Fire From the Sky

Sometimes a quiet short book can have a huge impact. Fire From The Sky, a translated story about a gay Sámi boy, is such a story, and surprised me in so many ways.

While reading, I thought of Ari & Dante and, most of all, of The Boy From the Mish (Ready When You Are/US). Stories written rather simply and poetic with an undercurrent so tense, it starts a fire in your soul.

Fire From the Sky is set in northern Sweden. Ánte’s father is a reindeer herder, and in Sámi tradition, Ánte will follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a herder himself. But he’s also questioning himself. Do gay reindeer herders even exist?

Ánte’s feelings are palpable throughout the book. The way he looks at Erik, the small touches, the smiles. But also the anxiety because what will people say if they find out he’s gay? At the same time, he’s searching for his Sámi roots.

I already loved the cover, but I loved it even more after finishing the book. Painted in purple colors of the northern light, it fits the setting so well.

For a long time, I thought this would be a four-star rating, but I think this will be a story I’ll think about a lot, even years from now. And gems like that earn five beautiful stars!

A hauntingly beautiful story of teenage longing unfolds in the breathtaking Sami village in northern Sweden. I read this book in one day (two sittings). I can’t praise the writing style enough; it is so atmospheric. The decision to present the narrative solely from Ánte's point of view worked beautifully, as it compels reader to interpret the emotions and intentions of the other characters, enhancing our appreciation of Ánte's feelings and frequent confusion.

The author captures the messy and intense emotions of teenage love, often forgotten by adults. While the main male characters, Ánte and Erik, as well as their two close friends, Máhttu and Juhán, were portrayed in a believable manner, I felt that the side female characters weren't written as well Nevertheless, this does not detract significantly from the overall story.

It is important to note that the story includes mild homophobia, but ultimately has a happy ending. The narrative is more "slice of life" rather than being heavily plot-driven. This approach works well as, presumably most readers are not from the Sami community, In fact, I believe the author could have leaned more into the ‘slice of life’ style. Personally, I get great pleasure from reading books set in diverse communities, and it becomes all the more rewarding when the author themselves comes from that very community, as is the case with this book.

There is a side plot concerning a book on "Racial Biology" that, unfortunately, draws inspiration from a real book, intertwining historical mistreatment of the Sami people. While this aspect of the story holds significant importance, the execution felt slightly clumsy and lacked the same vibrancy found in other parts. Ánte's grandmother, does not remember and never spoke to her family about these historical events, reflecting a realistic tendency among older generations. However, it might have enhanced the overall narrative had she had some recollection or if Ánte had stumbled upon an old diary or letters, allowing for a more seamless integration of the historical element into the main story.

Overall, this haunting tale of teenage longing in the mesmerizing Sami village captivated me from start to finish. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, particularly to those who appreciate diverse communities and the perspectives of authors who intimately understand them.

To start - this cover. It’s beautiful. Obviously this is an e-version but I would love to see this in a physical copy, and can only imagine how beautiful special editions could be.

This book is sweet and soft, and it makes you feel things. You feel the scene; the colours, the textures, the sounds and the images. You feel Ante; his emotions, hopes and fear, his confusion and his growth. Everything is beautifully described and easy to believe.

This is an English translation, and it’s done well. I was worried it may not translate well, as within language there are nuances and concepts that can get lost. But that was not the case here and for that I’m glad.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

I do wish this had been a bit longer so it could have gotten more into depth about the Sami experience as opposed to splitting between the Sami experience and the queer experience, but overall I really enjoyed this! It's always nice to find a coming of age YA that is set in a culture that doesn't have representation in US YA.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of this book to review. I have been interested in Sami culture for years now, and there are so few books that authentically portray it. The fact that a book exists with this representation--and is also queer!--makes me so happy. What a beautiful story.

This book was a quick yet satisfying read. You find yourself feeling empathy for Ante and Erik quickly. Ante's worries and thoughts reminded me of the inner turmoil that I went through as a gay teen in my past. The book also provided a look inside the Sami culture. I admit that I was not aware of this culture before reading this story. But this book had me searching up the culture while I was reading. I always consider it a great sign if an author can incorporate a culture into their writing in a way that makes readers want to familiarize themselves with it outside of the story. I would love to see a follow-up story with these characters and watching Erik and Ante's relationship grow and how it plays out against their loved ones.