April 2006 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
431 pages
Five stars
"I do know things really began to spin out of control after my first sex dream.
It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.
This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?
It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.
Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.
In this riveting and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride. From the highs of true love to the lows of abuse, Pattyn's story will have readers engrossed until the very last word." - Goodreads
I read Burned once before around the time it came out. I was so intrigued by Ellen's writing style and she has since been one of my favorite authors. This story is one that just stays with you. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking story. It deserves more than five stars.
Burned, to me, has a different tone than many of the other Ellen Hopkins books that I have read. It is a story of hope, but also brings to light many dark and scary things in this world. This story talks about Mormon culture and abuse. I don't believe all people of Mormon faith behave like the characters in Burned. I do believe that as with any other religion, it does happen. It's no secret that there is a lot of criticism of Mormonism. This story touched base on some of them, such as a father who disowned his gay son. There is also a lot of bias towards people of power and males.
While most of the female characters in the story are wishy washy, Pattyn is our heroine. Even in an abusive environment, she knows what is right and wrong and stands up for what she believes in. She takes care of her younger sisters, and prevents them from being in harms way when possible. Abuse is a very serious subject, and I don't find many stories that paint such a realistic picture of it. In Burned Pattyn is able to find hope and promise in a new place. She finds family and forever love. She finds things that she never new she was passionate about.
Towards the ending of the story, there is an overwhelming sense of dread. I couldn't quite remember how the story ended, since it had been 7 years since I read the story last. I will say it does not disappoint. It will leave you heartbroken.
Ellen Hopkins is a beautiful writer and her prose style writing is what got me hooked from the start. I would recommend this book to anyone, but tread lightly. The subject matter is quite heavy.
