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The Burning
A rumor is like fire.
Once a whore, always a whore.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Anna's a slut.
We all know it's true.
And a fire that spreads online... is impossible to extinguish.
New school. Check.
New town. Check.
New last name. Check.
Social media profiles? Deleted.
Anna and her mother have moved hundreds of miles to put the past behind them. Anna hopes to make a fresh start and escape the harassment she's been subjected to. But then rumors and whispers start, and Anna tries to ignore what is happening by immersing herself in learning about Maggie, a local woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century. A woman who was shamed. Silenced. And whose story has unsettling parallels to Anna's own.
From Laura Bates, internationally renowned feminist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, comes a debut novel for the #metoo era. It's a powerful call to action, reminding all readers of the implications of sexism and the role we can each play in ending it.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2019
130 people are currently reading
8502 people want to read
About the author
Laura Bates
21 books2,377 followersLaura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, an ever-increasing collection of over 100,000 testimonies of gender inequality, with branches in 25 countries worldwide. She works closely with politicians, businesses, schools, police forces and organisations from the Council of Europe to the United Nations to tackle gender inequality. She was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to gender equality in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2015 and has been named a woman of the year by Cosmopolitan, Red Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine.
Laura is the author of Everyday Sexism, the Sunday Times bestseller Girl Up, and Misogynation. Her first novel, The Burning, was published in 2019. She co-wrote Letters to the Future with Owen Sheers. Laura writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Times and others and won a British Press Award in 2015. She has been a judge for the Women's Prize, the YA Book Prize and the BBC Young Writers Award and part of the committee selecting the 2020 Children's Laureate. In 2019 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Laura is a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project tackling rape in conflict worldwide and she is patron of SARSAS, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and was awarded the Internet and Society Award by the Oxford Internet Institute alongside Sir Tim Berners Lee.
Laura is the author of Everyday Sexism, the Sunday Times bestseller Girl Up, and Misogynation. Her first novel, The Burning, was published in 2019. She co-wrote Letters to the Future with Owen Sheers. Laura writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Times and others and won a British Press Award in 2015. She has been a judge for the Women's Prize, the YA Book Prize and the BBC Young Writers Award and part of the committee selecting the 2020 Children's Laureate. In 2019 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Laura is a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project tackling rape in conflict worldwide and she is patron of SARSAS, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and was awarded the Internet and Society Award by the Oxford Internet Institute alongside Sir Tim Berners Lee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 800 reviews
February 15, 2019
Because fire is sneaky. You might think you've extinguished it, but one creeping red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back to life again. Especially if someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames.
So many mixed feelings right now.
The Burning is by the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and, as expected, it has a lot of important things to say about slut-shaming, double standards, bullying, and especially how social media contributes to these. It likens the viciousness of social media trolls to actual witch hunts, leading us on something of a history lesson in the process.
I can't deny that this book had an effect on me. The author captures Anna's fear, shame and frustration as she is confronted with constant double standards. It's also very British, and I related a lot more to the high school culture here than I do when reading American YA. Some parts hit very close to home. I recognized such moments as this one:
I want to stay here, in the quiet, clean darkness, forever until everybody has forgotten that I even exist.
It is hard to look, and yet hard to look away, in parts. I just really wish I didn't have so many issues with it.
The main problem is that this book is messy and doesn't seem to know what it's trying to be (I did read an arc so maybe some things will be tidied up for publication). It touches upon almost every teen girl issue you can think of - slut-shaming, double standards, sexuality, bullying, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, abortion, body-shaming - and is so packed full of "issues" that most of these are left unexplored.
It also has some historical aspects, a bit of a mystery going on, a sort-of romance that seems out of place in the story, and even vaguely supernatural elements that were honestly jarring. There's a bit of everything thrown in, most of it not needed.
Some of the dialogue is a little weird and unnatural, too. The speech at the end, plus the reactions to it, felt unrealistic. And there are times when Anna is directly describing something through speech and I just can't imagine an actual person sat there spewing those metaphors out loud.
Another problem I had is that YA lit has changed a lot in the past few years and some parts of this book already feel a little dated-- most notably when Anna is so shocked to discover Alisha is in love with a girl.
It's a compelling read, though. I could feel my own anxiety spiking when I read about Anna obsessively checking social media. She feels like she shouldn't look, and yet her own imagination is picturing the worst anyway. It's just a shame it's so all over the place. The unexplained supernatural parts of the plot were especially difficult to suspend disbelief for.
"It's worth knowing that sometimes people see you as a symbol of something, instead of a person. And, when they do, it reflects on them, not on you."
CW: Slut-shaming; rape (off-page); homophobic slurs.
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May 19, 2020
Why? Why? I was so ready to love this book! It started so good and slowly turned into something strange, messy and URO (unidentified reading object)!
Another interesting plot turned into something complicated, messy, okay WTH I just read kind of story!
I waited to read something brave, heart throbbing, soul searching, provocative and powerful story! But what I get is a spiral of girl’s self-hatred and depression with awkward, nonsense dialogues embellished with supernatural elements and not so heart wrenching but artificial ending pissed me off.
I think the problem about the story is author’s choice to juggle with too many issues at the same time. We had already sexual assault, body and slut shaming on our plate but she add more issues to the pile such as abortion, pregnancy, more shaming and yes you just dropped your plate because you cannot handle entire horrifying issues at the same story that a regular human being can handle.
And does this kind of moving and heartbreaking story really need supernatural elements to attract readers’ attention. Nope! I don’t think so.
I don’t want to be cruel and give two stars to this story because I got the intention of the author to write something meaningful and epic for the victims of abuse, rape and violence. I just didn’t like her approach and her way to tell the story. A simple, pure, emotional, genuine, honest, realistic and objective approach to this kind of sensitive issues are always more preferable for me.
So let’s round up our 2.5 stars to 3 for the promising beginning of the book and picking up another challenging reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire to share this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. I wish I could love it more.
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Another interesting plot turned into something complicated, messy, okay WTH I just read kind of story!
I waited to read something brave, heart throbbing, soul searching, provocative and powerful story! But what I get is a spiral of girl’s self-hatred and depression with awkward, nonsense dialogues embellished with supernatural elements and not so heart wrenching but artificial ending pissed me off.
I think the problem about the story is author’s choice to juggle with too many issues at the same time. We had already sexual assault, body and slut shaming on our plate but she add more issues to the pile such as abortion, pregnancy, more shaming and yes you just dropped your plate because you cannot handle entire horrifying issues at the same story that a regular human being can handle.
And does this kind of moving and heartbreaking story really need supernatural elements to attract readers’ attention. Nope! I don’t think so.
I don’t want to be cruel and give two stars to this story because I got the intention of the author to write something meaningful and epic for the victims of abuse, rape and violence. I just didn’t like her approach and her way to tell the story. A simple, pure, emotional, genuine, honest, realistic and objective approach to this kind of sensitive issues are always more preferable for me.
So let’s round up our 2.5 stars to 3 for the promising beginning of the book and picking up another challenging reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire to share this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. I wish I could love it more.
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April 7, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS FIRE for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Already published in the UK in 2019, The Burning tackles the issues of slut-shaming and cyberbullying and draws comparisons to the witch burnings of Scotland's past. I found it a very interesting read and read it one evening, but I will concur with my fellow reviewers that there is a tonne of issues. Issues that not just the main character, Anna, grapples with but also other characters in the story. However, it worked for me and caught my attention much like The Truth About Alice and Speak did.
Goodreads review published 07/04/20
Publication Date 07/04/20
Already published in the UK in 2019, The Burning tackles the issues of slut-shaming and cyberbullying and draws comparisons to the witch burnings of Scotland's past. I found it a very interesting read and read it one evening, but I will concur with my fellow reviewers that there is a tonne of issues. Issues that not just the main character, Anna, grapples with but also other characters in the story. However, it worked for me and caught my attention much like The Truth About Alice and Speak did.
Goodreads review published 07/04/20
Publication Date 07/04/20
November 13, 2020
Finished this 3 days ago, pretty much forgotten the whole story already.
February 26, 2019
A bit disappointed about this, despite the important issues addressed in this book. The writing could have used some serious editing (a house with big 'wooden windows', like really?) and the plot was often unconvincing.
2,5*
2,5*
August 8, 2019
Super readable and brings up so many important challenges that young people face with social media these days. Well worth the read for any younger readers, but I'm perhaps not quite its target audience so there were some things in here I didn't really connect with.
March 17, 2020
This book was so powerful. For someone who was bullied a lot in high school, and only had a handful of friends stick by me through it all, this brought me to absolute tears. Women support women. You never know the full story. This is feminism at its finest. I implore you to read this and learn.
Triggers : bullying, online bullying, non-consensual photo-sharing, grieving for a passed loved one.
Triggers : bullying, online bullying, non-consensual photo-sharing, grieving for a passed loved one.
December 10, 2018
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
"...in my opinion it would have made a lot more sense if he had said that fire was like a rumour. Because fire is sneaky. You might think you've extinguished it, but one creeping red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back to life again."
Told from the perspective of Anna Clark, The Burning discussed some important issues of sexism, sexual harassment and online abuse. Anna and her mum had moved all the way to Scotland from Birmingham due to a tragedy of sexual online harassment that had struck her. She changed her last name, got rid of her social media and moved to another country, trying to erase her past, thinking it'd never find its way back to her, but she was proven wrong when her past haunted her, yet again, in a worse possible way.
"I guess things don't always turn out the way you think they will."
The pace of the story was moderate. I find the story of Maggie included in between was quite draggy at first, but although I still find it quite irrelevant to the whole plot, it was an interesting tale and it brought another kind of emotional ride to the story.
Anna was drawn to Robin, a boy in one of her class, but I love how the story didn't center around their love interest or relationship. I'm especially glad that the author didn't turn the story around and make the main character a helpless young lady who needed to be saved by a boy or by love, but instead showed strong female character traits in both Anna and her mum towards the end when handling the situation.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, yes, boys included. God bless Laura Bates for writing Anna's and Maggie's stories.
"Actions have consequences, young lady. You'd do well to remember that."
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Pansing for this ARC in exchange for honest review! This book will be published in February 2019 and will be available at all good bookstores. Pick it up once it's out!
"...in my opinion it would have made a lot more sense if he had said that fire was like a rumour. Because fire is sneaky. You might think you've extinguished it, but one creeping red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back to life again."
Told from the perspective of Anna Clark, The Burning discussed some important issues of sexism, sexual harassment and online abuse. Anna and her mum had moved all the way to Scotland from Birmingham due to a tragedy of sexual online harassment that had struck her. She changed her last name, got rid of her social media and moved to another country, trying to erase her past, thinking it'd never find its way back to her, but she was proven wrong when her past haunted her, yet again, in a worse possible way.
"I guess things don't always turn out the way you think they will."
The pace of the story was moderate. I find the story of Maggie included in between was quite draggy at first, but although I still find it quite irrelevant to the whole plot, it was an interesting tale and it brought another kind of emotional ride to the story.
Anna was drawn to Robin, a boy in one of her class, but I love how the story didn't center around their love interest or relationship. I'm especially glad that the author didn't turn the story around and make the main character a helpless young lady who needed to be saved by a boy or by love, but instead showed strong female character traits in both Anna and her mum towards the end when handling the situation.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, yes, boys included. God bless Laura Bates for writing Anna's and Maggie's stories.
"Actions have consequences, young lady. You'd do well to remember that."
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Pansing for this ARC in exchange for honest review! This book will be published in February 2019 and will be available at all good bookstores. Pick it up once it's out!
November 18, 2018
The Burning is one of those books that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, from sadness to anger to despair to redemption and Laura Bates, through her beautifully written character voice, shows you what it means to be a teenage girl in today's social media society.
Dealing with issues of victim blaming, casual sexism and the still very skewed way of "dealing" with things, The Burning shines a light right into the darkest corners of reality.
Hugely relevant for young women today and adding an important voice to the current debate, I thought it was excellent. Not preaching, not assuming but intelligently told, hugely insightful and a real page turner.
Recommended. Fuller review nearer publication.
Dealing with issues of victim blaming, casual sexism and the still very skewed way of "dealing" with things, The Burning shines a light right into the darkest corners of reality.
Hugely relevant for young women today and adding an important voice to the current debate, I thought it was excellent. Not preaching, not assuming but intelligently told, hugely insightful and a real page turner.
Recommended. Fuller review nearer publication.
August 13, 2025
I think I'm becoming a historical fiction fan
☆ 3.5 rounded up
☆ 3.5 rounded up
July 18, 2020
3.5 Stars
CW: horrific slut shaming, sharing and doctoring of nude images of young teen, death of father from cancer, teen abortion.
I am still in a state of sick shock after reading this book. I can't fathom the level of horrific bullying that took place and the school's absolutely unacceptable response. I have worked in a few high schools in New Zealand as a teacher and as a librarian and I have seen and dealt with some horrible bullying incidents, but the severity of the vitriolic hate filled attacks in this book are mind blowingly horrendous. Let's not be bystanders to bullying. We all need to call it out when we see it.
He waka eke noa - we are all in this together (Māori saying).
CW: horrific slut shaming, sharing and doctoring of nude images of young teen, death of father from cancer, teen abortion.
I am still in a state of sick shock after reading this book. I can't fathom the level of horrific bullying that took place and the school's absolutely unacceptable response. I have worked in a few high schools in New Zealand as a teacher and as a librarian and I have seen and dealt with some horrible bullying incidents, but the severity of the vitriolic hate filled attacks in this book are mind blowingly horrendous. Let's not be bystanders to bullying. We all need to call it out when we see it.
He waka eke noa - we are all in this together (Māori saying).
March 8, 2020
Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book!!
- Rep: Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, Character in a wheelchair, LGBTQ
- Trigger Warnings: Sexual Harassment, Death of a Parent, Abortion, Trauma
"Anna and her mother have moved hundreds of miles to put the past behind them. Anna hopes to make a fresh start and escape the harassment she’s been subjected to. But then rumors and whispers start, and Anna tries to ignore what is happening by immersing herself in a history project about Maggie, a local woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century".
This book was an incredible and extremely important read. It discusses sexism throughout history and shows the reader the role we can play in stopping it. Although this story is fictional what the character goes through is very real. This book definitely hit me harder than I thought it would, I didn't think that this book would make me tear up, but it did. This was such a powerful story, a story that will definitely stick with me for a long time. It was so great to finally see Anna find her voice and face those who were tormenting her. There was also a small part in this book, where a character in a wheelchair talked about being seen as more than a disabled person. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it. I will definitely be purchasing a copy next month when it comes out.
- Rep: Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, Character in a wheelchair, LGBTQ
- Trigger Warnings: Sexual Harassment, Death of a Parent, Abortion, Trauma
"Anna and her mother have moved hundreds of miles to put the past behind them. Anna hopes to make a fresh start and escape the harassment she’s been subjected to. But then rumors and whispers start, and Anna tries to ignore what is happening by immersing herself in a history project about Maggie, a local woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century".
This book was an incredible and extremely important read. It discusses sexism throughout history and shows the reader the role we can play in stopping it. Although this story is fictional what the character goes through is very real. This book definitely hit me harder than I thought it would, I didn't think that this book would make me tear up, but it did. This was such a powerful story, a story that will definitely stick with me for a long time. It was so great to finally see Anna find her voice and face those who were tormenting her. There was also a small part in this book, where a character in a wheelchair talked about being seen as more than a disabled person. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it. I will definitely be purchasing a copy next month when it comes out.
September 28, 2020
"Fire [is] like a rumor. Because fire is sneaky. You might think you've extinguished it, but one creeping red tendril, one single wisp of smoke, is enough to let it leap back to life again. Especially is someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames" (Bates, 2019, p. 1).
This book captures the loneliness of main character, Anna, after she moves to a new town in Scotland to escape rumors and online bullying at her old school. But, somehow, the old bullies track her down at her new school, and it all starts again. Anna must find a way to rise above the flames that threaten to completely engulf her life.
This book filled me with dread--and loneliness--and hope. I had to relive my own past, thinking about how rumors had impacted me during junior high and high school, and how different those would have been if social media had existed then.
This book would be a great addition to a classroom library or even a book study. I would recommend pairing it with other books that deal with bullying--such as Laurie Halse Anderson's "Twisted" or Med Medina's "Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass" or Jay Asher's "Thirteen Reasons Why" among many others. High school students don't always consider how their words and actions impact others in negative ways and the ELA classroom can be a great place to discussing this and other important issues.
This book captures the loneliness of main character, Anna, after she moves to a new town in Scotland to escape rumors and online bullying at her old school. But, somehow, the old bullies track her down at her new school, and it all starts again. Anna must find a way to rise above the flames that threaten to completely engulf her life.
This book filled me with dread--and loneliness--and hope. I had to relive my own past, thinking about how rumors had impacted me during junior high and high school, and how different those would have been if social media had existed then.
This book would be a great addition to a classroom library or even a book study. I would recommend pairing it with other books that deal with bullying--such as Laurie Halse Anderson's "Twisted" or Med Medina's "Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass" or Jay Asher's "Thirteen Reasons Why" among many others. High school students don't always consider how their words and actions impact others in negative ways and the ELA classroom can be a great place to discussing this and other important issues.
November 13, 2020
The Burning is the kind of novel that wants to convey a Message™ to readers and it does so at the expense of things like character development and plot construction. This could have been a really engaging story about a teenage girl who overcomes bullying and sexual harassment, with natural parallels to 17th-century witch hunts, but the author seems to feel the need to lead readers by the hand right to every point and so the characters remain flat and the plot remains dull and predictable.
January 16, 2026
Local bookclub’s choice for YA
As coincidences go, January seems to be my month of Scottish witches
How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women
When You Lose It: Two voices. One true story. A mother and daughter on the edge.
As coincidences go, January seems to be my month of Scottish witches
How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women
When You Lose It: Two voices. One true story. A mother and daughter on the edge.
January 5, 2021
Wow what a powerful book. Written by well known feminist author Laura Bates, this book combines many important feminist ideas with a story that is very relevant to our day and age. The genre crosses a boundary between Realistic fiction and Magical realism which I haven’t seen anyone really discussing, it was a nice element to the story which didn’t become overbearing. The main character has had some awful stuff done to her which is evident in her personality but she is a sweet girl who deserves the world and I felt awful for her throughout the book. Sometimes the other characters melded together and it was difficult to follow conversations which is one reason this isn’t a 5 star book for me. The other reason is the ending, I found that the revelation of sorts was slightly unbelievable as in I couldn’t see a group of teenagers acting in the way they did, especially in the Uk with 16 year olds. The plot was easy to follow and it went by especially fast, it was never slow or difficult to follow other than some conversations as mentioned earlier. Some parts of the book did make me really angry though but in a good way, the way the author tackles topics like slut shaming and picture consent online is really fabulous and made the book for me.
Overall a fantastic touching novel that is super relevant with its feminist themes and ideas about the internet, the trolls who use it and what can become of this.
Would highly recommend!
Overall a fantastic touching novel that is super relevant with its feminist themes and ideas about the internet, the trolls who use it and what can become of this.
Would highly recommend!
December 24, 2022
The Burning by Laura Bates is a well written YA contemporary novel that is an absolutely brutal read. It tackles topics such as sexism, misogyny, harassment, and bullying. It's one of those books that makes you see red because what the main character, Anna, is facing makes you so angry especially because you know something just like that happens on a regular basis around the world. It also features a compelling story that had been lost to history of a local woman that was tried as a witch in the 1600s that Anna is researching for a school project. By the way, Glenn, the man helping Anna with her research, is easily the best character in the novel. I also really appreciated what Anna's mom does to stand up for her daughter at the school. That was a real punch the air moment if there ever was one. I also liked Anna's moment at the end there as well as she stands up to the bullies, as others stand with her. I wasn't as big of a fan of the very ending although I get the sentiment. Overall, this is book is well worth your time, especially if you're a fan of The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis.
Want to read
December 19, 2019I’m very interested in this one about teens and rumours. Luckily I just had a eARC approved by Sourcebooks!
I know another publisher has had it and is publishing early but mine is for April 2020 release. So reading and review closer to then.
I know another publisher has had it and is publishing early but mine is for April 2020 release. So reading and review closer to then.
February 9, 2021
Anna and her mum move to Scotland to escape the trauma in their lives. It's a fresh start but soon the scandals of Anna's past returns to haunt her. This was a novel that takes a look at the impact of peer pressure and social media on the lives of teenagers, especially girls. There's also a subplot about a witch hunt 500 years earlier which ties in to how women and girls are still treated today when it comes to their sexual selves. It's a powerful story in some respects and worth a read.
March 3, 2019
I received a free ebook version of this from Netgalley! Thankyou to both Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. My review is still honest.
I'm very impressed by this underrated read! I was mostly attracted to this book because the author, Laura Bates, is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and is an all round inspirational woman. I can happily say that this book reflects those feminist values that I so love reading about and was well worth my time.
The Burning is a feminist contemporary cross magical realism cross mystery. It follows a girl named Anna who's just moved to Scotland with her mother after something awful happened at her last school in England. While there, she begins to explore the story of a woman burned for witchcraft centuries ago in her new hometown.
This book deals with so many heavy topics in an excellent way, especially slut shaming! It shows the impact of it in such a heartbreaking way. It reminded me a little of The Exact Opposite of Okay, which I also liked. I did see some reviews of that one that said that the main character had made some bad choices and should take some responsibility (a sentiment I completely disagree with) but I do think that Anna is a much more relatable character than the heroine of TEAoO and it's very easy to understand how she was persuaded to do the things she did. I really felt for her for the entirety of this book, and really loved the message.
The magical realism section was a small sub-plot, but did have such an impact. It added something different to this story and created a really interesting parallel between the treatment of women centuries ago compared to now. I think I'd have enjoyed this less without that aspect in this. It had great discussions about grief and abortion and revenge porn and parental relationships and friendships. I loved the relationship Anna had with her mother-it was complex and maybe not entirely healthy, but really showed that they both cared.
The only thing I took a star off for is that it didn't completely wow me.There was nothing necessarily wrong with it aside from some minor pacing issues, but I think I just wanted a little bit more. Still a great read!
I'm very impressed by this underrated read! I was mostly attracted to this book because the author, Laura Bates, is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and is an all round inspirational woman. I can happily say that this book reflects those feminist values that I so love reading about and was well worth my time.
The Burning is a feminist contemporary cross magical realism cross mystery. It follows a girl named Anna who's just moved to Scotland with her mother after something awful happened at her last school in England. While there, she begins to explore the story of a woman burned for witchcraft centuries ago in her new hometown.
This book deals with so many heavy topics in an excellent way, especially slut shaming! It shows the impact of it in such a heartbreaking way. It reminded me a little of The Exact Opposite of Okay, which I also liked. I did see some reviews of that one that said that the main character had made some bad choices and should take some responsibility (a sentiment I completely disagree with) but I do think that Anna is a much more relatable character than the heroine of TEAoO and it's very easy to understand how she was persuaded to do the things she did. I really felt for her for the entirety of this book, and really loved the message.
The magical realism section was a small sub-plot, but did have such an impact. It added something different to this story and created a really interesting parallel between the treatment of women centuries ago compared to now. I think I'd have enjoyed this less without that aspect in this. It had great discussions about grief and abortion and revenge porn and parental relationships and friendships. I loved the relationship Anna had with her mother-it was complex and maybe not entirely healthy, but really showed that they both cared.
The only thing I took a star off for is that it didn't completely wow me.There was nothing necessarily wrong with it aside from some minor pacing issues, but I think I just wanted a little bit more. Still a great read!
February 23, 2019
On the cover of this book Holly Bourne describes it as a book teen girls NEED to read and I fully agree. This book is spectacular, it deals with the unknowingly common abuse girls face in high school, the slut shaming, the cyber bullying, the ostracising of young women by society.
There are two time lines throughout this book, the present tense Anna who is attempting to start over in a new school for reasons unknown at the beginning of the story. And the tale of Maggie from 400 years ago, a young woman who had a baby out of wedlock and who was later accused of witchcraft.
Both girls are shamed for 'their behaviour' even when it is the behaviours and attitudes of others who has put them in the position they're in. Sound familiar? This, sadly, happens on a daily basis. Boys are admired when they spill the details whilst girls are shamed and considered immodest.
I really enjoyed the intermingling of the two time lines, the comfort Anna found in researching Maggie's story and the self belief and confidence she found along the way.
This is an important story, the ending was strong and empowering. I would consider this also a book that is essential for parents of teens to read as well, the story told from Anna's perspective really emphasises the damage and misery one action can cause. The snowball effect of destruction is shown in a very true and realistic way.
As a debut YA author, I am impressed with Laura Bates' brilliant writing.
I received a copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review, this is no way impacted on my opinion.
There are two time lines throughout this book, the present tense Anna who is attempting to start over in a new school for reasons unknown at the beginning of the story. And the tale of Maggie from 400 years ago, a young woman who had a baby out of wedlock and who was later accused of witchcraft.
Both girls are shamed for 'their behaviour' even when it is the behaviours and attitudes of others who has put them in the position they're in. Sound familiar? This, sadly, happens on a daily basis. Boys are admired when they spill the details whilst girls are shamed and considered immodest.
I really enjoyed the intermingling of the two time lines, the comfort Anna found in researching Maggie's story and the self belief and confidence she found along the way.
This is an important story, the ending was strong and empowering. I would consider this also a book that is essential for parents of teens to read as well, the story told from Anna's perspective really emphasises the damage and misery one action can cause. The snowball effect of destruction is shown in a very true and realistic way.
As a debut YA author, I am impressed with Laura Bates' brilliant writing.
I received a copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review, this is no way impacted on my opinion.
May 16, 2020
A very eye opening book about victim blaming, how the world has treated women for as long as we have been alive, and the highschool pack mentality ruins lives.
April 22, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this free in exchange for an honest review.
"I'm not ashamed of my body. I'm ashamed of the way my body was treated by everybody else. I'm not embarrassed because it's sexual. I'm embarrassed because it's being used in a way I didn't agree to."
I was shocked when I start reading the book. I never read anything by Laura Bates and never research anything prior of her other works. By reading the blurb behind the book, I really thought I was getting into a thriller book.
This book is such an emotional roller coaster. I was so frustrated, angry, sad, paranoid when reading the book. This book deals with issues from rape, sexual harassment, bullying, cyber-bullying and such. It sucks that when reading the book that I feel all these emotions and to know that these issues are actually a reality. A lot of girls and boys go through these issues around the world , its been years its been happening and we not just need to make an awareness out of it but we need to stop this.
Although this wasn’t one of the best read, I ever experience when dealing with such issues, the book was still a good read. The writing is very easy to read, there are some bits that feels very draggy, especially the parts of history. Its nice to say its parallel and relatable to show these issues are going on for a long time but the storyline of it was draggy. I was expecting more storyline from the side characters but there wasn’t much. I wish we have seen those pov and more involvement with them and Anna.
The last bits got me crying so bad. The part with her mother and Anna’s speech at the end was so emotional. I wish at the end what was happening, I wish there was a visual of it. Now I want to read more of Laura Bates works
"I'm not ashamed of my body. I'm ashamed of the way my body was treated by everybody else. I'm not embarrassed because it's sexual. I'm embarrassed because it's being used in a way I didn't agree to."
"I'm not ashamed of my body. I'm ashamed of the way my body was treated by everybody else. I'm not embarrassed because it's sexual. I'm embarrassed because it's being used in a way I didn't agree to."
I was shocked when I start reading the book. I never read anything by Laura Bates and never research anything prior of her other works. By reading the blurb behind the book, I really thought I was getting into a thriller book.
This book is such an emotional roller coaster. I was so frustrated, angry, sad, paranoid when reading the book. This book deals with issues from rape, sexual harassment, bullying, cyber-bullying and such. It sucks that when reading the book that I feel all these emotions and to know that these issues are actually a reality. A lot of girls and boys go through these issues around the world , its been years its been happening and we not just need to make an awareness out of it but we need to stop this.
Although this wasn’t one of the best read, I ever experience when dealing with such issues, the book was still a good read. The writing is very easy to read, there are some bits that feels very draggy, especially the parts of history. Its nice to say its parallel and relatable to show these issues are going on for a long time but the storyline of it was draggy. I was expecting more storyline from the side characters but there wasn’t much. I wish we have seen those pov and more involvement with them and Anna.
The last bits got me crying so bad. The part with her mother and Anna’s speech at the end was so emotional. I wish at the end what was happening, I wish there was a visual of it. Now I want to read more of Laura Bates works
"I'm not ashamed of my body. I'm ashamed of the way my body was treated by everybody else. I'm not embarrassed because it's sexual. I'm embarrassed because it's being used in a way I didn't agree to."
July 25, 2020
opowieść o plotce, o niszczącej sile słowa, o samotności w cierpieniu. Do bólu współczesna i miejscami mrożąca krew w żyłach – „Spalona” Laury Bates, którą mogłyby przeczytać wszystkie dorastające dziewczyny oraz każdy, kto z dorastającymi, współczesnymi dzieciakami ma na co dzień do czynienia.
W internecie nic nie ginie, o czym przekonała się bardzo boleśnie bohaterka „Spalonej”. Można wyrzucić komputer, zamknąć konta społecznościowe, można unikać telefonu, ale przeszłość wraca jak niechciany bumerang. Laura Bates snuje niezwykle dramatyczną opowieść o współczesnej dziewczynie, która chciała rozpocząć nowe życie, ale nie było jej dane. Obok historii Anny natomiast, stawia podobną opowieść z przeszłości, niechlubny wycinek miejscowej historii o pięknej kobiecie, która została oskarżona o czary tylko dlatego, że spodobała się nieodpowiedniemu mężczyźnie. Na obu poziomach opowieści pojawiają się te same motywy – dręczące szepty, rodząca się nienawiść, ostracyzm, wreszcie nieokiełznana chęć zniszczenia drugiego człowieka.
Czy można wygrać taką walkę, gdy niemal wszyscy są przeciwko tobie? Gdy pieczołowicie budowany świat runie w gruzy? Gdy nigdzie nie można czuć się bezpiecznym? Bohaterki „Spalonej” są zaszczute, zapędzone prosto pod ścianę, znikąd nie ma dla nich ratunku, a my czytelnicy obserwujemy z zewnątrz jak jeden nieostrożny ruch, jedna chwila zapomnienia mogą prowadzić do całkowitej ruiny. Jednak jest w tej powieści również rodząca się siła, bunt przeciw niesprawiedliwości, jest motywacja, by pokonać strach, wstyd, upokorzenie i to jest najmocniejszy i najważniejszy przekaz „Spalonej”. Taka sytuacja bowiem, jaka spotkała dorastające bohaterki może przytrafić się każdej dziewczynie, każdemu chłopakowi. Wystarczy jedynie iskra.
„Spalona” Laury Bates sprawdzi się nie tylko dla współczesnej młodzieży, ale dorosłym przypomni również o trudnych czasach dorastania i przybliży problemy, z jakimi muszą na co dzień mierzyć się dzieciaki dzisiaj.
W internecie nic nie ginie, o czym przekonała się bardzo boleśnie bohaterka „Spalonej”. Można wyrzucić komputer, zamknąć konta społecznościowe, można unikać telefonu, ale przeszłość wraca jak niechciany bumerang. Laura Bates snuje niezwykle dramatyczną opowieść o współczesnej dziewczynie, która chciała rozpocząć nowe życie, ale nie było jej dane. Obok historii Anny natomiast, stawia podobną opowieść z przeszłości, niechlubny wycinek miejscowej historii o pięknej kobiecie, która została oskarżona o czary tylko dlatego, że spodobała się nieodpowiedniemu mężczyźnie. Na obu poziomach opowieści pojawiają się te same motywy – dręczące szepty, rodząca się nienawiść, ostracyzm, wreszcie nieokiełznana chęć zniszczenia drugiego człowieka.
Czy można wygrać taką walkę, gdy niemal wszyscy są przeciwko tobie? Gdy pieczołowicie budowany świat runie w gruzy? Gdy nigdzie nie można czuć się bezpiecznym? Bohaterki „Spalonej” są zaszczute, zapędzone prosto pod ścianę, znikąd nie ma dla nich ratunku, a my czytelnicy obserwujemy z zewnątrz jak jeden nieostrożny ruch, jedna chwila zapomnienia mogą prowadzić do całkowitej ruiny. Jednak jest w tej powieści również rodząca się siła, bunt przeciw niesprawiedliwości, jest motywacja, by pokonać strach, wstyd, upokorzenie i to jest najmocniejszy i najważniejszy przekaz „Spalonej”. Taka sytuacja bowiem, jaka spotkała dorastające bohaterki może przytrafić się każdej dziewczynie, każdemu chłopakowi. Wystarczy jedynie iskra.
„Spalona” Laury Bates sprawdzi się nie tylko dla współczesnej młodzieży, ale dorosłym przypomni również o trudnych czasach dorastania i przybliży problemy, z jakimi muszą na co dzień mierzyć się dzieciaki dzisiaj.
March 29, 2020
Voto 4.5
Salve Confine,
ritorno a voi con una lettura fatta di recente, l’unica del mese di marzo che mi ha coinvolto veramente per i temi importanti e attuali che tratta, anche se per certi versi mi ha fatto storcere un po’ il naso.
Si tratta de “Il fuoco” di Laura Bates, edito Rizzoli.
Anna e la madre si trasferiscono in un piccolo paesino della Scozia, Saint Monans, dopo alcune vicissitudini che le hanno costrette ad abbandonare il Maine.
A causa di un’azione sconsiderata di Anna, compiuta senza immaginarne le conseguenze, sono costrette a cominciare una nuova vita altrove, dove nessuno le conosce e dove sperano di poter abbandonare alle loro spalle i problemi che si erano creati.
Cominciare la scuola a metà dell’anno non è semplice e, per le sue brutte esperienze, Anna diffida dei nuovi compagni, anche se, in maniera molto naturale, alla fine riesce a legarsi a due ragazze che sembrano comprenderla.
Purtroppo, il passato ritorna e i problemi che pensava di essersi lasciata alle spalle nel Maine tornano a tormentare la sua nuova vita, causando ancora una volta scompiglio e vergogna.
A distrarla dalla sua vecchia vita arriva anche una scoperta fatta per portare a termine un progetto scolastico, e la vita della ragazza si intreccia a quella di Maggie, una donna vissuta nel 1600 accusata di stregoneria.
Anna comincia a fare delle ricerche per portare alla luce la vita di questa giovane donna ed entra in una strana sintonia con le sue vicende.
Ma per quanto voglia fare finta di non sentire i bisbigli e le frasi cattive che le vengono lanciate a scuola mentre cammina per i corridoi, per quanto finga di non importarsene dell’abbandono delle sue due nuove amiche, per quanto cerchi di concentrarsi sulla storia di Maggie, Anna deve affrontare quello che le sta accadendo ancora una volta, perché quando scappi dai problemi, prima o poi quelli ti raggiungono.
“In uno dei miei libri ho letto una frase che dice: Siamo le nipoti delle streghe che non siete riusciti a bruciare.
Penso a Maggie, alla collana, a sua figlia, a quanto mi sono immedesimata in lei. È come se un frammento di lei ora si trovasse dentro di me, mi sorreggesse, mi aiutasse a raddrizzare la schiena. E sussurro a me stessa: Siamo le nipoti delle streghe che avete bruciato. E non lo tollereremo più.”
Bellissima storia che tratta temi attuali e di grande importanza che avvelenano la nostra società, soprattutto tra gli adolescenti: bullismo, Revenge Porn e isolamento, ma non solo.
“Il fuoco” ci catapulta nella vita travagliata di Anna, questa adolescente che nell’ingenuità dei suoi anni si lascia trasportare dai sentimenti che prova per un ragazzo e per non perderlo si trova a compiere azioni che non immaginava e di cui non si aspettava le conseguenze.
Anna ha perso il padre e probabilmente per questo fa di tutto per non perdere questo nuovo legame.
Solo che questo si rivela deleterio non solo per lei ma anche per la madre, che però vede un’opportunità di cambiamento e rinascita nel trasferimento che sono costrette a fare verso un’altra regione.
Una volta arrivati a Saint Monans, mentre la madre trova subito un ambiente fertile di rapporti e di amicizie nel lavoro, Anna fatica molto a lasciarsi andare e anche quando trova amiche nuove rimane sempre un po’ sulle sue per paura di soffrire un altro tradimento come quello che le hanno fatto le sue amiche del Maine.
Non passa molto perché ciò che Anna ha lasciato lì la venga a cercare e la trovi, e allora quel poco di serenità, quella parvenza di normalità, si sgretola e crolla e Anna cerca di combattere da sola per non turbare ancora una volta la madre. Ma la scintilla divampa e diventa un fuoco indomabile, proprio come quello che lambiva le innocenti carni di quelle donne che nel lontano passato venivano accusate di stregoneria e condannate al rogo.
Anna fa proprio una scoperta in tal senso quando per un progetto scolastico si imbatte in un libro di storia di Saint Monans che accenna a una giovane donna in particolare, accusata di stregoneria nel 1600.
Per uno strano motivo Anna si trova coinvolta fin troppo e comincia a fare delle ricerche che, in un certo senso, la salvano dalla gogna che sta subendo a scuola.
La storia di Maggie, questo il nome della presunta strega, ha molte analogie con quella di Anna e il lettore si appassionerà tanto a questa parte del romanzo.
Non mi addentro molto nello spiegarvi i motivi che hanno spinto Anna ad andare via dalla sua città e che la ritrovano e Saint Monans perché sarebbe uno spoiler, ma sappiate che è per questi motivi che Anna subisce bullismo e ostracismo dai suoi compagni di liceo.
Questi argomenti, ammetto, potevano essere trattati meglio e con maggiore approfondimento da parte dell’autrice, che ha dedicato poco tempo ad alcuni aspetti fondamentali della vicenda. Proprio questo mi ha fatto storcere il naso, perché Anna è una vittima recidiva che non denuncia, che lascia che le venga fatto ciò che le viene fatto, subisce e non si ribella.
In questo nemmeno il comportamento della madre mi ha convinto né mi è piaciuto.
Trattati benissimo invece i capitoli riguardanti Maggie, che avvincono molto il lettore e lo trasportano in un momento storico difficile e davvero crudele per chi nasceva femmina.
Per il resto, il complesso fa il suo dovere e risulta una lettura davvero interessante.
Lo stile dell’autrice è elegante e incisivo, la lettura scorrevole e senza intoppi, anche nei passaggi tra le due vicende, quella di Anna e quella di Maggie.
Ne consiglio la lettura anche se il messaggio che potrebbe lanciare agli adolescenti che si approcciano a questo romanzo potrebbe essere fuorviante.
Mi raccomando, qualsiasi forma di bullismo va denunciata!
Salve Confine,
ritorno a voi con una lettura fatta di recente, l’unica del mese di marzo che mi ha coinvolto veramente per i temi importanti e attuali che tratta, anche se per certi versi mi ha fatto storcere un po’ il naso.
Si tratta de “Il fuoco” di Laura Bates, edito Rizzoli.
Anna e la madre si trasferiscono in un piccolo paesino della Scozia, Saint Monans, dopo alcune vicissitudini che le hanno costrette ad abbandonare il Maine.
A causa di un’azione sconsiderata di Anna, compiuta senza immaginarne le conseguenze, sono costrette a cominciare una nuova vita altrove, dove nessuno le conosce e dove sperano di poter abbandonare alle loro spalle i problemi che si erano creati.
Cominciare la scuola a metà dell’anno non è semplice e, per le sue brutte esperienze, Anna diffida dei nuovi compagni, anche se, in maniera molto naturale, alla fine riesce a legarsi a due ragazze che sembrano comprenderla.
Purtroppo, il passato ritorna e i problemi che pensava di essersi lasciata alle spalle nel Maine tornano a tormentare la sua nuova vita, causando ancora una volta scompiglio e vergogna.
A distrarla dalla sua vecchia vita arriva anche una scoperta fatta per portare a termine un progetto scolastico, e la vita della ragazza si intreccia a quella di Maggie, una donna vissuta nel 1600 accusata di stregoneria.
Anna comincia a fare delle ricerche per portare alla luce la vita di questa giovane donna ed entra in una strana sintonia con le sue vicende.
Ma per quanto voglia fare finta di non sentire i bisbigli e le frasi cattive che le vengono lanciate a scuola mentre cammina per i corridoi, per quanto finga di non importarsene dell’abbandono delle sue due nuove amiche, per quanto cerchi di concentrarsi sulla storia di Maggie, Anna deve affrontare quello che le sta accadendo ancora una volta, perché quando scappi dai problemi, prima o poi quelli ti raggiungono.
“In uno dei miei libri ho letto una frase che dice: Siamo le nipoti delle streghe che non siete riusciti a bruciare.
Penso a Maggie, alla collana, a sua figlia, a quanto mi sono immedesimata in lei. È come se un frammento di lei ora si trovasse dentro di me, mi sorreggesse, mi aiutasse a raddrizzare la schiena. E sussurro a me stessa: Siamo le nipoti delle streghe che avete bruciato. E non lo tollereremo più.”
Bellissima storia che tratta temi attuali e di grande importanza che avvelenano la nostra società, soprattutto tra gli adolescenti: bullismo, Revenge Porn e isolamento, ma non solo.
“Il fuoco” ci catapulta nella vita travagliata di Anna, questa adolescente che nell’ingenuità dei suoi anni si lascia trasportare dai sentimenti che prova per un ragazzo e per non perderlo si trova a compiere azioni che non immaginava e di cui non si aspettava le conseguenze.
Anna ha perso il padre e probabilmente per questo fa di tutto per non perdere questo nuovo legame.
Solo che questo si rivela deleterio non solo per lei ma anche per la madre, che però vede un’opportunità di cambiamento e rinascita nel trasferimento che sono costrette a fare verso un’altra regione.
Una volta arrivati a Saint Monans, mentre la madre trova subito un ambiente fertile di rapporti e di amicizie nel lavoro, Anna fatica molto a lasciarsi andare e anche quando trova amiche nuove rimane sempre un po’ sulle sue per paura di soffrire un altro tradimento come quello che le hanno fatto le sue amiche del Maine.
Non passa molto perché ciò che Anna ha lasciato lì la venga a cercare e la trovi, e allora quel poco di serenità, quella parvenza di normalità, si sgretola e crolla e Anna cerca di combattere da sola per non turbare ancora una volta la madre. Ma la scintilla divampa e diventa un fuoco indomabile, proprio come quello che lambiva le innocenti carni di quelle donne che nel lontano passato venivano accusate di stregoneria e condannate al rogo.
Anna fa proprio una scoperta in tal senso quando per un progetto scolastico si imbatte in un libro di storia di Saint Monans che accenna a una giovane donna in particolare, accusata di stregoneria nel 1600.
Per uno strano motivo Anna si trova coinvolta fin troppo e comincia a fare delle ricerche che, in un certo senso, la salvano dalla gogna che sta subendo a scuola.
La storia di Maggie, questo il nome della presunta strega, ha molte analogie con quella di Anna e il lettore si appassionerà tanto a questa parte del romanzo.
Non mi addentro molto nello spiegarvi i motivi che hanno spinto Anna ad andare via dalla sua città e che la ritrovano e Saint Monans perché sarebbe uno spoiler, ma sappiate che è per questi motivi che Anna subisce bullismo e ostracismo dai suoi compagni di liceo.
Questi argomenti, ammetto, potevano essere trattati meglio e con maggiore approfondimento da parte dell’autrice, che ha dedicato poco tempo ad alcuni aspetti fondamentali della vicenda. Proprio questo mi ha fatto storcere il naso, perché Anna è una vittima recidiva che non denuncia, che lascia che le venga fatto ciò che le viene fatto, subisce e non si ribella.
In questo nemmeno il comportamento della madre mi ha convinto né mi è piaciuto.
Trattati benissimo invece i capitoli riguardanti Maggie, che avvincono molto il lettore e lo trasportano in un momento storico difficile e davvero crudele per chi nasceva femmina.
Per il resto, il complesso fa il suo dovere e risulta una lettura davvero interessante.
Lo stile dell’autrice è elegante e incisivo, la lettura scorrevole e senza intoppi, anche nei passaggi tra le due vicende, quella di Anna e quella di Maggie.
Ne consiglio la lettura anche se il messaggio che potrebbe lanciare agli adolescenti che si approcciano a questo romanzo potrebbe essere fuorviante.
Mi raccomando, qualsiasi forma di bullismo va denunciata!
March 14, 2019
Powerfully written, shocking and compelling, The Burning is a book that should be read by teens and adults alike. Drawing parallels between witch hunts of the past and treatment of girls and women today, it’s raw, and sad and unfair, but ultimately empowering and important. Young women who see themselves in this story will feel less alone and take courage and strength from it.
February 19, 2019
3.5 Stars.
I received this eProof for free from Simon & Schuster Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.
Trigger Warnings: This book features rape, non-consensual pornography, sex shaming, victim blaming, bullying, discussion of abuse due to abortion, and discussion of death from cancer.
When I first heard Laura Bates was writing a YA novel, I was so excited to read it. I loved her feminist non-fiction books, Everyday Sexism and Girl Up, and I was sure The Burning was going to be incredible, too! Unfortunately, it left me a little disappointed.
When Anna moves from Birmingham to St. Monans in Scotland, she hopes it will be a fresh start. She's left her past behind, and is ready to begin anew. She's just starting to settle, to find her feet, and has made some good friends, when her past finds her, and everyone knows what she ran from. As she struggles with the abuse and bullying, and the sudden loss of her friends, her history project keeps her going. She must research the life of a local person, and has discovered that in the 17th Century, a teenage girl, Maggie, was executed as a witch. The more she discovers, the more she finds she relates to the girl whose whole town turns on her because of something someone else did - and that the world is not so different now as it was then, with girls getting blamed for what boys do to them.
I really, really wanted to love this story, but there were a number of things that just left me wanting more, sadly. From Bates' Author Note, we know that the things that happen to Anna are based on the experiences of girls and young women she has been told about when she's visited schools. In that regard, The Burning is a really important story. What Anna goes through is horrific, and it's harrowing to read. Imagining that happening to real girls and young women, today, in schools across the country, is really difficult to swallow. The Burning is going to be a great conversation starter, a way for people to face the truth of what's happening, but also how others, those in authority, react and try to deal with things. What happens in this book probably isn't going to be much of a surprise to those in schools. They will recognise this story. They probably know someone who experienced some of what Anna does, or have themselves. With The Burning, they will feel seen and understood, and that they are not alone, and the powerful effect of that can't be understated.
Because of the previous books Bates has written, I'm pretty sure her adult readers and supporters will pick this up, too, and in that case, I think it will have a massive impact. London Live tweeted a brilliant video interview with Laura Bates, and in it she discusses how teens today have parents who didn't have the pressures or the consequences that came with social media, and how there is a divide between what they experienced and what their children are now experiencing, and how she hopes The Burning will help to close that gap, to help them understand. And this is another reason this book is going to be so important, and so powerful.
But as a story, I did find it kind of lacking in areas. Once Anna's past has caught up with her and everyone at school knows about it, it's awful. The bullying and abuse she suffers is, as I've said, horrific. I really felt for her in her fear, her shame, her desperate desire to escape, to hide. But from that point on, that's pretty much all that happens to her; she is bullied and abused, and she hides it from her mum and from the teachers, and so nothing happens. It escalates at times, but otherwise, there's no change. And while it's awful, the story kind of plateaus there. So you're just reading more of the same for most of the book. I was expecting a book that would be of a girl fighting against sexism, because of Bates' previous books, and while I understand why she wrote this book, and the impact it will have, I wish there was some kind of change.
So I was more interested in the story of Maggie. Researching Maggie's life is the only thing that's different in Anna's story. I was really interested in the excerpts Anna read from non-fic books on witch hunts and trials, and the punishments for women who didn't behave the way men expected. So much so, I've started looking up non-fic on witch hunts / trials through a feminist lens, or their links to sexism. But there wasn't a huge deal of that research in the end. It was more a combination of conversations with an old local historian, Glenn, who is helping her, and him telling her what he's discovered, and then the dreams Anna experiences after finding a necklace hidden in her attic; she starts to dream of Maggie's life, and what she experienced. I was much more interested in the actual research than the conversations and the dreams. I was hoping Glenn would actually show her what he had found, rather than just tell her, and with the dreams, they were only snap shots of Maggie's life leading up to her death, and while what happened to her was disgusting and horrific, there wasn't enough of her to become as invested as I would have liked. I feel I would have been more invested if there were more excerpts about her life than dream visions. I also felt her story in those dream visions ended quite abruptly. I knew what was coming, but I expected more from that last dream vision, and it fell a little flat for me.
And then there's the fact that we don't really know much about any of the characters. Anna likes to swim, and was on her swim team at her previous school. Cat, one of Anna's new friends, is really into photography, and wants to be a photography. Alisha is super smart, hard working, and always gets top grades. Robin is a carer for his disabled mum. That's as much as we find out about them. No other hobbies or interests to fully flesh them out. I mean, they do have distinctive personalities and voices, but I can't tell you much about who they are, because we're not told.
I wasn't so keen on the ending, either, unfortunately. It's more that I didn't find the reaction to what Anna does quite believable, I just don't think it would have happened like that. Maybe it's end the story on a hopeful note, but I had various question marks over it - would Anna have actually have done that? Would she have said what she said? - and it just felt a little unrealistic? But maybe that's just me.
So yeah, I was pretty disappointed with The Burning. But a lot of other people have really enjoyed it, so do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.
I received this eProof for free from Simon & Schuster Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.
Trigger Warnings: This book features rape, non-consensual pornography, sex shaming, victim blaming, bullying, discussion of abuse due to abortion, and discussion of death from cancer.
When I first heard Laura Bates was writing a YA novel, I was so excited to read it. I loved her feminist non-fiction books, Everyday Sexism and Girl Up, and I was sure The Burning was going to be incredible, too! Unfortunately, it left me a little disappointed.
When Anna moves from Birmingham to St. Monans in Scotland, she hopes it will be a fresh start. She's left her past behind, and is ready to begin anew. She's just starting to settle, to find her feet, and has made some good friends, when her past finds her, and everyone knows what she ran from. As she struggles with the abuse and bullying, and the sudden loss of her friends, her history project keeps her going. She must research the life of a local person, and has discovered that in the 17th Century, a teenage girl, Maggie, was executed as a witch. The more she discovers, the more she finds she relates to the girl whose whole town turns on her because of something someone else did - and that the world is not so different now as it was then, with girls getting blamed for what boys do to them.
I really, really wanted to love this story, but there were a number of things that just left me wanting more, sadly. From Bates' Author Note, we know that the things that happen to Anna are based on the experiences of girls and young women she has been told about when she's visited schools. In that regard, The Burning is a really important story. What Anna goes through is horrific, and it's harrowing to read. Imagining that happening to real girls and young women, today, in schools across the country, is really difficult to swallow. The Burning is going to be a great conversation starter, a way for people to face the truth of what's happening, but also how others, those in authority, react and try to deal with things. What happens in this book probably isn't going to be much of a surprise to those in schools. They will recognise this story. They probably know someone who experienced some of what Anna does, or have themselves. With The Burning, they will feel seen and understood, and that they are not alone, and the powerful effect of that can't be understated.
Because of the previous books Bates has written, I'm pretty sure her adult readers and supporters will pick this up, too, and in that case, I think it will have a massive impact. London Live tweeted a brilliant video interview with Laura Bates, and in it she discusses how teens today have parents who didn't have the pressures or the consequences that came with social media, and how there is a divide between what they experienced and what their children are now experiencing, and how she hopes The Burning will help to close that gap, to help them understand. And this is another reason this book is going to be so important, and so powerful.
But as a story, I did find it kind of lacking in areas. Once Anna's past has caught up with her and everyone at school knows about it, it's awful. The bullying and abuse she suffers is, as I've said, horrific. I really felt for her in her fear, her shame, her desperate desire to escape, to hide. But from that point on, that's pretty much all that happens to her; she is bullied and abused, and she hides it from her mum and from the teachers, and so nothing happens. It escalates at times, but otherwise, there's no change. And while it's awful, the story kind of plateaus there. So you're just reading more of the same for most of the book. I was expecting a book that would be of a girl fighting against sexism, because of Bates' previous books, and while I understand why she wrote this book, and the impact it will have, I wish there was some kind of change.
So I was more interested in the story of Maggie. Researching Maggie's life is the only thing that's different in Anna's story. I was really interested in the excerpts Anna read from non-fic books on witch hunts and trials, and the punishments for women who didn't behave the way men expected. So much so, I've started looking up non-fic on witch hunts / trials through a feminist lens, or their links to sexism. But there wasn't a huge deal of that research in the end. It was more a combination of conversations with an old local historian, Glenn, who is helping her, and him telling her what he's discovered, and then the dreams Anna experiences after finding a necklace hidden in her attic; she starts to dream of Maggie's life, and what she experienced. I was much more interested in the actual research than the conversations and the dreams. I was hoping Glenn would actually show her what he had found, rather than just tell her, and with the dreams, they were only snap shots of Maggie's life leading up to her death, and while what happened to her was disgusting and horrific, there wasn't enough of her to become as invested as I would have liked. I feel I would have been more invested if there were more excerpts about her life than dream visions. I also felt her story in those dream visions ended quite abruptly. I knew what was coming, but I expected more from that last dream vision, and it fell a little flat for me.
And then there's the fact that we don't really know much about any of the characters. Anna likes to swim, and was on her swim team at her previous school. Cat, one of Anna's new friends, is really into photography, and wants to be a photography. Alisha is super smart, hard working, and always gets top grades. Robin is a carer for his disabled mum. That's as much as we find out about them. No other hobbies or interests to fully flesh them out. I mean, they do have distinctive personalities and voices, but I can't tell you much about who they are, because we're not told.
I wasn't so keen on the ending, either, unfortunately. It's more that I didn't find the reaction to what Anna does quite believable, I just don't think it would have happened like that. Maybe it's end the story on a hopeful note, but I had various question marks over it - would Anna have actually have done that? Would she have said what she said? - and it just felt a little unrealistic? But maybe that's just me.
So yeah, I was pretty disappointed with The Burning. But a lot of other people have really enjoyed it, so do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.
April 12, 2020
Due to bullying at her former school, Anna and her mum move to Scotland and change her last name, but her past isn’t far behind.
Bullying is real. Slut shaming is real. High school students can be mean, but most aren’t sociopaths. THE BURNING expects readers to buy into the concept that nude pictures sent to a boyfriend later made are the cause of such bullying not only do they cause a family to move, that bullying continues a year later at her new school in a new country and no one stands by Anna. Throwing condoms. Name calling during class. Writing on lockers. Laura Bates throws every type of mistreatment imaginable into the story.
In a subplot Anna researches a young woman allegedly burned at the stake for being a witch in 1650 in a story that mirrors her own. She dreams Maggie’s story before learning the facts. The most implausible reason Anna’s past caught up with her made me wonder why Bates took the story in that direction.
THE BURNING is a slow read, my slowest of the year so far. It almost seemed like the writer added useless detail to up her word count. I loved the premise of the story, but the execution fell flat. I loved the message of the story that girls shouldn’t be blamed for boys’ misconduct, but other than two impassioned speeches that felt as artificial as a Lifetime Issue Movie, misogyny wasn’t addressed.
The Salem witch trials are a big interest of mine. Theoretically I should have loved THE BURNING, but I didn’t even like it and came close to giving only one star.
Bullying is real. Slut shaming is real. High school students can be mean, but most aren’t sociopaths. THE BURNING expects readers to buy into the concept that nude pictures sent to a boyfriend later made are the cause of such bullying not only do they cause a family to move, that bullying continues a year later at her new school in a new country and no one stands by Anna. Throwing condoms. Name calling during class. Writing on lockers. Laura Bates throws every type of mistreatment imaginable into the story.
In a subplot Anna researches a young woman allegedly burned at the stake for being a witch in 1650 in a story that mirrors her own. She dreams Maggie’s story before learning the facts. The most implausible reason Anna’s past caught up with her made me wonder why Bates took the story in that direction.
THE BURNING is a slow read, my slowest of the year so far. It almost seemed like the writer added useless detail to up her word count. I loved the premise of the story, but the execution fell flat. I loved the message of the story that girls shouldn’t be blamed for boys’ misconduct, but other than two impassioned speeches that felt as artificial as a Lifetime Issue Movie, misogyny wasn’t addressed.
The Salem witch trials are a big interest of mine. Theoretically I should have loved THE BURNING, but I didn’t even like it and came close to giving only one star.
September 26, 2019
cw: rape, sexual assault, homophobic slurs, misogyny, slut shaming, abortion, revenge porn
"we are the granddaughters of the witches you burned.
and we're not putting up with it anymore."
this was such a hard book to read. it made me so angry and upset. i can't even imagine how many girls and women have to go through this and how victims are blamed and shamed whilst the abusers get away with it. the fact that women, myself included, have said: "well, it wasn't that bad was it?" when we're victimised.
this book was so important and i honestly think it should be taught in schools because of the issues it discusses. i especially like how the message about social media wasn't that it was bad but instead how bad social media sites are with taking down hurtful and harmful posts?
i really liked how there was an almost fabulist element to this with maggie's story intertwining with anna's. i found it really interesting to learn in laura bates acknowledgements that maggie was actually a real person. the fact that women have gone through such trauma since our existence for simply EXISTING is so upsetting. there was an underlying message of hope in this book though. that women are reclaiming power and have a voice. i love that bates included a number of resources for people going through any of these issues as well as a list of conversation starters for a classroom situation.
if you can handle the dark subject matter i can't recommend this enough.
"we are the granddaughters of the witches you burned.
and we're not putting up with it anymore."
this was such a hard book to read. it made me so angry and upset. i can't even imagine how many girls and women have to go through this and how victims are blamed and shamed whilst the abusers get away with it. the fact that women, myself included, have said: "well, it wasn't that bad was it?" when we're victimised.
this book was so important and i honestly think it should be taught in schools because of the issues it discusses. i especially like how the message about social media wasn't that it was bad but instead how bad social media sites are with taking down hurtful and harmful posts?
i really liked how there was an almost fabulist element to this with maggie's story intertwining with anna's. i found it really interesting to learn in laura bates acknowledgements that maggie was actually a real person. the fact that women have gone through such trauma since our existence for simply EXISTING is so upsetting. there was an underlying message of hope in this book though. that women are reclaiming power and have a voice. i love that bates included a number of resources for people going through any of these issues as well as a list of conversation starters for a classroom situation.
if you can handle the dark subject matter i can't recommend this enough.
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