Brash. Brazen. Bossy. Hussy.

I just finished We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire by Joy McCullough and it is fiercely beautiful and heartbreaking. Em is the biggest champion and loudest voice when it comes to defending her sister, Nor, a victim of rape by the campus big shot. Just when it seems as if they’ve made progress with a guilty verdict, the judge hands down a hand slap of a sentence to the monster that assaulted Nor. Another kick in the face, not only to Nor but to all the women who’ve been victims and hoped to see justice done in the never-ending violence and forbearance of the rape culture.

Full of disappointment and disgust, Em quits writing for the school newspaper and advocating for other victims and then she reconnects with Jess. Jess introduces Em to the legend of Marguerite de Bressieux, a 15th century French woman who is known for avenging rape victims. Em begins writing poetry about Marguerite to which Jess illustrates and so begins a sort of dual narrative with parts written in free verse/prose.
I think this is a book for the times and not meant to be a feel-good book but to be more of an eye-opener to what has become accepted. It’s a book about family and friends, about supporting each other, about every negative feeling we have that we don’t know what to do with and finding a way to cope with these feelings through positive interactions and fighting the system that would hold you down.

I’ll probably go back and reread this again at some point because this is the type of book that I know I’ll find new meanings in, every time I read it

This was very far off from what I normally read and I think that’s why I didn’t love it... The story was good but not something I would ever pick up on my own. Very different.

We Are the Ashes, We Are the the Fire is a heartbreaking, powerful story that alternates between prose and verse. It follows a teenage girl named Marianne (Em) Morales as she navigates the aftermath of her sister Elinor (Nor) being raped at a frat party at her college. I’m in my early 20s and currently a senior in college so stories about college girls being drugged and raped are nothing new to me and they hit me hard, but I attend a small liberal arts school with no Greek life scene, so I’ve always felt a degree of separation from those girls and their stories (I’d been lead to believe that such things only happen to girls who attend big state schools, one of the many reasons why I decided against attending UMass). Through Em’s eyes, I was able to see how her sister was impacted by being raped, and it was heartbreaking. Em details how Nor became a shell of the vibrant girl she knew her as, and we see how Em herself reckons with this change in her sister.

Everything is further exacerbated by the fact that Nor’s rapist is given no jail time for his offense, which lends itself to some much-needed commentary about male privilege. Again, it was a story that wasn’t new to me–I mean, I was sixteen when Chanel Miller’s victim impact statement went viral, and I remember becoming so angry when I learned that Brock Turner was sentenced to only 3 months in county jail–but I still like the angle that McCullough takes with it.

Em copes with her sister’s rape through the story of a 15th-century French noblewoman named Marguerite de Bressieux, who according to legend avenged on behalf of rape victims. Em takes it upon herself to tell Marguerite’s story, which is where the verse aspect of We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire comes in. In doing so she explores how male privilege has impacted her and the other women in her life.

Even if this book was utterly soul-crushing, I was enamored with the beautiful prose and could not put it down. I can’t recommend this book enough.

I'm not a huge fan of verse novels, but because this was about such an important topic, I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately I didn't resonate with this as much as I wanted to, and I found it hard to get into the overall style, even when it wasn't in verse. I didn't like the MC's voice, and while it's a unique perspective to give from the outside on a story like this, it just wasn't for me.

I was drawn to this book because of its stunning cover. I’ve said it time and time again. I have a weakness for beautiful covers. This story is a hard one that tackles a tricky topic. It follows Em Morales, who is dealing with the aftermath of her sister’s rape trial. Despite being found guilty, the judge lets the rapist off with time served and Em and her family have to come to terms with the decision.

The story is well written and complex. The message is heavy, and it feels like a story that’s not meant to have a happy ending or any real resolution. It’s a story about hurt and it’s full of anger.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75 stars for this book.

This was my first read of Joy McCullough’s work and I am in love with the writing, both style and prose. We have two parallel stories being told in We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire, which I found added such a great aspect to the underlying message of the book.

Em Morales is dealing with the aftermath of her sister’s rape trial and the fact that even though her rapist is found guilty, he gets no jail time and virtually no repercussions for his heinous actions. Now, not only is her sister a mess, but the stress is causing a rift between her parents. And we then have the alternate storyline of Marguerite de Bressieux told in free verse (which I adore), a French noblewoman who brutally fought and killed rapists in the fifteenth century.

Em was this ball of enraged fury and sadness in the aftermath of her sister’s trial. After being such a big advocate for her sister’s defense and public outcry for her rights, a soundbite is captured from Em which goes viral and it does not exactly help matters. But her discovery of Marguerite created a pathway for her to channel her anger into.

This was a very hard-hitting book. My heart broke for Elinor. This subject matter is always a little hard to swallow. I loved these characters, especially Em and Elinor’s parents and Em’s friend Jess. I loved the beauty in the human connections and the love you can feel in this family.

So good! I love how it gives you both verse and prose to delve deeper into the story.
This is an angry read. This is a touching read. This is an important read. This is a relevant read.