Medina, Meg Burn Baby Burn 307 pgs. Candlewick Press, 2016.
Language: R (58 swears, 10 f's, 20 deity) Mature Content: R (off page
sex, making out, possession and selling of drugs) Violence: PG-13 (domestic
abuse)
Nora is in her senior year in high school just waiting for
graduation to get out. She works hard to make what money she can but
things aren't going well in the neighborhood. It's New York City in 1977
and, as summer approaches, it is hot and miserable. Also, there is a
serial killer on the loose that keeps tensions high. Nora is just trying
to get through each day juggling work and family. It doesn't help that
her younger brother, Hector, is getting into trouble. He is mean, abusive
and out of control with both Nora and her mom. How much longer can Nora
keep everything from falling apart?
I wasn’t aware of the incidents in New York the summer of
1977 so I learned a few things and really enjoyed the story. I thought
the author did a great job weaving the incidents of that time into a believable
story that kept my interest. There were several times I got a bit
anxious, not sure where the author was going with the serial killer plot but
she does a good job building the tension around that plotline while keeping the
reader engaged with Nora's life as she tries to juggle work, a boy she likes,
and her family and friends. While fans of historical fiction will like
this, it might even satisfy those that like more contemporary realistic fiction
because it doesn't feel so historical. There is quite a bit of language
and content that keeps it at a high school level.
HS - ADVISABLE Reviewer: RB
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment