Burn

Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com

"You're ours Grady.....This is just the beginning."

The horrors of high school are real; just ask Cameron Grady.

Freshman year at Madison High School has been the most miserable experience of Cameron's life. The bullying begins the first day of class. Rich Patterson and the rest of his jock friends zero in their radar and Cameron becomes #1 on their hit list.

The "Red Coats" taunt Cameron, calling him Cameron Diaz and stalking him in the hallways. High school becomes a war zone for Grady. The lines between reality and fiction begin to blur, and Cameron finds himself "checking out" from time to time. Cameron also begins to experiment with fire; an obsession that proves to be dangerous.

Unlike most show more stories, Cameron's does not have a happy ending, but it's real - it's life. Life is not always full of happy endings.

Suzanne Phillips has created a gripping novel that discusses extremely tough issues. Cameron deals with both physical and sexual abuse, bullying, and post-traumatic stress. Many teenagers may be unfamiliar with post-traumatic stress disorder, and this novel does an excellent job of shedding some light on the subject.

BURN is a well-written story that may be difficult to read at times, but the message is clear. Teenagers face hardships on a daily basis. These problems can range from getting into a fight with their parents to being subjected to some kind of abuse. They all want someone they can confide in - Cameron finds that person, but it's a little too late for him. show less

I read this book in just under 3 hours. Which is really something for me because I have two little ones and generally can't sit down for that long. But I couldn't put it down. Phillips's character "Cameron" pulled me right in and wouldn't let me go until I knew how his story ended. Sad and thought-provoking, "Burn'' shows us just how damaging bullying can be. I think this should be a must read for teen (and perhaps even pre-teen) kids.

I found the book Burn to be a very interesting, intense, and sad story. In this story the main character, Cameron, gets bullied by the high school jocks, “The Red Coats.” Cameron receives a sense of burning throughout his whole body when he thinks about “The Red Coats” going after him and his classmates. Being hit like a punching bag, being humiliated in front of all of his classmates, and being abused in all different ways, destroys Cameron mentally, physically, and emotionally. Towards the end of this story, Cameron makes a huge mistake unintentionally, causing him to feel like the monster in the situation.
I liked many thing about this book, but there were also many things I disliked. I really enjoyed how easy this book was show more to read. It’s so intense that at some points I couldn’t stop reading. The author uses detail that makes you visualize events, people, and actions as you are reading. I also enjoyed how the author gives you something to think about while you are reading. I had many thoughts about the several school shootings and deaths in the world that are from bullying and how saying the wrong thing can break someone apart and even ruin their life.
My dislikes mostly pertain to the information given and the intensity of the action. Sometimes in the book the author would explain in very great detail the different ways “The Red Coats” bullied Cameron and how Cameron would burn his own body to feel pleasure or relief. Also, the intensity of some of the bullying was very high. At some parts I got sick to my stomach. I hate hearing about kids who get physically abused and a majority of Cameron’s freshman year he was a target.
Overall, I think Burn was an enjoyable read and I recommend it. This story could possibly stop people from bullying or bring more nice people into the world. I know sometimes it could just be you and a friend messing around, but if you say the wrong thing, it could emotionally damage the person. show less

An interesting but not totally satisfying read. Cameron is bullied at school by the jocks and reacts to it by setting things on fire. When the bullying escalates to a whole new level, Cameron snaps and takes revenge on the wrong person.

Harrowing and disturbing, the book would make for a great discussion group with teens. I would definitely recommend it to teens, especially the reluctant readers.

This was a disturbing novel. The story is one that I wasn't sure that it could really happen, and yet, I thought maybe it could. Domestic abuse and bullying victims certainly are sometimes overlooked by the school system and don't get the help they need. I think this book does a good job of making that point.

The book is very compelling and has a bit of a twist to it. You feel as if you're right there, seeing it right before your eyes. the last 50 pages or so, when the police start to investigate and the court process [were compelling]. I wasn't sure what could happen and didn't have high expectations. When he started the fire, I don't understand how everything burned so easily. I'm pretty sure it had been running hot too long before the fire took place, so everything would be damp. But when it came to the fire, it was described as the trees burning quickly, like the wood and leaves were dry. I don't find this realistic or consistent. AHS/EK

It relates to teens who are bullied, in a way. Most teens dont' go that far though. Disappointed that show more Cameron killed a boy and set a fire. Teens don't realistically go that far. Cameron's thoughts were right on tack, he was a 3D character, but no teen ever goes that far. Wasn't very realistic or consistent. Bullying is a good subject to write about though teens need to more about it. AHS/KR show less

Heartbreaking story of a boy who was already suffering with post-traumatic stress from being emotionally and physically abused by his father until his mother divorced the dad and moved Cameron and his brother Robbie away. Starting at the new school just didn't work out for him cause the jocks picked on him and finally sexually assaulted him.

"Tormented by bullies on the football team, high school freshman Cameron Grady feels increasingly alienated and disassociated from those around him. After being sexually assaulted, Cameron violently takes matters into his own hands. Phillips provides a gritty, unflinching look at teenage bullying and its aftermath." Horn Book (Spring 2009)