Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Walker Books (2020), 384 pages
Description
Fantasy. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron gas station for the dragon he'd hired to help on the farm... Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to. The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can't help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn't have a soul but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe. Because the dragon knows something she doesn't. He has arrived at the farm with a prophecy on his mind. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents in hot pursuit�??and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Burn by Patrick Ness is a clever alternate reality story set in the 1950s. This reality is extremely close to our own except for one not so small thing. Dragons exist in this world.
Yet, for as dangerous and unknown as dragons are in this world, they are not the biggest threat to peace. Rather, the
With this as the backdrop, enter Sarah Dewhurst and her father. In a desperate attempt to keep the family farm, Sarah's dad hires a dragon to help with the farm work that two people cannot finish. The dragon, Kazimir, immediately draws Sarah's curiosity as his words and actions are not what she expected. In fact, it appears that Kazimir has a bit of an agenda regarding Sarah, one that involves a prophecy of world-ending magnitude.
At the same time, Malcolm enters the picture having grown up within a religious sect that worships dragons. These Believers send Malcolm on a mission, the consequences of which also impact the prophecy. As he traverses the world, one in which he has not spent much time, he learns much about himself and comes to realize that not all is as it seems.
In true Ness fashion, Burn seems a simple story but has layers of complexity to it that cover a multitude of topics. For, it is not just about a dragon prophecy and a race to save the world. It also covers racism, gender bias, sexuality discrimination, and extreme religious zeal, bound together in a world of magic. All of this while two countries flex their muscles getting ready to launch the world into a nuclear war.
The characters we meet are ordinary people. No one has superpowers or magic abilities that would set them above others. They are people just trying to live and find happiness in a world that has not been kind to them. They don't ask for involvement in Believer affairs nor want anything to do with the dragon prophecy. Their reactions to such involvement are more than a little believable, which makes us love them all the more for their realism. They are you and me.
To me, Burn is a classic Patrick Ness story. It has a touch of magic to it, but its power and strength lie in its perfectly ordinary characters who have to deal with that magic and its ramifications. He never preaches, nor are his messages complicated or unrealistic. Plus, he ends his story with just enough hope to make you appreciate the journey on which he takes the characters, something we all need right now.
Yet, for as dangerous and unknown as dragons are in this world, they are not the biggest threat to peace. Rather, the
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danger comes from the USSR and the satellite they soon will be launching into space. This alternate reality version of the Cold War is a little colder and much more of an imminent threat, as the idea of a satellite has both countries on red alert.With this as the backdrop, enter Sarah Dewhurst and her father. In a desperate attempt to keep the family farm, Sarah's dad hires a dragon to help with the farm work that two people cannot finish. The dragon, Kazimir, immediately draws Sarah's curiosity as his words and actions are not what she expected. In fact, it appears that Kazimir has a bit of an agenda regarding Sarah, one that involves a prophecy of world-ending magnitude.
At the same time, Malcolm enters the picture having grown up within a religious sect that worships dragons. These Believers send Malcolm on a mission, the consequences of which also impact the prophecy. As he traverses the world, one in which he has not spent much time, he learns much about himself and comes to realize that not all is as it seems.
In true Ness fashion, Burn seems a simple story but has layers of complexity to it that cover a multitude of topics. For, it is not just about a dragon prophecy and a race to save the world. It also covers racism, gender bias, sexuality discrimination, and extreme religious zeal, bound together in a world of magic. All of this while two countries flex their muscles getting ready to launch the world into a nuclear war.
The characters we meet are ordinary people. No one has superpowers or magic abilities that would set them above others. They are people just trying to live and find happiness in a world that has not been kind to them. They don't ask for involvement in Believer affairs nor want anything to do with the dragon prophecy. Their reactions to such involvement are more than a little believable, which makes us love them all the more for their realism. They are you and me.
To me, Burn is a classic Patrick Ness story. It has a touch of magic to it, but its power and strength lie in its perfectly ordinary characters who have to deal with that magic and its ramifications. He never preaches, nor are his messages complicated or unrealistic. Plus, he ends his story with just enough hope to make you appreciate the journey on which he takes the characters, something we all need right now.
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LibraryThing member SJGirl
The down to earth aspects of Burn tended to draw me in more than the fantasy.
Sarah’s father hires a dragon to help on their farm, but there’s much more to it than she’s aware of, a prophecy that possibly involves Sarah and a war.
Early on I did find a lot of the dragon stuff interesting, they
My other issue with the fantasy parts of the book is how the prophecy is mentioned approximately a billion times yet no one who mentions it actually knows concrete details about the prophecy. Not only did it make it tough to get a handle on what was happening when even the characters themselves weren’t particularly sure of what was happening, but by making the prophecy so malleable it was too easy to insert plot twists. Several of the twists did take me by surprise, which is good, and there’s a character introduced via one of those twists who I adored almost immediately, it’s just that twists don’t feel as earned if there are no rules governing things. I guess I just admire a situation more when an author has to work their way out of a corner and turn a story in a particular direction. When there aren’t really any restrictions placed on the world of the story changing gears doesn’t seem like quite as impressive of a feat.
Burn is told from several points of view, at times the change in POV occurs at a rapid pace so you do have to quickly adjust which can be tricky. As is often the case with so many points of view there were definitely some I preferred to others, like for instance, I really wish more of the story had come from Sarah’s point of view and I probably could have done without Detective Woolf.
What had me most engaged with this one is the 1957 time period and how it related to Sarah being mixed race (black mom, white dad) and dating an American born Japanese boy and Malcolm being gay and falling in love with Nelson and their interactions with police. I tended to be more invested in those moments and in pretty much any family moment than I was in the more fantastical ones.
Obviously I had mixed feelings about this one, but I would encourage other readers to give it a try for themselves since it certainly is something quite different, plus it does touch on timely subject matter (it’s disturbing/depressing how little has changed since 1957) and maybe the fantasy will fit your personal preferences better than they did mine.
Sarah’s father hires a dragon to help on their farm, but there’s much more to it than she’s aware of, a prophecy that possibly involves Sarah and a war.
Early on I did find a lot of the dragon stuff interesting, they
Show More
talk, there are different kinds who live in different countries, they hire themselves out as workers, people fear them yet at the same time fantasize about which type they’d be, etc., all of that intrigued me. However to some degree, I felt like most of that ended up going nowhere. There are two dragons featured here but their involvement felt more standard than I’d expected after reading those inventive aspects of their lore mentioned towards the beginning of the book.My other issue with the fantasy parts of the book is how the prophecy is mentioned approximately a billion times yet no one who mentions it actually knows concrete details about the prophecy. Not only did it make it tough to get a handle on what was happening when even the characters themselves weren’t particularly sure of what was happening, but by making the prophecy so malleable it was too easy to insert plot twists. Several of the twists did take me by surprise, which is good, and there’s a character introduced via one of those twists who I adored almost immediately, it’s just that twists don’t feel as earned if there are no rules governing things. I guess I just admire a situation more when an author has to work their way out of a corner and turn a story in a particular direction. When there aren’t really any restrictions placed on the world of the story changing gears doesn’t seem like quite as impressive of a feat.
Burn is told from several points of view, at times the change in POV occurs at a rapid pace so you do have to quickly adjust which can be tricky. As is often the case with so many points of view there were definitely some I preferred to others, like for instance, I really wish more of the story had come from Sarah’s point of view and I probably could have done without Detective Woolf.
What had me most engaged with this one is the 1957 time period and how it related to Sarah being mixed race (black mom, white dad) and dating an American born Japanese boy and Malcolm being gay and falling in love with Nelson and their interactions with police. I tended to be more invested in those moments and in pretty much any family moment than I was in the more fantastical ones.
Obviously I had mixed feelings about this one, but I would encourage other readers to give it a try for themselves since it certainly is something quite different, plus it does touch on timely subject matter (it’s disturbing/depressing how little has changed since 1957) and maybe the fantasy will fit your personal preferences better than they did mine.
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LibraryThing member bookwren
A Black biracial young woman. A Japanese-American young man. A blue dragon. And the Cold War, 1957.
LibraryThing member ShannonRose4
Ness has created another excellent weird and wonderful dragon filled adventure that leads not only to the end of the world, but back to what really matters; family, friends & unexpected love. The world created within these pages will keep you guessing through all the twists, turns & dragon
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fire! Show Less
LibraryThing member ShannonRose4
Ness has created another excellent weird and wonderful dragon filled adventure that leads not only to the end of the world, but back to what really matters; family, friends & unexpected love. The world created within these pages will keep you guessing through all the twists, turns & dragon
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fire! Show Less
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
It took time to get into this book but I did enjoy it in the end. The plot was interesting with lots going on - dragons, alternate worlds, racism, police corruption, the Cold War, murder and so on (the list is long). There were also a range of different characters and I particularly liked Sarah and
For me, the first half of the book was the best. I was totally invested in the story but the second-half wasn't as strong. However, the ending was great and left me happy with the resolution. Although "Burn" wasn't up to the standard to the "Chaos Walking" series, it did turn out to be quite an entertaining read.
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Kazimir, the dragon.For me, the first half of the book was the best. I was totally invested in the story but the second-half wasn't as strong. However, the ending was great and left me happy with the resolution. Although "Burn" wasn't up to the standard to the "Chaos Walking" series, it did turn out to be quite an entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member infjsarah
I am a big fan of Patrick Ness but while I enjoyed this novel, it was not a favourite of mine. Still worth reading though.
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
This is an Eisenhower America that has a tenuous relationship with dragons. Malcolm is on a quest to fulfill a prophecy and Sarah, a farmer's daughter, is unwittingly a part of the prophecy. Well, that's as far as I got before I dropped it.
LibraryThing member acargile
I read Burn by Patrick Ness because it has a dragon in it. I really like stories about dragons, especially if they can talk and have personality and aren't evil. The novel takes place during the Cold War. Russia has arrested an American pilot accused of spying with his plane. Russia is also about
Sarah Dewhurst lives in Frome Washington, in 1957, and is central to a prophecy. She will stop the world from burning. I should stop there and let you see what happens. Okay--let's see what you need to know. Sarah's mom is dead; her father is a bit distant but has good instincts and loves his daughter greatly; her boyfriend is Japanese, so he is discriminated and bullied because WWII has ended 12 years previously. Sarah is also discriminated against because she is half black. The farm isn't doing well, so her father has hired a dragon to clear the fields as a last ditch effort. Usually red dragons do this work, but a blue Russian dragon arrives, named Kazimir. That's the setup for the novel. He appears to want to protect Sarah while Sarah's dad gets threatening letters to kill the dragon. Who does one believe? Do prophecies come true? Can you change a prophecy?
Let me give you a list of characters and you can imagine the conflicts:
Deputy Kelby - power-hungry, mean Deputy who abuses everyone, especially those who are not white.
Malcolm - the highly trained teenage assassin sent to kill Sarah for the Mitera Thea; Sarah's death will bring peace to the world.
Nelson - innocent gay teenager told by his parents that he's an abomination; finds and loves Malcom; has really bad luck
Jason - Sarah's boyfriend who defends Sarah at all costs
Agent Woolf - an expert on dragons trying to find who killed officers of the law in Canada, following the assassin from Canada to the US; partnered with Agent Dernovich.
Agent Dernovich - smart agent who desires to save everyone.
Kazimir - the dragon who knows the prophecy; the guide for the humans
I really liked the book--it's very different; it's not uplifting. The ending is realistic---in the sense of what would really happen if this story happened. It sugar-coats nothing. There's a distance to the writing where the characters don't have much depth--you won't get emotionally involved with them. You distantly watch these things happen to them, but you won't have tears in your eyes. They accept knowing that nothing can change what has happened. It's a story of people victimized by a prophecy with dragon magic unleashed in two worlds at the time when Russia and the US are prepared to destroy each other with nuclear weapons. You can't be too sentimental because the government has said that mutual destruction can come at any time. No time for tears or emotion. I assume it's a standalone. There's room for a book two, but I think it works best alone.
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to launch a satellite into space. The United States worries that this satellite will spy on us and Russia will have the upper hand. Oh, and dragons are common. They live in the Waste Lands and have a peace with mankind.Sarah Dewhurst lives in Frome Washington, in 1957, and is central to a prophecy. She will stop the world from burning. I should stop there and let you see what happens. Okay--let's see what you need to know. Sarah's mom is dead; her father is a bit distant but has good instincts and loves his daughter greatly; her boyfriend is Japanese, so he is discriminated and bullied because WWII has ended 12 years previously. Sarah is also discriminated against because she is half black. The farm isn't doing well, so her father has hired a dragon to clear the fields as a last ditch effort. Usually red dragons do this work, but a blue Russian dragon arrives, named Kazimir. That's the setup for the novel. He appears to want to protect Sarah while Sarah's dad gets threatening letters to kill the dragon. Who does one believe? Do prophecies come true? Can you change a prophecy?
Let me give you a list of characters and you can imagine the conflicts:
Deputy Kelby - power-hungry, mean Deputy who abuses everyone, especially those who are not white.
Malcolm - the highly trained teenage assassin sent to kill Sarah for the Mitera Thea; Sarah's death will bring peace to the world.
Nelson - innocent gay teenager told by his parents that he's an abomination; finds and loves Malcom; has really bad luck
Jason - Sarah's boyfriend who defends Sarah at all costs
Agent Woolf - an expert on dragons trying to find who killed officers of the law in Canada, following the assassin from Canada to the US; partnered with Agent Dernovich.
Agent Dernovich - smart agent who desires to save everyone.
Kazimir - the dragon who knows the prophecy; the guide for the humans
I really liked the book--it's very different; it's not uplifting. The ending is realistic---in the sense of what would really happen if this story happened. It sugar-coats nothing. There's a distance to the writing where the characters don't have much depth--you won't get emotionally involved with them. You distantly watch these things happen to them, but you won't have tears in your eyes. They accept knowing that nothing can change what has happened. It's a story of people victimized by a prophecy with dragon magic unleashed in two worlds at the time when Russia and the US are prepared to destroy each other with nuclear weapons. You can't be too sentimental because the government has said that mutual destruction can come at any time. No time for tears or emotion. I assume it's a standalone. There's room for a book two, but I think it works best alone.
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Awards
Thumbs Up! Award (Top Ten — 2021)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2021)
UKLA Book Award (Shortlist — 2021)
Iowa High School Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
CCBC Choices (2021)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020
Physical description
384 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
1406375500 / 9781406375503
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