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Burning September
Kat’s life is going exactly the way her sister has planned it, until a detective shows up at their front door early one morning and arrests Caroline for murder.
Suddenly and utterly alone, Kat doesn’t know how to navigate a world without Caroline, the woman who raised her. During the aftermath of the crime, Kat tries to figure out who she is without her sister, but unlocking those doors only leads to more troubling questions.
Kat realizes the one person she thought would never lie to her had, and quite frequently. Sorting through the skeletons and lies might be more than she can handle, but it's a necessary evil if she ever wants to see her sister acquitted.
Suddenly and utterly alone, Kat doesn’t know how to navigate a world without Caroline, the woman who raised her. During the aftermath of the crime, Kat tries to figure out who she is without her sister, but unlocking those doors only leads to more troubling questions.
Kat realizes the one person she thought would never lie to her had, and quite frequently. Sorting through the skeletons and lies might be more than she can handle, but it's a necessary evil if she ever wants to see her sister acquitted.
- GenresRomance
220 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2016
6 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Simonson
10 books71 followersSlave/mother to a herd of animals, Loch Ness monster enthusiast, breaker of many a wine glass.
Do not challenge her to Harry Potter trivia unless you wish to be slaughtered.
Do not challenge her to Harry Potter trivia unless you wish to be slaughtered.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 18, 2017
Kat and Caroline lost their parents early on in life and with Caroline being the older sister she is pretty much the only mother Kat has ever known. Kat knows her sister gave up a lot taking custody of her when Caroline was only eighteen herself so she's always worked hard to make something of herself to make Caroline proud.
One day though the police show up at the sisters doorstep looking to arrest Caroline for setting fire to an ex-boyfriend's house which he happened to be still inside. With only a witness that had claimed to see someone of Caroline's description and thinking that she had been around all day that day Kat becomes Caroline's alibi and needs to team up with her lawyer to help with the case.
Burning September is one of those reads that had some things I really liked about the book but some others I didn't quite enjoy leaving me to rate this one at 3.5 stars. For the likes with this one I enjoyed the question being asked just how far would you go for family or someone you love? Kat seemed to be unsure of her sister's guilt or innocence herself so it was compelling to see what she would do during the book. Plus I found that Caroline was one of those characters that as the secrets come out in the story just became someone you could sort of love to hate with every twist and turn of her story.
On the other hand however with this book I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic element being involved. It just seemed to me to be one of those quite far fetched ideas of anything coming about between characters and really could have lived with the story just being focused on the sisters and the case being brought against Caroline. For me the family secrets and the mystery of wondering if Caroline had done the crime and whether she'd be convicted kept my interest a lot more than the romance side.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
One day though the police show up at the sisters doorstep looking to arrest Caroline for setting fire to an ex-boyfriend's house which he happened to be still inside. With only a witness that had claimed to see someone of Caroline's description and thinking that she had been around all day that day Kat becomes Caroline's alibi and needs to team up with her lawyer to help with the case.
Burning September is one of those reads that had some things I really liked about the book but some others I didn't quite enjoy leaving me to rate this one at 3.5 stars. For the likes with this one I enjoyed the question being asked just how far would you go for family or someone you love? Kat seemed to be unsure of her sister's guilt or innocence herself so it was compelling to see what she would do during the book. Plus I found that Caroline was one of those characters that as the secrets come out in the story just became someone you could sort of love to hate with every twist and turn of her story.
On the other hand however with this book I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic element being involved. It just seemed to me to be one of those quite far fetched ideas of anything coming about between characters and really could have lived with the story just being focused on the sisters and the case being brought against Caroline. For me the family secrets and the mystery of wondering if Caroline had done the crime and whether she'd be convicted kept my interest a lot more than the romance side.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
September 12, 2016
I've been trying and trying to come up with a good framing device for this review, and all I've come up with is that Burning September is just like Old Yeller. Except instead of a boy and his dog, this is about a girl and her sister. And instead of fighting a bear, the sister murders her ex-boyfriend. And it's more of a coming-of-age, new adult kind of story about first love, independence, and self discovery as Katya begins college. So I think what I'm trying to say is that this book is not very much like Old Yeller.
But it IS good!
The cast of characters is limited, but they're all interesting. Especially the older sister, Caroline. Katya tells us about her sister, "Sure, she was sweet. Sweet like antifreeze." Which is such a perfect, concise line it's almost poetry. Caroline is beautiful, artistic, and outgoing. Everyone is in love with Caroline. But she's also been taking care of her little sister since they were eighteen and eleven, respectively, and she's something of a mother hen, but a ruthless and calculating mother hen who will do ANYTHING to protect Katya. I really liked Caroline, and part of me wanted her to get away with the murder.
Then we've got Kyle, the lawyer. He's rich and handsome in a Whatshisname-Grey sort of way, but he's also nice to his client's little sister and takes time to help her look for her cat and prep her for media interviews. As I write this, I think maybe he's not that interesting. But whatever. He's fine.
Then we've got Professor Loomis, played by Nick Nolte (in my head). He's the gruff old coot with a heart of gold who takes Katya under his wing and gives her guitar lessons. One thing I really liked about this character is that he is legitimately flawed - besides the PTSD, he has some communication issues, and he's really not perfect. And I like flawed characters who can still do good things.
And then of course we've got Katya, the main character. In some ways, she's the typical YA protagonist - insisting constantly that she's not that pretty and that no one loves her, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary - but she feels unique at the same time. Tarot cards play a role in this story, and I like her relationship with them - utterly cynical, yet compulsively coming back to do more readings. Also, Katya is decisive. She makes choices and does stuff. There's some stalker stuff that happens in this book, and she handles it with some real moxie. Also (another also), she's not the kind of girl to sit around moping for months just because Edward moved away from Forks; she'd get mad, do some Tarot readings, paint a viciously symbolic painting, and move on. So overall, she's a good character to follow, and a good anchor for the story.
Besides the characters (this is a very character-driven story), I'll just say that the pacing is really good - Simonson keeps it clipping along - and details and exposition are worked in gradually in a way that never makes the story drag. YA (or New Adult, I think this is, technically) isn't really my genre of choice, but this had me genuinely interested until the end. It's a well-written book.
But it IS good!
The cast of characters is limited, but they're all interesting. Especially the older sister, Caroline. Katya tells us about her sister, "Sure, she was sweet. Sweet like antifreeze." Which is such a perfect, concise line it's almost poetry. Caroline is beautiful, artistic, and outgoing. Everyone is in love with Caroline. But she's also been taking care of her little sister since they were eighteen and eleven, respectively, and she's something of a mother hen, but a ruthless and calculating mother hen who will do ANYTHING to protect Katya. I really liked Caroline, and part of me wanted her to get away with the murder.
Then we've got Kyle, the lawyer. He's rich and handsome in a Whatshisname-Grey sort of way, but he's also nice to his client's little sister and takes time to help her look for her cat and prep her for media interviews. As I write this, I think maybe he's not that interesting. But whatever. He's fine.
Then we've got Professor Loomis, played by Nick Nolte (in my head). He's the gruff old coot with a heart of gold who takes Katya under his wing and gives her guitar lessons. One thing I really liked about this character is that he is legitimately flawed - besides the PTSD, he has some communication issues, and he's really not perfect. And I like flawed characters who can still do good things.
And then of course we've got Katya, the main character. In some ways, she's the typical YA protagonist - insisting constantly that she's not that pretty and that no one loves her, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary - but she feels unique at the same time. Tarot cards play a role in this story, and I like her relationship with them - utterly cynical, yet compulsively coming back to do more readings. Also, Katya is decisive. She makes choices and does stuff. There's some stalker stuff that happens in this book, and she handles it with some real moxie. Also (another also), she's not the kind of girl to sit around moping for months just because Edward moved away from Forks; she'd get mad, do some Tarot readings, paint a viciously symbolic painting, and move on. So overall, she's a good character to follow, and a good anchor for the story.
Besides the characters (this is a very character-driven story), I'll just say that the pacing is really good - Simonson keeps it clipping along - and details and exposition are worked in gradually in a way that never makes the story drag. YA (or New Adult, I think this is, technically) isn't really my genre of choice, but this had me genuinely interested until the end. It's a well-written book.
February 28, 2017
I don’t really review books often, but for this one I’m going to make an exception. In fact, this book may be the exception to a lot. I like writing about things on my mind and right now, this is it. So, maybe it’s not really a review but a cleansing.
There are things I really, really love about Burning September and then there are things that are really not-so-great. But that has nothing to do with the writing and all to do with the characters.
I’m going to start with stating that I was neither paid in any way to read this book, and I came across it on my own. I don’t think I ever really meant to read it actually; from the overview I didn’t really like how it sounded, I felt as if it would be one of those books that I steer clear of. Unsure what exactly beckoned me to get started on this little gem I started reading the sample, and when it ended I knew I couldn’t stop until I had gotten the whole story. Call me nosy.
The thing I really like about this book is the fact that although Katya has been living under her sister (severely so), she isn’t very meek; she chooses not to say certain words but not from fear of saying them, and the things she does say proves how quick-witted she really is. She doesn’t shy away from a whole lot, and sometimes I feel as though the author wants to have you believe that she’s withdrawn or introverted as more of a plot device rather than actually apart of the character. As the story progresses, we see her starting to be more accepting of herself as who she is. She’s so darn likable. That’s probably one of the most intriguing parts of this books, the growth. To be honest, I believe her relationship with Kyle is kind of the key that starts moving things along, even though it doesn’t really start off as a relationship at all. Katya’s growth here is handled perfectly, it doesn’t bounce around to where you’re left in confusion on how all of a sudden she’s able to stand on her own.
Caroline is one of those characters that you love to hate. From the start you see something that’s kind of demented within her. It’s so twisted that it’s almost scary. There’s a difference between being a mother-bear and suffocating the life out of someone. Here’s what I mean when I say that: the grip that Caroline has on Katya’s life is so tight I’m surprised the girl is able to speak at all. Caroline is the take charge, I don’t take crap from anyone, sister-mom. Katya is 1,000 percent dependent on her. That’s the demented part. I think in some odd way, I got the impression that Caroline fed on that. Sure, she wanted to protect her sister and would do anything for her baby sister, but geesh, it’s a wonder if she still gave her baths until she was seventeen or cut her meat into little cubes and feed them to her. “Here come’s the airplane!” For a while after Caroline was hauled off, Katya was was like a baby doe trying to walk on those knobby knees for the first time.
Kyle was so necessary. But, don’t think I’m over the fact that he was a 29 year old that low-key fell in love with girl of 18. How he would drop everything and come running. I wanted to not like him because of that, especially when he would swoop in with alcohol like predators do to young naive girls. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t quite bring myself to hate him. Deep down, I think everyone needs a Kyle.
Now, one of the most ANNOYING things that happens in this book is the somewhat Stockholm Syndrome type thing Katya has with Caroline. I swear, she couldn’t have one single thought without the ever present, “Caroline would have done it this way,” or “Caroline hated this or that.” It was overwhelming and was probably one of the most unnatural things happening here. I’d venture to guess that Caroline’s name is mentioned over 6,000 times. It’s like a Caroline Bible–the UnHoly Scriptures of the Modern Testament. I’m serious. We have a story written from Katya’s perspective, in her own unique voice only to be lead right back to Caroline. I reached an eyeroll point.
WWCD (What Would Caroline Do?)
It had started to work my nerves a little bit. Granted, I think had the story been told from Caroline’s POV it wouldn’t have been as great as it was. The fact that you really start to care about what happens to Katya more so than what happens to Caroline is the strength within this book.
Overall, I really have to say that I loved it. I spent a large portion of hours that I was supposed to be getting work done reading through it. I bought the ebook and the physical book because it’s one of those books you want to talk about; I could easily see this being one the list of some book club. Plus, the name has a ton of star-power in itself.
Burning September.
As you read the book, you can just roll through different interpretations of the name. I don’t really want to give out any spoilers, so I have to cut myself short here. I need a support group now; people to mull over the greatness this holds. So many things I want to talk about. One things for sure, I would like to see a follow-up to this book. Towards the end it started to feel rushed. A novella would be perfect for my unanswered questions.
There are things I really, really love about Burning September and then there are things that are really not-so-great. But that has nothing to do with the writing and all to do with the characters.
I’m going to start with stating that I was neither paid in any way to read this book, and I came across it on my own. I don’t think I ever really meant to read it actually; from the overview I didn’t really like how it sounded, I felt as if it would be one of those books that I steer clear of. Unsure what exactly beckoned me to get started on this little gem I started reading the sample, and when it ended I knew I couldn’t stop until I had gotten the whole story. Call me nosy.
The thing I really like about this book is the fact that although Katya has been living under her sister (severely so), she isn’t very meek; she chooses not to say certain words but not from fear of saying them, and the things she does say proves how quick-witted she really is. She doesn’t shy away from a whole lot, and sometimes I feel as though the author wants to have you believe that she’s withdrawn or introverted as more of a plot device rather than actually apart of the character. As the story progresses, we see her starting to be more accepting of herself as who she is. She’s so darn likable. That’s probably one of the most intriguing parts of this books, the growth. To be honest, I believe her relationship with Kyle is kind of the key that starts moving things along, even though it doesn’t really start off as a relationship at all. Katya’s growth here is handled perfectly, it doesn’t bounce around to where you’re left in confusion on how all of a sudden she’s able to stand on her own.
Caroline is one of those characters that you love to hate. From the start you see something that’s kind of demented within her. It’s so twisted that it’s almost scary. There’s a difference between being a mother-bear and suffocating the life out of someone. Here’s what I mean when I say that: the grip that Caroline has on Katya’s life is so tight I’m surprised the girl is able to speak at all. Caroline is the take charge, I don’t take crap from anyone, sister-mom. Katya is 1,000 percent dependent on her. That’s the demented part. I think in some odd way, I got the impression that Caroline fed on that. Sure, she wanted to protect her sister and would do anything for her baby sister, but geesh, it’s a wonder if she still gave her baths until she was seventeen or cut her meat into little cubes and feed them to her. “Here come’s the airplane!” For a while after Caroline was hauled off, Katya was was like a baby doe trying to walk on those knobby knees for the first time.
Kyle was so necessary. But, don’t think I’m over the fact that he was a 29 year old that low-key fell in love with girl of 18. How he would drop everything and come running. I wanted to not like him because of that, especially when he would swoop in with alcohol like predators do to young naive girls. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t quite bring myself to hate him. Deep down, I think everyone needs a Kyle.
Now, one of the most ANNOYING things that happens in this book is the somewhat Stockholm Syndrome type thing Katya has with Caroline. I swear, she couldn’t have one single thought without the ever present, “Caroline would have done it this way,” or “Caroline hated this or that.” It was overwhelming and was probably one of the most unnatural things happening here. I’d venture to guess that Caroline’s name is mentioned over 6,000 times. It’s like a Caroline Bible–the UnHoly Scriptures of the Modern Testament. I’m serious. We have a story written from Katya’s perspective, in her own unique voice only to be lead right back to Caroline. I reached an eyeroll point.
WWCD (What Would Caroline Do?)
It had started to work my nerves a little bit. Granted, I think had the story been told from Caroline’s POV it wouldn’t have been as great as it was. The fact that you really start to care about what happens to Katya more so than what happens to Caroline is the strength within this book.
Overall, I really have to say that I loved it. I spent a large portion of hours that I was supposed to be getting work done reading through it. I bought the ebook and the physical book because it’s one of those books you want to talk about; I could easily see this being one the list of some book club. Plus, the name has a ton of star-power in itself.
Burning September.
As you read the book, you can just roll through different interpretations of the name. I don’t really want to give out any spoilers, so I have to cut myself short here. I need a support group now; people to mull over the greatness this holds. So many things I want to talk about. One things for sure, I would like to see a follow-up to this book. Towards the end it started to feel rushed. A novella would be perfect for my unanswered questions.
September 13, 2016
First off, I want to mention how insanely NICE Melissa is. When she e-mailed me to see if I'd take her book up for review, she was so understanding to the fact that I might not have time so I didn't feel at all pressured to review her book, which is amazing when being approached. I am actually extremely underwhelmed with book requests right now, so I decided to take her up on her offer, and gladly! It sounds amazing, does it not?
The second thing I want to mention is the fact that all of the characters are so drastically different! You can tell they all have their own personalities and they all mix together so well. Kat's sister Caroline (who is also basically considered her mother due to unfortunate circumstances) is so fiery! That's the word that comes to my head when I first started reading this book. Kat is modest about herself on a level that borders on extreme. The men who have recently entered her life are all drastically different as well. My favorite is Professor Lawlis, though. He's grumpy, one legged, and a hell of a music teacher. Rough around the edges, but a good person anyway.
The synopsis of this book makes it seem like it would be a super sad book because she's pining after her sister and missing her and all of that, but in reality I find it actually uplifting because Kat is actually learning who she is and the power she has within herself and I loveeeeeeeeee it. Not to mention the fact that this book included a creepy cat-napper, a big-footed "stripper", and some swoon-worthy romance.
Honestly I could see this being a movie, so WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE READING THIS BOOK AND MAKING IT HAPPEN? I will rave about this book until the end of my days, I swear. Melissa's writing style and character development skills are on the top-most tier and I haven't read a book this refreshing in a long, long while.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are of my own.
The second thing I want to mention is the fact that all of the characters are so drastically different! You can tell they all have their own personalities and they all mix together so well. Kat's sister Caroline (who is also basically considered her mother due to unfortunate circumstances) is so fiery! That's the word that comes to my head when I first started reading this book. Kat is modest about herself on a level that borders on extreme. The men who have recently entered her life are all drastically different as well. My favorite is Professor Lawlis, though. He's grumpy, one legged, and a hell of a music teacher. Rough around the edges, but a good person anyway.
The synopsis of this book makes it seem like it would be a super sad book because she's pining after her sister and missing her and all of that, but in reality I find it actually uplifting because Kat is actually learning who she is and the power she has within herself and I loveeeeeeeeee it. Not to mention the fact that this book included a creepy cat-napper, a big-footed "stripper", and some swoon-worthy romance.
Honestly I could see this being a movie, so WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE READING THIS BOOK AND MAKING IT HAPPEN? I will rave about this book until the end of my days, I swear. Melissa's writing style and character development skills are on the top-most tier and I haven't read a book this refreshing in a long, long while.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are of my own.
January 21, 2017
When I first started reading this book, I didn't like it but there was something that told me to keep reading and I'm so glad that I did. It's a wonderful book about family (unconventional but still family) and learning to trust yourself. Days after finishing it, I am still thinking about the two sisters.
When Kat is very young, her father died and Caroline her teenage sister was granted custody. Caroline is a perfect sister and she takes raising Kat very seriously. She plans her life and her future and Kat follows her plans to the letter....until a policeman comes to the door to arrest Caroline to seeing fire to her ex-boyfriend's house with him in it. Once the sisters are separated from each other, Kat has to learn to grow up and trust herself to plan her future while she diligently works to get her sister out of jail.
This is an excellent character driven coming of age novel that will keep you cheering for Kat to learn to be her own person.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
When Kat is very young, her father died and Caroline her teenage sister was granted custody. Caroline is a perfect sister and she takes raising Kat very seriously. She plans her life and her future and Kat follows her plans to the letter....until a policeman comes to the door to arrest Caroline to seeing fire to her ex-boyfriend's house with him in it. Once the sisters are separated from each other, Kat has to learn to grow up and trust herself to plan her future while she diligently works to get her sister out of jail.
This is an excellent character driven coming of age novel that will keep you cheering for Kat to learn to be her own person.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 19, 2017
Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a copy of this book! Find this and more reviews on my blog at https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com
I did have some issues with this book, which I’ll get into below, but I still really enjoyed it. The writing is so strong and that’s immediately evident from the first page. I was really impressed the entire way through! I think this is an author I’ll enjoy coming back to again and again, if this book is anything to judge by.
At its core, this story is about the relationship between two sisters. Katya has always lived in Caroline’s shadow, her beautiful sister who always turns heads and has everything go her way. Until Caroline is arrested for murder. Now Katya is left on her own, struggling to understand who she is without her sister.
This isn’t a murder mystery but there are still mysteries to be solved within this story. It’s revealed immediately that Caroline did set the fire and I found her character really interesting to explore. She has her own way of rationalizing things and making the world work for her. We do get some “explanations” for her behaviour later in the book, but really Caroline just is who she is. It’s uncomfortable getting to know her but at the same time you can’t look away.
Katya understands Caroline better than anyone but the real mystery of the story comes when she realizes her sister has been lying to her her whole life, when she thought there were no lies between them. Even as Katya is trying to separate herself in some way from Caroline and figure out what she wants for herself, she still feels her sister’s pull.
My main issue is one of my pet peeves in books which was the age difference in the romantic relationship. Katya, who is only 18 years old, begins a relationship with a 29 year old. Even without considering the fact that’s she just become legal (though not old enough to drink because this book is set in the US), there are multiple levels of power differences between the two. As well, it seemed that every encounter between Katya and her “bf” involved alcohol, which further takes away her power.
There is some mention in the book about this relationship being an issue but I think it’s brushed off because Katya is considered “different” than other teenagers. She’s not interested in typical teenage activities and most (all) of her friends are adults so this seems to satisfy any of the characters’ concerns. However mature Katya may be – which is how it’s justified in the book, that doesn’t excuse an adult preying on a minor.
I did have some issues with this book, which I’ll get into below, but I still really enjoyed it. The writing is so strong and that’s immediately evident from the first page. I was really impressed the entire way through! I think this is an author I’ll enjoy coming back to again and again, if this book is anything to judge by.
At its core, this story is about the relationship between two sisters. Katya has always lived in Caroline’s shadow, her beautiful sister who always turns heads and has everything go her way. Until Caroline is arrested for murder. Now Katya is left on her own, struggling to understand who she is without her sister.
This isn’t a murder mystery but there are still mysteries to be solved within this story. It’s revealed immediately that Caroline did set the fire and I found her character really interesting to explore. She has her own way of rationalizing things and making the world work for her. We do get some “explanations” for her behaviour later in the book, but really Caroline just is who she is. It’s uncomfortable getting to know her but at the same time you can’t look away.
Katya understands Caroline better than anyone but the real mystery of the story comes when she realizes her sister has been lying to her her whole life, when she thought there were no lies between them. Even as Katya is trying to separate herself in some way from Caroline and figure out what she wants for herself, she still feels her sister’s pull.
My main issue is one of my pet peeves in books which was the age difference in the romantic relationship. Katya, who is only 18 years old, begins a relationship with a 29 year old. Even without considering the fact that’s she just become legal (though not old enough to drink because this book is set in the US), there are multiple levels of power differences between the two. As well, it seemed that every encounter between Katya and her “bf” involved alcohol, which further takes away her power.
There is some mention in the book about this relationship being an issue but I think it’s brushed off because Katya is considered “different” than other teenagers. She’s not interested in typical teenage activities and most (all) of her friends are adults so this seems to satisfy any of the characters’ concerns. However mature Katya may be – which is how it’s justified in the book, that doesn’t excuse an adult preying on a minor.
June 15, 2017
I couldn't put this book down. It was interesting and surprising. This author has a skill unlike other authors to catch you off guard. I loved it and highly recommend it!!!
November 13, 2016
I received an ebook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
College freshman Kat's life is all mapped out for her by her older sister Caroline, who's been more like a mother to her because of the deaths of their parents.
When Caroline is hauled away by the cops as a suspect in the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Kat has to figure out who she is and what life looks like without the woman who raised her, the woman who has been her only friend.
As Kat goes to bat for her sister, never believing for a second that she's innocent, she finds that Caroline has been hiding a lot of things from her over the years. The close and, I would venture to say unhealthy, relationship they have begins to unravel.
Throughout the course of this book I found it really hard not to loathe Caroline -- even after everything was out in the open, I felt badly for her but I just couldn't care less about her because she is so manipulative. Maybe that's harsh, and maybe using people is the only means of survival that she knows, but I'm just being honest.
I haven't read many self-published/indie-published projects so perhaps I should go easy, but this is a finished book that is screaming for some thorough editing. The errors throughout the novel were extremely distracting. I do a lot of editing in my line of work so it was hard for me not to notice the bevy of punctuation and grammatical errors, missing or extraneous words, etc.
More a coming-of-age tale (with a highly improbable romantic plotline) than a mystery or suspense, "Burning September" is a slow and smoldering blaze. I was really disappointed by the ending ... I felt like the author tried and failed to bring closure by being as vague as possible regarding the outcome of the murder trial so that everyone could live happily ever after.
The writing was rough in places, although at times it was beautifully woven with scenes painted in vivid detail. I liked the unique premise of the plot; I'm just not sure how well it was executed.
College freshman Kat's life is all mapped out for her by her older sister Caroline, who's been more like a mother to her because of the deaths of their parents.
When Caroline is hauled away by the cops as a suspect in the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Kat has to figure out who she is and what life looks like without the woman who raised her, the woman who has been her only friend.
As Kat goes to bat for her sister, never believing for a second that she's innocent, she finds that Caroline has been hiding a lot of things from her over the years. The close and, I would venture to say unhealthy, relationship they have begins to unravel.
Throughout the course of this book I found it really hard not to loathe Caroline -- even after everything was out in the open, I felt badly for her but I just couldn't care less about her because she is so manipulative. Maybe that's harsh, and maybe using people is the only means of survival that she knows, but I'm just being honest.
I haven't read many self-published/indie-published projects so perhaps I should go easy, but this is a finished book that is screaming for some thorough editing. The errors throughout the novel were extremely distracting. I do a lot of editing in my line of work so it was hard for me not to notice the bevy of punctuation and grammatical errors, missing or extraneous words, etc.
More a coming-of-age tale (with a highly improbable romantic plotline) than a mystery or suspense, "Burning September" is a slow and smoldering blaze. I was really disappointed by the ending ... I felt like the author tried and failed to bring closure by being as vague as possible regarding the outcome of the murder trial so that everyone could live happily ever after.
The writing was rough in places, although at times it was beautifully woven with scenes painted in vivid detail. I liked the unique premise of the plot; I'm just not sure how well it was executed.
October 26, 2016
“She’d always treated me like clay. Use me, mold me. Make me anything you want, I’m yours for the taking. Paint me in your image, isn’t it such a shame you can only see your face in mirrors? How can you resist turning this blank canvas into your twin?” – Burning September by Melissa Simonson
(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Burning September is an incredible book that everyone needs to read. Katya, or Kat, lives in the shadows of her older and more perfect sister, Caroline. After raising her and being a big constant in her life, Caroline gets arrested for murder and Kat’s life gets turned upside down. Kat has never been on her own until now and with the help of Caroline’s attorney, they’re trying to get her back home but there are a lot of answers that need to be uncovered before then. Will Kat be able to handle it?
I love that this book contained more focus on the relationship between Kat and her sister than it did about romance. Don’t get me wrong, there was a good amount of romance in this book and I just about fell in love with Kyle myself but I strongly believe this story revolves around the sisters and their past, present and future. This is about Kat finding who she is for the first time after realizing how much she felt dependent on Caroline. This is about her finding love and true friendships that help her realize that no one is perfect and forgiveness can be very hard but worth it.
Overall, this book was incredible and even though I already have an eBook copy of it, I’m going to be buying a print copy of this for my bookcase so all of my friends can see it and ask about it.
This book deserves a 5 out of 5 rating.
(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Burning September is an incredible book that everyone needs to read. Katya, or Kat, lives in the shadows of her older and more perfect sister, Caroline. After raising her and being a big constant in her life, Caroline gets arrested for murder and Kat’s life gets turned upside down. Kat has never been on her own until now and with the help of Caroline’s attorney, they’re trying to get her back home but there are a lot of answers that need to be uncovered before then. Will Kat be able to handle it?
I love that this book contained more focus on the relationship between Kat and her sister than it did about romance. Don’t get me wrong, there was a good amount of romance in this book and I just about fell in love with Kyle myself but I strongly believe this story revolves around the sisters and their past, present and future. This is about Kat finding who she is for the first time after realizing how much she felt dependent on Caroline. This is about her finding love and true friendships that help her realize that no one is perfect and forgiveness can be very hard but worth it.
Overall, this book was incredible and even though I already have an eBook copy of it, I’m going to be buying a print copy of this for my bookcase so all of my friends can see it and ask about it.
This book deserves a 5 out of 5 rating.
January 2, 2017
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Katya (Kat) and her sister Caroline, and both their lives during Caroline’s murder trial for killing her ex-boyfriend in a house fire. Kat told the police that her sister was at the condo all day but the police aren’t listening and arrest Caroline anyway. Caroline is confident that she won’t be stuck there for very long but that confidence is apparently misplaced as after she’s transported to a mental facility for trying to cut her wrists, she’s stuck there for the next few months until trial. And while Caroline is there, Kat starts to realize that her sister has been hiding things from her. Like the fact that she somehow has a very expensive attorney representing her. And that they have a lot of money in their checking account when Caroline mostly just does freelance work. So how much can Kat really trust her sister? And what, if anything, can she believe is the truth?
Overall I really liked this book, it was a really interesting story line and held my attention throughout the book. Kat was a really interesting character, and Caroline also had a lot of interesting layers to her. I liked the way that the author built a lot tension between Kat and Kyle, Caroline’s lawyer. There was a great build up of suspense in this novel, it was almost like a cross between a thriller and a contemporary romance. This was a really good read and I would definitely recommend!
Overall I really liked this book, it was a really interesting story line and held my attention throughout the book. Kat was a really interesting character, and Caroline also had a lot of interesting layers to her. I liked the way that the author built a lot tension between Kat and Kyle, Caroline’s lawyer. There was a great build up of suspense in this novel, it was almost like a cross between a thriller and a contemporary romance. This was a really good read and I would definitely recommend!
October 31, 2016
My most favorite thing about this book is the family connection. I wish I knew that my sister would have taken care of me if my parents passed away while we were young. I wish I had a connection like that with my sister.
The characters in this book were made so well. You can tell that Melissa put a lot of thought into each of them. This entire book was so well written, not just the characters.
I just love books like this because it's apart of my age group and I relate to it more.
It's a very steady paced book and it doesn't rush you into anything. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad that Melissa chose me as someone to review this book for her. I'm looking forward to reading more of her works :)
Definitely five out of five stars!!!
The characters in this book were made so well. You can tell that Melissa put a lot of thought into each of them. This entire book was so well written, not just the characters.
I just love books like this because it's apart of my age group and I relate to it more.
It's a very steady paced book and it doesn't rush you into anything. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad that Melissa chose me as someone to review this book for her. I'm looking forward to reading more of her works :)
Definitely five out of five stars!!!
March 26, 2017
One of the best reads I've had in 2017!
Part crime drama, a little romance and a lot of coming into herself as an adult, the MC Katya has to learn how to be on her own and alone after her older sister's arrest. Being an introvert eclipsed by a shiningly successful and beautiful sister makes every step she takes on her own harder and learning to trust or not trust that much more difficult.
Part crime drama, a little romance and a lot of coming into herself as an adult, the MC Katya has to learn how to be on her own and alone after her older sister's arrest. Being an introvert eclipsed by a shiningly successful and beautiful sister makes every step she takes on her own harder and learning to trust or not trust that much more difficult.
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