Customer Reviews

Flash Burnout

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What made me decide to read Flash Burnout basically encompassed the photography aspect and the girlfriend + girl that is a friend. And thankfully those two aspects of the book were pretty satisfying, unfortunately they came with a few other things that were bothersome to me.

Let's start with the good, I loved how each chapter started with something related to photography, be it from a manual or Blake's homework and the way that photography was used to move the story forward. I would have loved to have seen Blake's and Marissa's photographs. They sound beautiful.

I also loved seeing Blake try and balance having a girlfriend he adored and that adores him (Shannon) and a girl that is a friend that really needs him (Marissa). The feeling of being torn and trying to do what's right for everyone is explored wonderfully in this book.

Another thing I really liked was Blake's family, his open-minded parents and his older brother, Garrett. I actually liked Garret at times better than Blake and his storyline about his friend with benefits Cappie. Would have loved to have seen that explored more.

While I liked all of that I did have some problems that distracted and took away from the good things in the book. Right off the bat I noticed Blake's slang and sort of annoying sense of humor, stuff like talking to Houston in his head all the time etc. I could have done without those types of things. And another thing that became rather bothersome for me was the way that Blake talked about his girlfriend Shannon and her body and touching her body. Yes, I know boys have hormones and they think about that stuff, but it was just too much for me and it made me sort of dislike Blake during those passages. Another thing I didn't find funny at all was that basically any time Blake mentioned Shannon's father he insulted him, I can understand insulting her mother but her father, he never did anything to deserve that!

Overall a nice coming of age story with some downsides that somewhat distracted from the story.

I was smitten with the main character's voice just a few pages into LK Madigan's FLASH BURNOUT. This YA novel is really, really funny at the same time it tackles some tough issues about family, teen romance, drug addiction, and friendship.

The novel begins with a photography assignment for fifteen-year-old Blake, just experiencing his first real romance. When Blake inadvertently snaps a picture of his friend Marissa's drug-addicted mother, he launches Marissa into a journey for which she desperately needs his support. That journey causes Blake to question what he thought he knew about love, sex, and friendship and takes readers on a wild ride of their own.

The voice in this book is really remarkable, and Madigan's rich characters with their hysterical dialogue reminded me of John Green at times. FLASH BURNOUT is a fantastic, fantastic debut!

Blake is a typical teenage boy, filled with hormones and rampant thoughts about sex. He also aspires to be a stand up comic, and does his best to make everyone around him laugh. He makes for a funny, interesting character that many teenage boys will relate to.

There were a few times, however, that his voice sounded too teen-girl. Such as "Oh no she didn't!" That phrase is begging for a 'snap' at the end of it, and I don't know any teen boys who would do that. :) He also had a little too much insight at times (like, at the end with Marissa), which didn't fit his maturity level, character, or situation in life. Also, the end result of his photography felt like the story was being tied up with a bow.

So, for me (who isn't a teen anymore), those elements weakened the story. However, I can still see teens, both boys and girls, strongly relating to the characters and their situations. Especially since the writing is sharp, and the descriptions of the photographs are vivid and interesting.

This is definitely not for a younger audience, though. Sex is mentioned frequently, and there is an after-sex scene that might be too mature for kids younger than 13 or 14. The drug aspect of the story was done well, without graphic consequences, but it's also prevalent throughout the story.

I loved this book. Flash Burnout introduces us to Blake; a soon to be 16 year old who has his first girlfriend and a friend who's a girl and is sometimes totally lost about what to do with either of them. Blake is a wonderful character and travels through this well paced story with humour, and lots of confusion. He's not perfect, but he tries so hard to be it's very endearing. He's just figuring things out in his relationships with Shannon and Marissa and finds himself in the middle of some things boys his age don't typically have to deal with. What I like so much about this character is that he steps outside his own self involvement and tries so hard to be a good friend and provide these two young women what he thinks they need from him. This results in alot of humour and eventual heartache. His mom is always telling him "actions have consequences" and that's one of the many lessons he learns here.

Speaking of the mom, hoorah! Finally here's a great literate teen novel that features parents who are present and involved in their kids lives (at least in Blake's case). That alone is a refreshing change. Blake has a great relationship with his parents and they allow him to solve his own problems while always being nearby for support. You just don't see that much in YA literature. I think that will make this book more relatable to a wider variety of kids. I like the growth Blake goes through in this book. It has the ring of truth to it.

This is a great read that will appeal to both boys and girls. Because of the sexual situations, (Blake thinks about sex alot) I would recommend for teens 15 and up. Blake's parents have raised him with a more cavalier attitude towards sex than some parents of young readers would be comfortable with. There's also some language, although not a gratuitous amount. All in all a great read - I look forward to giving it to my son in 4 years or so; I think he could probably learn some great things about loyalty and friendship from Blake. A good, well told story.

L.K.Madigan has captured the heart of certain teens, and rolled it back out in FLASH BURNOUT. Blake's humor is alternately cocky and self-deprecating, but it always rings true. His interior monologues (the very "Houston we have a problem" conversations that bugged another reviewer) were parts I really liked. I thought everyone had those "self-talks" when tensions got high. Shannon (the girlfriend) and Marissa (the girl-friend) are equally interesting personalities. I didn't mind that the "photo" aspect of the story takes a back seat to the "relationships" aspect of the story, which seemed achingly accurate for the issues teens face and the mistakes (?) teens make. If you liked NOT LIKE YOU, STORY OF A GIRL and/or SOMEDAY THIS PAIN WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU, you would probably like this book.

Blake is trying to understand relationships. He has a girlfriend and he is also the friend of a girl. Both relationships are important to him, but he realizes balancing them requires artful skill much like in his hobby of photography. There are rules to follow and one mistake can cause everything to go out of focus.

Blake is a cool character. He dreams of life as a stand-up comic and uses almost every opportunity to test out jokes and one-liners. He chalks up an invisible mark every time he gets a laugh. Many of those laughs come from Shannon. Blake can't believe how much fun she is, how beautiful she is, and how much he is really starting to love her.

Marissa is Blake's partner in photography class. As the two youngest in the class, they became partners by default, but it's a partnership that has worked well. Their friendship revolves strictly around photography until the day Blake accidentally takes a picture of Marissa's mother. He didn't realize they were mother and daughter when he stumbled across the homeless woman sleeping on the street. The photo begins a change in their friendship as Blake learns the truth about Marissa's mother.

What makes this story unique is the combination of an interesting cast of characters in a mix of serious situations and refreshing humor. My attention was immediately grabbed in the opening pages as Blake enters the kitchen for breakfast. He describes the snapshots of gunshot wounds fanned out across the kitchen table and the snoring of his father, the coroner, asleep on the nearby couch. Then there's the entrance of his mother, a hospital chaplain, dressed in only underwear and a blouse. As she fixes her morning coffee, Blake is disgusted, but not particularly shocked, when she warns of an oncoming hot flash and promptly removes her blouse.

With an introduction like that, how can readers not continue turning pages?

L. K. Madigan has fun with her characters as she takes them through the good times and the bad. Readers are sure to find at least one character to relate to and at least one experience to learn from. Several added bonuses include a photography tip at the beginning of each chapter and two interesting playlists with commentary from Blake at the end of the book.

FLASH BURNOUT doesn't come out until October 2009, but be sure to watch for it; it's a worthwhile read.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I found Blake, the novel's main character, instantly compelling and engaging. As the mother of a teenage boy slightly younger than Blake, I also thought he was very realistic. (I found myself reading passages aloud to my son.) Blake's shtick is that he's a joker--and, fortunately, he is funny, sometimes hilarious--but he also has a depth and sensitivity that isn't immediately apparent to those who don't know him well.

The other characters also are well-drawn, and the story moves swiftly, building in emotional intensity to a realistic conclusion. I very much enjoyed the photography elements in this story. The photography-related quotes at the beginning of each chapter were fun and progressively provided a smile and/or insightful comment related to the evolving narrative.

L.K. Madigan deftly tackles difficult and important topics (among them: a parent's drug addiction and homelessness, first love, condom use, teen sexuality, a bit of underage drinking, and the truth that every action has consequences); there's nothing gratuitous here, only real life, expressed tastefully and honestly. This is a story that will make readers think. Highly recommended for teens and adults.

stayed up till past 1.30am to finish
lk madigan's FLASH BURNOUT. brilliant.
funny, touching, sad, and utterly real.
i love blake. RECOMMEND!

madigan's ability to channel a boy teen with a sense
of humor and heart--capable of mistakes like
all of us--is nothing short of amazing.

a terrific read!

edited to add: one of my top five reads
of 2009. i favor fantasy novels heavily, so
it speaks to madigan's talent as a writer.

Purchased this book for my niece who is in college for a class. She said it's an excellent book. Her mother and I are waiting for our turn to read it.

Blake's narration is laugh out loud funny at times and poignant at others. It includes a fine cast of interesting supporting characters and a functional family (something out of the ordinary for typical YA novels.) Blake struggles with having his first girlfriend while keeping a girl friend. He wants sex, but isn't sure how that should go. Aside from raging hormones, Blakes passion is photography and making people laugh. Music, Shakespeare, pop culture, teen angst and family drama are all added to the mix to make this a memorable and engaging read.