Reviews

Burner by Robert Ford

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georgesreads's review against another edition

4.0

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-burner-by-robert-ford/

Burner by Robert Ford is a book that will grab you by the throat, and won’t let go until long after you’re done with it. The very depths of human emotion, suffering and loss are skillfully navigated by Ford, resulting in a compelling but devastating story that shines a light on the world’s cruel truths.

sjgomzi's review against another edition

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5.0

Had no idea what I was in for when cracking open the latest novel from master storyteller Robert Ford. I heard it was a brutal read, dealing with human trafficking, but brutal is not strong enough a word. This was the most horrifying book I’ve read all year. There are no haunted houses, no supernatural beings or spectral boogie men present, just that dark ugly side of humanity, that down and dirty despicable evil that only humans are capable of. Heartbreaking, and stomach turning, but written so perfectly and at such a relentless pace, you can’t stop turning the pages. You want to put the book down, because enough is enough already, but that just becomes impossible because you are in the hands of a master wordsmith here and this story demands you see it through to bear witness to all that pain and suffering he puts these poor people through. I seriously doubt I’ll ever have the desire or strength to open this book ever again, and I won’t have to, because this story is gonna haunt me for some time to come.

fionakay's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

3.5

embo's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

2.75

booknerd93's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

leridally's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

charm_city_sinner's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Well then....

This book is soul crushingly brutal. It reinforces my belief that the scariest books don't need anything beyond the dark side of humanity.

This was a buddy read with @weepingreads, and I think I can defend that phrase in the context of this book. You know "the buddy system" right? The one where you have a buddy because it's dangerous to not have one. Imagine a teacher asking a kid on a field trip if everyone has their buddy. Reading Burner is that kind of buddy read, because reading this alone is too dangerous.

Books with vampires, ghosts, demons, etc., are great. I have plenty of them on my shelves. But those books don't make it hard to fall asleep, and they don't pop into your head when you see someone who might be watching you from a distance, or if there's a strange car parked inexplicably next to yours when you come back to it, even though there are plenty of other spots.

Burner will do that to you. And even worse (or better? I'm not sure how this should be gauged), it will make you question how well you REALLY know the people in your life.

Very much in the same vein as The Girl Next Door, this book could obliterate you, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

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