Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer - review

Publisher: Canongate Books

I received this book on Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review. 

Mara's senior year is proving to be a lot less exciting than she'd hoped, until the day - KABAM! - Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period. Katelyn is the first, but she won't be the last senior to explode without warning or explanation. The body count grows and the search is on for a reason, while the students continue to pop like balloons. But if bombs or terrorists or a government conspiracy aren't to blame, what is?

With the help of her oldest friend, her new boyfriend, a power ballad and a homemade disco ball, will Mara make it to graduation in one piece? It's going to be one hell of a year, where the only test is how to stay alive and where falling in love might be the worst thing you can do . . . (Publishers' blurb)

I didn't know much about this book when I started reading it (though I had some ideas from the title). I found this a really unique premise and a tense read.

One of my favourite aspects was the writing style. The voice had a strong, contemporary feel and this meshed really well with the horrific idea of spontaneous combustion. This was such an original idea and it created a feeling of tension throughout. 

It was a strange and unique experience to become attached to characters, when there was no real way of working out who was going to combust. A character you really liked could be gone in an instant. The only aspect I was less keen on was that I didn't always feel connected with the narrator Mara and her motivations. 

This was a really dark, boundary pushing book that made me think about the value of life. It was hilarious at some points and heartbreaking at others, but always engaging and tense.

If you liked the sound of this, now try The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles.