Krysten Ritter

Bonfire

“A phenomenal, haunting debut.”—Gillian Flynn Nothing burns as bright as the truth. It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small-town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands. But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town’s most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’s biggest scandal from more than a decade ago, involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good. Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as she tries desperately to find out what really happened to Kaycee, troubling memories begin to resurface and she begins to doubt her own observations. And when she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game”—it will threaten reputations, and lives, in the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her. With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote rural town of just five claustrophobic square miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of what happens when your past and present collide. Praise for Bonfire “I burned through Krysten Ritter's hugely accomplished debut. Bonfire is dark, disturbing, and compulsively readable.”—Ruth Ware, bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10 “The Jessica Jones star makes an auspicious literary debut with Bonfire, spinning a suspenseful, psychologically gripping story.”—Entertainment Weekly “In this adroit debut the star of Marvel's Jessica Jones proves her talents aren't limited to acting. . . . [Bonfire is] a thriller that delivers suspense, surprise and satisfaction.”—People

A Novel

Samantha M Crawford

Heather Margaret

I haven't sat down and read a book in one day in a long time. I was very invested in this story, a great debut from Krysten. A simple read but interesting and could keep my attention without being over the top or cliche. I kept reading Abby's dialogue in Jessica Jones's voice though, oops.

Denaiir

I thouroughly enjoyed this book, it was a good thriller with a complex and compelling subjet (environmental pollution and cover-ups by big companies) that gave an Erin Brockovich kind of vibe. The characters reminded me of  All the Missing Girls, and the ensemble cast was likeable (for the "nice" characters) and fit well together.

I think the final twist was quit easy to guess but I still enjoyed the path the story took to get to that point. Some of the characters were twisted but not so much that they would be too unrealistic (Kaycee for example was a horrible teenager, but we know people like that do exist). 

At was point I was a bit annoyed at the main character for pushing herself to the limit and acting a bit crazy, but not so much that I would want to put the book down. So if you feel like that, keep reading, it won't last long!

Overall I had a really good time and read it in 2 sittings, even if there were some parts where some actions seemed a bit too convenient to be realistic (clues appearing out of nowhere, people having really good hunches); it was captivating and gripping. 

I really hope Krysten Ritter writes more books in the future, I will definitely check them out!

Skye Sherman

I’m actually pretty impressed—this was a good read and there were plot twists all the way to the end! Some areas got a little simplistic/unbelievable, but overall, a suspenseful and juicy story full of twists and turns. Really kept me guessing, even when I thought I had figured things out. Plus, this can be a very quick read. Good for a dose of riveting yet noncommittal entertainment—especially if you’ve suffered through childhood in a small town.

Sheila

3.5 stars. I actually thought this was a decent thriller debut, if a bit simplistic! It's a classic "small town in bed with giant corp" corruption case, with a big dose of environmental issues ripped from the headlines of Flint. 

I got caught up in the rush of Abby putting pieces together, though I frequently felt like even Abby's most outlandish theories were tied up or resolved a bit too neatly. I couldn't help but imagine Krysten Ritter as Abby the entire time. I would definitely read another book by her to see if her writing improves!

Alexia

I love Krysten’s work as an actress, but not so much as a writer. 
If you’re looking for a Veronica Mars and Erin Brockovich mash up, this one is for you.

Olivera Mitić

This was so boring and rather uneventful for a thriller.

laura

I did enjoy this book. I am also sucked in by mystery and also going back to one's past and dealing not only with the mystery but also their own past. I thought the pacing was a tad clunky at points. But I was super invested in the mystery and the main character grew on me. It was very hard for me not picture krysten ritter in this role but that also increased the love of this novel. I thought the novel was fast pace mystery. I will admit I did not love the lead from page one but she grew on me. If you are unsure maybe rented it from your lib. But I did enjoy the read and seeing what story she would tell me!

Emily C Peterson

Witch

3.5 stars.
Wow, Krysten Ritter can write. This book was fast-paced, engaging, and entertaining. But it was also kind of a fluff piece. It reminded me of a Lifetime original movie (which definitely isn't an insult). It was predictable and a little cliche, but the writing helped keep me from being bored.
I hope Krysten continues on this author path because I definitely enjoyed this enough to want more.

Taylor McNeely

This book was so good that I didn’t put it down for two days. The whole time I was wondering, why did Kaycee Mitchell run away??!! It was a great thriller book and I feel like I really related to the main character. Grew up in a small town, but escaped to a big city college. Childhood best friend turned toxic enemy. I really hope Ritter writes another thriller!!

Lynn Braden

Bonfire is a dark, depressing amalgamation of three tales told as one. In one part of the story, Abby Williams is going back to her hometown of Barrens, Indiana to face the friends and family that abused her throughout her adolescence. The second story involves the company, Optimal Plastics, that owns the town and may be polluting the reservoir. The third story is about a missing girl from Abby's high school that had never been found after she disappeared more than a decade before.
I found this story hard to like. The first three quarters of the book are merely set up for the ending, making it a very slow moving beginning. Abby isn't a very likable character and neither are any of the other characters in the story. It is a very depressing look at small town life through the eyes of a character who just wanted to get out, but has to come back for her job, having face everything she left behind. Also, I was bothered by some inaccuracies about Indiana in general. Nobody from Indiana would ever call IU the University of Indiana. It is Indiana University - always, and the sport Indiana is known for is basketball not football like in Friday Night Lights, which takes place in Texas. These issues could have been cleaned up by a good editor, however. I wanted to like this book, but overall, found it a disappointment.

Isabella Stocka

Krysten Ritter meets Jessica Jones meets Suits.
A nice debut from Ritter. The plot is interesting and keeps you reading. Howevee, at some point too many different plot lines were build which was important at the end.
I do hope Krysten will continue writing.

Bonfire

Reviews

Highlights