Fire in the Head

A Novel

Fiction - Literary
237 Pages
Reviewed on 06/01/2025
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

Daniel Oakman is a writer living in Canberra, Australia.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite

Daniel Oakman’s Fire in the Head is an immersive novel that explores memory, trauma, and the blurred boundaries between past and present. Narrated by James, a data analyst and amateur cyclist, the story begins with a seemingly unrelated act of arson and then winds back into a deeply personal investigation of childhood, family secrets, and long-silenced truths. As James works with a police officer to provide testimony in a reopened case, the narrative shifts between the physical rigors of his cycling world and the emotional labor of confronting buried abuse. The book’s structure balances immediate, sensory experiences with introspective, almost dreamlike recollections of family life in suburban Australia. Oakman masterfully captures how everyday rituals, like watering lawns or listening to music while stoned, can either mask or trigger long-dormant trauma. James’s memories are fragmented, surfacing in flashes of imagery and detail, and it is only by drawing a map of his childhood home that the full extent of what occurred begins to cohere.

Daniel Oakman’s prose is fluid and evocative, using recurring heat, music, and cycling motifs to mirror James’s emotional state. The storytelling has a rhythm that mimics a rider's physical cadence and the mental loop of someone haunted by their past. Relationships are sharply drawn; James’s bond with his sister Cindy, his friendship with Luke, and his complicated feelings toward his stepfather Martin are deeply human. Fire in the Head also meditates on what it means to speak a truth long buried, how memory is both a refuge and a prison, and what justice looks like for once-voiceless victims. The novel resists easy resolution, offering a portrait of hard-won and honest healing. Oakman doesn’t rely on melodrama; instead, he crafts a story whose power lies in its emotional precision and the quiet, determined voice of its narrator.

K.C. Finn

Fire in the Head by Daniel Oakman is a deeply affecting literary novel. We’re with James Harper, a quiet 28-year-old public servant, as he reopens old wounds when the police revive interest in his sister’s suicide from nine years ago. As James reflects on their shared past, he confronts the buried trauma of childhood abuse by their stepfather and begins a difficult journey through the justice system. In searching for truth and accountability, James must also reckon with his own identity and the meaning of healing. Merging elements of crime drama and psychological fiction, this is a powerful story of courage, friendship, and the painful resilience required to face the past.

Author Daniel Oakman holds nothing back in his narration and the deep psychological places that it takes us, making for a fearless and compassionate exploration of trauma, memory, and justice that I couldn’t put down. One of the key elements of the story is our connection to character, and James is an immediately intriguing person who you feel emotionally gripped by the more you learn about the harrowing experiences that have shaped his reality in adulthood. There are some dark and difficult themes, and Oakman handles them with honesty, nuance, and emotional clarity, and also with a lot of grace and respect that never turns issues like suicide into a gimmick or plot device just for the sake of shock value. What results is an intimate and universal exploration of humanity and the horrible things people sometimes inflict on one another, making for a work of masterful literary fiction that lingers in the mind long after the final page. Overall, Fire in the Head is a gripping psychological journey that I would not hesitate to recommend for fans of accomplished drama.

Maalin Ogaja

In Fire in the Head, Daniel Oakman's vivid writing lays bare a raw, unflinching pain that is sometimes difficult to endure, yet his storytelling is so impactful, it's impossible to look away. James Harper is unaware of the memories, the amount of pain and anger that he has carefully locked away, until he receives an invitation to record a statement. His father has appealed to the police to reopen an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his sister Cindy’s death years earlier. James is terrified of what these memories might uncover, secrets he’s never shared with anyone. Coupled with shame, he feels like he should have protected his sister from this predator. Still, he knows this act may be the last thing he can ever do for her. As he begins to unpack the past, James recalls the friends who once looked beyond the shy, withdrawn teenager that he used to be. In doing so, he begins to understand the weight of this moment and what seeking truth, answers, and justice could mean for his current relationships and his future.

Daniel Oakman’s description of James’s state of mind illustrates the deep distress experienced by victims of unresolved trauma and long-suppressed grief. The investigation is a tipping point, opening the floodgates of memory. Over the years, James turned to substances to suppress these memories, but now the tragic irony is that the substances are a catalyst for their resurgence. This theme reveals the fragility of psychological repression in the face of truth, and how self-acceptance, forgiveness, and counselling can pave the way toward healing, personal growth, and emotional liberation. Despite all the emotional turmoil James displays throughout this process, I can’t help but root for him. Perhaps this is what his closest friends feel as well; they recognize the goodness within him and do not blame him for things that happened in his past. Ultimately, Fire in the Head honors the victims of trauma and unspoken abuse, acknowledging their pain while shedding light on the long, difficult journey toward healing and truth. I highly recommend this book to readers who appreciate emotionally powerful stories that confront past trauma with courage and hope.