Riley's Fire

Riley's Fire took on a feeling of experience as the book began with Riley's semi-conscious awareness after being severely burned over most of his body. Riley's narration of his experience seemed very real as he described his surgeries and baths by Jackson and Johnson. Every character in the book had a unique quality and impressed Riley in a different way. His response to each character was very typical of a boy his age. Each character, in turn, was very real and very imaginable. Once I began reading this book I became a part of the whole experience. Very few books can accomplish this as much as Riley's Fire. The ending tied in the whole story to offer great wisdom and truth through a Christ like figure named Andy.

This book is written in the point of view of a seven-year old burn victim from the time he is admitted at the burn center and is finally well enough to be released to go back home. I found the book to be well-written, providing insight into a world we hardly see and the ways tragedy can effect more than what is visible and physical. The reader is placed in Riley's shoes, as he progresses from being barely conscious to becoming aware of his surroundings to ever-so slowly regaining his health. It is only later in the book that we learn how seriously Riley had been injured and was recovering. The characters in this book are taken for a ride by life that no one would have ever have asked for and the book portrays the different ways these tragic events have had an effect and the different ways those involved react, some of them maybe even more tragic than the event itself. When reading this book, I am reminded of a boy I went to school with, who was a burn victim, and how when I first saw him, I was deathly afraid. This book explores this topic very well, how the victims can look like monsters, even to themselves, but are still very much human and very much in need of basic human needs. Despite being a tear-jerker and sad, I enjoyed reading this book and I am especially struck by the book's portrayal of the will us humans have to survive despite odds and mounting obstacles.

Despite the sad subject and setting of this book, I felt uplifted by young Riley's spirit and his acceptance of his life and the people in it. I loved his little-boyness; for me, Byrd's Riley is one of the best drawn child characters since the children in To Kill A Mockingbird. Others characters were interesting or disturbing; I'd surely love to see a sequel to Riley's Fire. The ending was a bit too much of a surprise for me, but a surprise, nonetheless!

I was deeply impressed by the author's ability to get inside the head of a child living through an almost unspeakable tragedy. Riley, despite the gravity of his injuries, is still first and foremost a child, preoccupied with concerns he shares with all children his age: the need for love, the need for understanding, and the desperate need for order in a word suddenly turned upside down. Author Lee Merrill Byrd's Riley transports the reader inside this child's world, and it's a journey that ought not to be missed.

This was a sad book but I enjoyed reading it. The topic was a difficult one and I learned a lot about burn victims. By seeing it through the eyes of the child, it made it easier for me to absorb the horror of what was taking place. I felt the mother's pain and total exhaustion in dealing with this situation. This book left me feeling hopeful for Riley and his family.