3) Her Primera training tells her it’s improper to feel emotion. Each chapter, this happens around 10 times: 1) [Insert tense moment or a moment that causes general emotion 2) Dani’s hand was trembling but no one could see. Unfortunately, the fact of her schooling becomes jarring real fast because Dani is actually incredibly bad at handling emotions but the story keeps telling us she’s the best at it (she’s top student of her graduating year). This is a great foundation they tell us outright. She would do anything to achieve their idea of happiness for her. She had to leave her family to pursue a better life in the name of her family. Dani also thinks a lot about her hometown. She has been conditioned for five years to handle emotion. Dani is taught to be purely cold and logical, becoming a person who is not allowed to cry or get into close physical contact with other people. Too much telling ruins the main character. I’m gonna admit I got halfway through the book and got sick of it real fast.

Undeveloped story and characters and setting Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s striven for in pursuit of a free Medio - and a chance at a forbidden love? She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.Īnd school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.ĭaniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. In this daring and romantic fantasy debut perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Latinx authors Zoraida Córdova and Anna-Marie McLemore, society wife-in-training Dani has a great awakening after being recruited by rebel spies and falling for her biggest rival.Īt the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. 'Mejia pens a compelling, gripping story that mirrors real world issues of immigration and equality.' (Buzzfeed)

It will light the way for a new generation of rebels and lovers.' (NPR)

We set the dark on fire book