Burned

by Ellen Hopkins

Summary: Pattyn's strict religious upbringing doesn't mesh with the abuse and alcoholism she witnesses every day in her home. She's angry, and lets everyone know it, which lands her a summer with an aunt in a tiny Nevada town. There aren't many people her age there, but she does meet one--Ethan, and it's a connection unlike anything she has ever felt. She also finds an unexpected acceptance and love from her aunt. But things don't ever seem to go well for Pattyn for very long.

My thoughts: This is another high school book, so it's not in our library. Hopkins writes in verse like no one else can, except maybe Sonya Sones (but I prefer Hopkins). The writing is elegant, beautiful, and compulsively readable. This book is like a train wreck--sad, but you just can't bring yourself to look away.