This is a very good sophomore effort by author Pamela Ehrenberg, describing the story of an arson on a house in a remote Appalachian town, and how it affected the rest of the community. Although there were many narrators, each had a distinct voice and I had no trouble keeping track of them. I thought the voice and character of Albert, a teenager with high-functioning autism, was particularly well done. (I've got Asperger's Syndrome myself.) The author also made excellent use of the rural West Virginia setting -- so many YA books are set in a Generic Suburb Near You.

This is the first of Ehrenberg's books I've read, but her second published novel. I will keep an eye out for her other one and hope it will be as good as this one. ( )

Tillmon County is just like any other small American town, filled with the same type of people from any other small American Town. The elderly man who has nothing better to do than try to figure out who keeps knocking down his cow-shaped mailbox. The white couple with the adopted Asian child. Christians. Gays. Arsonists. In Tillmon County Fire, second-time author, Pamela Ehrenberg, combines all of these small-town regulars and more into her newest Middle Reader.
Adien McNalley is a not-so-typical teen growing up in the Appalachian Mountains. Not-so-typical in that he’s an über-Christian who thinks it’s his responsibility to cleanse Tillmon County of all things evil, beginning with the new rich kid from New York who “started prancing and lisping around Tillmon County High School.” Gays, radio stations that play pornographic music, grocery stores that sell racy magazines—evil is all around Tillmon County, and Aiden set out to ensure the Second Coming of Christ by wiping them all out. First up: burn down the house where the gay kid lives, leaving county officials (and the rest the community) wondering who exactly set the fire.
As the story unfolds, we meet a host of characters—mostly teens who are struggling in some way (o.k., they’re really like most other teens in America.) What’s most interesting about this book is the way it’s presented. Ehrenberg cleverly relates the story to its reader through a series of journal entries written by each of the main characters she’s introduced us too. But most impressive is the style each journal entry (or chapter to us lay folk) is written in. Take for instance, Amelia. Her entries are written in the playful Comic Sans font and written in the form of instant messages as she chats online with another Asian boy adopted by a white family. Then there’s Rob, the gay kid from New York, whose poetic style of writing is typed in a fancier arty font. And Lacy, the pregnant teen, who hasn’t told anyone she’s pregnant, whose journal entries are in a more classic font, like Latha.
Each journal entry continues the story and represents a piece of the greater puzzle of the events leading up to that night—that night when two confused boys squatted outside the million dollar home in forty-degree weather with a bottle of lighter fluid and a pack of orange soda-drenched matches. But as the journal entries continue, they also gives us a glimpse into the lives of the character—each dealing with their own issues, from being born with a mental handicap to being a loner at school. Ehrenberg is a master at introducing her readers to the most common issues of harassment and tolerance. In her first Middle Reader book, Ethan, Suspended (Eerdmans), Ehrenberg wrote about teens and race. In Tillmon County Fire she not only steps up her game with the issues, but also with her writing. The story is cleverly written from several different perspectives—one from each character—and is filled with the language that today’s teens can relate to, especially when it comes to computer jargon. In fact, Amelia’s entries, the ones written in instant messages, use no capital letters, an every day occurrence on our children’s computer screens. And we hear about familiar places, like Dollar Genera and Dairy Queen. Ehrenberg seems to have a way with relating to her audience.
As her sophomore book, Pamela Ehrenberg’s work is truly Ivy League. Her story is cleverly written and keeps the reader’s interest as they turn page to page to find out exactly who started the Tillmon County Fire and why. Highly recommended. ( )

Tillmon County Fire was definitely not in my top ten list. The premise was interesting: a young man is on a mission to clean out "evil" in his hometown, starting with the openly gay new guy. However, I don't think that Ehrenberg did it justice.

The novel was narrated by several different characters, giving it a choppy feel. Each character had different issues going on in their life, but none of them felt fully explored.

This might be a good choice for a reader looking for a quick read, but I honestly think the book would have been better if it had been fleshed out more. ( )

School Library Journal review: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6648613.html (scroll down to Ehrenberg)

Booklist review (linked from Amazon): http://www.amazon.com/Tillmon-County-Fire-Pamela-Ehrenberg/dp/0802853455/ref=sr_... ( )