Cover Image: Chasing Fireflies

Chasing Fireflies

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Member Reviews

Wonderful debut novel. I enjoyed reading it and will definitely be on lookout for more by author. Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!

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I wanted to love this book so badly, it had all the building blocks for a perfect sad book, but it just kept missing the mark.

My biggest issue was the language used in the dialogue. I have honours degrees in english and journalism, but I had to google the meaning of words periodically throughout the book. It felt like a thesaurus was used just a tad too much. All in all the characters didn’t feel natural, there was always something a bit off about them, and the type of language they used contributed to this.

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4.5 stars

Sad realistic fiction. Yep, that's what this was. But was it romance? It certainly wasn't the typical YA romance novel. And in fact, this story was about much more than the story of Liam and Rainey falling in love. It was about Rainey and her sister Maverick. About being born on the wrong side of the tracks and being judged for who your parents are. As depressing as this story was (and it was pretty depressing at times), I couldn't put this down and I just had to see how it was going to end. I just didn't expect my heart to be ripped out along the way. For those of you who enjoy sad realistic YA fiction, you'll very likely approve of this one. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil the ending. But you should probably make sure you have some tissues standing by for the latter half of the book. I really loved Rainey and Liam, of course, and Maverick was an absolute ray of sunshine. I also loved Rainey's parents and while I didn't start liking Jo all that much, I did start to feel sorry for her and eventually to cheer her on.

My only criticism of this book was how little the school did to address bullying and harassment, in part because of privilege, and that a bullying incident that included sexual harassment completely ignored the sexual harassment. And as much as I know that Chase and Carson were more than just their bullying behaviors, I felt like in many ways they never truly understood how much they were responsible for their own actions. I wanted a little bit more accountability for what they did.

As a debut novel, I thought this was wonderful! Even though it felt like it was solidly YA, I felt that there was more to it than the typical YA and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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I enjoyed this one a lot. I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, so probably more like 3.5 stars but I rounded up since it's really good for a debut.

This book started out seeming like just another heart wrenching YA. I thought I knew where the plot would go but it managed to surprise me. It wasn't the typical insta-love, the characters did follow some familiar patterns but still seemed unique and the ending definitely surprised me.

I thought the characters in this were really good and ultimately what made me round up. Maverick was such a spitfire, I wished she'd played a larger part. Rainey seemed like an average high school student but caring and very important to those around her. Liam's story was interesting and I liked that he was portrayed as not being a bully or getting in trouble. The smart guy from the wrong side of town is usually a guy getting in trouble and needs a girl to realize his potential and this thankfully wasn't that same old storyline.

There's a lot of plot to this book as well. A lot of things happen and it kept my attention throughout. Although the romance is throughout, there's more going on than just that, I strangely could have used a few more scenes between Rainey and Liam to really sell their relationship because there was so much jammed into this 300 page book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It did have scenes and characters that reminded my of the typical YA tragic romances (Walk to Remember, Six Feet Apart, etc.) but it has its own voice and characters and writing to stand among those without getting lost.

* I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This book just gutted me. If there were a 6 star rating, I would give it 6 stars!

I requested this book thinking it would be a sweet, typical high school romance but this was so much more!

I loved the writing, I loved the characters and I loved the story. Were some of the people too black and white - meaning pure and good, or really bad? Sure. Did I care? Nope.

I could NOT stop reading it, and devoured it in one sitting. I giggled, and I cried. I mean ugly crying... And I closed the book saying "wow". I have that book hangover that comes from reading a book you just loved.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and to #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

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💫 Chasing Fireflies 💫
By Chloe Flower
Pub Day: October 25, 2021

For anyone who loves a good YA novel complete with young love and the “wrong side of the tracks” kind-of storyline, this is for you.

Rainey is 17 yrs old and an unassuming studious girl who falls in love with Liam Hayes. The son of an abusive, alcoholic step-father and a mother who chooses to stay in the relationship despite her knowing that Ray is no good for her or her son.

Liam, oh he’s the character I wanted to scoop up in this one. But closely behind him is Maverick, Rainey’s sister who is born with a heart defect.

The book gave me the feelings of “My Sister’s Keeper” but leaves the reader feeling all kinds of emotions as it 💯 doesn’t wrap up nicely.

I would caution anyone who picks it up that abuse, substance abuse and death are all tied into the story. And if you like feel good YA, it’s not within these pages.

Books like these make me want to jump into the pages and save the teens. My heart hurts knowing that for so many kids, this is their reality.

Recommended for YA realistic ending readers. The writing is well done. It’s a quick read. But I think I need a happy romance to follow it.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars ⭐️

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What a very sad story.

<img src="https://c.tenor.com/948_cpcy6mYAAAAC/crying-funeral.gif"/>

Liam's eloquent grief at the end of this novel just about broke my heart; however, I didn't shed any tears because I would get distracted by the weighty dialogue and Liams repeated quotations from Moby Dick (with one reference to C.S. Lewis, comparing grief to fear.) Whenever I've been grief-stricken after a loved one's passing, my mind was pretty much a directionless blob of incoherent heartbreak. (These passages came across as contrived and as a showcase to the author's stellar reading habits.)

<img src="https://qt.azureedge.net/resources/quotes-images-large/dont-use-a-five-dollar-word-when-a-fifty-cent-word-will-do-513be28711e4958523fcd0d0008bd459.jpg"/>

In many instances, this novel brought to mind Jodi Picoult's <u> My Sister's Keeper</u>. Admittedly, a fair amount of the plot line is different: Rainey doesn't have to donate blood or bone marrow to her young sister. Rainey even prays to all the gods in the heavens to allow her sister to grow old and live life fully. (Unfortunately, those gods decided to grant Rainey's wish - at a horrific price.)

<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/d3900843b2d65756a3a2d660093b64ec/tumblr_inline_ob7o6eHum51r8a94o_400.gifv"/>

The author writes well, but sections of this novel - especially the dialogue - made me feel like I was reading a Regency novel. Rainey loves Jane Austen's novels, but why did Rainey have to speak like a Regency heroine? "Would you be so kind as to...."
<i> Seriously!?!</i>

Liam also used plenty of "fifty cent words" that in anyone else would have made him appear conceited. Rainey often didn't know the meaning of many of the words that Liam would use in everyday conversation with her - - "disconsonant" being a prime example. I don't think the author realizes how distancing, not to mention disconcerting, it can be to use vocabulary that is above an average audience's level. (I, too, had a love affair with my dictionary when I was a teen and even I had to look up that last word: it sounded odd and seemed so out of context in Liam's sentence.)

Your average teenagers don't speak like tragedian actors. Liam was undoubtedly intelligent - I will grant him that - but using "high fallutin" language that is above even many adults' understanding is, as I've said, snobby and alienating. This was the opposite of what most newbie authors do: here, we had too much convoluted showing and not enough telling.

I did predict the tragic conclusion of this novel and I have to say that I found the exact method that the author used to engineer her tragic ending a bit contrived. All of the main characters were left wracked with abysmal guilt for one reason or another. At one point, I had to laugh inappropriately, because I thought: this is straight out of the Looney Tunes cartoon <u>Boyhood Daze.</u> Young Ralph Phillips is sent to his room for breaking a window. Feeling mighty sorry for himself, little Ralph whines indignantly: "I get blamed for everything I do!"

<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/12/1b/37/121b37bbf171103d126da1fcd98a8d3c.gif"/>

Then he starts daydreaming about how sorry his parents will be when they need him most, but he can't do anything to save them, because he has been grounded. (Watch this short episode on Youtube for yourself and you'll see why I laughed...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8k4JWO6WV8&list=PLh45X-rcguCSYX-LVyqK9MXjBmgFFMtAJ&index=6

<img src="https://www.supercartoons.net/images/cartoons/boyhood-daze.jpg"/>

This plot felt a bit like this cartoon episode: "NOW everyone will feel sorry that they lavished all their attention on Maverick, with none to spare for Rainey.... Waaaaah!"

There were many fine speeches about grief and guilt in the last few chapters - but they were too pat and and came across as rehearsed. Such long, eloquent speeches are more readily found in a Shakespearean play.

I also objected to the inappropriate handling of certain violent acts in this story. There is a scene in the beginning of the novel where young Joshua Ramos is taunted by the school's "rich boy bully." Chase taunts Joshua, inviting him to engage in a sexual act with Chase and his gang of bullies behind the bleachers. This is a criminal offense (enticing a minor) but the principal of the school is not advised of this crime and <i>Liam</i> ends up getting detention. (Very stereotypical.)

<img src="https://media4.giphy.com/media/j5QmKNxMNEy24wrr5R/giphy.gif"/>

Later on, Rainey's father, Dr. Collins, makes a statement that there are no wholly evil people, but the author certainly painted herself into a corner when Chase and Carson almost beat Liam to death. Chase's backstory was no excuse for his criminal behaviour: it did not give him a license to vent his fear, rage and frustration on everyone else. I also did not buy Chase's and Carson's reformation at the end of this story. More work needed to be done to show their remorse and their decision to stop their bullying ways. Many of the characters in this novel were similarly stereotypical and one-dimensional.

<img src="https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/FcG5uyTmN2wpyotulBqz3kk9860/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2013/07/16/833/n/1922398/e0d04c43de5a4f6f_103044713_10/i/Tina-Fey-couldnt-keep-her-hands-off-Megamind-costar-Brad-Pitt.jpg"/>

Summation: I enjoyed many parts of this story: it was a decent debut effort. But there were times when I wondered if this was a YA novel, a Regency romance, or a Shakespearean tragedy, with a bit of Moby Dick thrown in for good measure. I'm rating this 3.5 out of 5, rounded down to a 3 because Liam's character should not have had to resort to using 50 cent words to prove his intelligence. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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This YA debut novel packs a wallop. All the emotions and also a few triggers (domestic abuse, serious medical issues, bullying).

Rainey is a fairly well-adjusted high school senior who is dealing with the stressful diagnosis of a loved one. Liam, a fellow classmate, hides his circumstances at home, feeling he has no future to look forward to (due to his father’s legacy) and living in fear and loathing of his stepdad. These two unlikely classmates become friends through their proximity in math class and feel as if they can be themselves with the other. A sweet romance begins to blossom.

Surprisingly, and in several ways, this book reminded me of the “brat pack” movies of the 80s. Socio-economic issues, the pangs of first love, high school bullying/angst…it’s all there. But it doesn’t feel superficial as some of these kind of books/movies can.

The author does an impeccable job of fleshing out ALL of the characters and leading you to care and root for them. And can I just take a moment to say that Rainey’s sister Maverick almost steals the show?!

The humor is infectious, the tears are unavoidable, and the story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. A powerhouse. And if this is a first from this author, sign me up for all that follow.

My sincere gratitude to #NetGalley and the author #Chloe Fowler for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Chloe Fowler for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Do you hear that? That is the sound of my heart shattering. I absolutely devoured this book in the past 24 hours and then sobbed for 30 minutes as I read the last ~15%, then again for 5 minutes as I explained why I sobbed for 30 minutes to my roommate. Ms. Fowler, you did not need to go so hard and rip my heart out like this - I just wanted a nice YA romance book, you know, the whole overcome triumph and adversity for love type of thing, but no, that is not what this is, at all.

This book follows Rainey and Liam as they endure their own heartaches, trying to make tribulations into triumphs, and turning their suffering into joy, finding love and light in darkness. The worst thing that I can say about this book is that it is just painful; there is really very little joy/bright spots in this book, but that isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes you want a good cry and this book is very realistic of some people's life & suffering. The writing is a bit different from other books that I have read, but I still appreciated the back and forth views between Rainey and Liam. This book reminds me why I was happy to leave high school, but I still wish that everyone had been happy in the end.

This book is a 5/5 for sure, anything that can make me as invested & emotional as this book did deserves nothing less. I don't think I will be able to reread it anytime soon (I don't think my heart can take it) but I am going to keep it in my back pocket for when I need a good cry.

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This book sucks me right into high school life. Young crushes that have the possibility to blossom into more if just the right things are said or done. The nervousness of it all! And let's not forget about family home life in high school. The emotions of all this are hard to handle. The writing pulled me right into the story. Rainey has a sick sister at home and Liam has a father in prison, drunk step dad at home. Can they help each other and be the shoulder each other needs. Or will Rainey pull away when she finds out the truth.

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Thank you, Netgalley for providing me the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"About the fact that life is coming at us so damn fast? And we're... we're racing towards it with our heads down, and we're so busy running that we won't even notice when it hits us? I wonder what happens to us when it does. I mean, what if the impact completely annihilates us, and we just disappear into dust without even realizing what happened?”

At the beginning, I thought this book was just going to be a YA Romance, with typical teenage characters. But there was a bit more to the story than that. Along with the love story of two teen-agers, it showed the relationship between two sisters and also the problems faced by each character in the story. I really liked all the characters in this story specially the main characters, Rainey and Liam.

Rainey is a sweet and innocent teenage girl, who loves photography. She is afraid of the future as her sister has a serious heart problem.
"I guess I like the idea of capturing time. It never stops. It's always slipping through our fingers. Photography is my way of trying to slow it down."
As for Liam, despite the problems he faced, he was such a generous person.
"But the truth is, no one is wholly good or wholly bad. We all have a bit of both in us, and we all struggle to find our way."

Towards the end, it got a bit predictable, but it got me all emotional.
"You might not be able to see it now, but one day, you'll notice that even though it can be painful, life can also be beautiful."

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Before I get into this review, I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read this cute contemporary romance in exchange for an honest review. Chasing Fireflies follows Rainey and Liam who could not come from more different worlds. She’s the smart, talented student with the doctor parents and the nice house. He comes from the wrong side of the tracks where his intelligence and compassion are seen as negatives. Their worlds collide in first period math class and nothing will ever be the same. Chasing Fireflies comes out on October 25th and is available for preorder now.

The highlight of this story for me comes from the characters. I think Fowler does a good job making all of her characters shine no matter how small they are in the story. I really enjoyed all of them, even Mercy who could be a little of a bitch sometimes. I also loved Rainey’s family and their dynamics. I think the romance was sweet and cute and I enjoyed seeing these characters fall in love.

It’s hard to pin point exactly what was wrong with this novel for me. I think the biggest problem I had was that these characters were constantly suffering. We would see one good moment or day in the story and then everything went to hell in a hand basket. It was way too much for a less than 350 page novel. I read for the most part in order to escape from my own worries or problems. It was to the point where I had to force myself to pick the book up after the first day. It’s just too much drama and sadness and death and accidents. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened to someone IRL. It would suck but life sucks sometimes. But in fiction it feels forced, over the top, and unnecessary. I felt like the characters had enough to be getting on with without the seriously over the top drama.

In my opinion, this would work as a CW show or a movie, but as a book it was too much and it was something I had to force myself to read. But when I was reading it, the book was easy to get through and I was still rooting for the two main characters.

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This was such a good, solid read. It had everything- emotions were all over the place! My only wish is that I had listened to the audio version because I think it would have added so much more depth.

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THIS. IS. SO. GOOD.
Thank you Netgalley and Chloe Fowler for allowing me early access to this amazing story!
From page one I was instantly involved. Deceptively beginning as that kind of story; shy, naive girl meets lonely, shunned boy, we realize immediately these are far from generic characters. Rainey, well-loved and from a well-off family, struggles with the injustice of her sister being born with a defective heart. Feeling guilty over her own perfectly beating organ, she overcompensates by not allowing herself to plan a future, not allowing herself more than just her best friend Jo. And Liam. A rumored delinquent, he comes from the rough side of town, his family a perfect portrait of dysfunction. For him, each new day is just an extension of the day before, and while Rainey refuses to think of her future, Liam desperately reaches for his, striving for the day he is old enough to leave his current life behind him.
It would be so easy for me to just tell you all about these two young people, to explain their budding relationship in intimate detail. But I won’t because I REALLY want you to read this for yourself. What I will tell you is that I love that Liam, neglected, and abused, is still a champion for those weaker than himself. I love that Rainey, so painfully shy, still has an inner confidence even she doesn’t know she has. The evolution of other characters is amazing, as is the reminder to look at an individual with our own eyes, instead of through the lips of another. One of my favorite quotes? “You can’t pick your family”. This comes from a surprising source; and even if this book was not written as well as it is I would still add it to my own shelf just for this surrounding scene.
This story does contain domestic violence, foul language, and school bullying. But these situations are not unreadable; on the contrary, they are integral, as our plot is shaped around the consequences of the actions involved.
As a debut novel, this work is incredibly well written. Specifically worth mentioning is that even though this falls into the YA genre, the characters are not type casted as ‘squealy’ juvenile. I can only expect continued excellence in the author’s future efforts. I have become an instant fan of Chloe Fowler and will look forward to many more of her new releases. (Hint, hint, to the author, I would LOVE to hear more of Joshua!!!!)

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Some books touch your heart and stick with you for a while, and then there is this book, this is the book that you won't forget, the one that will break your heart into hundred pieces and you will remember with joy and satisfaction.

You can find me here: https://www.instagram.com/i_am_a_slow_reader/ https://www.facebook.com/TheSlowReadersPage/ https://twitter.com/Elliemas6

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Wow. I absolutely loved this book. Rainey is part of a strong, loving family which is dealing with her sister's potential heart failure. Liam lives with his mother and a step father who is abusive. Neither had made friends until the two of them were in the same math class. This book has it all--class conflict, high school drama, and first love. The ending totally surprised me, and I am not often surprised. I will definitely purchase this book for my high school library.

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When I first started reading this book, I thought it was just going to be a cute romance book that showed the lives of a group of teenagers. The characters in this story did so much more than that. They talked about what it was like to be poor and not know what was going to happen when you went home. It talked about absent parents and how even though a child can do everything their parents ask for, they can still feel like it's not enough. I loved the characters in this book and how the main characters, Rainey and Liam, went through two completely separate lives but came together perfectly. Everything they went through together, from the bullying to their first date, helped them grow closer and learn what love was. I knew that the ending was not going to be happy, but I had no idea that it would turn out the way it did. I sat on my bed sobbing while reading the last 10 percent of the book. I recommend this book to everyone, even though I haven't stopped crying yet. Chasing Fireflies shows the reality of teenagers in high school that have to deal with more than just classes. It feels like a book written by a teenager from their own point of view and I think that is what made it so good to me. Also the dog helped. I am going to be thinking about this book for a very long time.

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“I guess I like the idea of capturing time. It never stops. It’s always slipping through our fingers. Photography is my way of trying to slow it down, you know?”

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read the eArc of “Chasing fireflies”.

This book made me shed a few tears not only because I was sad but also due to happiness. I absolutely loved the realistic side to this story and how it made me emotional.

While reading the first 50 pages, I thought it was going to be a bit of a sappy romance story with the “good girl falls for the guy from the wrong side of the tracks” trope.
I was wrong.
Yes this trope was in the story and it’s still one of my favorite tropes ever but there was more.
This book has the subplot of a love story between two teenagers.
The main plot of this book is rather the relationship between two sisters as well as showing how everyone, even if you don’t know, has their own struggles.

Character wise, I thought that Liam had the best thought out storyline. I really liked how he grew closer to not only Rainey but also Maverick throughout the story.
I did not really enjoy Rainey by herself but her relationships to not only Jo, Liam, Maverick but also Carson showed how she was a very caring, kind and selfless but still quite insecure person.

Plot wise, I thought the middle was the strongest.
Mid-way into the story, the plot thickened and got even better. Her friendship to Jo was tested and her relationship with Liam developed into something I quite enjoyed.
The ending and plot-twist made me shed a few tears. Yes, it was a bit predictable after the original turning point but overall, I thought it rounded off the story in a very good way.
The story wouldn’t have made sense if it hadn’t turned sad at one point, so I am very happy (even though I cried) that this plot twist happened.
I think the book could’ve been a bit longer just to further expand on some of the subplots: Jo’s story, Maverick post surgery as well as Carson’s storyline.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and will probably buy the paperback version when it releases in October.
The story made me emotional because I could relate to some of the problems that Rainey had to deal with and I did really enjoy the full turnout of the plot.
The characters were well written and thought through.
My favorite part was definitely the relationship of the two sister and their entire story revolving around her sister’s illness.

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I wanted to start off by thanking Chloe Fowler for allowing me to read her book Chasing Fireflies early. That being said I really really enjoyed this book. This book is a great young adult romance that follows two main characters in dual points of view which I love. The book did a good job showing each individuals main characters personality and opinions on things which I thought really added to the book. I also liked how this book was predictable it had a plot twist I never excepted and I think that added to the book making it stand out from the standard young romance books. If you like movies like the nicholas sparks type books I highly recommend this book. Overally I thought this book was really refreshing and can't wait for it to come out so more people can enjoy it!

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Chasing Fireflies is an incredibly well-written book about first love, financial hardships, high school bullies, and childhood illness. Rainey seems to have it all. Her father is a neurosurgeon. She lives in a beautiful home in an elite neighborhood but she has her hardships. Her little sister, born with a serious heart defect, is living on borrowed time. Her best friend Jo has issues. Liam, good-looking, hard-working, and extremely smart lives in run-down trailer miles from town. His father is in prison for murder, his stepfather is violent and mean and Liam wonders if he has inherited a violent tendency from his father. They are an unlikely couple but somehow, as real love always does, they find each other. Can they work thru the serious problems that each of them faces? Will they have a future together? It is worth the journey to find out by reading this incredible teen young adult novel. A startling end to the story will make this one stay with you and think about life and the startling turns it often makes. Engaging characters, great plot, and well-developed narrative make this a book that should be on the reading list for everyone that loves a good story. Thanks to #ChasingFireflies#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book.

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