Burned ~ Ellen Hopkins

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: McElderry, 544 pages
Copyright: 2007


School Library Journal Review:
Grade 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.–Kathy Lehman, Thomas Dale High School Library, Chester, VA 


Review: 
Burned is the story of Pattyn, a teenage girl who lives in a primarily Mormon community in Nevada. Her family adheres to a strict version of Mormonism in which the men are dominant and the women subservient. Pattyn is one of six female siblings, each named after a male military figure. Her dad is constantly battling demons and Pattyn, her mom, and her siblings live in fear of his rage and abusive behavior. 

Pattyn begins to struggle with her own identity her junior year of high school. She knows what is going on at home is wrong, but when she tries to reach out for help, she finds the religious community defends her father. 

After she is caught fooling around with a boy, Pattyn's dad sends her away to live with her aunt for a summer. Pattyn’s aunt Jeanette was also raised in a strict, overbearing Mormon household and knows all too well the deadly lengths her brother will go to keep undesirable males away from good Mormon women. Aunt Jeanette has long since abandoned the church and lives on a ranch in Nevada, a wild and liberating environment that Pattyn comes to love and thrive in.

While at the ranch, Pattyn meets Ethan, a college student who is home for the summer to help is dad. 

Perhaps the most tragic element of this story is its ultimate betrayal of its own ideals. Pattyn's aunt spends so much of this book teaching her that there are options for women beyond marriage and motherhood. But, ultimately, Pattyn finds her self-worth and purpose in a man. The love story is touching, if not somewhat rushed, but also a bit hard to take--in a matter of weeks, she can't live without him and finds self-worth when she regards herself through his eyes. 

Burned, just like any other Ellen Hopkins book, is about a girls struggle through her teenage years and will appeal to many readers. 

Reading Level: Intermediate
Notes about Audience: Recommended for readers ages 15 and up.