Customer Reviews

The Burn Journals (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Being a male adolescent myself, I find this book unbelievably easy to relate to. The comicalness Brent describes along the way, the gripping reality, but also the harsh consequences of his actions. I myself have previously attempted suicide, but was saved at literally the last minute. I went through almost the exact same procedures Brent went through. Right from entering the ambulance all the way through to re-entering high school. Visitng many different hospitals, being 'interviewed' by what seemed like a million different doctors and nurses and psychologists etc. Though the story of Brent Runyon takes place in America, the facts and feelings are exactly the same here in the UK. My dad bought me this book after watching an interview with Brent on morning TV. I, like Brent, kept very much to myself, and was so self conscious of what I had said to my parents, doctors etc. My dad read The Burn Journals before me, then recommended it. He found he really connected with Brent's mother and father, trying their best to keep things together. He found out alot about how teenagers think and view the world. He passed on the book to me. I really didn't particularly want to read it, because the prospect of hearing someone else's "cry for attention" sounded very daunting. I decided to atleast give it a go though. Then I couldn't put it down!

I very highly recommend this book to everyone. Especially though,

Parents:

This book describes what a teenager goes through. From the crushes we have on each other, to our opinions of others etc. This isnt a book just about someone who tried to kill themselves. It's a very big insight into how a teenager thinks.

Teenagers:

If yourself or anyone you know suffers from depression and has thought about killing themselves, stop! Get them to read an account of someone else's experiance. For me, I felt I was the only person who felt the way I did. Sure, their are others but we don't ALL feel the same. But after reading Brent's account and thoughts of what had happened, I realised, actually just how similar we, or atleast me and someone else (Brent) felt.

Doctors:

Yes, even doctors. Especially psychologists. Teens arn't realing the 'talking' type of people, especially on a subject so personal. No one (adults included) ever understands fully what is going on with other people, as we all have thoughts and opinions we keep to ourselves. Brent's insight shows a very personal and truthful way of thinking though. I think people of the medical profession will find this book very useful, as it gives a very indepth description of feelings, emotions, and thoughts felt during a time of trauma.

Hope this has been helpful,

Rich - 15 Years-old

This is the true story of a 14-year old who set himself on fire in his household bathroom. It came very highly recommended from my mom, a middle school teacher/reviewer of YA books. I will admit that I let it sit for a while because I wasn't sure I could stomach the subject matter. There was no need for my apprehension--the book is completely readable. Brent, the narrator, is straightforward and just as confused about himself as everyone else in the world is. He's refreshingly normal in pretty much every way, except for that fateful day with the gasoline in the shower. I think that's the true strength of the book--it is important to remember that normal middle school students are struggling with these kinds of issues and not sure where they fit into their family and the world.

The story is told amazingly well. Runyon does no posturing; he lays everything out just like it happened, with every stupid and uncool thing he said, and all the times he didn't understand himself and the world. He is still very much a 14-year old boy during his year of recovery, trying to figure out how to talk and interact with girls. I think if I wrote my autobiography, I'd be tempted to make myself look cooler than I am. For Runyon, it is his straightforwardness that helps the reader so easily identify with him.

I read a lot of YA novels for my job, and most of them are terrible. What is so amazing about this book is precisely that it isn't a "problem" story with a preachy moral and an epiphany. It's absolutely real.

And for those who think the writing is flat or amateurish, try writing like this sometime. This kind of prose is incredibly difficult to pull off, and the mark of having done so is that it looks easy.

I plan to read everything this guy writes.

i think this book is so good! i read it within a week, (good for me because i am a slow reader). i immediately got sucked in at the beginning; will he really do it? will he live? how will his family react if he sets himself on fire and then doesn't live? this book kept me wondering the whole way and wanting to know what will happen next. and i kept thinking; now why would he write that the character did this or that? but then i realize that it's a TRUE STORY! like in that carrie underwood song, "the past can't be rewritten, you get the life you're given..." that made the burn journals all the more touching to me, and i read it from cover to cover. and if i get the chance, i'll read it again soon.

An amazing story of an eighth grader who, in the first twenty pages, soaks his favorite black bathrobe in kerosene, steps into the shower, and lights himself on fire. The book is a journey of recovery, both from severe burns, and from depression. What astounded me most about this biography was the excellent way the author captured the voice of an eighth grader: from worries about his `religion' (the Ace of Spades) to concerns about his [...]. The voice, almost nonchalant and not terribly sad, left me wondering: what was the reason for suicide? Brent, as he struggles toward recovery, is often unsure himself.

I am a high school teacher and read this book as part of our summer reading program. It was assigned to all sophomores, and though there were some concerns by parents about it's content, I think it was perfectly appropriate for adolescents.

The book begins with 8th grader Brent setting himself on fire. He explained, later, that he'd thought about suicide several times, without really knowing why he was having these thoughts. The rest of the book dictates Brent's recovery process.

At times, Brent was brutally honest about his thoughts and behavior. He explained that he often had feelings that he didn't consider "normal," but wasn't sure what to do with them or where they came from. Because of this, he considered himself an outsider. I felt this reality was something that many teens (even myself at that age) would be able to relate to. Many of my students even said that there were points in the story that caused them to say, "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean."

However, my students and I were frustrated and disappointed in the ending to the book. We would have preferred it to be more thorough in rounding-off the ideas in the novel as a whole.

Overall, I would recommend this book for both teens and adults. For teens, I believe that everyone can find a connection to how Brent feels or acts at times, no matter how "well-adjusted" the reader may be. And for adults, I think this provides an excellent reminder of the emotional and psychological changes that teens undergo. For parents, especially, this book may help to provide some insight into what their teens experience, but often don't talk about.

By now you know the outline of the story. I am a psychologist and a behavioral health executive for services for adolescents and young adults. At a content level, Brent Runyon's story feels authentic and heartfelt to me. It is a painful but insightful window into the confused and sometimes confusing thoughts and feelings of many adolescents. As a literary work, I also think it succeeds. Mr. Runyon (in his mid-20s at the time of the writing) writes in the voice of his 14 year old self. It is a devices that works well and, surprisingly, it never loses the ring of reality. For a first book and a young memoir, it is impressive. I recommend it as a good read for adolescents and adults and as a great teaching tool for middle school and older students.

I finished this book two days after I purchased it. From the first page on, this was a very emotional and engrossing read. I consider a book worthwhile if it can make me laugh, cry, and rethink an idea. This book brought me to tears more than once, but the dialogue is also very funny at times. You can tell it is written by a young adult because of the humor and use of language, but this is not a bad thing. The dialogue is easy to grasp, yet full of emotion and meaning.

This book is a real page turner. None of it was boring. I never found myself wishing that a chapter was over, or flipping ahead to see how much I had left. It wasn't a chore to read, it was very enjoyable. I find books about accidents, trauma, and disabilities very interesting, so I was engrossed by the story- a young man lighting himself on fire and his struggle to live after the accident. This is a story of hope, courage, and the will to live. It helped me realize the value of life.

I recommend it to older teens, 16 and up.

Basicly, I loved this book. It's truly one of the best books I have read. Brent is so real, and though the subject is a tough one, the personality that shines through eclipses the sadness of the events.

Although i haven't had experiences of depression and injury like Brent, I really felt that I could relate to a lot of his feelings - even though I'm a 38 year old mom...particularly the feelings of "leaving home" that he feels after moving out of the burn unit and feelings of fragility and insecurity as he reenters the world of his peers. It's a different situation, but the feeling of going through changes and feeling loss even as you are growing and getting stronger seem so universal to me. This is not a depressing book. It's not a book about suffering. It's a book about growing up. It's a book in which you will have the priveledge of getting to know a very real, very funny, and very generous guy. Like another reviewer, I feel like Brent is my friend now, and I really hope that he writes more books!

And as for the stuff about his "privates," this guy is 15 years old. I found it sweet and funny and honest to hear these types of thoughts from him. None of it was offensive to me in any way. It wouldn't be real life if an adolescent guy in a hospital getting massaged by nurses didn't fantasize a little bit...

Get this one. If you want to hear an excerpt, search npr's website for the Burn Journals story that was aired on This American Life. It's in the archives on line where you can listen to it for free. It was mesmerizing on the radio, and hearing it lead me to buy the book. And I'm so glad that I did.

This is one of the most real books I have ever read that's because it is! It is an autobiography about his life and all of the things he had to go through.

"I bring my bathrobe into the shower and pour gasoline over it. I put the bathrobe over my shoulders. It's wet and heavy. But that's something comforting about the smell like going on a long car trip. I hold out the matches in front of me. I light the match."

This is a true story about a 15 year old teenager named Bent Runyon. He set himself on fire now he regrets it. This is a true story on how he survived and all the pain he went through, all the surgeries and Rehab. It makes you never want to think about stuff like that.

I would recommend this book to people 15-16+ years old because of extreme I mean EXTREME language and situations. If you get past all that stuff this is a story that will make you want to cry.