Book Review | Book Chatter

Burn
By Peter Heller
Knopf, 9780593801628, August 2024, 304 pp.

The Short of It:

A stark warning to a divided country.

The Rest of It:

I’ve read a few books by Heller and all of them have left me a little speechless. All powerful, all a bit unsettling but this one, wow, I gotta take a moment.

In Burn, Storey and Jess start their annual hunting trip as they always do, except as they hike through Maine, they come across some alarming things. Maine is in the throes of secession and as they come across each town, they see the horrible devastation of what’s left behind. Evidence of a burn, evidence of attack. None of it good. As they make their way across the country, they begin to wonder what has happened back at home. Are their families safe? Surely, help would have been sent.

They quickly realize that their goal is simply survival, and getting back home but the enemy is not clear cut. They can’t tell secessionists from the military and everyone is fighting for supplies. As the journey continues, food is scarce, and mechanisms for getting home are scarce too. Boats? Not in the greatest shape and too obvious on the water. By foot? Long. Too long. They witness horrible things. No one can be trusted. They are on their own.

Enter a lost little girl.

Still unsure if there is even anything to go back to, home seems like such an elusive thing but then here is this girl, only six years old, desperately wanting to be with her parents. Are they even alive? How has she survived so far? Worried about their own survival but unable to leave a child to fend for herself in this bombed-out world, they take her on and their mission changes.

This story is bleak. There is little hope and honestly, it felt a little exhausting to be on this journey with Storey and Jess. All of the “what ifs” kept going through my mind . What would happen today if something like this happened? Could it? I feel as if it absolutely can which made it even more difficult to read.

Heller’s writing here is a warning. A warning that a divided country cannot win. How do you feel about that? I read this alongside my 1984 (read-along) and man, it put me in a dark place. And I kid you not, as I was typing this out, I received a phone call from the UNITED STATES. Probably spam but chilling. Like, hello, your country is calling you!

Ahem, If you love Heller, you will also appreciate this book but it’s bleak. You should know that going in. Lots to consider here. Would make a good discussion book.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

The Reading List
By Sara Nisha Adams
William Morrow & Company, 9780063025295, August 2022, 400pp.

The Short of It:

Sweet and charming. Wholesome, even.

The Rest of It:

This is another winner. A book about books and reading. I’ve been loving these this year.

Mukesh is a widow. He lost his dear Naina but his three adult daughters keep him on his toes, as well as his young granddaughter, Priya. They are all a bit chatty over him. “Get out more, Papa. Eat better, Papa. Make more friends, Papa.” They mean well.

Aleisha is a young teen, only seventeen and a librarian at the local library. She lives at home with her older brother Aiden, whom she adores, and her mother who is suffering from an unnamed mental break that causes her to have fits, remain inside a buttoned up house, and requires constant care. Between Aleisha and Aiden, they do the best they can for her, but what she needs is professional care and she refuses it.

To get Aleisha out of the house, Aiden encourages her to take a librarian job. Aleisha doesn’t read and really isn’t an example of customer service because what Aleisha wants is to be left alone.

In walks Mukesh. He asks Aleisha for a book recommendation. His wife used to read so much, he’d like to see what all the fuss is about. Aleisha is initially very rude to him. Sarcastic even. Mukesh is confused by this but goes on his way.

But then a list is left behind at the library. A list with books on it. She’s curious who left the list but thinks that maybe these can be the books she can recommend in the future. Books like To Kill a Mockingbird, Rebecca, Beloved, Little Women.

Aleisha uses this list and a friendship is born between Mr. P (Mukesh) and Aleisha. Down the line, this friendship becomes very important as they learn about themselves through books.

This was a wonderful read. Full of reading goodness but also dealing with some heavy topics. Love, loss, mental illness. Woven between these bookish interactions is a lot of pain and trial but in the end, there is hope.

Highly recommend. It’s an older title, came out in 2022 but I missed it when it first came out and it was readily available from the library! Lovers of libraries, grab a copy and enjoy.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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