A book about art, for teenagers? No wonder I was immediately intrigued. Fire Colour One combined all of my favourite things – now it was just to see if it could pull them off.
The novel is about a young girl called Iris, seemingly rebelling against all the values that her mother and stepfather hold dear: glamour, fame, and riches. But when Iris's biological father, Ernest, begins to near the end of his life, Iris also begins to discover new truths, and a spiral of history which will soon begin to affect her life.
I really did love the unconventional nature of this teen book. It defied YA norm, containing little to no romance and instead focusing on familial and friend relationships. Additionally, it was not set in a dystopia, which I found strangely refreshing; it made the book more resounding and relatable, more accessible.
Also the characters were not particularly predictable; Iris herself was dismissive of fashion and image, her best friend Thurston was a shocking artist, and her father was a rich art dealer. The illustrious cacophony of characters in the book was of a surprisingly small quantity, but managed to balance out their small numbers with their giant personalities. Each of them were vivid and unique; intriguing and intricate.
The only thing which slightly annoyed me about Fire Colour One was the stereotype of fashion. This probably resounded more deeply with me than most, because I write a fashion blog and absolutely love getting dressed up, but the portrayal of Iris's mother as a narcissistic gold-digger who only cared about her closet left me quietly seething in a corner. I soon recovered, however, entranced once more by the intriguing plot and mysteries.
One thing I really did love about this book was the use of art. Although Iris's passion for art was maybe not as accentuated as it should have been, it did play a main part in the book and never failed to hook me. Maybe some people will have already realised: the book's title is actually based on a famous painting by Yves Klein, and the weaving of the story around his work was extremely successful.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Fire Colour One and will definitely be reading more of Jenny Valentine in the future. I would recommend it to any creatives who want a unique, relaxed read.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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