Book Review: Burned
6:00:00 PM
I feel a little silly publishing a book review on a book I first read in middle school, but I'm going to do it anyways!
A couple weeks ago, I starting working on a second novel. It was completely unplanned and unlike anything I've ever written before. I'm not sure why, but this one was coming to life in the form of poetry. So, I decided that I was going to turn it into a free verse narrative.
Unfortunately, I have had ZERO experience writing a poetry novel before, so I knew I needed to do some research. And who best to turn to other than the wonderful Ellen Hopkins! But the question was, which Ellen Hopkins book?
Part of me wanted to go with a new book, so at least I was reading something new, but the other part of me wanted one of her old books. I needed to have one of the one's that made me fall in love with her writing in the first place. So, I decided to order Burned.
Part of me wanted to go with a new book, so at least I was reading something new, but the other part of me wanted one of her old books. I needed to have one of the one's that made me fall in love with her writing in the first place. So, I decided to order Burned.
Synopsis:
Pattyn Von Stratten is searching for the love she isn’t getting from God or her family in this novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins.
It all started with a dream. Just a typical fantasy, but for a girl raised in a religious—and abusive—family, a simple dream could be the first step toward eternal damnation. Now Pattyn Von Stratten has questions. Questions about God, and sex, and mostly love. Will she ever find it? Pattyn experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control.
Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of rural Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance, and for the first time she feels worthy of both—until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go. Those demons lead Pattyn down a path to hell—not to the place she learned about in sacrament meetings, but to an existence every bit as horrifying.
In this gripping and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins embarks on an emotional journey that ebbs and flows. From the highs of true love to the lows of loss and despair, Pattyn’s story is utterly compelling. You won’t want this story to end—but when it does, you can find out what’s next for Pattyn in the sequel, Smoke.
Review:
Normally when I plan on writing a book review, I take notes on my phone as I read. However, that is not what happened. In fact, I did not write down one single word in regards to Ellen's book!
Since she's been published so many times and she's published by one of my favorite companies, her book was basically perfect. There was only one line that seemed out of place, but since it's poetry, it could have been placed there for a dramatic break. Other than that, there was not one thing that I found wrong in the book.
As I mentioned earlier, it's been a while since I've read one of Ellen's books. I read them when I was still in school and I loved them. Honestly though, her writing wasn't quite what I remembered. For some reason, I always thought there was more to the poetry aspect. However, I see now that there wasn't.
When it comes to the actual story though, I loved it! I know I've fallen in love with these characters before, but I fell in love with them all over again. I don't think I need to say this, but Ellen has a way with words! I honestly felt like I could feel the emotions for each character and I began caring for each of them - well, most of them.
I have to say, I'm really happy that I read this book again. While I didn't get the help that I was looking for, I still enjoyed the book. And since she wrote a sequel after I read it the first time, I now have something to look forward to!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book! However, please keep in mind that there are some triggers in this story. If you're concerned about whether or not this is a good book for you, feel free to contact me and we can talk about it!
If you're interested in purchasing this book, you can find it here.
Have you read this book? I'd love to read what you thought in the comments!
* This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I'll receive some type of commission. For more information, you can read our full disclosure here. *
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