Burn

In one word - wow!!! Burn, written by Suzanne Phillips is one of the most timely books I have read in recent years. Although I don't have children in school, I have heard some absolute horror stories about students bullying and being bullied - it has become epidemic in some schools! Of course, living in Montreal - the land of school killings - unfortunately, this subject matter was very close to my heart. I instantly felt both sadness and horror for our main character who has been targeted by the "Red Coats" as being an easy prey to bully. True to reality, Cameron keeps it all inside - and begins to slowly but surely disintegrates - until he ends up no longer living in the present. As he disassociates more and more, he ends up committing the ultimate act. Burn is written in a sensitive, but yet realistic voice - truly echoing the pain and horror that everyone involves experiences. The author makes sure to portray all of the sides of Cameron and slowly guides us through his psychotic break. As I mentioned, I felt sorry for him, but I also hated what he did. It must be very difficult for an author to write this type of book - the main character is far from being a hero or sympathetic - yet, all of the characters and the plot work extremely well together. I loved this book.

What a powerful story of the result of bullying. The author's background as a special education English teacher in San Diego serves her well.

"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 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. Reviewed by: LadyJay

Cameron Grady is a loner, and with good reason. His freshman year has just been one misery after another ever since he went to the school's sports orientation night and the coach thought he was a girl. Now he's known as Cameron Diaz and forced to "map out his day with survival being the only objective." But there's physical and mental survival, and after an incident in the boys' locker room, Cameron's psyche doesn't survive, and he commits an unspeakable act against the boy who witnessed his shame. This is a hard novel to write about. Not because it isn't powerful and challenging, but because it is so utterly terrifying. It's a middle of the night, one-sitting sort of book. It's completely realistic, but you wish it weren't. I want to feel great compassion for Cameron Grady, but I'm not sure he deserves my compassion. How can a character be both the hero and the villain? This is the balance beam that Suzanne Phillips has her readers walk. Burn, along with Living Dead Girl and Freeze Frame, will probably be amongst the most talked about literature of the season. For other reviews, visit my site.