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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 listener on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature?

©2024 John Boyne (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Women's Fiction Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Scary Thought-Provoking

What listeners say about Fire

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Excellent book

It is a tough subject, but Anna Friel narrates so well and the story is incredibly thought-provoking. Does our childhood trauma and lack of care impact how we act in adulthood?

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Disturbing

The darkest and most disturbing story so far. Enjoying the elements series and can’t wait for ‘Air’. Pity about Rebecca’s incorrect accent.

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Disturbing but compelling

Clever to create a disturbing cold character who worked in a caring profession
I liked how her neglected childhood and the awful happenings led to her actions against others
I was waiting for the twist and didn’t pre guess it
Anna Friel was an excellent narrator

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One hundred too many

I liked the reading. The story itself was far fetched. Thinking it would have more impact, and more cred if it was only a few boys. Don’t want to give too much away in case potential readers see it.

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Female predator

Female predator enter at your own risk. Boyne constructs the making and aftermath of becoming a monster. The dual timelines means that as she enacting her predatory nature, Boyne is also building her back story and I for one became less and less sympathetic to her loneliness and neglect as a child. Can we also just talk about that first sentence. JAW ON THE FLOOR!

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Brilliant but dark

Love John Boyne and this series is great and Fire does not disappoint BUT be prepared it is dark.

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Shocking,disturbing!

Again John Boyne has tackled a controversial subject and is excellent in creating an unlikeable,chilling character. Freya is messed up from past traumatic experiences and takes a perverse pleasure in revenge which has some upsetting consequences.

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Kept me enthralled to the end.

Great work by John boyne. Clever story, unusual female lead character. Great nod back to the ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’ though a less credible than those yarns. Rebecca’s Northern Ireland accent made zero sense as she was a Dublin girl ( as per ‘Water’). That said, Anna Friel’s Irish accents are very good. There’s nothing more off-putting than bad stage-Irish accents by non-Irish actors/readers. Looking forward to ‘Air’. A series that will adapt well to screen drama.

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Dark, Very Dark

Like a flame taking hold, this novel will engulf you in the nature - nurture nightmare world of gifted burns surgeon Freya. In four and a half short hours you will be shocked, horrified, mesmerised and hugely entertained. Anna Friel narrates with a cool, clinical precision that is pitch perfect. Horror has rarely been so beautifully delivered.

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Gripped from the first chapter!

An amazing story, I listened to it all in one sitting as I was totally gripped. Fantastic as always, I love all of John Boyne’s work.

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