Review: Burned by Ellen Hopkins
Title: Burned
Hardcover, 532 pages
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: March 28, 2006
Source: Library
Book Summary:
Raised in a stern, abusive Mormon household, a teenage girl starts to question her religion and struggles to find her destiny.
Her father is abusive, her mother is submissive, and her church looks the other way. Confused and angry, Pattyn Von Stratten acts out and is sent to live with an aunt on a Nevada ranch. She finds the love and acceptance she craves, with disturbing consequences.
Review:
Burned is, by far, my favorite Ellen Hopkins book.
The story that we read about in Ellen’s excellent, powerful verse centers around a teenager who lives in an abusive household, sent away to live with an aunt she does not know. While living with her aunt, she is able to discover things about herself that she was unable to previously due to her father, mother, and religious community.
Many of Ellen’s books are utterly heartbreaking throughout. Tricks was probably one of the hardest books for me to read, because each of the individuals had such a desperate lifestyle. Burned, on the other hand, shows some hope for youth as the aunt in the story allows Pattyn to grow and learn to love.
The story is not without a few tragic events – this is Ellen Hopkins we are reading, after all. Recently on Twitter Ellen mentioned she may be working on a sequel to Burned in the future – this is definitely one I want to read, and one you will too after you read Burned and experience the ending.
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This was such an amazing book – if there is a sequel I will definitely be picking it up!
Sounds incredible — I absolutely love the cover, it certainly draws you in! What a great review, I'm jumping over to my wishlist to add this to it!
Burned sounds excellent! I am really digging Ellen Hopkins' books lately!
I love this cover! Will have to get to this one someday but I read Hopkins recently and need a bit of a break from the dark subject matter for a little while (unfortunately, I'm currently failing as I'm reading about the French Revolution with heads on poles and all).
I read Crank recently because Verse Novels have became a new found simple pleasure. I thought the story was great but didn't enjoy it in Verse so much.
I do have a pull on wanting to know more so I'm sure I will slowly get through her books. Great review, makes me want to by pass the others and read actually.
Whoa girl!!!!! Something happened to your blog! Wow, it looks so modern and high tech!
I’ve read “Burned” and I too thought it was excellent!
Yeah I’m working on a new layout
You are my first new comment!
I must read this!!!! I’ve heard such good things about this!!
I would definitely recommend it, especially this week since it’s Banned Book Week and her books are often challenged!
I’ve been curious about this series for awhile now, this is the first review I’ve read, thanks
I urge you to try a Hopkins book! However, some go together and some are stand alones – Crank/Glass/Fallout (in that order) are a series, while the rest deal with different topics and can be read in any order! So just make sure you don’t choose Glass or Fallout for your first