Book Review: “Burned”
Author: Ellen Hopkins
By Cassidy Stacken on October 27, 2017
What would you do if you had to live in a broken house with an alcoholic dad and a mom that never pays attention to you? In addition, you have to care for your sister along with your mom and your father. Basically, you play the role of the mom in the house.
In the book “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins, Pattyn, the main character, has to care for her sister Jackie, her drunk father and her mother that would rather sit around and watch television all day than watch after her children.
Early in the book, Pattyn falls in love with a boy named Derek. This soon leads to heartbreak and anger when she finds out after they were forced to break up by Pattyn’s father, that Derek was just using her for her body anyway. Shortly after, Pattyn and Derek’s new girlfriend get into a fight and in the frustration, Pattyn throws her backpack through the library window. This resulted in her being suspended and sent to live with her aunt.
While Pattyn is at her aunt’s house, she meets a boy named Ethan and they fall in love. However, more bad news arrived in the mail. A letter from her sister Jackie said that their father was becoming more abusive and was starting to take it out on her. When Pattyn learned this, she wanted to go home but did not because she was comfortable and happy at her aunt’s.
At the end of the school year, Pattyn had to go home. Ethan gave her a locket that had his picture in it so he was always close to her heart.
After not talking to him for months, one-day Pattyn finally cracked and called Ethan, who was in college. She told him that she wanted to leave and see him again so he drove to her and picked her up. But on the way back, Ethan decided to take the long way through a mountain range. There were too many dangers, but they kept driving. That was the last time Pattyn ever saw Ethan.
Pattyn woke up in a hospital with no family and no Ethan. She was confused and hurt, but she would continue to live and fight.
That is what I took from the book “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins. It is a heartwarming and tragic story and I encourage everyone to read it.
In the book “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins, Pattyn, the main character, has to care for her sister Jackie, her drunk father and her mother that would rather sit around and watch television all day than watch after her children.
Early in the book, Pattyn falls in love with a boy named Derek. This soon leads to heartbreak and anger when she finds out after they were forced to break up by Pattyn’s father, that Derek was just using her for her body anyway. Shortly after, Pattyn and Derek’s new girlfriend get into a fight and in the frustration, Pattyn throws her backpack through the library window. This resulted in her being suspended and sent to live with her aunt.
While Pattyn is at her aunt’s house, she meets a boy named Ethan and they fall in love. However, more bad news arrived in the mail. A letter from her sister Jackie said that their father was becoming more abusive and was starting to take it out on her. When Pattyn learned this, she wanted to go home but did not because she was comfortable and happy at her aunt’s.
At the end of the school year, Pattyn had to go home. Ethan gave her a locket that had his picture in it so he was always close to her heart.
After not talking to him for months, one-day Pattyn finally cracked and called Ethan, who was in college. She told him that she wanted to leave and see him again so he drove to her and picked her up. But on the way back, Ethan decided to take the long way through a mountain range. There were too many dangers, but they kept driving. That was the last time Pattyn ever saw Ethan.
Pattyn woke up in a hospital with no family and no Ethan. She was confused and hurt, but she would continue to live and fight.
That is what I took from the book “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins. It is a heartwarming and tragic story and I encourage everyone to read it.
