Genre: Contemporary Realistic YA

What I liked 👍🏻:
• I love the medieval story tie in of Marguerite de Bressieux, I had never heard of her before but I mean... medieval woman wreaking havoc on men for raping people? Hell yeah. 🙌🏻
• The story switching back forth between Marguerite and Em was really intriguing, the pace was good and it was easy to just read and read.

What I didn’t like 👎🏻:
• Oh man... this is where it gets tough. On one hand Em is understandably angry. She hates men and wants justice. On the other hand... her hatred for men was almost... scary big. I totally understand why some women do have this knee jerk reaction to men, I but I got the impression that Em had decided that men were evil and to hate them long before anything happened to her sister and since she didn’t have any other experience to cause that hatred it just seemed odd and intense to me... 😬
• The second thing thing that bothered me was that while Em is obviously a strong feminist, she is a HORRIBLE friend, sister and daughter. If this were a real person in my life I would have cut her out for sure because she is obviously a very toxic friend. I felt like she kept being a giant jerk basically thinking “I’ll apologize later and they’ll forgive me.”

Overall Thoughts 💭:
• Basically what I’m saying is that I LOVE the concept of this story but hated the MC and she honestly kind of ruined the book for me. I could have ignored the men hate thing because I know that’s a real feeling for some people. I just couldn’t with how horrible she was to the women in her life. BUT. I did still fly through and enjoy a lot of parts of this story, so I think I would still recommend it you love YA with deep real life issues.

I really love the concept of this book and the message is truly important, but there were a few triggers that I couldn’t get past. I ended up DNF’ing it around Page 50.

We Are The Ashes, We Are The Fire is truly a powerful book that makes you feel every emotion. You feel burning rage, sadness, heart ache, and you want justice for what happened.

The main character Em's sister got raped and the rapist got off with no jail time. The judge didn't want this one thing to ruin the boys life. Em is burning with anger because she can't believe that the boy who raped her sister gets to walk free. She wants justice.

This book is kind of like a story within a story. It's told in verse and in prose. I really loved the alternating timelines. The only thing that had me confused was the beginning. I didn't really understand what I was reading right off as you just get thrown right into both prose and verse. After I figured it out and got immersed in the book I really loved it. I loved how this was also historical fiction as we learn about Marguerite Bressiuex who lived in the 15th century and got revenge on rapists.

I lowkey did not like the main character as much as I wanted to. Em made me angry sometimes and I just didn't connect with her as much as I wanted to. Other than that I loved how powerful this book was, it was a tough book to read because time and time again we see rapists get off with a slap on the wrist. We need justice and while this book made me angry, I felt so deeply about what was happening. I think the author did an outstanding job writing about such an important topic and using different writing techniques and putting in historical aspects.

Trigger warning: rape
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WE ARE THE ASHES, WE ARE THE FIRE follows Em as she battles guilt, rage and the overwhelming need to get revenge after her sisters rapist is found guilty, but sentenced to no time in prison.
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I couldn’t put this book down! It was hard hitting, raw and messy. It felt real. I found myself getting frustrated at Em— I felt as though she made so many mistakes. From her overstepping with her sisters case, to her fights with her friend Jess, to the way she snaps at her mother... I wanted to shake her. Then again, that’s life, isn’t it? We all make mistakes. Sometimes our pain makes us feel as though we’re the centre of the universe. Though her pain was much different than her sisters, it was still valid. I did appreciate her growth. My biggest issue with this book was that I didn’t really care to read so much of the story Em was writing about Marguerite de Bressieux. Eventually Marguerites story was being focused on more and more as Em lost herself in the world she was creating. I did like it, but it wasn’t the story I was most invested in.
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3.75/5 stars, WE ARE THE ASHES, WE ARE THE FIRE is available today, February 9, 2021!
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Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Thank you PenguinTeen for an eARC via Netgalley. This is a voluntary and honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Rep: Spanish language, latine MC (Guatemalan dad), non-binary rep

If you’ve read the premise of the book, then you already know it deals with some heavy themes, so here are a few of the trigger/content warnings: rape, victim blaming, gore, misgendering, HP reference. I usually like to recommend booktriggerwarnings.com to make sure that all readers can safely and comfortably engage with their reading material.

Okay, first of all there were fabulous illustrations in this novel done by Maia Kobabe, which were divine and really helped to set a periodic difference from our narrator’s present story to the story our narrator was crafting. I found it rather enjoyable that there was a tale within a tale, and that when Em was writing about Marguerite de Bressieux it was told in verse. I felt like the two storylines were interwoven very well, especially since one was a reflection of the other.

As stated in the synopsis Em Morales is the sister of Nor, who was raped at a frat party. I’m glad that we were able to see the story of Nor’s sister, because it helps convey that when sexual violence occurs it doesn’t only distrupt the life of the victim. No, that type of violation has consequences that reverberate and manifest differently in the lives of many who may or may not be aware of the victim’s assault. I do not say this in any way, shape, or form to diminish the severity of Nor’s trauma and how her body was taken from her, when she was raped. Instead, I just want to emphasis that sexual violence is messy and the after-effects do not come with a rule book for any of the parties involved. The pain and the rage and how it manifests can vary greatly and it’s important that we acknowledge it. It’s important to acknowledge how people can be driven to hurt the ones they love, when they are trying to help. When they want to give the victim, the love, time, and understanding they need, while also working through their very different, but valid grief.

Rape happens, and has happened, and it’s sick that we even still have to have this conversation, but it’s real. It hasn’t gone away, it may never go away, but we can continue to learn and educate and hopefully dismantle this system that enables rapists, perpetrators, defilers to reap a consequence befitting their crime. I wish I could say that I wish for justice, but in my heart, there is no true justice when a victim has to deal with the trauma for the rest of their lives.

The cast of characters in this story, where relatable because they were imperfect, they were human. Of course, most of us know how we should act, and what we should and shouldn’t do if someone in our lives is assaulted. However, humans are well, human, and even the most well intentioned person is going to make mistakes. Should we give more space or less, should we initiate that conversation or let the person come to us, should we talk to those around us, or do we pour ourselves into a creative outlet? There is no right answer. There is no universal truth, for we are all distinctly unique, irrevocably human - and thus, we will hurt, and love and make mistakes.

Sometimes, I find myself disliking Em, but I feel like that was kind of the point. She was not okay and she lashed out in her grief, while she was gripping to deal with the whirlwind of the While, the story is centered around the events that took place after Nor’s assault, she isn’t in the household, so we really spend more time with Em, Mom, Dad, and Jess. I loved Jess, and the integration of their non-binary idenity, how the author highlighted issues Jess faced in the world and pointed them out. Therefore, if you, as the reader, are unaware or don’t notice something, the author calls it to attention. It’s called to attention in a manner that, if you are someone who has the privilege of society accepting you as you are without question, or condition, will probably make you take a moment, pause, and think.

I will say that about halfway through the novel I became more invested in Marguerite de Bressieux’s story than Em’s direct story. Yes, I am aware that Marguerite de Bressieux’s story was heavily impacted by Nor/Em/Jess’s lives, but the pacing was different and captured me differently. If you like open endings this book has one, although there are a few conversations I wish we could have been privy to as the reader.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for review.

Nor was raped. The rapist got off barely punished because the judge didn't want the event to define the kids' life. Nor's sister Em is pissed off (and rightfully so!). She will do anything for justice and maybe even revenge. But Nor is the victim and Nor wants to drop it. Now what?

This story isn't about the rape victim. It's about what happens to a family in the aftermath. Em takes to her writing to process all that is going on and the story ends up being a tale within a tale.

I can see the pull for readers to this book. However, I was not one of them. I didn't like Em, making it hard for me to empathize with her. I did like Nor and wanted to hear more about her - but that is a story for another book. The back and forth of real time, fiction writing, and a combination of the two threw me a little and did not make for cohesive reading.

One aspect I appreciated: Em's trans friend Jess is a great supporting character. Em and Nor's parents were spot on with using the correct pronouns in referring to Jess. The fact that gender/pronouns were not a defining issue in this book was refreshing.

Recommend for high school and up.

I can understand why people loved this story, but it didn't immediately grab me like I expected. I felt that the balance between the prose and the verse was off so that in the beginning I was confused by the verse story and was more interested in what was happening in the prose, but as we got deeper into the verse, I was way more interested in it than what was happening in the actual prose story.

Jess was the best part of this story to me as they were just generally cool, and I liked how they added to Em's family, and yet weren't there just as a supporting character, but had their own desires, conflicts, and feelings.

I think the Bressieux story was a great contrast with Nor's experience and allowed you to get into the mindset of a survivor when Em and the reader didn't have access to Nor's feelings and thoughts. I also really liked the ending of this book, and the realization that Em came to for her story.

This book also made me want to learn sword fighting.

Overall: This story benefits from being told in prose as well as the method of story telling it uses.

Pros:
Modern plus historical. The way the author weaves the present with a historical figure.
Formatting. Being told in prose could have went one of two ways for this story so I am glad that it went the way it did.
Message. Obviously, not everything you read has to have a message, but the one in this story was definitely a pro for it.

Cons:
Plotting. The story beings to lose a bit of focus towards the end, but regains it for a solid ending.

“People are so awful. But they also make things so beautiful they break your heart, you know?”

Trigger Warning - rape, bullying, trauma discussion, gore

We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire is an incredibly well written story within a story. It’s half first person narrative, and half verse. This first person part of the story follows Em Morales before and after her older sister’s rape and the following trial. You see that her family is supportive and close, sort of living in a happy lyrical life bubble, but after her sister’s attack things change. Of course they change. We follow Em and see from her POV how rape affects someone and the people around them as well. How a conviction can feel hopeful and then a sentencing becomes a let down. How speaking out against a rapist truly affects the lives of a victim/survivor, even though they’ve done nothing wrong. You’re doing what you feel is right, but then it’s like some of the world turns against you. The victim blaming, the shaming, and just the ugly vitriol that comes out against the victim/survivor with the rape culture in this country. It was honestly heartbreaking to read all that Nor and her family went through post trial, and it’s even more upsetting because it’s a reality for many victims/survivors. Such a helpless feeling that I think this author portrayed well in this book.

It was interesting reading all of these things from Em’s POV, because even though she isn’t the victim per say she wants to fight for her sister and protect her. She has a line where after the rapist is given a non-sentence where she says she wishes she knew how to wield a sword, because she’s angry and enraged. She wants to fight for her sister. In this story she learns how to use her “sword” and how not to. That being said, it really did rub me the wrong way at times how Em made things about herself, took actions without deeper thought on the consequences, and thought of Nor and others after. I understand that it’s sort of a realistic way a teenager or anyone may think, but it did frustrate me.

The verse parts of this are the story of Marguerite de Bressieux, who is legendary as an avenging knight for rape victims. I sort of loved how Em got out her rage at the unsatisfactory sentencing of the rape trial out with her pen, and through the power of another woman’s revenge after her, her family’s, and other women’s rapes. It’s like she felt the empowerment through that story and I thought that it was powerful as a reader. Do I feel she became a bit lost in it, yes, but I also understand that when you feel lost in the real world sometimes getting lost in fiction or other healthy ways is a nice escape and can heal you some.

All in all I thought this was a good read. I think it’s powerful, and could be a good conversation starter.

This is a story about Em, who is filled with rage after her older sister's rapist walks with no prison time. And after the public trial, her sister is facing backlash and harassment at her university and on social media. Em, searching for ways to express her anger and tell the story she feels is being silenced, becomes inspired by and begins writing a story about Marguerite de Bressieux, a historical and somewhat legendary figure of a noble woman in France who, along with the other women in her household, was raped during an attack on her castle. These women were said to have formed a band of knights and taken their revenge on their attackers on the battlefield.
I picked this up because I loved Blood Water Paint, and was excited to read this author's take on another historical figure dealing with these topics. However, I think Blood Water Paint had something special that this book did not have for me. I did enjoy reading it, and I thought it explored very well the anger that Em, and so many others, feel toward a world and system that refuses to hold privileged men accountable for their actions yet tears women apart at every turn. Unfortunately, that anger wasn't enough for me and didn't paint a full picture of such a complex topic. I did think the social commentary was well done, and the story portrayed the ways in which victims are punished for speaking up and face backlash for their every move.
But I think the main turn off for me was how self-absorbed Em is as a main character. It was hard to shake the feeling that she was taking her sister's trauma, and Marguerite's trauma, and making it about herself, making things even harder for her sister in the process. I spent a good amount of time under the impression that that would be explored and become a point of growth for Em, and while it is, lightly, it wasn't enough to make me feel comfortable with it or invested in her telling of Marguerite's story, or her response to her sister's trauma. It was perfectly realistic and understandable, but it didn't make for a good story for me.
Overall, the writing was still beautiful, and if you're looking for a book filled with righteous anger and female rage, this would be an excellent choice. Joy McCullough is a truly talented writer and her prose conveys emotions strongly. So even though I didn't vibe with the plot or main character of this book, I would still recommend it.

I was led to believe that this book was told in prose and verse...and it just wasn't. This is structured like any other novel with snippets of a story written by our MC. I am not the target age demographic of this book but I have seen other YA books tackle the topic of rape and justice in more complex and nuanced ways. I appreciated the cultural diversity and the gender diversity represented, but overall the characters and story fell flat for me.

Okay, ya'll. This book was SO GOOD. So many feels. I was angry, sad, happy, frustrated... highly recommend.

This book is told in half prose, half poetry. I don't usually read poetry, so I was skeptical at first. But the poetry was lovely, and the prose was beautifully written as well. We have two stories here. In the prose bits, we are with Em, a teenage girl who's sister, Nor, was brutally raped by a college classmate. The story picks up at the end of the trial Em pushed Nor into. Nor's rapist is found guilty, but, shockingly, sentenced to no jail time. Em is devastated, angry, and jaded about the world. Her relationship with her sister has fallen apart because of Em's brash actions after the trial. So she turns to the medium which she once used to express her emotions: poetry. Through poetry Em tells the story of Marguerite de Bressieux, a legendary French noblewomen who takes up arms to avenge her rape and the rape of the women of her household.

The poetry and Marguerite's story are lovely, tragic, and empowering. Like I said- I don't usually read poetry but wow, I loved the poetry parts of this book and looked forward to turning a page and finding poetry. Em's story was heartbreaking, as well. I am (full disclosure) an adult reading YA, which sometimes means that the teen emotions feel unrealistic to me, distanced from my youth as I am :). But Em's selfishness, which is the best word I can think of to describe her actions, felt so realistic and felt like exactly what I would have done in her situation. It was frustrating, yes, but so understandable.

In all, I highly recommend this book to anyone. Give it a shot. It is beautifully written and will sit with you long after you finish the last page.

I was honored by Penguin Teen to read this story before it was released and may I say, it is one of those stories that many may relate to. A story about a family who goes through the pain of hearing their daughter's rapist is excused by the justice system once again because as always society sides with the man's side. The story follows the journey through the eyes of Em Morales, the sister of the survivor who's keen on telling her sister's story as well as stories of many other women. Even after being silenced by her school's paper and her dream opportunity is taken away, Em decided to quit the newspaper and decide to follow her own journey of telling the story.

Em becomes friends with a non-binary theater and medieval history lover Jess who introduces her to Marguerite de Dressiux, a noblewoman from the 15th century who's known for avenging rape victims. Em begins to write a story in a form of poetry of a retelling of Marguerite's life and how she sees it while Jess illustrates. I saw it as manuscripts with poetic telling.

The experience of reading not one but two stories was a unique experience within a book. Seeing how Em's emotions and motives poured into her story, showing her dedication to advocating for women was admiring.

This isn't a book where one should simply read it and set it aside. But read it and learn from it. One where the reader should see the parallels between the stories of rape victims in the story and our reality. And should think to themselves, how do we become our own version of Marguerite.

The only thing I think would've made this book better was more insight into Em's story and the story of her family. Especially her sister, Nor. I felt at some points it focused more on Marguerite's story than it did on Em's.

Thank you once again Penguin Teen for allowing me an ARC read!

I work for PYR so ignore this review, but I loved loved loved this book! I've read it twice! Great both times!

We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire is a book that will ignite your rage. It's so fiercely feminist in the ways it discusses a culture that ignores and excuses. The way women and girls are taught to be ashamed, to be blamed for their assault, to become ostracized for speaking up. The rampant sexism and culture that does not believe victims and excuses perpetrators. It's a world we know, one we live in, like fish in water. Em's story is one about coming to terms with the ideas of justice.

Knowing that justice sometimes doesn't win. That, despite fancy words and sentences, it cannot address the roots of the problem. All the people who stood by and said nothing, if not defended. McCulllough brings her skill in writing verse novels not only to feature some moving verse sections, but also to infuse that lyrical quality in the prose. It's a book that was full of me nodding my head. Me clutching my book and screaming to the skies. Em has to figure out how she can come to terms with the women society ignores. The accusations and stories that are never told. And what we can do when we have the power of speech.

[Trigger warnings: this book might contain mention of sexual assault]

Stunning, heartbreaking, and inspiring are the three words I would use to describe the emotions this book gave me. We are the Ashes, We are the Fire tells two parallel stories portraying female power, set during both the Modern and Medieval periods. When Em Morales’ sister was raped at a frat party, their whole lives changed. The jury finds the perpetrator guilty much to the family’s relief, but the victory was short-lived as the judge sentenced the accused to no prison time leaving the family devastated. Trying to deal with the aftermath of the incident, Em finds her immersed in the story of a 15th century Frenchwoman Marguerite de Bressieux, who is known for her reputation of killing rapists on the battlefield. Adorned with her friend Jess’ beautiful illustrations, Em finds solace through imagining Marguerite’s life and what she could do if she would be able to wield a sword.

Written in both prose and free verse poetry, with prose being the present time of Em’s narrative and poetry relating the life story of Marguerite, McCullough creates a passionate young woman wrestling with rage and grief through a traumatic moment in life, and in turn, reflects on the social hostile attitudes towards female victims. This dual perspective sheds a different light on the never-ending violence of the rape culture.

Minor spoilers ahead...


Filled with disappointment and rage after the judge’s decision, Em starts advocating for rape victims and after reconnecting with her friend Jess, is then introduced to the legend of Marguerite. Totally in awe with the 15th century heroin, Em was inspired to write poetry for Marguerite and from Marguerite’s perspective, telling the story of her and her family being sexually assaulted and the aftermath where she decides to pick up her own weapon and fight back for herself and others like her. Completely absorbed by her story, Em finds herself growing ever more distant from her family and friends and instead takes comfort in writing. At the beginning of the book, it was mostly written in prose narrating Em’s life and occasionally accompanied with her poetry of Marguerite. As the story progresses, we can see that poetry steadily becomes more and more a part of Em’s life as the prose starts to shorten, and verses start to incorporate more into the story. Em’s relationship with her family also starts to escalate as they all try to deal with the traumatising situations in different ways and eventually, Em learned about surprising secrets from her mother’s past as well which all the more encouraged her to continue with the avenging story of Marguerite.

This book definitely does not end with happily-ever-after and Em is certainly not the perfect protagonist. She acts rashly in her own way to try and help her sister but instead having it backfired, she then became too focused with her fictional story that she started to ignore everyone else in her life. It’s interesting that McCullough decides to take on the perspective of a rape victim’s family member and explores her emotions and feelings about the incident. By putting the attention on Em, McCullough states the significance of collective healing through heart-breaking events, not just the victims themselves but also those surrounding them and the importance of having hope.

We Are The Ashes, We Are The Fire is a book about family and friends, it’s about grief and pain but also about healing and rebirth, just like a phoenix, who eventually dies only to be reborn from the ashes. It’s also a story about feminism and the society’s negative attitudes towards the fairer sex, it raises awareness not just about women’s vulnerability, but also the power to heal. It is important that women’s power is acknowledged, just like the power of fire, women can also be fierce and strong.

This might not be a light-hearted book to read but it is exactly the pain and truth which makes it so real and relatable to our reality. What we might find comforting is in the end, Em is able to find some sort of peace with her family. Everyone has their own coping mechanism when encountering difficult situations, but what matters most is finding ways of positive communication with loved ones during these times.

I'm torn about how to review this important story. I liked both halves and wished maybe that they had been separate books, if that makes any sense? The title drew me in, and the premise of a historical heroine on the same quest as a modern-day teenager.
Em's older sister, Nor, was raped at a college party before the book begins. The judge lets the rapist off with time served - even though he was convicted. Em's social media rant goes viral, and the whole family struggles.
The secondary story is the one Em writes about Marguerite de Bressieux, a fifteenth-century woman she hears .about but can find very little information about. Em retells Marguerite's story through free verse poetry.
You won't "like" this book; I don't think you are meant to at all. It will make you angry and annoyed that women still need to defend themselves against men in this way.
I'm torn as to what age this book is suitable for. I "d definitely hand it over to an older teen, and say 12+ depending on the reader

Very powerful read for young adults. This story gets the reader thinking and the emotional engagement is found throughout! How can things like this happen? How do things like this make sense? This will prompt the readers own thinking and how to navigate the difficult feelings that surface as the result of a significant trauma to a family. Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a discomfiting book within a book about family, feminism, guilt and revenge. It’s relatable to anyone who has ever had their power taken away by someone who felt entitled to do so, and the aftermath of picking up the pieces along with the anger and feelings of wanting to get even.

It’s a book with inside a book, as it’s partially about the MC and her struggle to accept that her sisters rapist was convicted but does no jail time and it’s a long form poem she writes about a 15th century French noblewoman who takes up arms to avenge rape and murder. It’s also a commentary about social media and how it can help connect people for a cause, just not necessarily a positive cause.

This book is a lot of sharp angles, a lot of prickly and intense feelings wrapped into a narrative that even in the most benign examples of the influence of the male gaze and entitlement fill you with unease. It was creative and well written. I am jealous of those who received a print copy of the ARC because I know the prose and the artwork within will be gorgeous in the finished book.

I would say that if you enjoyed this authors previous work or if you want to read a story about the 21st century version of the struggle to keep violent hands and misogynistic views off of our women and girls, you will like this book.

Thank you to Simon Teen for an advance copy of this book, I am giving this review voluntarily.

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