Review: Burned
Sep •
25 •
2011
Burned by Ellen Hopkins Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on March 28th 2006
Genres: Young Adult-Contemporary
Source: Gifted
Goodreads
"Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, Pattyn Von Stratten starts asking questions -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love. She experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control. Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance -- until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go."
Again, another beautifully written book that left me speechless. I mean, I had no words. I wanted to talk about it, but wasn’t sure where even to begin.
This book not only gave me a whole new aspect to think about, but it angered me to hell. It’s these kinds of people or situations that make Christians look bad. People who present this “holy roller, I’m so good and your not attitude” when they are the ones that are in sin themselves. Jesus said it in the bible, Matt 23: 1-39 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, …” Basically saying, that they make look good on the outside, but in the inside, their heart is not right. So they do good deeds to show how right they are.
So this book, I REALLY loved. I mean from start to finish, I was captured. Pattyn knew that what is going on in her household is not right. I was glad that she had the chance to go away, but of course going away doesn’t mean your past no longer follows you. Pattyn is brought back to horrible things, things I could never even imagine. Ms. Hopkins, once again captured an experience so vastly hidden, yet exposed. I love how Ms. Hopkins can capture the reader and make them fall right into Pattyn shoes.
The whole situation that Pattyn goes through, leaves the reader heartbroken. I admit that I cried in the end, for my heart could no longer take it anymore. No one should suffer or go through that ever. I can say that in the end, even though Pattyn went through a lot, I was glad that it was over.
Look, I don’t know what else to say but if you want a real life changing, take my heart out of my chest and step on it experience, read this book. It will blow your mind, break your heart, but give you something you have never ever read before.
I give it 5 BITES!
Happy Reading!
?