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A review by emilythill
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
3.0
Can a dream be wrong?
Aren’t dreams God’s way of telling you things?
I am a really big fan of Ellen Hopkins’s books. I had read CRANK the year before, and I absolutely loved every aspect of it. So I pretty much recommended this book to myself.
BURNED is centered on a girl named Pattyn. Being raised in strict Mormon household with an abusive father and many other children, Pattyn is raised to believe that men are completely dominant over women and children, and women are supposed to passive, quiet, and obedient. As soon as Pattyn begins having lusty, passionate dreams, she begins to question her place as a woman. When her experimentation becomes full-blown rebellion, her father sends her to live with her aunt in Nevada. For Pattyn this is more freedom than prison, and she ventures into unknown territory. Sparks fly as a gorgeous boy known as Ethan shows her the country, and she uncovers secrets about her family’s past, but she is thrilled to finally feel loved. However, just like anything good, it only lasts so long. Before she can fully indulge herself in sweet paradise, chaos arises and drowns her. She is forever changed.
My favorite poem from this story was the very first one. It hooked me from the beginning. It was the beginning of her questioning her place, and it gave us a taste of her character.
“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 ever wonder if for once
You might light up the room?
When you were big enough
to cross the street on your own,
did you ever wait for a signal,
hear the frenzied approach
of a fire truck and feel like
stepping out in front of it?
Did you ever wonder just how far
that rocket ride might take you?
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 ever 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.”
Ellen Hopkins writing style is amazing. Her use of vivid vocabulary, and the dark, sensuous, rebellious behavior is, as always, breathtaking. She captivates me with her stories. I find her characters very relatable in a messed up way, and I absolutely adore her method of telling a story.
I would recommend this book, however I wouldn’t call it a “must read.” It isn’t CRANK. I liked it a lot, but I didn’t love it. I like the thought process that comes with reading these books though. They make you question yourself, and think of other people’s opinions as well as your own. Not for a second would I turn down a book written by Ellen Hopkins, and nor should anyone else.
Aren’t dreams God’s way of telling you things?
I am a really big fan of Ellen Hopkins’s books. I had read CRANK the year before, and I absolutely loved every aspect of it. So I pretty much recommended this book to myself.
BURNED is centered on a girl named Pattyn. Being raised in strict Mormon household with an abusive father and many other children, Pattyn is raised to believe that men are completely dominant over women and children, and women are supposed to passive, quiet, and obedient. As soon as Pattyn begins having lusty, passionate dreams, she begins to question her place as a woman. When her experimentation becomes full-blown rebellion, her father sends her to live with her aunt in Nevada. For Pattyn this is more freedom than prison, and she ventures into unknown territory. Sparks fly as a gorgeous boy known as Ethan shows her the country, and she uncovers secrets about her family’s past, but she is thrilled to finally feel loved. However, just like anything good, it only lasts so long. Before she can fully indulge herself in sweet paradise, chaos arises and drowns her. She is forever changed.
My favorite poem from this story was the very first one. It hooked me from the beginning. It was the beginning of her questioning her place, and it gave us a taste of her character.
“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 ever wonder if for once
You might light up the room?
When you were big enough
to cross the street on your own,
did you ever wait for a signal,
hear the frenzied approach
of a fire truck and feel like
stepping out in front of it?
Did you ever wonder just how far
that rocket ride might take you?
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 ever 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.”
Ellen Hopkins writing style is amazing. Her use of vivid vocabulary, and the dark, sensuous, rebellious behavior is, as always, breathtaking. She captivates me with her stories. I find her characters very relatable in a messed up way, and I absolutely adore her method of telling a story.
I would recommend this book, however I wouldn’t call it a “must read.” It isn’t CRANK. I liked it a lot, but I didn’t love it. I like the thought process that comes with reading these books though. They make you question yourself, and think of other people’s opinions as well as your own. Not for a second would I turn down a book written by Ellen Hopkins, and nor should anyone else.