Burned

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Series: Burned duology (#1)
Pages: 532 (paperback)
Published: April 2006 by Margaret K. Elderry Books

Summary:
It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.

Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.

My Thoughts: I was completely sucked into this book from beginning to end. Oh lawdy, within the 3 or 4 months that this book takes place, Pattyn goes through one heck of a roller coaster. I mean there's abuse, being shipped off to the dessert, cougars, guns, first loves, and cattle ranching. What else do you need, am I right?

A lot goes down in this book, especially in the last hundred or so pages. I read most of it within a couple of days because I simply couldn't put it down. Ellen Hopkins has this magical way of writing that is so lyrical and beautiful that you don't feel like you're reading a lot but you feel like you're just kind of flying through the scenes. Whenever I feel a reading slump coming on or I want something I can get engrossed in, I often find myself reading one of her books.

And this one was a doozy, let me tell ya. I really enjoyed not only the fast-paced nature of the book, but also the setting and the characters. I don't think I've ever read anything that was based in Nevada, but wow it sounds gorgeous. Pattyn loves the rural area where she's sent to live with her aunt, and you end up loving it, too. I also enjoyed reading from Pattyn's perspective. She wasn't passive in her narration and you grow so close to her that when something bad happens, it makes it raw and so much harder to read about.

My biggest set back with this book, though, was the dialogue. It seemed a little forced, like it was added as an afterthought in some places. But when it was there to move the plot along, it felt right. As much as I enjoyed this book, the dialogue did take me out of the story a little when it became jumpy thus making the story a bit choppy, too. Not only that, but some characters seemed to just blend into the background never to be seen again after they've served their purpose (I'm lookin' at you Justin and Derek).

But like I said, this was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to try out one of Ellen Hopkins books or just wants an emotional roller coaster of a read. I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the next installment of this duology, Smoke, because now I'm invested and I need to know what happens next!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars