When Ally’s mom dies, Ally is left with no family, no friends and no future.
Put into foster care at the age of fifteen, she has less than $200 to her name and nothing left to lose. When Ally meets Tate, a busking fire breather, she starts to see a new life for herself as a street performer. Ally decides to run away from her foster home, but her problems follow her. Hiding her age, sleeping on the streets and avoiding fights with other buskers, Ally discovers that there’s more to life as a fire-breathing busker than not getting burned.
"Tsiang’s protagonist crackles with personality, and readers will be rooting for Ally as she juggles, flips, and breathes fire to come into her own."
– Publishers Weekly
"The message of following your passion in times of difficulty was well captured and delivered."
– Resource Links
"Tsiang's plot is fast and fun. These quick and easy readers are especially designed to promote literacy...Tsiang accomplishes her goal of making reading enjoyable with her original characters, her believable story and her interesting dialogue."
– Tri State Young Adult Book Review Committee
"The fast-paced plot...will appeal to reluctant teen readers with short attention spans. The author deals with such sensitive subject matter as addiction, death, sex, and poverty from a relatable, first-person perspective. Recommended."
– CM Magazine
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens | 2014 | Commended
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