Corey's Fire Book

This is my favorite fiction book ever written, and it's definitely number one in my Young Adult collection!

Corey, age 14, lives in a beautiful house in a Santa Ana canyon, where there's great fire danger during the month of October. One night, she hears her annoying, new 16-year old neighbor, Christopher ("Topher") tearing up the neighborhood as he whizzes by on his loud motorcycle for the umpteenth time. Corey is disgusted, especially when Topher spooks her beloved cat, Jabberwocky, by chasing him.

One evening, as Corey comes out of hers to head to her friend Ericka's house, to plan a Halloween party, she runs into Topher, who is coming over to begrudgingly apologize for his behavior towards Jabberwocky. He actually wants to give her a piece of his mind! But the two suddenly smell smoke and notice flames at the top of the canyon! Corey does everything she can to save her house, since her parents and brother are both away from home, but Topher convinces her to jump on his motorcycle and take off. She eventually listens.


Corey's parents finally get in contact with her and the whole family ends up living in a hotel for a while. School isn't the same. Her friendship with Ericka isn't the same either, since Ericka is the only one in the neighborhood who got to keep her house. Corey wants things to go back to the way they were before. The only one she can relate to is Topher, who opens up to her about his own family life. The two of them bond as they go back to look for Jabberwocky, who they never end up finding. Corey's parents decide to rent a different house instead of rebuilding their old one, which devastates Corey.


Corey wants to push everyone away, like Topher did, because of the changes she's going through. Finally, Topher confronts her, and she realizes she has to open her heart. He and she both decide that if they want the neighborhood rebuilt, it's up to them.

Pages: 144; Publication Date: 1990; Part of my book collection.