Clarisse and Gina. One is the hunted, the other the hunter. They live in a future in which books are banned and knowledge is propagated as a dangerous weapon. The "Salamanders" (fire people) hunt the "Readys" and burn their books. Gina is one of them. But her encounter with Clarisse changes everything.
Gina works for the "Salamanders". These are fire(fighters) who set fires instead of putting them out. They hunt "Readys" - rebels who will do anything to preserve knowledge. In Bradbury's 1953 dystopia, books are seen as a threat to the "good life". And Gina firmly believes this too. Like a zombie, she is in a state of unconsciousness. Her sister Mildred is totally disconnected from reality. Her life consists of banal shows and bright colors on a continuous loop.
But then Gina meets Clarisse. She is a "ready" and completely different from everyone else. She listens, questions, reads and loves life in all its depth. Clarisse opens Gina's eyes: what if there is more to life than what she has always been told? What if books and ideas really do have the power to change the world? Gina transforms from a fire-setting salamander into a fighter against a society that is no longer able to experience real emotions or meaningful moments. A dangerous path, but also an extremely liberating one.
