This cute story of friendship, love and forgiveness with a little arson thrown in is a great read. Buxbaum deals with some very heavy topics (mental health and homophobia) in a way that makes the reader see that everything can get better, no matter how hard it is and opens some doors for necessary discussions.

While overall, I thought that the book was well written, I think that it jumped between too many people's point of views. Even though this should have made us feel more connected to each character, I didn't really feel a connection with any of the characters and I felt like the ending was way too quick and trying to wrap everything up nicely in a way that didn't feel authentic to me.

Between the kisses and the fires this was both a classic young adult and an interesting read. It checks all the boxes with friendship, family drama, and a little romance!

Julie Buxbaum understands teens and knows how to write great books for them, and she continues that with Year on Fire. Twins Immie and Archer have been best friends with Paige for years, but as their junior year begins secrets and lies have gotten between them. When a new boy comes to school and joins their group, things get even more complicated. Year on Fire delves into themes of friendship, family, mental illness, and romance with believable characters and relationships. Buxbaum’s fans will not be disappointed, and other YA readers will definitely enjoy this book.

Twins Arch and Immie, and their best friend, Paige, have been a trio ever since the twin's mom became the theater teacher at their ultra exclusive Los Angeles private school. Things have been off between the 3, ever since Immie kissed Paige's boyfriend, Jackson. Only it wasn't Immie. And the secret is beginning to wear on the friendship. Add in cute London transplant, Ro, who Paige calls "dibs" on, the building chemistry between Immie, and Ro, and the arsonist setting fire to the school's bathroom, and the flames of the "fire" are fanned for these friends.
Julie Buxbaum has long been a favorite YA author, and Year on Fire moves quickly as the drama escalates. This is sure to be a teen pleaser!

Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 4/5

A quartet of students at the elite Los Angeles Wood Valley High School — each facing their own coming-of-age difficulties. Twins Immie and Archer, so close they tend to think conjoined thoughts; Paige, the strong, fearless, and ultra-competent; and Rohan, newly arrived from London with his father as a result of some pretty serious marital discord. And around them fires always seem to be burning -- one wildfire after another and even a fire within the school itself as a none-too-subtle reminder of the fires that are raging within.

The dramas that comprise the story are more-or-less typical dramas faced by teens today — some run-of-the-mill first kisses, small betrayals, secrets (all still deeply felt regardless of their commonality) as well as a good array of home situations — all problematic in their own never over-the-top but nevertheless deeply felt way. I am impressed by the way Buxbaum treats these situations and experiences directly from the perspective of the student characters — each of whom have their own personalities and coping mechanisms. We are treated to their anger, sadness, confusion and the sometimes slow realization of their own parents as individuals with their own flaws and capacity for error.

Well-written with plenty of slowly gained insight and fun dialog / text streams.

Immie, Arch, and Paige are best friends. But there are secrets between them. Their lives are not as "perfect" as the others think. A kiss and a fire set the wheels in motion for a life-changing year.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and their unique coming-of-age circumstances. Readers who like family drama, stories of friendship, and a little romance will enjoy this novel.

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this. Julie Buxbaum's books are hit and miss with me and this was the latter. I stopped after the first chapter because I did not like the writing style. It was a stream of consciousness embedded into another stream of consciousness since one second Immie would be talking about the present then abruptly switch to the past and then to the future. It was a mess and made my head hurt trying to figure out the timeline. Immie's train of thought was dramatic and immature, and I even read a few paragraphs into Ro's chapter and the writing was the same, so I decided to set this aside.

Year on Fire, as with all Julie Buxbaum books, will be a multi-copy purchase for my high school students. The premise will draw them in, the characters will keep them hooked, and the light romance is the perfect amount to balance those who love it and those who loathe it. I figured out the arsonist pretty quickly, but I still really enjoyed the read. Also, as a parent, I really just wanted to hug all of the protagonists.

I really enjoyed this novel, though it was a bit slow at times for the readers I think would be the target audience for it. With some hand marketing, though, I think it could be successful in my library.

I got this from NetGalley and these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book! I really liked Immie, Paige was an acquired taste for me but Ro, Archie, and Jackson were all cool too. A story about a group of friends navigating high school. Im took the blame for kissing Paige’s boyfriend Jackson, but it wasn’t really her. Now Paige is treating her passive aggressively and has called dibs on the new guy Ro, who Im has strong feelings towards! IM’s twin Archie harbors a big secret as well. Add to that someone starting fires and you’ve got a really intense book! I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters! Julie Buxbaum did a great job with this one! Can’t wait to read it when it comes out!

Preface, I am already a huge fan of Julie Buxbaum, so I was THRILLED to see this title on Netgalley.

This multi-person POV story follows twins Arch and Immie, their best friend Paige, newcomer Rohan, and Paige's ex-boyfriend Jackson as they journey through their junior year of high school. Fire plays a role throughout the story, and it was a great way to tie things together. There's no real action, but if you are a fan of Buxbaum's characters and style of writing, you'll love this one.

I’ve read all of Julie Buxbaum’s book and love this one just as much as I loved Tell Me Three Things and What to Say Next. The story follows four friends through their junior year while they deal with mistakes they have made and relationships with friends they need to repair. Her talent for creating characters you love is incredible.

I’m so glad she chose to write from four different points of view because Paige would have driven me crazy, but she had SO much depth with her non-existent parents and the pressure to be perfect. Ro and Jackson were two of my favorites, but I think I liked Arch’s relationship storyline the most. :)

Highly recommend this book to readers because it is a book about people; not a ton of action happens, however, by the end of reading her book, you may miss Paige, Immie, Arch, and Ro so much!!

Excellent writing!!

I was excited to read Julie Buxbaum's newest title after I fell in love with Admission last year. This book also hits on current headlines, including the pandemic and the wildfires--but those are not the focus. The focus is on a trio friendship and perspectives on life; the three POVs each keep secrets that lead to shame. And, while everyone else seems to be living a life that looks better than what they are individually dealing with, we discover that EVERYONE is dealing with their own mess. I connected with the twins and their telepathy, but couldn't stand the other character and had no empathy for her.
"Fires" are linked to everything taking place -- from burning passion to the heat in one's cheeks from embarrassment to natural disasters... this takes smart writing. However, sometimes it comes across as perhaps too smart for the teen characters and the conversations don't always feel authentic. The story dragged a little in the middle and was more smoke than fire for me.

I adore every novel written by Julie Buxbaum, yet this one is my favorite of all time. Friends Immie and Paige navigate high school in LA with Immie’s twin Arch and Paige’s boyfriend Jackson. But a stolen kiss changea the dynamic and then the new boy from London shows up. It’s about to get really hot in LA! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

I finished Year On Fire in two days I could not put this book down that is how great it was. I loved how each chapter focused on a different character's POV. Even though I wasn't a big fan of Paige I did love the three other characters, Ro and Immie were so cute and the chemistry was coming off the page. Also, Arch and Jackson were so adorable that I was pulling for these two through the whole book. I was really sad to finish this book because it was so amazing1 It's really hard to find great books like this one.