Fire and Glass by M. Chan

Abstract

Chan, Marty. Fire and Glass. Richmond Hill, ON: Clockwise Press, 2016. Print.Kristina Mah finds herself in an unenviable situation at the start of grade nine: her father has abruptly abandoned Kristina and her mother, and they are forced to move from the familiarity of the suburbs to a small inner-city apartment. The transition to her new school takes some time - it’s old, rundown and all the students are addicted to their phones - but eventually she finds a new friend in Dylan, her grade’s resident iconoclast who cares little for social norms. Just when her life seems to be acquiring some semblance of normalcy, things take a turn at Mackenzie King School. After confirming with Dylan that the spooky interactive white board images are not merely a figment of her imagination, the pair further explore the school and accidentally free an evil Djinn into the halls. Kristina and Dylan’s ensuing adventures revolve around saving their families and school from this spirit.Fire and Glass is Marty Chan’s 15th book, and follows up his work on the Ehrich Weisz Chronicles series. As a radio presenter, playwright and self-anointed “professional liar”, Chan’s multiple talents have led to a distinguished profile in the Edmonton community. Fire and Glass kicks off a new series, Keepers of the Vault, which Chan is writing specifically with reluctant readers in mind. The action begins quickly, the plot is fast-paced, and the humour hits the mark; all in all, Fire and Glass is well positioned to re-engage junior high students with reading.Chan is adept at bridging the reality-fantasy gap by equipping his characters with modern technologies that help them to solve ancient, fantastical problems. While at times the suspense in Fire and Glass seems slightly contrived, later pages offer enough compelling spookiness and mystery to keep the reader intrigued. With a cliffhanger ending, fans will be eagerly anticipating the next entry in the series. Short paragraphs and chapters make this title an attractive choice for struggling readers, though its reach will extend to fantasy fans.Recommended: 3 Stars out of 3 Reviewer: Kyle MarshallReviewer biography: Kyle Marshall is the Assessment & Research Librarian for Edmonton Public Library. He graduated with his MLIS from the University of Alberta in June 2015, and is passionate about diversity in children's and youth literature.