5122008

Hopkins, Ellen. Burned. New York. Margaret K. McElderry 2007

Reason: I chose this book mostly because I first read crank and I really liked it. I really liked the overall setup of the book and thought that the poems within the book had an amazing flow. The setting of this book changes vastly from a farm to a town. The time period is now. This is a teen romance novel.
Plot: Pattyn is the oldest child in a Mormon family of six girls. She spends her time changing diapers and looking after her sisters. At sixteen she is suddenly questioning her faith, her faith's rules, her parents' relationship, her future as a Mormon woman, and her place in life--aloud. She starts to drink and date on the sly and sass the local bishop. When she is caught by her father with her boyfriend, Pattyn is sent to her Aunt J's house as a punishment for the summer. It turns out to be anything but a punishment. Her aunt, not stifled by strict Mormon tenets, gives Pattyn an opportunity to experience freedom on her farm, including riding a horse, driving a car, wearing store-bought clothes, going out to eat, and falling in love with Ethan, a local college boy home for the summer. Unfortunately, summer must end--and her freedom. Her father calls Pattyn home to take care of her sisters while her mother rests during the end of her pregancy. Her love for Ethan doesn't falter, but her resolve to survive her life quickly deteriorates. After returning home things start to go bad again. She mouths off to her father and gets beaten. She takes the rap for something her sister does, and gets beaten to save her life. She also learns that she will have Ethan’s baby.
Characotr: for the character analysis I will choose Pattyn. She’s the oldest child and she is probably the most unfree one out of all of them. I believe that since she’s lead such a sheltered lifestyle that she will must really want to break free. She is suicidal-ish when she returns home from her aunts. This book is about her trying to find reasons to live. The plot changes the character from a discontent Mormon girl to a semi-content women.
Evaluation: I really enjoyed this novel. However, I wasn’t really expecting it to be like this. I was expecting it to be a little focused around drugs, as most of Ellen Hopkins book tend to be. I think another ending wouldn’t of been suitable. I really liked the message that it sends.
This book compares to real life in many ways. There are other people who are trying to break out of their religious cults.
If I had been Pattyn I do not think I would of acted in the same way. I think I would of tried to be a bit more respectful to my parents so I wouldn’t of gotten beaten. I would of also used a condom before having sex.
Author: Ellen Hopkins has also wrote Crank, a book that I enjoyed very much. Most of her books tend to be about drug addictions.