In “Out of the Fire” author Andrea Contos hands us a YA thriller about four young women who embark on a mission of revenge to get back at the men in their lives who have harmed them. Our main character and sole narrator, Cass, was kidnapped while out for an evening run. She managed to escape the trunk of the car her attacker threw her into, but months later is receiving anonymous letters from the same man letting her know he is still stalking her. Living in constant fear with no support from the police, and reluctant to tell her dad, she makes a pact with three other girls who also have been wronged by men. Margot is being blackmailed with photos by her ex boyfriend, Ori is being harassed by a racist teacher, and Nomi is still coming to grips with an abusive stepfather. The girls decide to find out not only who kidnapped Cass, but then retaliate against their persecutors one by one.  

Diving into the book, the premise was exciting and the pace of the action grabbed you right away. Unfortunately, things go awry fairly quickly. Instead of giving equal attention to each of the girls, the focus seems to be almost exclusively on Cass. By the end of the book the other girls’ revenge stories are skimmed over, and they seem to be merely an afterthought. Cass’s story becomes confusing and garbled and goes off on multiple tangents, introducing characters and subplots that aren’t explained well.  That said, this would be a fine book to have in a YA collection for those readers who like thrillers, and two of the girls represent different minorities, but I’m not sure it should be on a must purchase list.

Recommended for Grades 9-12

Lee Remick, York Middle School, York