Highfire Review

Title: Highfire

Author: Eoin Colfer

Highfire by Eoin Colfer is a highly entertaining and fast paced modern fantasy. Set in America, it revolves around three main characters: Vern the dragon, Squib Moreau, and Regence Hooke. Vern is an ancient dragon who has lived in hiding in the swamp of Honey Island after his species, including his family, was massacred by angry mobs of humans. He drowns the pain of being the last of his species with alcohol and cable television. Squib Moreau is a scrawny Cajun teenager with petty criminal tendencies, who tries to be good for his saint of a mother, Elodie. Regence Hooke is a power hungry and cold blooded cop involved in drug trafficking, who also has his eyes set on Squib’s single mother.

Squib’s tendency to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong draws him to trouble, and in trouble is where he finds himself when he spies on the crooked constable Regence Hooke murdering someone. Squib finds himself in even more trouble when he sees a dragon -Vern -who believes that there is no choice but to kill Squib after what he has seen. Squib convinces Vern to allow himself to become Vern’s go-between, doing things Vern can’t do without blowing his cover. An unlikely dragon-boy friendship emerges, as they try to thwart Hooke.

For all of its supernatural elements, wacky turn of events, and coarse language (the f-bomb drops every other page), Highfire delves into serious themes more than some of Eoin Colfer’s works. Vern struggles with depression, which drives him to attempt suicide at one point in the book. Colfer depicts Vern’s loneliness and isolation amid comedic banter, creating a balance between pain and laughter.

Both Squib and Hooke have had difficult relationships with their father. Squib’s real father committed suicide when he was young, while his second father was alcoholic and abusive, and ultimately left Squib as well. But Squib is given an overflowing amount of love from his mother, Elodie, and lives in a relatively happy household, if short on money. On the other hand, Hooke’s mother left him with his crazy and alcoholic father, who becomes increasingly fanatical as he claims that God sent him for a higher purpose. Hooke eventually finds a mentor he can respect, but it is too late to stop him from pursuing his life of crime. The contrast between Squib and Hooke makes Hooke an excellent foil.

For fans of Eoin Colfer’s signature witty and page turning prose, this will be a more adult update of the bestselling YA Artemis Fowl series. Although heavy on explicit language and crude humor, it hides more than crosses the eye. Recommend for those who want a relatively light read that touches on serious topics.

Reviewed by: Sakura Hayakawa’21