QUIET LIKE FIRE By Cameron Cooper

Wow! Incredible story. Both terrible and beautiful. Read it!

First off this story is scary in its depiction of military aggression by the Americans. Plus it eerily echoes things that have unfortunately already happened in this world. Thankfully Cameron Cooper always manages to weave interesting people into stories and make it about them. This was a story about perseverance, bravery, kindness, hope and community during occupation by an armed force. The very end of this story was a lovely nod to hope and love.

Immersive. Immediate. These were the first words I quickly scribbled while reading this book. By the end of the first paragraph I was completely absorbed in the story of Evan Cano, a nurse practitioner “working way beyond [her] parameters,” in this near-future world. Although it touches on politics, this is not a political story. It is a story about people, everyday people who find themselves in extremely difficult circumstances. How do they choose to navigate their new world? How can they survive? As expected, this author presents problems I didn’t see coming, and offers solutions where I could think of none. The overall story spans a continent and, at the same time, is intimate, filled with small but richly described details that engage the reader ever more deeply in the compelling narrative. This is a book that kept me thinking about the story long after I had finished reading, and still keeps me wondering, “what would I do?” After reading an advance copy of this book, I most heartily recommend it. A book that sticks with you the way this one does is well worth reading (and re-reading).

Quiet Like Fire, by Cameron Cooper, is a breath-consuming read. Loosely based on current propaganda, the story emerges at a time after war has erupted between Canada and America. Quiet is a view from inside that war in the backwaters of the wilderness. As always, Cooper has fully developed characters that sweep you into their lives and hold you hostage all the way to the end of the story. Whether you agree or disagree with the underlying politics, this is a great and moving story with wonderful storytelling. It is a thought-provoking tale that will stay with you, long after the epilogue. Read it and enjoy the delightful prose of Cameron Cooper.

QUIET LIKE FIRE is horrible yet beautiful. It is the story of a tragic modern day war between allies but also a story of hope and friendship and cooperation among those wishing to simply survive as good human beings. Only Cam Cooper could have pulled this off. Bravo!

Main character Evan's compelling situation shows how hope and humanity can survive in the environment of an insidious war.

Attention to detail drew out the tension and transported me. I was there for every step of Evan's journey including the tight rope walk of trying to stay neutral with different factions all wanting a piece of her.

It's a well written presentation of what can happen in the aftermath of a governing body ruthlessly wielded its power to enact prejudice and greed. The novel offers the reader an insightful yet disturbing look at the effects of potential abuses of authority.
Deeply ingrained judgmental biases and threats against diverse societal groups have escalated into a widespread collapse of normalcy which is illustrated by the hardships and losses suffered by the people that Evan comes in contact with throughout the novel.

In contrast to the setting it is the characters and their support of each other that shine through as a beacon of hope throughout the novel. This not a doom and gloom scary story but rather an inspiration and wake up call for how humanity needs to look after each other.

The gritty descriptions of how everyday life has unraveled paint a vivid and unsettling picture of a society that has descended into hardship and struggle. Evan's story creates a realistic and striking picture of what could so easily happen to our own cosy lives.

The author crafts a disturbingly realistic vision of how quickly our comfortable existence could shatter. This isn't just a story; it's a potent and timely exploration of societal fault lines.

Ultimately, Evan's story serves as a stark and realistic picture but also has such a strong thread of hope and survival that it was a pleasure to read.