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thebookhaze's review
3.0
It wasn't bad. It was pretty light and easy, simple to read and sweet, but I had a hard time believing the restrictions placed on her lifestyle, especially since it's set in modern times. It's possible I'm just ignorant about the Gypsy life, but it still seems kind of over the top. I did enjoy it anyway, including the Tarot reading part, though it seemed more educational than an actual tarot reading.
haleyelisereads's review
4.0
I really love Elana K. Arnold...it is official! I read her book Sacred (check out my review for Sacred here) and really enjoyed it, I just finished her first contemporary release Burning, and loved it! Her writing flows nicely, her characters are unique, and something that is unique to her writing style is that her books always teach you something about other cultures. Which I for one love!!!!!
Burning was a great addition to the world of contemporaries! Learning about the Gypsy culture was probably my favorite part about Burning, it was just so interesting! Not only do you learn about the culture itself, but Lala also tells stories that are from her culture (which I really enjoyed). I love that Elana can write great YA novels, and not only teach life lessons in those novels, but she also teaches you about other cultures too! I really wish that more YA novels would do that, I love when I can really enjoy a story, and also walk away from that story having learned alot. Now after finishing Burning, I want to learn even more about the Gypsy culture!
Ben and Lala were both likable characters, while I did like Lala alot more, Ben was still a very interesting and nice character. Burning is written in alternating point of views between Ben and Lala, I liked being able to see through both of their eyes, mainly because I loved hearing what they thought of each other. Hearing what Ben thought of Lala was so, well heartwarming and cute. He really just deeply cared about her and wanted to know everything about her. Seeing Ben through Lala's eyes was also amazing, and honestly if it weren't for hearing what Lala thought about him and how she viewed him, I probably wouldn't have really cared that much for Ben. I would've have liked him, but Lala made me really like him. She made me view him, and the world differently then I normally would.
side note: Beside Ben and Lala, I also really enjoyed the secondary characters. I even liked Hog Boy, who is Ben's friend and an obnoxious pig, but I couldn't help, but like him just because he is so out there and so different than characters usually put in YA novels.
The romance was nice in Burning, I felt Burning constantly gave me just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know what was going to happen next to our lovebirds. Alot goes on in this novel, and through it all you never really know how the characters are going to end up. While I did like the romance in Burning, I felt it was lacking slightly which was why Burning got a 4 instead of 5. I really would have liked to have seen more interactions and dialogue between Ben and Lala, throughout Burning it was sometimes hard for me to wrap my head around why Ben and Lala cared so much for each other so quickly. I loved the moments in Burning where Ben and Lala are together, and it really would have been nice to have had more of that.
Overall I believe Burning was a solid contemporary read that any contemporary lover could enjoy. It's something unique and different, so if you are tired of the usual characters and storyline that is in contemporary romance novels then give Burning a try, you will hopefully love it like I did, and walk away from it knowing quite a bit more then you did going into it. Elana has proven herself twice now to be an amazing writer, and I can not wait to see what future novels she will come out with.
Check out more reviews and other book stuff at my blog! http://www.ya-aholic.com/
Burning was a great addition to the world of contemporaries! Learning about the Gypsy culture was probably my favorite part about Burning, it was just so interesting! Not only do you learn about the culture itself, but Lala also tells stories that are from her culture (which I really enjoyed). I love that Elana can write great YA novels, and not only teach life lessons in those novels, but she also teaches you about other cultures too! I really wish that more YA novels would do that, I love when I can really enjoy a story, and also walk away from that story having learned alot. Now after finishing Burning, I want to learn even more about the Gypsy culture!
Ben and Lala were both likable characters, while I did like Lala alot more, Ben was still a very interesting and nice character. Burning is written in alternating point of views between Ben and Lala, I liked being able to see through both of their eyes, mainly because I loved hearing what they thought of each other. Hearing what Ben thought of Lala was so, well heartwarming and cute. He really just deeply cared about her and wanted to know everything about her. Seeing Ben through Lala's eyes was also amazing, and honestly if it weren't for hearing what Lala thought about him and how she viewed him, I probably wouldn't have really cared that much for Ben. I would've have liked him, but Lala made me really like him. She made me view him, and the world differently then I normally would.
side note: Beside Ben and Lala, I also really enjoyed the secondary characters. I even liked Hog Boy, who is Ben's friend and an obnoxious pig, but I couldn't help, but like him just because he is so out there and so different than characters usually put in YA novels.
The romance was nice in Burning, I felt Burning constantly gave me just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know what was going to happen next to our lovebirds. Alot goes on in this novel, and through it all you never really know how the characters are going to end up. While I did like the romance in Burning, I felt it was lacking slightly which was why Burning got a 4 instead of 5. I really would have liked to have seen more interactions and dialogue between Ben and Lala, throughout Burning it was sometimes hard for me to wrap my head around why Ben and Lala cared so much for each other so quickly. I loved the moments in Burning where Ben and Lala are together, and it really would have been nice to have had more of that.
Overall I believe Burning was a solid contemporary read that any contemporary lover could enjoy. It's something unique and different, so if you are tired of the usual characters and storyline that is in contemporary romance novels then give Burning a try, you will hopefully love it like I did, and walk away from it knowing quite a bit more then you did going into it. Elana has proven herself twice now to be an amazing writer, and I can not wait to see what future novels she will come out with.
Check out more reviews and other book stuff at my blog! http://www.ya-aholic.com/
christajls's review
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
Ben Stanley is about to leave for college on a full scholarship. It should be a time for celebration. But it’s hard to celebrate when the mine that keeps your town running is shutting down and the rest of your friends and family are facing a much less secure future. He spends his days torn between excitement and guilt.
But than he meets Lala and something unexpected happens. Lala is like no one he’s ever met before. She’s mysterious, beautiful and has a very particular, formal way of speaking. And she’s a fortune telling daughter of a Romani rom baro. Lala has spent her entire life knowing her place. Her culture has strict rules for women and she has always followed them. Choices are almost always made for her – responsibility, location, and now her fiancé. Like Ben her future is secured. But unlike Ben she’s not sure it’s the future she wants. When Ben comes stumbling into her tent one day for a reading she begins to realize there may be other options she wishes to pursue. That maybe all she wants for her future is the freedom to make her own choices.
Though the romance between Lala and Ben is at the center of the story, I actually found it was the part that held my attention the least. It was actually their relationships with other people, rather than with each other, that made this story so compelling. Lala maintains a close relationship with her mother and sister’s throughout the book and before meeting Ben she never truly considers another life than the one she’s always lived. It was interesting to see how the dynamics between her and her family shifted and changed as she continued to grow as a character.
There is also the relationship between Ben and his younger brother, James. James is gay, and in a small town, in the middle-of-nowhere America, that’s not always easy. I liked the way Elana K. Arnold depicted Ben’s struggles with the revelation that his brother is gay. At first he doesn’t want to believe that it’s true. He loves his brother no matter what, but he’s worried about some of the difficulties James will face and that he won’t be there to protect him when he leaves for university. I think Ben’s reaction is very honest and the conversations between the two brothers were my favourite moments throughout the whole novel.
Burning was not the read I expected it to be. I thought it would be an easy, breezy romance but it was actually a beautiful exploration into familial relationships, the pressure of other’s expectations and the importance of following your own dreams.
Ben Stanley is about to leave for college on a full scholarship. It should be a time for celebration. But it’s hard to celebrate when the mine that keeps your town running is shutting down and the rest of your friends and family are facing a much less secure future. He spends his days torn between excitement and guilt.
But than he meets Lala and something unexpected happens. Lala is like no one he’s ever met before. She’s mysterious, beautiful and has a very particular, formal way of speaking. And she’s a fortune telling daughter of a Romani rom baro. Lala has spent her entire life knowing her place. Her culture has strict rules for women and she has always followed them. Choices are almost always made for her – responsibility, location, and now her fiancé. Like Ben her future is secured. But unlike Ben she’s not sure it’s the future she wants. When Ben comes stumbling into her tent one day for a reading she begins to realize there may be other options she wishes to pursue. That maybe all she wants for her future is the freedom to make her own choices.
Though the romance between Lala and Ben is at the center of the story, I actually found it was the part that held my attention the least. It was actually their relationships with other people, rather than with each other, that made this story so compelling. Lala maintains a close relationship with her mother and sister’s throughout the book and before meeting Ben she never truly considers another life than the one she’s always lived. It was interesting to see how the dynamics between her and her family shifted and changed as she continued to grow as a character.
There is also the relationship between Ben and his younger brother, James. James is gay, and in a small town, in the middle-of-nowhere America, that’s not always easy. I liked the way Elana K. Arnold depicted Ben’s struggles with the revelation that his brother is gay. At first he doesn’t want to believe that it’s true. He loves his brother no matter what, but he’s worried about some of the difficulties James will face and that he won’t be there to protect him when he leaves for university. I think Ben’s reaction is very honest and the conversations between the two brothers were my favourite moments throughout the whole novel.
Burning was not the read I expected it to be. I thought it would be an easy, breezy romance but it was actually a beautiful exploration into familial relationships, the pressure of other’s expectations and the importance of following your own dreams.
afretts's review
1.0
Burning is told from the dual POVs of Lala and Ben. Ben is 18, has just graduated high school, and on his way to college on a full scholarship. His hometown of Gypsum is in the process of being completely vacated by its residents due to the closing of the mine that was the backbone of the small town's economy. Lala is a Romany gypsy girl who has come to the desert with her family to tell the fortunes of the people coming and going from the Burning Man Festival taking place nearby. Lala and Ben meet when his friends Hog Boy and Pete take him to see the "hot gypsy girl" and have his fortune read as a going away present.
Unfortunately, that's as far as I can go without getting extremely sarcastic:
The next day, Lala's father takes the family to get ice cream where Ben just happens to be hanging out. Lala decides to throw it all away and get on the back of his dirt bike.
This may be my least favorite book I have ever read. I cannot think of one thing I actually liked about it. I don't know how to write a review for a book that I wish was never written so I am just going to make a list of all the things I hated about it:
1. Why did Lala talk like a robot? I understand that she was supposed to be exotic and different, but I seriously doubt modern day gypsies speak like that. It was bizarre. It was extremely different to drudge through the chapters written from Lala' POV. I have never been so miserable and aggravated while reading.
2. Lala was pretty much the Gypsy equivalent of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. It was like the author was trying to make her seem as mysterious and exotic as humanly possible. She didn't even seem like a real person. Truly all I understood about her was that she was gorgeous, with impossibly long hair, she liked to read, she spoke like a robot, and didn't want to be a gypsy anymore.
3. I didn't like the way the author used Gypsy words and expected us to figure out their meaning from context clues. This worked for some of them, but not for all.
4. I did not believe anything about this book. I didn't relate to any of the characters. The most well developed character in this novel was James and he was very minor to the story.
5. The love between Ben and Lala is the definition of insta love to me. It was the most inexplicably romance I have ever encountered. These characters don't know anything about each other. It was preposterous.
6. Ben was not any better. He did not seem to have any (good) reasons for anything that he did. He seemed like he was guilty about his good fortune because he felt like he should be, not because he actually was. And somehow he seemed arrogant about his guilt? Like he was pissed at everyone else for making him feel like he was supposed to feel guilty? It was bizarre. This was Ben's voice: I feel bad that I am getting out of this town and have a bright future ahead of me, but I worked hard and am excellent at everything that I do- SO WHY SHOULD I FEEL BAD?! But everyone else seems to think that I should feel bad so I will. But now I am mad because they are making me feel like I should feel bad."
7. There was no real conflict in this book. It feels like nothing came of any of the events of the books at all. No lasting consequences.
This book was terrible. I would not recommend it to anyone. No stars. I am shocked that it has received so many rave reviews. I've never hated a book more than this one.
Unfortunately, that's as far as I can go without getting extremely sarcastic:
Spoiler
upon meeting in Lala's family's fortune telling tent, Ben and Lala fall inexplicably in love- INSTANTLY. Lala tells his fortune and turns down his offer to take her to a movie or for coffee, but can't stop thinking about him. The next day, Ben comes back to her family's camp to see her. Ben asks her out again, but she rejects him because she has been promised to Romeo (another Romany, chosen by her father. They will be married in a matter of weeks). Regardless, she continues to obsess over Ben. He does the same. They know basically nothing about each other except that they think the other person is hot.The next day, Lala's father takes the family to get ice cream where Ben just happens to be hanging out. Lala decides to throw it all away and get on the back of his dirt bike.
This may be my least favorite book I have ever read. I cannot think of one thing I actually liked about it. I don't know how to write a review for a book that I wish was never written so I am just going to make a list of all the things I hated about it:
1. Why did Lala talk like a robot? I understand that she was supposed to be exotic and different, but I seriously doubt modern day gypsies speak like that. It was bizarre. It was extremely different to drudge through the chapters written from Lala' POV. I have never been so miserable and aggravated while reading.
2. Lala was pretty much the Gypsy equivalent of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. It was like the author was trying to make her seem as mysterious and exotic as humanly possible. She didn't even seem like a real person. Truly all I understood about her was that she was gorgeous, with impossibly long hair, she liked to read, she spoke like a robot, and didn't want to be a gypsy anymore.
3. I didn't like the way the author used Gypsy words and expected us to figure out their meaning from context clues. This worked for some of them, but not for all.
4. I did not believe anything about this book. I didn't relate to any of the characters. The most well developed character in this novel was James and he was very minor to the story.
5. The love between Ben and Lala is the definition of insta love to me. It was the most inexplicably romance I have ever encountered. These characters don't know anything about each other. It was preposterous.
6. Ben was not any better. He did not seem to have any (good) reasons for anything that he did. He seemed like he was guilty about his good fortune because he felt like he should be, not because he actually was. And somehow he seemed arrogant about his guilt? Like he was pissed at everyone else for making him feel like he was supposed to feel guilty? It was bizarre. This was Ben's voice: I feel bad that I am getting out of this town and have a bright future ahead of me, but I worked hard and am excellent at everything that I do- SO WHY SHOULD I FEEL BAD?! But everyone else seems to think that I should feel bad so I will. But now I am mad because they are making me feel like I should feel bad."
7. There was no real conflict in this book.
Spoiler
Ben will still go to college and will forget about Lala. Since their love was so shallow and unbelievable, I do not believe that he will be unable to forget about her and pine over her for any length of time. Despite the fact that Lala does not believe $15,000 is a large some of money (I won't even go into how stupid this is), it is. It is a very large sum of money. She will go wherever she wants to go and get an apartment and a job and be fine.This book was terrible. I would not recommend it to anyone. No stars. I am shocked that it has received so many rave reviews. I've never hated a book more than this one.
joyousreads132's review
3.0
"When Ben and Lala meet, a passion is ignited."
Gypsum is a dying town in the middle of the Nevada desert. Ben and his family is about to be uprooted from the only home they'd ever known. Barely a week left before he - himself moves to San Diego for college, he meets Lala White. Gobsmacked was the only word that comes to mind to describe how they saw each other from the get go: undeniable attraction, palpable chemistry and all. But there was something deeper and more intense between them that has nothing to do with Lana's incredibly intuitive perception of Ben. Call it magic, call it what you will - but Lala sees through Ben like nobody else can.
With a full-ride track scholarship to UCSD as his guaranteed passport out of Gypsum, Ben knew that starting something with the gypsy girl is probably not a good idea. Fortunately for him, the gypsy girl is not exactly available for the taking. She's already sold to the tune of $15,000 to marry somebody else. Fate has a way of inconveniently derailing well-laid out plans and Ben's isn't exactly a sure thing; especially when his heart aches with the thought of moving away from his family and the girl who sees more than any tarot cards could show. Before the Burning Man festival is over, Ben would have to make a choice between his ordained future and being stuck like the rest of the people of Gypsum.
Lala White is no ordinary girl: exotically beautiful and uncannily perceptive. She's always accepted the gypsy ways of living. But lately, she's been restless. As she questions every single impartial facets of being a woman in her family, she meets Ben - a boy who showed her exactly how the outside world functions without tarot cards, arranged marriages and being free. But in the end, she would learn that freedom comes with a price that would both be liberating and heartbreaking at the same time.
Elana K. Arnold's Burning is a tender, romantic book that realistically shows how two people can be so right for each other but could be so wrong. Sometimes, perfect timing is everything and it takes a lot more than instant attraction to make a go of it. Lala and Ben may have all the right chemistry but choices have to be made and people need to find their places in the world before a relationship can become a priority. It's knowing oneself and figuring out what was truly valuable in their lives.
Lala needed to find freedom from the clutches of everything that makes a gypsy's life a prison and Ben needed to reconcile to the fact that he needed to move on and do everything in his power to find a better life for himself.
The characters' voices were replete with longing for things that may seem impossible but not really improbable. This book may be romantic but don't get too comfortable; it was a good combination of romance and reality that not a lot of books in this genre have the guts to pursue.
Gypsum is a dying town in the middle of the Nevada desert. Ben and his family is about to be uprooted from the only home they'd ever known. Barely a week left before he - himself moves to San Diego for college, he meets Lala White. Gobsmacked was the only word that comes to mind to describe how they saw each other from the get go: undeniable attraction, palpable chemistry and all. But there was something deeper and more intense between them that has nothing to do with Lana's incredibly intuitive perception of Ben. Call it magic, call it what you will - but Lala sees through Ben like nobody else can.
With a full-ride track scholarship to UCSD as his guaranteed passport out of Gypsum, Ben knew that starting something with the gypsy girl is probably not a good idea. Fortunately for him, the gypsy girl is not exactly available for the taking. She's already sold to the tune of $15,000 to marry somebody else. Fate has a way of inconveniently derailing well-laid out plans and Ben's isn't exactly a sure thing; especially when his heart aches with the thought of moving away from his family and the girl who sees more than any tarot cards could show. Before the Burning Man festival is over, Ben would have to make a choice between his ordained future and being stuck like the rest of the people of Gypsum.
Lala White is no ordinary girl: exotically beautiful and uncannily perceptive. She's always accepted the gypsy ways of living. But lately, she's been restless. As she questions every single impartial facets of being a woman in her family, she meets Ben - a boy who showed her exactly how the outside world functions without tarot cards, arranged marriages and being free. But in the end, she would learn that freedom comes with a price that would both be liberating and heartbreaking at the same time.
Elana K. Arnold's Burning is a tender, romantic book that realistically shows how two people can be so right for each other but could be so wrong. Sometimes, perfect timing is everything and it takes a lot more than instant attraction to make a go of it. Lala and Ben may have all the right chemistry but choices have to be made and people need to find their places in the world before a relationship can become a priority. It's knowing oneself and figuring out what was truly valuable in their lives.
Lala needed to find freedom from the clutches of everything that makes a gypsy's life a prison and Ben needed to reconcile to the fact that he needed to move on and do everything in his power to find a better life for himself.
The characters' voices were replete with longing for things that may seem impossible but not really improbable. This book may be romantic but don't get too comfortable; it was a good combination of romance and reality that not a lot of books in this genre have the guts to pursue.
maggiemaggio's review
5.0
The elusive 5-star rating. It's been a long time since I've given a book 5 stars (3 months, actually, The Sea of Tranquility) and I was craving a 5-star book. A totally "me" book where I could just completely lose myself. Burning is not a either of those things, but still I loved it.
There are two things in those book that are usually major turn-offs for me. First, dialect. Lala speaks very formal version of English (I think at one point Ben says something like she learned English from reading old books) that took me a while to settle into, but once I did, instead of being bothered by it, I completely loved it. Rather than distracting me I felt like it made Lala a more well-rounded character. It also really set her sections apart from Ben's.
Second, magic. Things like gypsies and fortune-tellers usually are in fairy-tales, they're things that I think most people today see as old-fashioned and magical. I'm not usually a fan of books about magic or books that are written in very fairy-tale-esque ways. But it really works here. And the reason that is, I think, is because there is this whimsical feeling, but the story and the situations are so rooted in reality.
Everything in this book feels so real. I loved the set up for Ben's town. The town, called Gypsum, was home to a gypsum mine, it was a mine town, so the mining company owned everything in the town. Gypsum, as I learned is used in making dry-wall for construction so while the American housing market boomed the town thrived, but with the recession gypsum isn't needed so the mining company shuts down the mine and the town. Literally everyone has to leave the town and a fence will be placed around it, sealing it off forever. I grew up on Long Island, there's no way you could ever just seal off a town on Long Island, it's unfathomable to me. The idea that Ben and all his friends are leaving their childhood home and will NEVER be able to return again is so heartbreaking. I absolutely loved this set up.
And Lala's family is so real, too. I admit I was really skeptical about what a modern day gypsy would be like. But I totally bought it. I want to do more research into modern day gypsies, but the culture described in the book actually reminded me a lot of Orthodox Jews: big families, specific rules for dress, women and men having very clear-cut roles, and separation from the rest of society. Maybe my familiarity with Orthodox Jewish culture made me more willing to accept that modren day Gypsy communities exist.
Let's get to the story, because it's pretty steller. The author does an amazing job of giving us background on both Lala (PS: What kind of name is that? Like the MTV DJ? The whole time I was reading I called her Leila.) and Ben. At times I thought there was too much background, after about 150 pages I was definitely anxious for the action to get started. But I think the background, even though there were some strange tangents, was worth it. I really felt like I knew Ben and Lala inside and out.
The sexual tension and attraction between Ben and Lala is done so well. It's probably some of the best chemistry I've come across. And I am usually more a fan of the slow-burn romance, but I thought this was just great. I also really loved how Lala calls him "Ben Stanley" in her head and even sometimes to his face. I love people when people's first and last names can go together like that. (I am so weird.)
Now for the bad. Part of me feels that Lala really did a complete 180 about her views on Gypsy culture. At the beginning of the book she was very proud and almost defensive about her people's customs and way of living, but halfway through the book she has all these reservations. I don't think Ben caused them all, I think they were there before and maybe the reason she was so defensive was because she was scared of this change that was occurring inside of her, but it still kind of bothered me. One more negative thing, I feel like Ben got the short end of the stick at the end of the book. The story ends on a Lala chapter, and it has to end on one of their chapters, but I really wanted to know how Ben felt about how things wrapped up. The ending was more like a book about Lala coming of age and discovering who she is (which it was), but it kind of totally cut out Ben's coming of age and discovering who he is.
But I also really loved the ending. I cried (because I liked it) and I thought it was perfect.
One last thing: Burning Man, the festival the book kind of revolves around, sounds like my idea of hell. It takes place in the boiling hot desert (I hate the heat), it's packed with people (I hate crowds), and the people who go sound like they're trying way too hard (Lala says how they're trying to act like Gypsies but fail miserably). But watching a giant wooden man burn does sound really cool.
Bottom Line: I absolutely loved this book. The story is so interesting and the set-up is unlike I've ever read before. The author spends a lot of time on background, which drove me a little nuts, but it was worth it to feel like I really knew the characters. And the chemistry between Ben and Lala was amazing, which made for a great romance.
There are two things in those book that are usually major turn-offs for me. First, dialect. Lala speaks very formal version of English (I think at one point Ben says something like she learned English from reading old books) that took me a while to settle into, but once I did, instead of being bothered by it, I completely loved it. Rather than distracting me I felt like it made Lala a more well-rounded character. It also really set her sections apart from Ben's.
Second, magic. Things like gypsies and fortune-tellers usually are in fairy-tales, they're things that I think most people today see as old-fashioned and magical. I'm not usually a fan of books about magic or books that are written in very fairy-tale-esque ways. But it really works here. And the reason that is, I think, is because there is this whimsical feeling, but the story and the situations are so rooted in reality.
Everything in this book feels so real. I loved the set up for Ben's town. The town, called Gypsum, was home to a gypsum mine, it was a mine town, so the mining company owned everything in the town. Gypsum, as I learned is used in making dry-wall for construction so while the American housing market boomed the town thrived, but with the recession gypsum isn't needed so the mining company shuts down the mine and the town. Literally everyone has to leave the town and a fence will be placed around it, sealing it off forever. I grew up on Long Island, there's no way you could ever just seal off a town on Long Island, it's unfathomable to me. The idea that Ben and all his friends are leaving their childhood home and will NEVER be able to return again is so heartbreaking. I absolutely loved this set up.
And Lala's family is so real, too. I admit I was really skeptical about what a modern day gypsy would be like. But I totally bought it. I want to do more research into modern day gypsies, but the culture described in the book actually reminded me a lot of Orthodox Jews: big families, specific rules for dress, women and men having very clear-cut roles, and separation from the rest of society. Maybe my familiarity with Orthodox Jewish culture made me more willing to accept that modren day Gypsy communities exist.
Let's get to the story, because it's pretty steller. The author does an amazing job of giving us background on both Lala (PS: What kind of name is that? Like the MTV DJ? The whole time I was reading I called her Leila.) and Ben. At times I thought there was too much background, after about 150 pages I was definitely anxious for the action to get started. But I think the background, even though there were some strange tangents, was worth it. I really felt like I knew Ben and Lala inside and out.
The sexual tension and attraction between Ben and Lala is done so well. It's probably some of the best chemistry I've come across. And I am usually more a fan of the slow-burn romance, but I thought this was just great. I also really loved how Lala calls him "Ben Stanley" in her head and even sometimes to his face. I love people when people's first and last names can go together like that. (I am so weird.)
Now for the bad. Part of me feels that Lala really did a complete 180 about her views on Gypsy culture. At the beginning of the book she was very proud and almost defensive about her people's customs and way of living, but halfway through the book she has all these reservations. I don't think Ben caused them all, I think they were there before and maybe the reason she was so defensive was because she was scared of this change that was occurring inside of her, but it still kind of bothered me. One more negative thing, I feel like Ben got the short end of the stick at the end of the book. The story ends on a Lala chapter, and it has to end on one of their chapters, but I really wanted to know how Ben felt about how things wrapped up. The ending was more like a book about Lala coming of age and discovering who she is (which it was), but it kind of totally cut out Ben's coming of age and discovering who he is.
But I also really loved the ending. I cried (because I liked it) and I thought it was perfect.
One last thing: Burning Man, the festival the book kind of revolves around, sounds like my idea of hell. It takes place in the boiling hot desert (I hate the heat), it's packed with people (I hate crowds), and the people who go sound like they're trying way too hard (Lala says how they're trying to act like Gypsies but fail miserably). But watching a giant wooden man burn does sound really cool.
Bottom Line: I absolutely loved this book. The story is so interesting and the set-up is unlike I've ever read before. The author spends a lot of time on background, which drove me a little nuts, but it was worth it to feel like I really knew the characters. And the chemistry between Ben and Lala was amazing, which made for a great romance.
kimching232's review
DNF @ 25%
I'm sorry, but I just can't bring myself to read on. Usually, I hate not finishing books because I feel guilty, and I never DNF a book this early because I like giving books a chance, but I guess this one is an exception. I just can't go on anymore, even after forcing myself!
Normally, I love books with dual point of views because I always enjoy reading things from a male perspective, but not this one! I hated Ben's chapters because they dragged on and on, and everything seemed unnatural. At first I just wanted to skip all of Ben's parts and jump to Lala's chapters, but eventually that dragged on too and became boring. Nothing was happening, but there were just too many words!
I know that I should not judge because I haven't actually finished the whole book yet, but I just felt like this book was excessively long! The idea of the story excited me from the synopsis, but I think that the story itself was not able to deliver.
I'm sorry, but I just can't bring myself to read on. Usually, I hate not finishing books because I feel guilty, and I never DNF a book this early because I like giving books a chance, but I guess this one is an exception. I just can't go on anymore, even after forcing myself!
Normally, I love books with dual point of views because I always enjoy reading things from a male perspective, but not this one! I hated Ben's chapters because they dragged on and on, and everything seemed unnatural. At first I just wanted to skip all of Ben's parts and jump to Lala's chapters, but eventually that dragged on too and became boring. Nothing was happening, but there were just too many words!
I know that I should not judge because I haven't actually finished the whole book yet, but I just felt like this book was excessively long! The idea of the story excited me from the synopsis, but I think that the story itself was not able to deliver.
sbishop15's review
3.0
The love story was pretty YA (a bit cheesy) but I liked the glimpse into Gypsy culture.
meganmreads's review
4.0
Burning was not a love story in the traditional sense. Instead, it was a story about freedom, choices, and life. It was beautiful, interesting, and captivating. Burning was about growth and ways of life. While love was the pivotal emotion, it was only a catalyst. There was less action and exchanges and more insight and introspection.
I thought Burning was beautiful. I found myself enchanted by Lala and her way of life, eager to learn more about her culture and her own inner thoughts. I loved Ben and the way he looked at the world and cared about his family and friends.
I loved that Burning was about choices and how certain events cause us to make choices that impact our future. It was one of those stories that was bittersweet and makes you think hard about the choices we make and the way different paths overlap with other people’s paths and so on. I really loved the depth that Burning had to it.
I was surprised by the way the story shifted in Burning once certain choices were made. I was shocked by the way Ben’s mom viewed love and I think that moment was the turning point in the book where my admiration for the story faded and I got a little sad. I still admire the direction of the story and I love what the overall themes were, especially identity and independence.
Lala probably did the right thing and I loved it and completely respected her, but I also thought the story trivialized first loves in the same way that most people typically do. I think this aspect of Burning is something most people will enjoy, but it just disappointed me a little bit. The overall message is more about how your first love, though not necessarily your last or a permanent one changes you. I’m one of those people who typically argue that love isn’t necessarily fleeting just because it’s new or young or impossible. Certain things aren’t always phases in life or stepping stones. They can be permanent and that’s okay. And Burning didn’t really say that love wasn’t real, in fact it was very real, but it did imply that it fleeting to some degree.
My own personal views about young and impossible love get in the way of me truly loving the book, despite having a lot of respect for it. I admire Lala, but I thought her perspective in the end was lacking the bigger picture and she viewed Ben as weight even though he was part of the reason for her freedom. I think a lot of people will prefer her perspective because it was true to some degree, but I felt like she was limiting herself by viewing the situation the way she did. Or maybe I just prefer characters (and real people) to fight for what they love and not look at first loves as just a passing thing or a necessary hurdle to get over. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. As always, in my attempt to be fair, I think the fact that the story made me go into my own tangent about first loves is a good thing, so I didn't lower my rating because of it.
I highly recommend Burning, especially if you’re in the mood for a sweet story with tons of reflection and insight into love, identity, and life. It is also a perfect summer read.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason book review blog.
I thought Burning was beautiful. I found myself enchanted by Lala and her way of life, eager to learn more about her culture and her own inner thoughts. I loved Ben and the way he looked at the world and cared about his family and friends.
I loved that Burning was about choices and how certain events cause us to make choices that impact our future. It was one of those stories that was bittersweet and makes you think hard about the choices we make and the way different paths overlap with other people’s paths and so on. I really loved the depth that Burning had to it.
I was surprised by the way the story shifted in Burning once certain choices were made. I was shocked by the way Ben’s mom viewed love and I think that moment was the turning point in the book where my admiration for the story faded and I got a little sad. I still admire the direction of the story and I love what the overall themes were, especially identity and independence.
Spoiler
Lala probably did the right thing and I loved it and completely respected her, but I also thought the story trivialized first loves in the same way that most people typically do. I think this aspect of Burning is something most people will enjoy, but it just disappointed me a little bit. The overall message is more about how your first love, though not necessarily your last or a permanent one changes you. I’m one of those people who typically argue that love isn’t necessarily fleeting just because it’s new or young or impossible. Certain things aren’t always phases in life or stepping stones. They can be permanent and that’s okay. And Burning didn’t really say that love wasn’t real, in fact it was very real, but it did imply that it fleeting to some degree.
My own personal views about young and impossible love get in the way of me truly loving the book, despite having a lot of respect for it. I admire Lala, but I thought her perspective in the end was lacking the bigger picture and she viewed Ben as weight even though he was part of the reason for her freedom. I think a lot of people will prefer her perspective because it was true to some degree, but I felt like she was limiting herself by viewing the situation the way she did. Or maybe I just prefer characters (and real people) to fight for what they love and not look at first loves as just a passing thing or a necessary hurdle to get over. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. As always, in my attempt to be fair, I think the fact that the story made me go into my own tangent about first loves is a good thing, so I didn't lower my rating because of it.
I highly recommend Burning, especially if you’re in the mood for a sweet story with tons of reflection and insight into love, identity, and life. It is also a perfect summer read.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason book review blog.