A Catalog of Burnt Objects is Shana Youngdahl's gut-wrenching, tender response to the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed her hometown of Paradise, Calif.
Seventeen-year-old Caprice has been dealing with her "agent of chaos" older brother since she was 10. Now he's returned from a stint in rehab for substance use disorder and Caprice is not going to let him "unbalance [her] in all the ways he used to." She plans to focus on finishing the app she's developing and get into college--and maybe fall in love with the "smart, cute, and carbon neutral" boy who's just moved to her small California town. Then the unthinkable happens: a "fire-pocolypse." Ninety percent of her town is destroyed in a deadly fire and her grandfather is missing. Caprice starts "glitching out" when she blames herself for leaving her grandfather behind, and all her "if, if, if-ing" about the past has her reconsidering her future.
Youngdahl (As Many Nows as I Can Get) uses smart formatting choices in her deeply resonant second YA novel to evoke empathy and create tension: computer programming elements, like IF-THEN sequences, show Caprice both shutting down and coping with the tragedy; short chapters about the fire exemplify how fast a spark can explode. Stitched in between chapters are touching vignettes of townspeople talking about irreplaceable items they've lost (handmade quilt, house plants). An author's note shares Youngdahl's own experience with catastrophic wildfires and their wide-reaching impact, as well as a list of resources. Youngdahl's emotionally rich narrative is perfect for fans of Helena Fox. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader