Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Oh. My. God. I'm speechless. That ending. I need to read the next one right now.
I really respect Ellen Hopkins as a writer, but this was not my favorite one. Actually, several things about this book rubbed me the wrong way. It's probably my least favorite of hers thus far, and I rolled my eyes so much it was kind of hard to get through in some parts.
I am not religious, and my primary source of Mormon information is the Broadway show Book of Mormon, but still, I don't think this book had a fair depiction of the Mormon religion. For one thing, I'm pretty sure that mainstream Mormons (as in Latter-Day Saints) do not wear homemade clothes as a community. I feel like Hopkins got the crazy cult sects (who are fundamentalist Mormons and bear little relation to the LDS group) mixed up with regular Mormon people, who, although I have no evidence to back this up, I would think are probably about as abusive/woman-hating as the rest of the population. It seemed that Hopkins used Mormonism as a vehicle for the abuse when it could have just been a regular abusive family. Why bring religion into it? I don't see that it added anything, and it really detracted from the story for me.
I also am increasingly irritated by the way young love is portrayed in Hopkins' books. It's either TRUE LUV OMG 4-LYFE or it's so bad that it turns abusive at some point. Also, sex is always portrayed as either fantastic or rape, which bears little resemblance to the gray scale of real life, especially for a young person who doesn't know what the hell is going on yet. I get that these stories are fiction, but seriously. It doesn't have to be glorious sex to be an okay thing for the kids to be doing.
And something about Aunt J was really obnoxious to me. I can't put my finger on why and it's probably just a weird personal association.
Also, I haven't read the reviews, but since she just published a sequel, I bet most people would agree with this: The ending was ridiculous and confusing. A cliffhanger is not as clever as some authors seem to think it is. Not impressed.
Still - there were some positive aspects. The writing was the story's greatest strength, and I think all the characters are shown fully. The plot was as twisty and interesting as I have come to expect from this author. On the whole, though, not the greatest.
I am not religious, and my primary source of Mormon information is the Broadway show Book of Mormon, but still, I don't think this book had a fair depiction of the Mormon religion. For one thing, I'm pretty sure that mainstream Mormons (as in Latter-Day Saints) do not wear homemade clothes as a community. I feel like Hopkins got the crazy cult sects (who are fundamentalist Mormons and bear little relation to the LDS group) mixed up with regular Mormon people, who, although I have no evidence to back this up, I would think are probably about as abusive/woman-hating as the rest of the population. It seemed that Hopkins used Mormonism as a vehicle for the abuse when it could have just been a regular abusive family. Why bring religion into it? I don't see that it added anything, and it really detracted from the story for me.
I also am increasingly irritated by the way young love is portrayed in Hopkins' books. It's either TRUE LUV OMG 4-LYFE or it's so bad that it turns abusive at some point. Also, sex is always portrayed as either fantastic or rape, which bears little resemblance to the gray scale of real life, especially for a young person who doesn't know what the hell is going on yet. I get that these stories are fiction, but seriously. It doesn't have to be glorious sex to be an okay thing for the kids to be doing.
And something about Aunt J was really obnoxious to me. I can't put my finger on why and it's probably just a weird personal association.
Also, I haven't read the reviews, but since she just published a sequel, I bet most people would agree with this: The ending was ridiculous and confusing. A cliffhanger is not as clever as some authors seem to think it is. Not impressed.
Still - there were some positive aspects. The writing was the story's greatest strength, and I think all the characters are shown fully. The plot was as twisty and interesting as I have come to expect from this author. On the whole, though, not the greatest.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ellen Hopkins doesn’t write happy stories with happy endings— it would behoove you to know that before you dive into her books because they will tear you apart. I read this book 13 years ago and it still breaks my heart as I read it again in 2025. The verse writing and line play are beautiful. A story within a story on almost every page. How I wish for a happy ending with this book. How I hate Stephen, love Pattyn and Ethan and Aunt J. What a beautifully important character Aunt J is. The world needs more of people like her. Life isn’t fair and this book illustrates that beautifully and painfully.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read a number of other Hopkins books, but I didn't particularly like this one so much. I felt like Pattyn's character was plain and everything was predictable. I mean, the way the ending happened wasn't terribly predictable, but I expected the same results, regardless of the means.
Not much to say on the plot or characters for me, though I still really enjoyed the style and lilt of the writing.
Not much to say on the plot or characters for me, though I still really enjoyed the style and lilt of the writing.
A modern day tragedy worthy of Shakespearean praise! Seriously though, this book illustrates how a person can rise from a super-toxic, abusive household and go on to become a "normal" person. I wasn't sure if I was going to love this book as much as Ellen Hopkins' other books just purely due to the subject matter, but once I started reading it I was sucked in and could NOT put it down. Readers will relate to the story of the relationship, and fall in love with the characters themselves. Love saves Pattyn, but in the end what love will survive? There's a shocking ending that will leave you breathless and feeling... burned.
I don't quite know what to think of this one.
I think the author did a shawty job of portraying Pattyn's religious trauma. I'm not Mormon but I have some experience. I even left The Church for three years. I realize everyone is different, but Pattyn's willingness to jump into sex felt unrealistic.
About 3/4 of the way in I got bored with this book. Which was unfortunate. Pattyn was fighting a liberal mountain lion!
And just, listening to the author spout off about true love, until I swear I'm like "Is that you God? I'm trying to listen. I don't know about obey. But I hear you." They lay out this beautiful story of true love, second chances, etc. And then it all gets ripped away so that Pattyn becomes the next school shooter! What the heck!
Her becoming a school shooter wasn't unrealistic, in my humble opinion, but the sex was.
The last quarter of the book was just unsatisfying.
I think the author did a shawty job of portraying Pattyn's religious trauma. I'm not Mormon but I have some experience. I even left The Church for three years. I realize everyone is different, but Pattyn's willingness to jump into sex felt unrealistic.
About 3/4 of the way in I got bored with this book. Which was unfortunate. Pattyn was fighting a liberal mountain lion!
And just, listening to the author spout off about true love, until I swear I'm like "Is that you God? I'm trying to listen. I don't know about obey. But I hear you." They lay out this beautiful story of true love, second chances, etc. And then it all gets ripped away so that Pattyn becomes the next school shooter! What the heck!
Her becoming a school shooter wasn't unrealistic, in my humble opinion, but the sex was.
The last quarter of the book was just unsatisfying.
As a re-read for me, I didn't expect this one to be so difficult to rate. Burned focuses on the struggles of Patty Von Stratten as she navigates being a teenager while growing up in a strict and often abusive religious home. Please note that I have read reviews of individuals who support the representation of the Mormon faith in this book and those who do not. Through my read, I don't think Hopkins was attempting to focus so much on religion as she was attempting to discuss how the ways in which people are raised can negatively and positively impact their lives.
Like all of Hopkins books, this was extremely heartbreaking and difficult to read. Patty grows up in an abusive, restrictive household and is a part of a religious group that restricts her from exploring her identity. After certain events, she is sent to live with her aunt as a way to help her reform her behavior. However, it is at her aunts, that Patty understands what it's like to really be loved by people and what it's like to be accepted. She attempts to go back home and readjust with her newly found confidence and immediately runs into issues with her family. What happens as a result is probably one of the most heartbreaking conclusions to a YA book that I've ever in my lifetime.
This isn't an easy book to review, but the emotional intensity of it will leave many readers feeling heartbroken and speechless. It tackles extremely tough topics including abuse. As with all of Hopkins' books, this was written in verse. Even with such short sections, the raw emotions that are captured on each page are impactful. Like other reviewers, I will state that the ending is not a happily ever after so I wouldn't go in with that expectation. There is a sequel called Smoke which I will be checking out and hopefully there is some resolution to Patty's story.
Like all of Hopkins books, this was extremely heartbreaking and difficult to read. Patty grows up in an abusive, restrictive household and is a part of a religious group that restricts her from exploring her identity. After certain events, she is sent to live with her aunt as a way to help her reform her behavior. However, it is at her aunts, that Patty understands what it's like to really be loved by people and what it's like to be accepted. She attempts to go back home and readjust with her newly found confidence and immediately runs into issues with her family. What happens as a result is probably one of the most heartbreaking conclusions to a YA book that I've ever in my lifetime.
This isn't an easy book to review, but the emotional intensity of it will leave many readers feeling heartbroken and speechless. It tackles extremely tough topics including abuse. As with all of Hopkins' books, this was written in verse. Even with such short sections, the raw emotions that are captured on each page are impactful. Like other reviewers, I will state that the ending is not a happily ever after so I wouldn't go in with that expectation. There is a sequel called Smoke which I will be checking out and hopefully there is some resolution to Patty's story.