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queenneehola's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Police brutality, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
mira_tanyasita's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
melliemakesdragons's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Finished reading: May 15th 2024
“Sometimes you just have to feel bad about a thing. Sometimes that's the only thing that makes you human.”
It's true that I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I wasn't exactly mad when my TBR jar thought it was time I finally picked up Burn. It's been a couple of years since my last Patrick Ness book, and there is just something about his writing that always has me intrigued. Add the fact that I needed a book with dragons for the POPSUGAR challenge and the fact that the blurb sounded SO good, and I've actually been looking forward to this TBR jar pick. I can't deny that I somehow ended up having mixed thoughts though... It's not a bad read, but not my favorite among his books either. I think part of my issue is that there isn't enough worldbuilding for a book about dragons. In this case, Burn would have definitely benefitted from more instead of less pages; even just 50 pages of proper worldbuilding would have made such a difference in this story. The whole racism/homophobia/bigotry was also a bit too in-your-face, and I wasn't a fan of how it was incorporated into the plot. I understand that this story is set back in 1957 and things were different back then, but I don't think it adds any substantial to the story other than making you hate certain characters even more. I would have loved more focus on other elements instead... Like for example the dragons, the cult, the prophecy and the assassin. There is plently of action to be found along the way, and especially the second part is brutal. Definitely make sure to be ready for some extreme violence! As I've already become used to with Patrick Ness' books, Burn is another quirky and almost whimsical read, although the story is pretty brutal with heavy-hitting topics and violence at the same time. Not for everyone and it could have done with more development, but I'm personally still glad I finally read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Infidelity, Animal death, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Genocide, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Cursing, and Sexual assault
sam_vimes_75's review against another edition
3.0
Wonderful concept, characters, and world building, but not a great execution. The last section seemed to be more intent on setting up a possible sequel than finishing the story being told.
lauraeliza23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
melanto_mori's review against another edition
5.0
Voto: 5-/ 5
Patrick Ness scrive bene, e so che non basta come recensione. XD
Allora aggiungiamoci che ha creato una trama molto complessa e della quale riesce a tirarne tutte le fila nel corso di un libro in cui succede sempre qualcosa, e la tensione rimane alta fino alla fine. C'è dell'action, in questo romanzo, ed è fatto bene. Il PdV multiplo (che molti gli hanno contestato) rende il tutto completo e con un taglio cinematografico che a me è piaciuto un sacco.
Molto bella l'ambientazione che sono la fine degli anni '50 in America... però ci sono i DRAGHI. **
La scrittura ti conduce passo passo per incastrare tutti i pezzi di questo enorme puzzle, che si snoda nei multiversi: ci saranno personaggi che odierete a morte (Kelby infame per te solo lame!), altri a cui vi affezionerete e poi la queerness che non ti aspetti!
Mi è piaciuta la caratterizzazione di tutti loro, anche dei personaggi che ho detestato (perché se li ho detestati significa che sono stati caratterizzati benissimo!).
È uno YA, ma come tutti i libri di Ness se lo dovrebbe leggere chiunque, perché i suoi messaggi valgono per tutti, indipendentemente dall'età, perché affronta temi importanti come l'omofobia, il razzismo, il lutto e la vendetta.
Per un soffio non si becca le cinque stelle piene, perché mi ha lasciato con un epilogo aperto su un personaggio di cui io volevo sapere troppo come sarebbe andata a finire!!! XDDD Mannaggia a lui!!!
Però bello bello, super consigliato.
Patrick Ness scrive bene, e so che non basta come recensione. XD
Allora aggiungiamoci che ha creato una trama molto complessa e della quale riesce a tirarne tutte le fila nel corso di un libro in cui succede sempre qualcosa, e la tensione rimane alta fino alla fine. C'è dell'action, in questo romanzo, ed è fatto bene. Il PdV multiplo (che molti gli hanno contestato) rende il tutto completo e con un taglio cinematografico che a me è piaciuto un sacco.
Molto bella l'ambientazione che sono la fine degli anni '50 in America... però ci sono i DRAGHI. **
La scrittura ti conduce passo passo per incastrare tutti i pezzi di questo enorme puzzle, che si snoda nei multiversi: ci saranno personaggi che odierete a morte (Kelby infame per te solo lame!), altri a cui vi affezionerete e poi la queerness che non ti aspetti!
Mi è piaciuta la caratterizzazione di tutti loro, anche dei personaggi che ho detestato (perché se li ho detestati significa che sono stati caratterizzati benissimo!).
È uno YA, ma come tutti i libri di Ness se lo dovrebbe leggere chiunque, perché i suoi messaggi valgono per tutti, indipendentemente dall'età, perché affronta temi importanti come l'omofobia, il razzismo, il lutto e la vendetta.
Per un soffio non si becca le cinque stelle piene, perché mi ha lasciato con un epilogo aperto su un personaggio di cui io volevo sapere troppo come sarebbe andata a finire!!! XDDD Mannaggia a lui!!!
Però bello bello, super consigliato.
jenhurst's review against another edition
2.0
I really did not like this at all. I found there to be too many characters and it was hard to keep track of. Plus it was boring. I kept asking myself, what’s the point?
dowryofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
3/5 stars
It's the 50s. It's America. There are dragons in our world who live in peace with the humans. Sarah Dewhurst's father hires a small, blue dragon to come work on their farm and its revealed that Sarah is right in the center of a really old prophecy that predicts she will be the one to either ignite a war between the dragons and humans, ending centuries of peace between them and ending the world, or preventing it from happening.
I was left on the edge of my seat through this entire book trying to figure out how exactly events were going to play out to lead to the outcome the prophecy predicts. There were so many twists and turns, definitely action packed, nothing is ever what you this. This is the most unpredictable and original thing I've read in a while. Patrick Ness also delivers a diverse cast of characters, which is refreshing to see.
This book also got me thinking a lot and I really appreciate a book that can do that. This is set in the 50s, but there are a lot of aspects of our society today— racism, homophobia, a racist and corrupt cop, the everyday fear that there could be a nuclear war, etc. This world has, but really hasn't, changed all that much since 1956.
The whole prophecy thing also got me thinking about the choices we make/would make if we knew our future and if anything we do would affect the outcome or if certain things are just fated to happen no matter the choices you make.
Onto the things that dropped this from a 5 star for me. This is more of a plot driven story rather than a character driven one, which is fine. Although, it left me feeling not as connected to any of the characters as much as I would have liked. I really loved Kazimir though.
For Part One of the book, I wasn't really crazy about Malcolm's/the FBI agents perspectives. I did come to like Malcolm in Part Two.
Lastly the biggest thing that irked me was how the story would switch between multiple perspectives in a single chapter. I think maybe it was done to keep up the pace ?? If so, I guess it worked but, it did take me out of the story multiple times. I think it still would have been a great story without all the jumping around.
This was my first Patrick Ness. I did have a lot of fun reading this, and I think if you're interested you should go for it.
Knowing the future is part of that future's past. Perhaps the foreseen happens because we try to change it.
It's the 50s. It's America. There are dragons in our world who live in peace with the humans. Sarah Dewhurst's father hires a small, blue dragon to come work on their farm and its revealed that Sarah is right in the center of a really old prophecy that predicts she will be the one to either ignite a war between the dragons and humans, ending centuries of peace between them and ending the world, or preventing it from happening.
I was left on the edge of my seat through this entire book trying to figure out how exactly events were going to play out to lead to the outcome the prophecy predicts. There were so many twists and turns, definitely action packed, nothing is ever what you this. This is the most unpredictable and original thing I've read in a while. Patrick Ness also delivers a diverse cast of characters, which is refreshing to see.
This book also got me thinking a lot and I really appreciate a book that can do that. This is set in the 50s, but there are a lot of aspects of our society today— racism, homophobia, a racist and corrupt cop, the everyday fear that there could be a nuclear war, etc. This world has, but really hasn't, changed all that much since 1956.
The whole prophecy thing also got me thinking about the choices we make/would make if we knew our future and if anything we do would affect the outcome or if certain things are just fated to happen no matter the choices you make.
Onto the things that dropped this from a 5 star for me. This is more of a plot driven story rather than a character driven one, which is fine. Although, it left me feeling not as connected to any of the characters as much as I would have liked. I really loved Kazimir though.
For Part One of the book, I wasn't really crazy about Malcolm's/the FBI agents perspectives. I did come to like Malcolm in Part Two.
Lastly the biggest thing that irked me was how the story would switch between multiple perspectives in a single chapter. I think maybe it was done to keep up the pace ?? If so, I guess it worked but, it did take me out of the story multiple times. I think it still would have been a great story without all the jumping around.
This was my first Patrick Ness. I did have a lot of fun reading this, and I think if you're interested you should go for it.