... and the writer is just so good he makes u feel like ... u r there feeling the same way as Cal is or as Abby is... and how u just want to make everything better in his life. 2 things from the book that really made me thing was the fact that being shy can be a sickness and we as ppl don't always c that. And 2 something that Abby says that ur going to get hurt no matter what its part of life.. something along those lines. Just read and yes the beginning is a lil confusing but once u r past that.. It's really a beautiful book.

Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a refreshing change from the same old ditsy teenage books that have been floating around lately. This book is also british, and of course there's lots of weird/funny things the brit's do that are hilarious. As you can assume from the title and cover, the book is indeed about a pyromaniac, but not the type you'd expect. Cal it's some delinquent gang-banger getting a kick out of setting things on fire, he's a seriously depressed teen trying to cope with life just like any other teens who are cutters/anorexics/suicidal/ or what not. One thing this book does an excellent job of is explaining Cal's shyness; showing other teens that most shy kids aren't stuck-up, but are really just scared, lonely teens caught in a cycle of painful shyness. Woodson does a great job of showing how Cal's depression and shyness found its release in pyromania.This book is far from a classic, however. There are a few pin-prick holes in the plot, odd p.o.v. transitions, and can be a bit predictable at times. Plus, the ending was, well, not to give anything away, rather ill-fitting and not very believable. I guess you can blame it on the first attempts of a twenty-year-old writer. Honestly, though, this book is very good for a young, inexperienced author.OVER ALL:A fun, yet serious, british-cultured tale that does a superb job of analyzing the thoughts and motives of a young depressed teen. The plot isn't entirely perfect, but it's still an enjoyable and recommended read.