Burned
Fiction
Ellen Hopkins
Reviewed by Maddie Meagher
5 out of 5 Stars
“Did you ever, when you were little, endure your parents’ warnings, then wait for them to leave the room, pry loose protective covers and consider inserting some metal object into an electrical outlet?
Did you wonder if for once you might light up the room?
When you were almost grown, did you ever sit in a bubble bath, perspiration pooling, notice a blow dryer plugged in within easy reach, and think about dropping it into the water?
Did you wonder if the expected rush might somehow fail you?
And now, do you ever dangle your toes over the precipice, dare the cliff to crumble, defy the frozen deity to suffer the sun, thaw feather and bone, take wing to fly you home?
I, Pattyn Von Stratten, do.”
To a lost seventeen year old teen by the name of Pattyn Von Stratten, life is only what she knows inside her home, growing up one of seven daughters in an abusive Mormon household.
Her mother is beaten by her alcoholic father, who justifies it by believing it is his duty to keep his wife in line. Sad at this possible future for herself, where her only duty is to create new life and be a wife who subdues to the abuse of her husband, Pattyn starts to question everything: her religion, her role in the world, and who she wants to be. She starts to act out, and when her father can no longer put up with this new Pattyn, who is ready to break free from the old quiet girl she used to be, she is sent to live with her aunt for the summer. Here, she finds the acceptance and love she has so desperately craved, until she realizes she may not be able to escape her old affliction.
I can most definitely say this is one of the most striking and incredible books I have ever read. The entire book is written in verse form, making for an amazing read. It is all told from the point of view of Pattyn, so it’s total raw thought and conversation. This makes you so in touch with her emotions. When she cried, I did too. When she laughed, so did I. You’re always left guessing. This book is full of twists and keeps you sucked in the whole time. It is for the type of person who can deal with an intense book that really is an emotional ride. Burned is an incredible book, and I would absolutely recommend it.
