It’s just an
ordinary day for 10 year-old Rex Thornhill. On the school bus one day after school, his
classmates tell him his house is burning down. That doesn’t bother him, because his
dad always said, if they ever got a new house, he was going to burn the old one down. They
are just about to move anyway, so, he’ll have his own room in his new house.
That is the
introduction of this delightful story by LaVonne Boruk. A story told in by Rex, in first
person. It is always a treat for me to read stories told with this point of view, but an
extra one in this case, as the story is told from the eyes of a child.
Sad to say, the
fire is the result of a terrible accident, and Rex loses his entire family. Rex is
taken in by his best friend’s family, the Harpers. As Rex grows older, he develops a
serious crush on one of the Harper children, Arlene. During their high school years, Rex
and Arlene’s relationship grows, while Rex nearly loses his best friend, Jeremy. Rex
and Jeremy fall further and further apart.
GONE IN FLAMES is a
wonderfully sweet romance for a lazy afternoon read. I think readers will enjoy Rex and
how he relates the events of his life. I enjoyed reading this book by LaVonne Boruk and
look forward to reading more by her.
Reviewed by Robin
Taylor for The Road to Romance
September 29, 2003 |
