Girls on Fire - by Sarah Hentges (Paperback)

About the Book

"Like many American narratives, dystopian stories often focus on males as the agents of social change.With a focus on the intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality and power, the author analyzes the themes, issues and characters in young adult (YA) dystopian fiction featuring female protagonists--the Girls on Fire who inspire progressive transformation for the future"--

Book Synopsis

Under the threat of climate change, corruption, inequality and injustice, Americans may feel they are living in a dystopian novel come to life. Like many American narratives, dystopian stories often focus on males as the agents of social change.

With a focus on the intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality and power, the author analyzes the themes, issues and characters in young adult (YA) dystopian fiction featuring female protagonists--the Girls on Fire who inspire progressive transformation for the future.

Review Quotes

"Girls on Fire really shines in Part I, where Hentges combines American studies, women's and gender studies, and more traditional literary criticism to create an interdisciplinary framework that allows for a more nuanced interpretation of the many different themes and qualities of YA dystopian literature. ...this book is a valuable addition to the literary criticism canon...currently one of the only texts that attempts to look at YA dystopian literature through an interdisciplinary lens"-Resources for Women's and Gender Studies; "A compelling study that provides insightful perspectives on YA literature and the power of dystopian heroines."-International Research Society for Children's Literature; "Loaded with powerful information and presented without pretension, the themes discussed in Girls on Fire are extremely timely and vitally important for all members of society, but especially to the young women that will rule the new world dawning on the horizon."-Spoiler Free Movie Sleuth

About the Author

Sarah Hentges (RYT and YACEP) is a professor of transdisciplinary cultural studies at the University of Maine at Augusta and the founder and lead curator of The Spiral Goddess Collective, a Center for Mind/body Movement in Bangor, Maine. She has taught fitness classes (and college classes) for over 25 years and yoga for 20 years.