Kerosene by Chris Wooding

A novel of rage, confusion, and release from an extraordinary young author.

"Kerosene" is about a high school boy named, Cal. Cal is shy, awkward, and ignored by his peers. His only friend is Joel, who he has known since childhood. Unfortunately, even Joel is pulling away and hanging around with a tougher group of young men. When the school's most popular girl named Emma and a new girl named Abby play a trick on Cal, it becomes more than he can bear. In fact, Cal turns to fire as a way to cope with his problems. His obsession with fire starts to get out of control. I liked how the plot left me guessing about what would happen next. The "fire" themed chapters provide the reader with an opportunity to predict about what will happen in the plot. The theme of the book also illustrates how people can be pushed to their limit with devastating results.  This title can be found in Mrs. Brown's classroom library.