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Burned #2
Smoke
Pattyn Von Stratten´s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that fatal night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated.
Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you´ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?
Bestselling author Ellen Hopkins continues the riveting story of Pattyn Von Stratten she began in Burned to explore what it takes to rise from the ashes, put ghosts to rest, and step into a future.
Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you´ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?
Bestselling author Ellen Hopkins continues the riveting story of Pattyn Von Stratten she began in Burned to explore what it takes to rise from the ashes, put ghosts to rest, and step into a future.
576 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
673 people are currently reading
23446 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Hopkins
47 books19.1k followersEllen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Triangles, Tilt, and Collateral. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son. Hopkin's Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest pages get thousands of hits from teens who claim Hopkins is the "only one who understands me", and she can be visited at ellenhopkins.com.
Like most of you here, books are my life. Reading is a passion, but writing is the biggest part of me. Balance is my greatest challenge, as I love my family, friends, animals and home, but also love traveling to meet my readers. Hope I meet many of you soon!
Like most of you here, books are my life. Reading is a passion, but writing is the biggest part of me. Balance is my greatest challenge, as I love my family, friends, animals and home, but also love traveling to meet my readers. Hope I meet many of you soon!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,190 reviews
December 14, 2014
I'm so happy that I finally decided to pick this book up and finish off this duology. It was the perfect way to finish off Pattyn's story and I really enjoyed the addition of Jackie's perspective. I will say though that it dragged on at times, but other than that it was an enjoyable read!
Want to read
December 18, 2010There's a 2nd one?!?!?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm so excited! :D
December 21, 2014
Such a great ending to Pattyn's story!!! Loved it as much as I loved Burned!!!
December 20, 2018
5/5 stars!
I am not okay.
This is the sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, Burned. I first read Burned when I was in middle school, then I reread it when I was in high school, a few years ago. For those of you who do not know, Burned is a beautiful, lyrical and tragic story of a girl who grows up in a LDS household with an abusive father and passive mother. She is the oldest of many siblings. After her father finds her hanging out with some not-so-great kids, he ships her off for the summer to live with her amazing Aunt J who teaches her what love and family is about.
When I first heard Smoke was coming out, I was skeptical. I loved where Burned left off, and I was nervous this book would ruin the heartbreakingly beautiful everything that Burned gave me.
I was greatly mistaken.
This book is written with the same beauty and intensity as the first one. It contains echoes of the events and writing from the first book which elicit all the memories I had while reading it for the very first time. It broke my heart, ripped out my souls, and made me cry like a big fat baby multiple times. And you guys, I do not easily cry. Ever.
This book will always, always hold a special place in my heart. I am so glad to have read more about Pattyn and where she went, how she healed, and more.
For those of you who haven’t read Burned, I recommend you do so as soon as you can get your hands on it. For those of you who are skeptical of Smoke after having read Burned, read it. You will not be disappointed.
I am not okay.
This is the sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, Burned. I first read Burned when I was in middle school, then I reread it when I was in high school, a few years ago. For those of you who do not know, Burned is a beautiful, lyrical and tragic story of a girl who grows up in a LDS household with an abusive father and passive mother. She is the oldest of many siblings. After her father finds her hanging out with some not-so-great kids, he ships her off for the summer to live with her amazing Aunt J who teaches her what love and family is about.
When I first heard Smoke was coming out, I was skeptical. I loved where Burned left off, and I was nervous this book would ruin the heartbreakingly beautiful everything that Burned gave me.
I was greatly mistaken.
This book is written with the same beauty and intensity as the first one. It contains echoes of the events and writing from the first book which elicit all the memories I had while reading it for the very first time. It broke my heart, ripped out my souls, and made me cry like a big fat baby multiple times. And you guys, I do not easily cry. Ever.
This book will always, always hold a special place in my heart. I am so glad to have read more about Pattyn and where she went, how she healed, and more.
For those of you who haven’t read Burned, I recommend you do so as soon as you can get your hands on it. For those of you who are skeptical of Smoke after having read Burned, read it. You will not be disappointed.
September 2, 2013
After reading: Jumping between a 4.5 and a 5. review to come
EDIT #2: SEPTEMBER 10TH?! BUT THAT'S . . . ALMOST AN ENTIRE YEAR AWAY.
Dear God, somebody just kill me already, before the wait does.
EDIT: My goodness, I think I may die. I just read that Smoke will not only be a sequel (thank God, I'd been worried when I'd heard it was a companion novel), but will be told from Pattyn's perspective (I was afraid it wouldn't) but also her younger sister Jackie! Not only that though, there may also be a THIRD BOOK! Gosh, I really hope that it won't turn out like the Crank Trilogy, where every book lost momentum. . . .
I'm going to die not knowing what happens next. I read Burned more than a year ago, and the fact that I could still be waiting more than a year waiting is torture. No book will ever be as good as Burned, and the only book that stands a chance is Smoke, so it better come out soon!
EDIT #2: SEPTEMBER 10TH?! BUT THAT'S . . . ALMOST AN ENTIRE YEAR AWAY.
Dear God, somebody just kill me already, before the wait does.
EDIT: My goodness, I think I may die. I just read that Smoke will not only be a sequel (thank God, I'd been worried when I'd heard it was a companion novel), but will be told from Pattyn's perspective (I was afraid it wouldn't) but also her younger sister Jackie! Not only that though, there may also be a THIRD BOOK! Gosh, I really hope that it won't turn out like the Crank Trilogy, where every book lost momentum. . . .
I'm going to die not knowing what happens next. I read Burned more than a year ago, and the fact that I could still be waiting more than a year waiting is torture. No book will ever be as good as Burned, and the only book that stands a chance is Smoke, so it better come out soon!
wishlist
August 13, 2012I'm a little bewildered by the number of reviews complaining about Hopkins writing this sequel to Burned.
Um...she's an author, folks. She can write whatever the hell she wants. And if Smoke has even a HINT of the emotional brilliance of Burned, it will be a masterpiece.
Burned was the first Hopkins book I read several years ago, and it hooked me for life. It also put me on the road writing my first verse novel, which is in progress.
Bottom line is, if you are so attached to Burned as a stand alone, just don't read the sequel. Honestly, it's not a personal affront to you, you know. Free will and all that hoo-hah.
Truly, Ellen doesn't need anyone's permission to write whatever she damn well pleases. And I'll be right there grabbing it up. If you don't want to, MOAR FOR TEH REST OF US! :)
Um...she's an author, folks. She can write whatever the hell she wants. And if Smoke has even a HINT of the emotional brilliance of Burned, it will be a masterpiece.
Burned was the first Hopkins book I read several years ago, and it hooked me for life. It also put me on the road writing my first verse novel, which is in progress.
Bottom line is, if you are so attached to Burned as a stand alone, just don't read the sequel. Honestly, it's not a personal affront to you, you know. Free will and all that hoo-hah.
Truly, Ellen doesn't need anyone's permission to write whatever she damn well pleases. And I'll be right there grabbing it up. If you don't want to, MOAR FOR TEH REST OF US! :)
February 7, 2017
Actual ratings: 4.25
Great sequel and a satisfying finally.
Great sequel and a satisfying finally.
December 13, 2016
The more Ellen Hopkins novels I read, the less I find myself enjoying them. I think what keeps me coming back is the hope that the next thing she writes is going to have the same visceral rawness that I remember from when I first read Crank and Impulse. The more seasoned Hopkins gets as a writer, the further away she gets from that original style that initially drew me in. There's something almost juvenile about the writing, and that used to be ok because it worked with the subject she was writing about. Now that she's trying to take on more expansive plots, the free verse falls apart, even when it is otherwise well-constructed. I can't help but wonder what an Ellen Hopkins novel would look like written in prose. You can tell that her writing has technically improved, so maybe it's time for her to set the free verse aside for a while, because personally, I feel like that is what's holding her back.
This is a sequel to Hopkins' second novel, Burned, which really didn't need a sequel.
This is another case in which the author is going back to an original book that was successful to write an unnecessary sequel in hopes of regaining that momentum. (See: Perfect, the mediocre sequel to Impulse, and the decision to turn Crank into a full-blown trilogy where it was just the same book three times.)
I really did not like these characters. But unlike, for example, Gilian Flynn's characters, who are despicable in a way that forces you to keep reading, here it is in a non-developed and shallow way. There's an overwhelming "us vs them" mentality here, with "them" being everybody that isn't the current narrator. Pattyn's sister, Jackie, unfortunately gets a very large part in this novel, where all she does is whine. I found myself getting more and more annoyed every time I had to switch back over to her perspective. Yes, unpleasant things happened to her in the previous novel. But Jackie is completely resigned to play the victim here; she blows everything out of proportion and her school comes across as a hive of one-dimensional, brainwashed characters that all seem to dedicate a large part of their time to staring at Jackie and caring about her personal business. This is simply not realistic, and frankly, with no real relevance to moving any plot forward, it was really exasperating to have to read. I could not sympathize with her at all, and even worse, after endless pages of whining, she suddenly becomes perfectly fine when she ends up randomly falling in love with some guy (Surprise!). And this actually occurs with both narrators, which in my opinion really ends up canceling out what the author was trying to do here, which is to show the often irreversible effects of physical and sexual abuse, by making it suddenly inconsequential towards the end.
I wouldn't recommend this book over Hopkins' earlier material unless you REALLY want to know what happens after Burned, and if you don't mind sitting through 500+ pages of ruminating free verse that contains almost no plot. Personally, I preferred the ending that was already resolved in my head when I first read Burned.
This is a sequel to Hopkins' second novel, Burned, which really didn't need a sequel.
This is another case in which the author is going back to an original book that was successful to write an unnecessary sequel in hopes of regaining that momentum. (See: Perfect, the mediocre sequel to Impulse, and the decision to turn Crank into a full-blown trilogy where it was just the same book three times.)
I really did not like these characters. But unlike, for example, Gilian Flynn's characters, who are despicable in a way that forces you to keep reading, here it is in a non-developed and shallow way. There's an overwhelming "us vs them" mentality here, with "them" being everybody that isn't the current narrator. Pattyn's sister, Jackie, unfortunately gets a very large part in this novel, where all she does is whine. I found myself getting more and more annoyed every time I had to switch back over to her perspective. Yes, unpleasant things happened to her in the previous novel. But Jackie is completely resigned to play the victim here; she blows everything out of proportion and her school comes across as a hive of one-dimensional, brainwashed characters that all seem to dedicate a large part of their time to staring at Jackie and caring about her personal business. This is simply not realistic, and frankly, with no real relevance to moving any plot forward, it was really exasperating to have to read. I could not sympathize with her at all, and even worse, after endless pages of whining, she suddenly becomes perfectly fine when she ends up randomly falling in love with some guy (Surprise!). And this actually occurs with both narrators, which in my opinion really ends up canceling out what the author was trying to do here, which is to show the often irreversible effects of physical and sexual abuse, by making it suddenly inconsequential towards the end.
I wouldn't recommend this book over Hopkins' earlier material unless you REALLY want to know what happens after Burned, and if you don't mind sitting through 500+ pages of ruminating free verse that contains almost no plot. Personally, I preferred the ending that was already resolved in my head when I first read Burned.
August 19, 2020
TW: Rape, Sexual Assault, PTSD, Abuse, Death, Homophobia.
This book is really intense and deals with a lot of tough subject matter. I gave the first book in this series around 3.5 stars and this one is about there for me as well.
The writing is good, Ellen Hopkins has a really nice writing style. As always, this was written in verse which I love. It was also in duel perspectives which was done so well. It took me a bit to get into this one and I was never really fully invested till the end.
The characters in this book go through so much! I just don't think there needed to be so many love interests in this book. The characters got on my nerves a bit but I can't really blame them after all they go through.
Overall, if you liked Burned, you will probably enjoy this one as well. It's not my favorite book by Hopkins but its not my least favorite either. It is a decent duology if your looking for something quick and intense.
This book is really intense and deals with a lot of tough subject matter. I gave the first book in this series around 3.5 stars and this one is about there for me as well.
The writing is good, Ellen Hopkins has a really nice writing style. As always, this was written in verse which I love. It was also in duel perspectives which was done so well. It took me a bit to get into this one and I was never really fully invested till the end.
The characters in this book go through so much! I just don't think there needed to be so many love interests in this book. The characters got on my nerves a bit but I can't really blame them after all they go through.
Overall, if you liked Burned, you will probably enjoy this one as well. It's not my favorite book by Hopkins but its not my least favorite either. It is a decent duology if your looking for something quick and intense.
May 7, 2011
i cant wait!
ethan..i dont think hes dead i think they lied..anyone else?
ethan..i dont think hes dead i think they lied..anyone else?
January 28, 2015
[4.5 Stars]
August 10, 2024
ellen hopkins just refuses to give her characters (and readers) a break omg this made me tear up twice. loved the last couple hundred pages especially
February 28, 2014
Burned was the book that made me step away from Ellen Hopkins for awhile. Not because it was badly written, but because the ending was so awful and hopeless. I was a little reluctant to read the sequel. Could she possibly make it any worse than it already was? Maybe she could have. But that wasn't her mission this time around. It seems like this time, she wanted to make all her characters happy. I could maybe go for that. It isn't like Pattyn and Jackie haven't had sufficient doses of suffering, after all. But everything ends up a little too convenient. Gavin and Angel (oh, what a name) are both conveniently perfect, conveniently understanding boyfriends. And although the middle section can be pretty bleak, the ending is almost unrealistically upbeat. Most glaring is Jackie and Pattyn's mother suddenly reversing course: I might complain more, but Hopkins's writing is just so absorbing. I end up riveted to even her worse books, and this wasn't the worst she's produced.
July 19, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
Wow! Just when you think there can be no more heartache, you read the second book :(
This story brings to life what really happened the night Pattyn's dad was killed. This one also brings Jackie's story into play. She is the oldest child after Pattyn. I think there is, what, 9 of them in all. Either way it's a big brood!
What these two girls go through in their lives is atrocious. It just makes me sick and so mad! Pattyn's dad got what was coming to him, we don't really see that in the first novel.
Some really bad things happen to Jackie in this book, it actually takes place in the other book, but we don't find out about it until this book. I do know that after what I find out, I can't stand her mother. I mean I can not even imagine a parent treating their kids this way, but I know it happens in the real world every day.
The author wrote this book in the same beautiful way as the first book. I really loved this book as much as the first one.
Pattyn is on the run and ends up with some wonderful people,one which is Angel, that help get her a job. But as you know, everywhere she goes, tragedy strikes.
BUT, ALAS, I am so glad to announce this book had a happy ending. FINALLY! The girls have a happy ending. They definately needed it.
Wow! Just when you think there can be no more heartache, you read the second book :(
This story brings to life what really happened the night Pattyn's dad was killed. This one also brings Jackie's story into play. She is the oldest child after Pattyn. I think there is, what, 9 of them in all. Either way it's a big brood!
What these two girls go through in their lives is atrocious. It just makes me sick and so mad! Pattyn's dad got what was coming to him, we don't really see that in the first novel.
Some really bad things happen to Jackie in this book, it actually takes place in the other book, but we don't find out about it until this book. I do know that after what I find out, I can't stand her mother. I mean I can not even imagine a parent treating their kids this way, but I know it happens in the real world every day.
The author wrote this book in the same beautiful way as the first book. I really loved this book as much as the first one.
Pattyn is on the run and ends up with some wonderful people,one which is Angel, that help get her a job. But as you know, everywhere she goes, tragedy strikes.
BUT, ALAS, I am so glad to announce this book had a happy ending. FINALLY! The girls have a happy ending. They definately needed it.
November 9, 2019
The author does a great job at covering a lot of tough topics: illegal immigrants, rape, abusive parent(s), losing a parent, escalation of violence, being gay, wealth, losing a child, miscarrying, extreme religions and so much more!
"Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that fatal night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated.
Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?"
"Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that fatal night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated.
Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?"
Want to read
December 13, 2010Ellen Hopkins, you're amazing.
I literally prayed for a sequel.
Can't wait to read.
I literally prayed for a sequel.
Can't wait to read.
Want to read
September 25, 2012Burned was my least favorite book out of her whole entire series. However, I'm excited for "Smoke" though! Just because it was my least favorite, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I just felt it was a bit boring... until the end of course. Very heart breaking and the cliff hanger at the end was very interesting to leave a reader at! Looking forward to buying a copy of this(: Thank you Ellen Hopkins! Keep making new books more and more and more! hehe ;p I'll always support her <3
Want to read
November 24, 2011omg!
i am so excited! tho hopkins has written many amazing books, i must say that by far, burned was my favorite (and ive read all her books!) !!!
im just so glad shes writing a sequel! xD
but.. till 2013?!
i dont think i can wait that long! :o
I LOVE ELLEN HOPKIN'S BOOKS!
absolutely my favorite author x)
i am so excited! tho hopkins has written many amazing books, i must say that by far, burned was my favorite (and ive read all her books!) !!!
im just so glad shes writing a sequel! xD
but.. till 2013?!
i dont think i can wait that long! :o
I LOVE ELLEN HOPKIN'S BOOKS!
absolutely my favorite author x)
did-not-finish
April 21, 2021DNF bc this author's style & content choices do not fit with me. Just read the first bits of this to make sure some consequential accountability had been served to a character that more than deserved it. Might pick it up in the future but I highly doubt that.
March 6, 2017
After reading this book, I needed 2 days to recover.
The first in this duology killed my heart and the sequel to this duology ripped my heart into a million pieces. While reading this book, I could feel the pain of the characters and how they wanted to feel needed. It was sad to see the characters going through such a hard time, they were so complex. I loved how Ellen Hopkins expressed her character's feelings very well through poems. Although reading this book was painful, it was an interesting experience and I didn't expect to love this book so much.
“What's the point of being a hero when everyone thinks you're a villain?”
After losing the people she loves and killing the person who caused it, Pattyn is on the run. Jackie, Pattyn's little sister, is left with a scar that feels as if it will never heal. Although she was hurt by someone, she is forced to stay quiet because it is for the best of the family. (I'm trying to give a vague synopsis so that you guys won't be spoiled). Pattyn believes that she will no longer fall in love, after everything that has happened she feels alone and does not know what to do anymore. Jackie does not know what it feels like to be loved, and believes she does not deserve to be loved. The two sisters feel pain, guilt and suffer for love.
"Humanity is what lives inside
people,
harbored beneath skin, flesh,
and bone.”
This book was more amazing than the first book. I didn't think this book would exceed my expectations, but it did. The characters go through more painful incidents that made me cry for an hour. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters when I was forced to stop reading to work on homework. :( The characters were unique and the writing style is beautiful. I love how Ellen Hopkins captures the emotions of the characters and how I can feel the pain the characters are feeling while reading.
The ending of this book gave it justice, I loved how everything was resolved and how the author dealt with so many harsh topics. I recommend that you read my review for the first book so that you are aware with what you are going to read. But if you don't wanna do that, I want to warn everyone that this book includes: rape, abuse, cults and pain.
I highly recommend this book to everyone! Especially those who are in a reading slump. This got me outta my reading slump, but then again, I won't be able to read often because of the amount of homework I get :(
Anyway, I'll be off again!
The first in this duology killed my heart and the sequel to this duology ripped my heart into a million pieces. While reading this book, I could feel the pain of the characters and how they wanted to feel needed. It was sad to see the characters going through such a hard time, they were so complex. I loved how Ellen Hopkins expressed her character's feelings very well through poems. Although reading this book was painful, it was an interesting experience and I didn't expect to love this book so much.
“What's the point of being a hero when everyone thinks you're a villain?”
After losing the people she loves and killing the person who caused it, Pattyn is on the run. Jackie, Pattyn's little sister, is left with a scar that feels as if it will never heal. Although she was hurt by someone, she is forced to stay quiet because it is for the best of the family. (I'm trying to give a vague synopsis so that you guys won't be spoiled). Pattyn believes that she will no longer fall in love, after everything that has happened she feels alone and does not know what to do anymore. Jackie does not know what it feels like to be loved, and believes she does not deserve to be loved. The two sisters feel pain, guilt and suffer for love.
"Humanity is what lives inside
people,
harbored beneath skin, flesh,
and bone.”
This book was more amazing than the first book. I didn't think this book would exceed my expectations, but it did. The characters go through more painful incidents that made me cry for an hour. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters when I was forced to stop reading to work on homework. :( The characters were unique and the writing style is beautiful. I love how Ellen Hopkins captures the emotions of the characters and how I can feel the pain the characters are feeling while reading.
The ending of this book gave it justice, I loved how everything was resolved and how the author dealt with so many harsh topics. I recommend that you read my review for the first book so that you are aware with what you are going to read. But if you don't wanna do that, I want to warn everyone that this book includes: rape, abuse, cults and pain.
I highly recommend this book to everyone! Especially those who are in a reading slump. This got me outta my reading slump, but then again, I won't be able to read often because of the amount of homework I get :(
Anyway, I'll be off again!
April 5, 2021
5 stars for Smoke by Ellen Hopkins. An enlightening, heart-wrenching read. Handles many difficult and real topics through beautiful writing. Eye-opening!
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Characters:
Aunt J: Unfortunately, there wasn't much Aunt J in this book. But,..........I loved how she took in Jackie and Gavin under her wing as much as she did with Pattyn, even after everything that's happened she was there for all of them. Kevin too!! This is just a real solid woman. I love her so much :')
Ethan: Well, he's been dead........... so yeah! (NO BUT FOR REAL THEY WERE SO MEANT TO BE THIS ISNT FAIR STILL). I love Pattyn's second love, so happy that she allowed herself that, but nothing compares to Ethan.
Pattyn: The way Pattyn was crafted in the second novel I think has to be even more brilliant than in the first novel. The way Ellen Hopkins deals with the immense childhood (and recent) trauma was so beautiful. It was so raw and real, so many people in this world have to deal with opening up their hearts again after losing a loved one. I feel like the way Pattyn did that was beautiful. She struggled with it, she didn't want to move on or forget Ethan, after all, true love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Wrong! She was able to grow, make amends with people, discovers he passion, and what she wants in life, truly wants. She did this all keeping Ethan in her heart, but not closing it off to other people. I can't express how incredible her character was, you just have to read it yourself!
Jackie: Such a brave young girl!! I LOVE getting her POV, it was different than Pattyn's in many ways and refreshing in a way?!?! Even though what was happening to her was terrible it somehow still was refreshing. Her views on everything and the way her life was still "continuing" after her father died were so interesting to see! How do you build up life after years of abuse? How can everyone act as nothing happened?!?
It deals with Jackie being a silenced victim who is afraid that no one will believe her if she comes out. Many cases of abuse and sexual assault victims feel this way, so when Jackie continued to grow and learn to love and trust the people around her and come forward about what happened to her, I was ECSTATIC! So happy for her! She's an incredible character as well and takes after Pattyn in many ways. I also loved her and Gavin together, he reminded me a lot of Ethan. Not many boys his age can handle people with that much trauma that Jackie has, but he did it in such a tender and genuine way. I just loved him!
Caleb: Disgusting, can't even call him a man. He's a stupid boy who uses money and power against people. I don't want to say anything more about him to give him "more attention".
Mom: I liked that her mom FINALLY stood up for one of their kids and did what was right, but it was bad pacing. For both books she denied all of her children and their cries for help, then BOOM she switches up and defends Jackie out of nowhere. Maybe it was because of how she stood up to them all and it enlightened something in her?!?!? I think Ellen Hopkins rushed it a bit to give it a happier ending. It's not something that troubled me much, just something somewhat out of place that I noticed!
Deidre: I was completely lost by her entire character. I don't understand the group that she was in, why she was doing it or anything. She had me completely lost. Why did she hate Pattyn so much? Why did she do what she did? It was an odd ending with her. I wish we got more dialogue or something for her.
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Overall: The way Ellen Hopkins played off of and connected each perspective of the two eldest sisters was INCREDIBLE. Like what a masterpiece?!?!? Whatever one sister left on......say a need for justice, the other one's story what continue and start with something involving justice. It's so hard to explain, it's something that the reader just needs to experience for themselves. It was just astonishing, it made my mouth drop, not ever have I read something written so beautifully before.
This book made me CRY in tears towards the end when Jackie and Pattyn came to terms with everything that has happened in their lives and decided that they will CHOOSE to be happy. To live a life with their own beliefs and in their ways. It was empowering and so endearing.
I have so many more thoughts and opinions about this book that I don't know how to put into words. It's just so beautiful.
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A few quotes that resonated with me from this book:
"What can't I be like them--blond and pretty and thin? Why was I born with such stunning mediocrity? Why can't I be somebody special--someone people notice? I'm sick of being forgettable."
"I am living a lie. And I have sisters." (this one made me wheeze)
"Love is a pain in disguise, a scorpion lying in wait for just the right moment to strike and inject you with its poison before scuttling off into the shadows."
"I wear it constantly, a reminder that real love absolutely can find you more than once."
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Characters:
Aunt J: Unfortunately, there wasn't much Aunt J in this book. But,..........I loved how she took in Jackie and Gavin under her wing as much as she did with Pattyn, even after everything that's happened she was there for all of them. Kevin too!! This is just a real solid woman. I love her so much :')
Ethan: Well, he's been dead........... so yeah! (NO BUT FOR REAL THEY WERE SO MEANT TO BE THIS ISNT FAIR STILL). I love Pattyn's second love, so happy that she allowed herself that, but nothing compares to Ethan.
Pattyn: The way Pattyn was crafted in the second novel I think has to be even more brilliant than in the first novel. The way Ellen Hopkins deals with the immense childhood (and recent) trauma was so beautiful. It was so raw and real, so many people in this world have to deal with opening up their hearts again after losing a loved one. I feel like the way Pattyn did that was beautiful. She struggled with it, she didn't want to move on or forget Ethan, after all, true love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Wrong! She was able to grow, make amends with people, discovers he passion, and what she wants in life, truly wants. She did this all keeping Ethan in her heart, but not closing it off to other people. I can't express how incredible her character was, you just have to read it yourself!
Jackie: Such a brave young girl!! I LOVE getting her POV, it was different than Pattyn's in many ways and refreshing in a way?!?! Even though what was happening to her was terrible it somehow still was refreshing. Her views on everything and the way her life was still "continuing" after her father died were so interesting to see! How do you build up life after years of abuse? How can everyone act as nothing happened?!?
It deals with Jackie being a silenced victim who is afraid that no one will believe her if she comes out. Many cases of abuse and sexual assault victims feel this way, so when Jackie continued to grow and learn to love and trust the people around her and come forward about what happened to her, I was ECSTATIC! So happy for her! She's an incredible character as well and takes after Pattyn in many ways. I also loved her and Gavin together, he reminded me a lot of Ethan. Not many boys his age can handle people with that much trauma that Jackie has, but he did it in such a tender and genuine way. I just loved him!
Caleb: Disgusting, can't even call him a man. He's a stupid boy who uses money and power against people. I don't want to say anything more about him to give him "more attention".
Mom: I liked that her mom FINALLY stood up for one of their kids and did what was right, but it was bad pacing. For both books she denied all of her children and their cries for help, then BOOM she switches up and defends Jackie out of nowhere. Maybe it was because of how she stood up to them all and it enlightened something in her?!?!? I think Ellen Hopkins rushed it a bit to give it a happier ending. It's not something that troubled me much, just something somewhat out of place that I noticed!
Deidre: I was completely lost by her entire character. I don't understand the group that she was in, why she was doing it or anything. She had me completely lost. Why did she hate Pattyn so much? Why did she do what she did? It was an odd ending with her. I wish we got more dialogue or something for her.
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Overall: The way Ellen Hopkins played off of and connected each perspective of the two eldest sisters was INCREDIBLE. Like what a masterpiece?!?!? Whatever one sister left on......say a need for justice, the other one's story what continue and start with something involving justice. It's so hard to explain, it's something that the reader just needs to experience for themselves. It was just astonishing, it made my mouth drop, not ever have I read something written so beautifully before.
This book made me CRY in tears towards the end when Jackie and Pattyn came to terms with everything that has happened in their lives and decided that they will CHOOSE to be happy. To live a life with their own beliefs and in their ways. It was empowering and so endearing.
I have so many more thoughts and opinions about this book that I don't know how to put into words. It's just so beautiful.
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A few quotes that resonated with me from this book:
"What can't I be like them--blond and pretty and thin? Why was I born with such stunning mediocrity? Why can't I be somebody special--someone people notice? I'm sick of being forgettable."
"I am living a lie. And I have sisters." (this one made me wheeze)
"Love is a pain in disguise, a scorpion lying in wait for just the right moment to strike and inject you with its poison before scuttling off into the shadows."
"I wear it constantly, a reminder that real love absolutely can find you more than once."
July 17, 2016
I knew that Smoke would not be nearly as powerful as Burned, but I didn't realize just how short (in my opinion) it would fall. But much needed closure was given. However, things wrapped up a little too neatly for an Ellen Hopkins book. But perhaps that was necessary for Pattyn and Jackie.
The bad thing about reading Hopkins's books is that when you read them back to back to back you sort of become desensitized to everything happening. I can't deny that I went into this book expecting all sorts of bad things and, with that mindset, it was easy to predict what was going to happen, both the good and the bad. Perhaps her books are best read intermittently with, oh, say three happy-go-lucky books in between, just so you can really feel the brute force of the hurt and pain woven into each poem.
Besides that, my main issue with the book (or all her books in genera, I suppose) is that there always seems to be a boyfriend/girlfriend outcome, or that there's (true) love. Not that love is a bad thing, don't get me wrong. I love love. But her love is so quick. I'm not bothered by the characters' ages, maybe not even bothered by how they fall in love within two months of knowing someone. I supposed I just feel like they don't really *know* each other. They know the circumstances that brought them together but, apart from that, I feel as if they don't truly talk. Of course, the books are written in first person prose so maybe they *do* talk but we just aren't privy to it.
Despite all that, the book was well written and did provide some well-needed closure. There are a lot of issues addressed (rape, homicide, abuse, immigration, racism, homophobia, addiction) but all of her books are like that. I was surprised that she addressed illegal immigration, though. That was new.
So Smoke didn't force its way into my body and grab me around my heart and brain, branding me with emotion like Burned did (see what I did there?) but it was a good and necessary read.
The bad thing about reading Hopkins's books is that when you read them back to back to back you sort of become desensitized to everything happening. I can't deny that I went into this book expecting all sorts of bad things and, with that mindset, it was easy to predict what was going to happen, both the good and the bad. Perhaps her books are best read intermittently with, oh, say three happy-go-lucky books in between, just so you can really feel the brute force of the hurt and pain woven into each poem.
Besides that, my main issue with the book (or all her books in genera, I suppose) is that there always seems to be a boyfriend/girlfriend outcome, or that there's (true) love. Not that love is a bad thing, don't get me wrong. I love love. But her love is so quick. I'm not bothered by the characters' ages, maybe not even bothered by how they fall in love within two months of knowing someone. I supposed I just feel like they don't really *know* each other. They know the circumstances that brought them together but, apart from that, I feel as if they don't truly talk. Of course, the books are written in first person prose so maybe they *do* talk but we just aren't privy to it.
Despite all that, the book was well written and did provide some well-needed closure. There are a lot of issues addressed (rape, homicide, abuse, immigration, racism, homophobia, addiction) but all of her books are like that. I was surprised that she addressed illegal immigration, though. That was new.
So Smoke didn't force its way into my body and grab me around my heart and brain, branding me with emotion like Burned did (see what I did there?) but it was a good and necessary read.
January 11, 2016
I was a little bit disappointed by Smoke. I read Burned only a few days ago, and I was so excited for this to come in the mail so that I could read it right away. However, when I got to it I was sadly let down just a little.
This wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't as good as Burned. I liked Jackie's POV more than Pattyn's, which really surprised me because when I saw it was dual POV I wasn't looking forward to Jackie's. Parts of this book were really interesting and fast paced, but others dragged so much and I was bored for about 100 pages of this book (which still went fast since it's in verse)
What bumped this up to a 3 star was the ending, I absolutely loved the ending, and was even tearing up a bit at the very end. If the whole book had read like the last 80-100 pages it would've easily been a 4-5.
Overall, Smoke was a good book, I just preferred the first.
This wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't as good as Burned. I liked Jackie's POV more than Pattyn's, which really surprised me because when I saw it was dual POV I wasn't looking forward to Jackie's. Parts of this book were really interesting and fast paced, but others dragged so much and I was bored for about 100 pages of this book (which still went fast since it's in verse)
What bumped this up to a 3 star was the ending, I absolutely loved the ending, and was even tearing up a bit at the very end. If the whole book had read like the last 80-100 pages it would've easily been a 4-5.
Overall, Smoke was a good book, I just preferred the first.
January 1, 2021
4.5 stars. This was a great sequel to Burned. I didn't love it as much, but it felt like a complete arc to the story and I loved the experience of having closure for Pattyn. Review to come.
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SEPTEMBER 10, 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!
The days is drawing closer!!!!!!!
I loved Burned. It's one of my favorite books ever and I need this I need to have some closure. Just a tad.
OMG! The cover is absolutely stunning. I lurve it. I need it in my hands now, please!
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SEPTEMBER 10, 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!
The days is drawing closer!!!!!!!
I loved Burned. It's one of my favorite books ever and I need this I need to have some closure. Just a tad.
OMG! The cover is absolutely stunning. I lurve it. I need it in my hands now, please!
Read
April 1, 2012Burned was the best book by Ellen Hopkins, but the ending especially, the way we didn't know if she killed herself or not, I loved it. I'm super disappointed that Pattyn is going to be in the sequel, well, I'm kind of disappointed there's going to be a sequel at all. Burned was perfect, couldn't she leave it be?
January 4, 2021
Oof. I finally finished this. Life called, had to answer. Anyway, this one made me feel a lot of things. It made me a little depressed in the middle but I love that the story ended on a hopeful and an empowering note. I like that there’s Jackie pov in this. All in all, a good duology.
Total time spent: 5h 38min.
Total time spent: 5h 38min.
June 5, 2014
First Impulse and now Burned. My two all-time favorite Ellen Hopkins books. Life just doesn't get any better than this!
June 7, 2015
Thank God I didn't have to wait 6-7 years for this book!
The action began from the beginning and was pretty consistent throughout the whole novel. I enjoyed the switching POV's between Pattyn and Jackie, though I felt like I was more interested in Jackie's story than Pattyn's most times.
The so-called villains in this book made me just as angry as ever, particularly Deidre and the girls' mother. There were moments when I felt my heart began racing a bit. The writing again was amazing, and though I didn't breeze through this book as quickly as Burned, I still enjoyed it and really loved the ending.
The action began from the beginning and was pretty consistent throughout the whole novel. I enjoyed the switching POV's between Pattyn and Jackie, though I felt like I was more interested in Jackie's story than Pattyn's most times.
The so-called villains in this book made me just as angry as ever, particularly Deidre and the girls' mother. There were moments when I felt my heart began racing a bit. The writing again was amazing, and though I didn't breeze through this book as quickly as Burned, I still enjoyed it and really loved the ending.
December 1, 2024
Good.
As well written as the first book, with a climax I wasn't expecting, a twist, and some real closure.
As well written as the first book, with a climax I wasn't expecting, a twist, and some real closure.
June 3, 2015
I read this book as part of a read-a-thon. I knew I would be able to get through it quickly because of Hopkins style of writing in verse, but it is so much more than that. I knew I would read it fast because of the fluidity of her writing. So engaging, so emotional, and her books always speak volumes to me.
This book is the sequel to Burned. In this installment Pattyn is on the run and is searching for a guilt free life while her sister Jackie searches for acceptance and understanding. Both girls need help understanding what has happened in their lives and how to deal with that, and wondering if they will ever be able to love someone again.
Once again Hopkins brings us an unforgettable plot with unforgettable characters. She never fails to reach out to her readers through realistic, emotional stories that will touch everyone who reads them. This book is no different. I was completely consumed by this story because it touches on so many real life issues, abuse, rape, violence, and how teens and adults alike have to deal with the consequences of all of these issues. Her story telling brings to light the problems in society today and makes those of us who read them to think and to better understand the issues.
This book is the sequel to Burned. In this installment Pattyn is on the run and is searching for a guilt free life while her sister Jackie searches for acceptance and understanding. Both girls need help understanding what has happened in their lives and how to deal with that, and wondering if they will ever be able to love someone again.
Once again Hopkins brings us an unforgettable plot with unforgettable characters. She never fails to reach out to her readers through realistic, emotional stories that will touch everyone who reads them. This book is no different. I was completely consumed by this story because it touches on so many real life issues, abuse, rape, violence, and how teens and adults alike have to deal with the consequences of all of these issues. Her story telling brings to light the problems in society today and makes those of us who read them to think and to better understand the issues.
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