I'M SO GRATEFUL I GOT TO READ THIS HALF A YEAR EARLY!!! Thanks PeachTree! Loren loved this city the way Icarus loved the sun. Bold. Bright. Willing to burn for it. Cass Biehn's Vesuvius is a young adult historical fiction that combines Roman history with themes of love, trauma and mythological elements. Set in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the story follows two protagonists, Felix and Loren, as they navigate personal secrets, political intrigue, and a looming disaster. The novel's strength lies in its vivid portrayal of Pompeii, transporting readers to locations such as temples, vineyards, brothels and Roman villas. The relationship between Felix and Loren is central, marked by moments of vulnerability and conflict as the grapple with their emotional scars and aspirations. Social expectations, power dynamics, resilience, romance and faith are the themes the author is exploring. You make your touch a question. And if my answer was no, I trust you would hear me. I honestly really liked the book, it's a great debut novel, although some aspects of the story felt a little undeveloped. I would have loved to read about what exactly happened to Loren's friends and the remaining people of Pompeii at the end and I didn't really understand the goal of the visions and Felix's power. Even their relationship felt flat at times, I often couldn't relate much to why they behaved the way they did and what changed their motives and feelings. The dreadful atmosphere throughout gave me real anxiety but I still couldn't put the story down once I started reading. The numerous typos and formatting errors were a little bothersome, but that will hopefully be fixed once the book is officially released. It would be fun to get some kind of sequel that answers all the questions still left open. Overall, it's a compelling read with great characters and a fresh take on queer narratives within a historical setting.