An interesting angle and look out of thousands to take towards the Second World War, set in 1940, mainly in London, during the Blitz. It is well written, if infodumpy and overly descriptive, particularly for a younger audience in the sixties.
But the main character's casual misogyny, huge entitlement issues, and black hole-sized lack of common sense and self-preservation skills kept me from liking 'Fireweed'.
Seriously, "Bill" (we never know his real name) demands of his female partner, Julie, also a homeless teenage runaway, whom he barely knows, to make him a cup of tea, after they've just arrived in his own house, where there is a fucking big unexploded bomb right in the kitchen they are in, right over the sink. Of course she relents, with no protest, literally risking her life to make him tea, just because he says so. I don't care that he sparingly acknowledges how monstrous his words and actions are - it is in his first person narration only, and it doesn't excuse him of anything. Who the fuck does this whiny, selfish kid think he is?
When Bill, in a single paragraph, casually mentions in passing that the bomb went off shortly after he and Julie left his house, it is practically played for laughs. I don't know what to think of this.
Bill's relationship with Julie is uncomfortable to read about. He's abusive, controlling, clingy, and has rage issues - how many times does he "snap" at Julie? His protecting her has resulted in him bruising her. She's a "strong independent spitfire" of a girl, who is actually a domesticated scaredy cat who cries a lot, doesn't do anything without Bill's permission, and later on stays put in shelters making tea and dinner while Bill goes outside into the danger. Julie is a damsel for him to rescue, in more ways than one, and blatantly a wife and mother in training. She's even sexualised by a shopkeeper boy who is much younger than she is. This is never commented on. Disgusting.
And I know Bill will grow up to be a wife beater, judging by, well, everything, but especially that ending.
So the stiff, stale 20th century gender roles and dynamics have not made 'Fireweed' age well for me. Suddenly the war and deaths are not the only horrifying things in it. The sexism, to put it extremely lightly, is creepy, and towards a girl so young.
'Fireweed' is also basically a WWII version of 'Ashfall' by Mike Mullin, only with less action.
I couldn't connect to the story or its characters at all. Sorry, I tried.
Final Score: 2/5
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