Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Hazel Hooper has spent her whole life trapped in a magical Glade created by her mother, Hecate. She’s desperate to meet new people and find out about the world. And, more than anything, she wants to be a witch. But when her mother is kidnapped by a demon – everything changes . . .
Suddenly Hazel is alone in the world. Well . . . not quite alone. For it turns out that Hazel does have magic – she’s just not very good at controlling it. And she may have accidentally created a grumpy familiar in the form of a dormouse called Bramley.
Determined to rescue her mother, the young witch and her mouse set out to track down the demon and find Hecate. However, it turns out that life outside the Glade is far more dangerous than Hazel ever could have imagined. Witch Hunters are everywhere – and the witches are using demons to fight back!
Luckily for Hazel she manages to enlist the help of a handsome boy called David, and his drunken master, Titus White, who are expert demon hunters.
Title: Fire Girl
Author: Matt Ralphs
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Pub Date: 13th August 2015
Pages: 289
ISBN: 9781447283553
Rating: 
I was provided a review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a children’s book and I forgot how addictive a good one can be. I pretty much inhaled Fire Girl within a few train journeys.
I did worry that it would be a little too young for me, especially with the arrival of a grumpy dormouse. But I needn’t have worried; this is a beautiful children’s fantasy that will keep you on your toes.
Full of witch hunters, demons & curses, Fire Girl is packed full of action and adventure. The protagonist is refreshingly bold (and there is no silly love triangle to contend with!).
With a sneaky twist right at the end, this is a brilliant start to what I hope is a new children’s fantasy series.
Now I just have to wait for my little niece to grow up enough that I can read it with her!
A Literary Mind 