Review: Nothing Left to Burn by Patty Blount
Nothing Left To Burn
368 Pages
Release Date: 08/04/2015
Publisher/Imprint: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Teen/YA | YA Contemporary | YA Romance
I can’t want you. I can’t love you. I’ve got…
From the YALSA and RITA Award-nominated author of Some Boys, a smoldering new contemporary YA about love, loss and finding a place to belong.
Dear Dad,
I promised Matt I’d do this-become a Junior Cadet. That I wouldn’t let you break me down. I know you hate me. Blame me for everything you lost. But that day I lost my brother and my dad. You could never be proud of me, could you? I was too “different.” So, just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m saying goodbye. Maybe someday, you’ll miss me.
Reece
Reece’s father hasn’t spoken to him since the car wreck that killed Reece’s brother. Desperate for forgiveness, Reece joins the Junior Cadet program at his dad’s firehouse. But the program is grueling, and Reece isn’t sure he can make it through. Then he meets Amanda.
Amanda understands wanting to belong. As a foster kid, the firehouse is the only place that feels like home. She agrees to help Reece, but falling for him wasn’t part of the deal. And when a string of arsons suddenly point to Amanda, their relationship could go up in flames.
*ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review *
Sometimes you start a book and it completely breaks your heart. In the first scene. First paragraph. First chapter. Sometimes even the first sentence. Nothing Left to Burn by Patty Blount was that kind of read for me. The prologue and first chapter of this book is a beautifully written first person narrative that immediately pulled me in and made my sympathize, care, and hurt for Reece and all he’s going through, all the guilt he’s carrying on his too-young shoulders.
In the story, a grieving, emotionally raw Reece has promised his dying brother that he will make things right with their father. The problem is, their dad won’t talk to Reece, but Reece knows the man loves firefighting beyond all else, so he signs up to be a junior volunteer firefighter. Like his brother used to be. That’s how he meets Amanda, and let’s just say, she isn’t the friendliest when he joins her squad but she warms up quicker than most.
Reading this story, you can’t help but feel bad for Reece. His pain and frustration with his father are so palpable and understandable, and the author did a great job conveying that in his scenes. She also did a great job conveying his pain through Amanda’s eyes, and allowing that to bridge a connection between the two characters. I enjoyed that, and this read, a lot.
If you’re looking for a good YA read with real-world problems and that delves into the pain of loss within a family and a community, Nothing Left To Burn by Patty Blount is great one to check out.
Technical writer by day, fiction writer by night, Patty mines her day job for ideas to use in her novels. Her debut YA “Send” was born after a manager suggested she research social networks. Patty adores chocolate, her boys, and books, though not necessarily in that order.