Living Fictitiously: REVIEW: THE BURN by Annie Oldham

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

REVIEW: THE BURN by Annie Oldham

Summary from Goodreads:

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.

Review:

The Burn is a fantastic novel that takes place in a war-torn future where underwater colonies exist and the United States is now New America, where it is illegal to live outside of the cities controlled by the government. Where food and medical supplies are rationed and people fight each other to survive. Terra chooses to leave the safety of the colony to live on the Burn, but pays a dear sacrifice.

This book really appealed to my love for dystopian novels. I enjoy seeing the world turned upside down, as strange as that might sound. I could relate to Terra’s desire to escape the controlling world of the colony, because I’m a Leo and I like to be the one in control. I admired her determination and bravery in both leaving the colony and living on the Burn. She’s a character that has faults, which I love! A good character isn’t perfect, in fact, she’s pretty naive. I mean, come on, she’s lived at the bottom of the ocean her whole life! She’s never even had to FIND her own food! But she also isn’t weak. It takes a pretty strong person to venture out into the unknown. But what I’m really looking forward to in the future (other than finding out what happens to Terra) is Jack! Yes, he may not seem too significant at the moment, but I have a VERY strong feeling he is going to become a favorite.

FANTASTIC! Fans of THE HUNGER GAMES, DELIRIUM, MATCHED and similar books will love it!