Module 14: Burned

Hopkins, E. (2006). Burned. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Summary
Pattyn, the eldest of eight sisters in a strict Mormon family, rebels against her religion and her abusive father. Always smart and a voracious reader, Pattyn is disturbed by the violence in her home perpetrated by her alcoholic father. She begins rebelling at school and is sent to her aunt's house during the summer as a form of punishment. Instead of having a bad summer, she gains clarity about her home situation and finds love and support from her aunt and a handsome neighbor. Unfortunately though, she must return to her abusive home where things spiral out of control.

My Impressions
While I loved this books, especially the free floating verse, I was disappointed in some of the elements. It was a gritty story but I didn't understand why Pattyn didn't talk to her Aunt about her father's abuse. I know that Hopkins was trying to show the characteristics of a victim of profound and repetitive abuse, but I wished for more resolution at the end of the story. I did love the style of the book. The verse was not only lyrically written but Hopkins plays with text design to create mood on the page which made for some really thought-provoking text displays. This is a worthwhile book with a somewhat disappointing lack of closure.

Professional Reviews
Gr. 9-12. Full of anger at her father, an alcoholic who abuses her mother, Pattyn begins to question her Mormon religion and her preordained, subservient role within it. She is confused by her mother's acceptance of the brutal abuse, and although she is furious at and terrified of her father, she still longs for his love and approval. As the consequences of her anger become more dramatic, her parents send her to spend the summer with her aunt on a Nevada ranch. There she finds the love and acceptance she craves, both from her aunt and from a college-age neighbor, Ethan. Told in elegant free verse, Burned envelopes the reader in Pattyn's highs and lows, her gradual opening to love, and her bouts of rage, confusion, and doubt. It exposes the mind of the abused, but regrettably offers no viable plan to deal with the abuser, a reality perhaps, but a plot element that may raise eyebrows in the adult community. Still, this will easily find rapid-fire circulation among its YA audience. A troubling but beautifully written novel. --Booklist, Frances Bradburn, 2006. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Gr 9 Up-Once again the author of Crank (S & S, 2004) has masterfully used verse to re-create the yearnings and emotions of a teenage girl trapped in tragic circumstances. Poems in varied formats captivate readers as they describe a teen's immobilizing fear of her abusive father, disgust with a church hierarchy that looks the other way, hope that new relationships can counteract despair, joy in the awakening of romance, and sorrow when demons ultimately prevail. Pattyn Von Stratten is the eldest of eight sisters in a stern Mormon household where women are relegated to servitude and silence. She has a glimpse of normal teenage life when Derek takes an interest in her, but her father stalks them in the desert and frightens him away. Unable to stifle her rage, Pattyn acts out as never before and is suspended from school. Sent to live with an aunt on a remote Nevada ranch, she meets Ethan and discovers "forever love." Woven into the story of a teen's struggle to find her destiny is the story of her aunt's barrenness following government mismanagement of atomic testing and protests over nuclear waste disposal. Readers will become immersed in Pattyn's innermost thoughts as long-held secrets are revealed, her father's beatings take a toll on her mother and sister, and Pattyn surrenders to Ethan's love with predictable and disturbing consequences. Writing for mature teens, Hopkins creates compelling characters in horrific situations. --School Library Journal, Kathy Lehman, Thomas Dale High School Library, Chester, VA, 2010. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Suggested Use in Library
This is definitely a book that confronts multiple disturbing issues but it is also a compelling read. I would use this book for Reader's Advisory and recommend it to more mature teenage girls who are looking for novels where the main character faces adversity. I know that Hopkins' books have been challenged but I think she writes provocative stories about the problems that some teens face and that these novels really resonate with modern teens. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Hopkins books although I would advise the reader that her stories may be disturbing and that they shouldn't count on a happy ending.

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SLIS 5420/Module 14
Poetry and Story Collections
November 29-December 5, 2010