The Burn Journals

 The Burn Journals

 Runyon, B. (2004). The burn journals. New York, NY: Random House Inc.

Age Level: 15 and up (debatable, due to vulgar language use)
Genre:  This is Non-Fiction piece.
Summary:

            A fourteen year old boy douses his bathrobe with gasoline, puts it on, and sets it on fire. Burns covered 85% of his body. Even so, he lives. He’s given a second chance. This memoir, told in first person and set in a journal format, allows the reader to enter the mind of a 14 year old boy as he contemplates suicide, attempts suicide, and recovers mentally and physically from the harm he caused himself and others. 

Reflection:

POWERFUL! I have always asked myself, where are these people mentally that commit suicide? What are they thinking? How do they actually do it? This memoire is POWERFUL! Entering the mind of this young boy as he struggles in school and life really opens my eyes. I found myself on many occasions as I was reading thinking of my own students and wondering if I am missing any signs. It is amazing that he tells people he is going to commit suicide and they do nothing about it. While reading I constantly asked myself, if when I was a teenager someone told me they were going to commit suicide, would I actually believe them enough to do something about it? Probably not! I couldn’t fathom suicide. It wasn’t part of me or my up bringing.

            This book would be a great read for a young adult to teach them to look for warning signs. To let them know that they exist. To make them aware that if someone says they might hurt themselves, they actually might.

            This book also teaches a nice lesson on healing and strength. He got another chance. A chance to heal and appreciate the life he has.  The year he spent in the hospital is presented nicely to the reader. It is full of emotion.

            Here is the part I struggle with. The language used from the very first chapter is very vulgar. As a teacher I am not sure I would be able to recommend this to a student. That being said, it’s a great read for teachers and adults. It taught me a lot about looking for warning signs and made me aware of some of the stresses the school created for the teenager. I am very glad I got to read this haunting and powerful non-fiction book. 

Picture of Brent recovering.....