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Fire

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Fire

By: John Boyne
Narrated by: Anna Friel
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn’t always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness.

Did what happened to Freya as a child one fateful summer influence the adult she would become – or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being?

In Fire, John Boyne takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature?

© John Boyne 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

 Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Women's Fiction Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

Boyne has found a neat framework for a series of original novels, linked as much by theme and image as by character and setting. Fire is an exhilarating read.
You will hurtle through the book, because it is such a compelling story, so cleverly written.
Hypnotically clean, clear prose... powerful and memorable
Incredibly well-written
All stars
Most relevant
Very well written, great twists, great narrator. I found the topic quite disturbing but fascinating.

Only regret that it's such a short story which I hadn't realised when I purchased it. It is kinda annoying that it's similar credits for long and short stories, however, this writer seems so good that I would get a short story again.

Disturbing story but brilliantly told

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John Boyne is now without doubt one of my favourite writers. Fire is the best in his quartet thus far though I’ll start reading Air today. Clever. Distinctive and fierce.

Shockingly good

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Absolutely compelling & utterly repulsive simultaneously. A twisty dark story that is so of the moment. Fabulous writer. Great narration

Monster?

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John Boyne never disappoints. I’ve listened to Earth and Water both excellent . This is a disturbing story but totally absorbing.

Absorbing, different and wonderfully narrated

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Hard to listen to at times but such a good continuation of this series. John Boyne is tackling a difficult topic in a fabulous way

Series continuing strong

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