Danielle Rollins
Paranormal Young Adult
352 Pages
Bloomsbury Childrens
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she'll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl's arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them?
MY THOUGHTS
Burning is a quick and engaging read, the day to day life for Angela and her cellmates at Brunesfield drawing us in before the paranormal element even comes into play, thus forcing us to make the nearly impossible choice between getting some much needed sleep and staying up all night to see how everything plays out.
Despite the fact that Angela is one of the more serious offenders currently residing at Brunesfield, she's easy to root for from the beginning, and we quickly find ourselves counting down the days until her release right along with her. She's madly in love with her younger brother Charlie, living for the letters he sends even though her dyslexia keeps her from reading them herself, and is simply trying to keep her head down so her release date isn't pushed back once again. She's fiercely loyal to friends and cellmates Issie and Cara (and eventually Jessica), helping to to keep their spirits up by regaling them with stories late at night and managing to keep a level head on her shoulders even as the new doctor shows up and charms all the girls with promises too good to be true.
The mystery surrounding Jessica and the new doctor unfolds slowly, not so slowly as to be boring, but rather perfectly paced so we have plenty of time to question and wonder where we're being led. The only problems with this story arise in the final few chapters, loose ends everywhere left blowing madly in the breeze by the time we reach the last page to leave us with the kinds of questions that are more frustrating than delightfully intriguing. That being said however, though I haven't found any mention of this being the first in a series, it's entirely possible that is the case, and if so, the lingering questions make far more sense and undoubtedlyshift that sense of frustration to one of anticipation.
Rating: I'm going to split my rating since it's unclear (to me) if this is going to be a series or not:)
If a standalone - 3/5
If book one in a series: 4/5
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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a
review.
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.
