The Burn
Author: Annie Oldham
Publisher: CreateSpace, 2011
Genre: Dystopia
The Burn is full of nuclear fallout, roving gangs, anarchy, unreliable plumbing. That's what Terra's father tells her. She has lived her whole life in comfort in a colony at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. She hates it. And she would pay any price to leave. But when Terra finally escapes the colony, she finds out her father is right.
She finds a group of survivors that quickly become friends, and every day with them is a race for survival. When she witnesses and commits unspeakable acts, she has to decide where her loyalty lies: with the colony she despises or The Burn, where every day is filled with nightmares.
She finds a group of survivors that quickly become friends, and every day with them is a race for survival. When she witnesses and commits unspeakable acts, she has to decide where her loyalty lies: with the colony she despises or The Burn, where every day is filled with nightmares.
My Review:
Terra has always been fascinated by the Burn, the world above, the one destroyed by bombs during the Event a hundred years ago. Living in the colonies is dull when every single part of your life is controlled and equalized. Terra dreams of a world where she can make choices, but she never dreamed of the hard choices she would have to make when the opportunity to top side arises. But that is just the beginning! Terra will make even harder choices, because survival in the Burn is no easy matter.
Written in a fun and youthful prose, The Burn will have you chuckling every couple of pages…at least in the beginning. Once Terra gets involved in the plan to escape, things turn quite serious. I couldn’t believe what she gave up to go to the Burn. I swear my jaw dropped and stayed that way during the entire scene. Then she gets to the Burn and she is all fascinated and happy with all the things she sees. That idea is quickly wiped out when she sees the people living in fear of the government and the possibility of being caught and sent to the work camps. Loved the tension and action filled scenes in the city.
Terra was such a fun and strong character to read. She has to make many hard choices, and she takes time before making them. Her relationship with Dave was nice to watch. They quickly grow fond of each other because they have an easy way of just being together. I also liked sweet elderly Nell and young doctor Jack.
The final part derailed me a little from the story. The sudden appearance of Jessa and the without-a-purpose payment she made was like something out of the blue (literally). I get the necessity to silence Mary, but did Gaea really think Terra would do it? I mean, she is top side already, what can Gaea do to her if she doesn’t go with the plan? I don’t get it. But I did like the ending. I can’t wait to see where Terra goes next!
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review*
Favorite Quotes:
I wear a solar radiation suit. The lights we have over our artificial fields simulate real sunlight, so if I were in there for too long, I’d get a sunburn just like if I was on a beach. I guess up on the Burn (that’s what we call the land) they had something called sunscreen, but then some dermatologist down here designed the solar radiation suits and said they were much more effective protection. Sometimes I want to smack him.
~
Then one thought alone exploded in my brain so strongly that the rest of those scenes fade except for Smitty’s vicious face. He could take this life away from me.
He turns to point the knife at Dave. Smitty opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. Instead his eyes widen in surprise because with a clap of thunder, I blow a hole in his chest.
