Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Quick read, this one broke my heart. Very emotional. I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, but enjoyed the book overall.

A heartbreaking story of a fire that burns down a high school and kills a student. As it is investigated, secrets will be exposed and lives forever changed.

Short and Sweet Review

The local high school in Fenix was just burned down and someone died, some people in Fenix are grieving and others not so much. Eden died in the fire but why was she even there that night? Only five people know what really happened and each one holds a different piece of the puzzle.

After We Burned, introduces us to different characters we have Eden whose POV is in the past and then we have Payton, Theo, and Kelsey and we see what the aftermath is. Eden wasn’t very well known and she was closest to Payton and Theo and even had plans to leave town so why she was in the school that night is the biggest mystery which is pieced together during the book. We have Payton who was also in the school but for a different reason entirely. Payton is interesting I think she has some guilt about Eden being there because of the fire and she decides to make it her mission to expose what really went down that night and why everyone was there. I felt for Payton she wants to do the right thing but she also has a hard home life and her dad is abusive and she never knows what kind of mood he’ll be in. Theo was also friends with Eden but he doesn’t have the whole picture so when Eden wants to team up with him he’s all in. Theo is apart of the school newspaper so he’s ready to expose whatever went down. Kelsey is one of the more popular students but she’s been hiding a big secret that’s been eating away at her.

Each character brought something different to the book, we had Payton and Theo ready to expose things that some people are trying to brush under the rug, Kelsey was trying to deal with things in her own way but it backfired. There’s a lot of heavy topics covered in this book like abuse and sexual assault. I feel like there’s a lot of trauma in this book and we see it explored through each character and how they’ve been coping. I thought the revelation of what happened and what led to it was good. The chapters in this book are short and the pacing was good and kept me engaged the whole time.

Overall, this is a heavy book but I did enjoy how everything was portrayed and how things played out. I would recommend this book but also give a warning about the content.

After We Burned is a gripping YA novel that centers around a deadly school fire and unravels into an exploration of grief, accountability, and hope. The inclusive cast of characters tackles sexual harassment, sexism, alcoholism, abuse, and same sex love with honesty and care. Told from multiple points of view, the truth of the fire is exposed along with the secrets held fast by the community. The teens fight to be seen and to survive in a community that often fails them. Readers seeking a raw but compassionate story that is full of hard truths will be inspired that, out of the ashes, something better can grow.

Silence is meant to be broken, and this story can't be extinguished. After We Burned written by Marieke Nijkamp was so raw, beautiful, honest, powerful, real, emotional, gut wrenching, and heart breaking. I have never read a book by this author before, but goodness gracious, I need to read more of this author's works because I was completely destroyed while reading this book. My emotions were all over the place from the very beginning of this book, I bawled like a little baby, I was angry, I screamed, I howled with a broken heart, and I even laughed at times while the main characters would look back on memories they had with their dear friend. There was never a dry eye from start to finish, I had tears streaming down my face throughout this entire emotional story. I knew this book was going to be heart breaking before I even picked it up, but I was not ready for all of this emotional damage, I still feel heart broken today after a few weeks later. Truthfully, I never wanted this book to end because as many of you know, I do love heart breaking stories, but I honestly didn't expect to be so mentally drained after finishing this book. The snot bubbles were bubbling and the tears were streaming. I can't recommend this book enough, please mark your calendars for July 1st, 2025 if you want to be left mentally unstable, but if you do decide to read this book, please be kind to yourself and read at your own pace because After We Burned does deal with some very heavy topics, they will also be listed in my review, so please be kind and mindful to your well-being. To the ones who fight for better days.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND SOURCEBOOKS FIRE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

TRIGGER WARNING'S
Sexual Assault
Physical Abuse
Parental Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Verbal Abuse
Intentional Setting of a Fire

"I love you.
I miss you.
I'm sorry".

"The finality of death brings out everything we wish we could have done differently".

"Truth is such a fragile thing. Give it to the wrong person, and they will break it".

"It's not a failure to ask for help. It's a brave thing to do".

"I never knew your throat could get sore from not screaming".

"Home is the place where people miss you when you are gone".

"Do you know what it feels like when everything you are gets broken into pieces and then, when it takes everything you have to cradle those pieces together and try to survive, someone comes along and breaks you all over again? Do you know how much it hurts?"

After We Burned is told in five different POV's from the students that were affected by this tragic night of events, and each teen holds a piece of truth about what happened. Eden Randall was a student at Pierce High School. A week before spring break, lightning struck the school and ignited the flammable material in the chemistry labs, which caused the school to be destroyed and burned due to a fire that had started. The thing out of the ordinary was that there were students inside the school the night the fire consumed Pierce High School and Eden Randall was one of those students. Eden's only chance of survival was to escape through a second floor window, but after escaping she hit the pavement which caused her severe injuries which took her life. After the fire, there were rumors going around that Eden broke into the school to jump, she set the fire herself, and she was there that night to end her life, but really nobody knew the real truth of why those students including Eden were there that night. Eden wanted to leave Fenix, Colorado behind, she planned on running away because of how poorly she was treated. After her life was taken, Eden was now known as the fellow student of Pierce High School. Eden was "the girl whose life was tragically cut short" as is now being mourned, but who really knew let alone cared about Eden when she was alive? When Eden was alive, no one really payed attention to her, let alone cared about her except her two best friends, Payton and Theo.

Payton Davis deserves to know the truth and Eden deserves justice of the night her life was tragically taken. Eden was Payton's best friend, her love, and the other half of Payton's heart. Eden was the type of girl who convinced Payton there were other places to call home, together they planned on running away to Eden's grandparents farm in Wyoming. Payton was also at the school the night it burned, she tried to save Eden, she tried to convince Eden to stay another day, but unfortunately there was no saving to be done. Payton doesn't have it easy by any means, her mom walked away, her dad is very abusive due to his time in the war and his awful drinking habits, but now she is grieving the loss of her best friend and the love of her life. Payton knows how to survive pain and discomfort, but she wants her story to be told and the truth to come out so Eden can have the justice she deserves. Theodore Robinson was Eden's best friend and neighbor, he's also the editor of the school newspaper, and he also runs the school's website, Puma Press. Eden was like a little sister to Theo, "grief is an old friend, but Eden was my best friend". Theo wants to be a journalist, call him a nerd if you wish, but he just loved going to school. Theo is not a stranger to grief, his dad died when Theo was just nine years old. My heart just breaks for these precious angels, they both lost their best friend, but they are out there getting Eden the justice that she deserves meanwhile they are trying to put the facts together.

During their investigative stage, Payton and Theo become friends and are super supportive towards one another. Eden kept Payton and Theo separate because she was too terrified to lose both of them. As they dig deeper, facts start appearing, and the truth slowly starts to come out. Mr. Lewis, the chemistry teacher, his chemistry room was spray painted with the words pervert, rapist, and criminal on the classroom walls with red spray paint. Together Theo and Payton investigate the blood red spray paint and why those words were on Mr. Lewis's walls. It turns out that Mr. Lewis has been assaulting students, and has been sexually assaulting female students for years, but those students were too scared to speak out and come forward because the administration never believed any of the students when they had the courage to actually come forward. Mr. Lewis is a well loved teacher, he's been at Pierce High School for years, "how do you tell on the teacher everyone loves?". The administrative staff at Pierce High School and the town of Fenix, Colorado are so full of secrets. No teenager should ever have to find out what their most loved teacher has done to so many students, and it most certainly shouldn't have taken a fire for the truth to come out. When the full truth came out and the facts started getting put together, my heart was absolutely shattered, I was disgusted with the teachers and staff at Pierce High School for letting this abuse go on for years. My heart goes out to everyone that was involved in this book, but you will need to read After We Burned to get everyone's story and what actually happened the night a fire consumed the local high school and the life of one of their own students.

This was my second book by Mariejke Nijkamp (I loved "This is Where it Ends")--so I had high hopes for this novel. Perhaps it's because my hopes were so high, but this one didn't live up to my expectations. It is definitely YA, so I imagine it would hit better for that target demographic. The book is told from multiple POVs surrounding a tragic event, which takes place in Chapter 1. I felt like the subsequent chapters were a lot of teenage drama. Like her other books, this novel does deal with REALLY heavy topics, so please read the content warnings before reading this. 2.5/3 stars for me but I'm sure YA would rate this much higher! *I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This kept me very entertained! I read this quickly. However, it was not super memorable. Would read other books by this author.

This book is about secrets. A school burning down. Eden being trapped inside. Now, the survivors have questions. What was Eden doing there? Did she really jump or did she fall? Secrets that have been hidden now matter if they want to learn the truth. Told from multiple points of view, this story is beyond compelling- I literally couldn’t put it down. Be sure to grab @mariekeyn most recent story when it comes out July 1!

After finishing this book, I had to sit quietly for a few minutes and process it. It’s about so much more than just a fire at a school. It’s a gripping and emotional story of both mental and physical abuse. I think it’s an important read for young adults, and I encourage young people to pick it up. It could give those in similar circumstances the courage to speak up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

This is my second book by this author and it was just as good as the other I have read. It did start a little slow and I confused Eden and Payton’s chapters a few times. The subjects in this book are heavy so please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

After We Burned by Marieke Nijkamp is a compelling and heartbreaking read; I read it in one day. It is also a book filled with triggers for abusive and toxic relationships, and betrayal. Be mindful of that when you decide to read this well-written novel. Know that it can be painful to read but that it also can bring a degree of healing.

*** SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! *** SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
*** SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

My prayers and love to all those who feel alone and unseen, betrayed and hurt by the very people who should have protected you, people you should have been able to trust; to those still in hiding, feeling guilty and ashamed, struggling to get past the pain and shock, to trust again, to feel worthy again.

How cruelly ironic that you feel alone when you are but a drop in an ocean of those who have unfortunately experienced the same things, and that the waters rise with more every day.

My sincere thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for bringing this novel to my attention via NetGalley and allowing me to read a DRC copy. Publication is 7/1/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

A fire in a high school classroom and the death of a student reveals dark secrets in a small town. A student journalist investigates despite a popular teacher being involved.

A gripping thriller. The story centres on the devastating fire that consumes a high school and takes the life of a student. 5 students each knows something that the others don’t and the reader has to piece together what happened on that fateful night.

I enjoy reading YA but this book didn'y really do for me. It is so slow until about 20% then gets better. Please check tw's before reading. Told by multiple POV. Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for ARC.

I liked this book. I think after we found out what happened, it didn’t hold my interest as much. The epilogue was very sweet though! Some things I think the author could have improved was making each POV sound more distinct and I also didn’t really feel the chemistry between Eden and Payton. We could have used some more buildup of their relationship.

When a devastating fire destroys most of the high school in Fenix, Colorado, the death of a student, Eden, in that fire sets in motion a series of events that will rock the town to it's foundation. Told in multiple voices, we are taken into the past to see how Eden ended up on campus that night, along with four other students who all have serious reasons for wanting to exact retribution against one of the school's most beloved teachers. We are also taken into the present as some of the students try to figure out what exactly happened that night and how everything went wrong for Eden. A suspenseful book about how the voices of women and girls are often ignored in order to protect a "respectable" man.

This one was heavy for YA. “After We Burned” started out slow, I wasn’t sure where it was going. Thankfully, the slow burn didn’t last long - it picked up pretty quickly. Once it did, it was a fast-paced, quick read.

The book was well-written and invoked a lot of emotion. I will say, there were a lot of characters and I did find it hard to keep track of them.

Overall, I liked the book, but I’m definitely not the target audience.

This one of many book I have read by the author and I once again enjoyed every moment of it.

Told in multiple POV’S but as the book goes on the secrets and mystery soon aligns with one another. Following a school fire that takes the life of a fellow student we delve into the other students backstories and learn about why Eden was actually at school that night when the tragedy occurs.

After we burned is an emotional and heartbreaking book that tackles grief, high school friendship, mourning and secrets amongst one another. All of the characters were all very different and you learn about them and how they deal with the aftermath of what happened. Trigger warnings there is sexual assault from an adult in this book for those who are not comfortable reading through this.

Overall I really enjoyed this book despite how emotional and the pull on your heartstrings there are, not every characters gets a happy ending and I will be thinking about this book for a while. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the copy of this arc in exchange of my honest review.

★★★★★ (5/5)

After We Burned is an incredibly powerful and deeply affecting read. It tells an important story about what happens when kids are let down over and over again by the adults they are supposed to trust, by adults who are supposed to protect them and how corporate greed can tear apart communities.
This is not an easy book to read, heavy and heartbreaking at times, and that is only enhanced by the writing which makes you feel like you’re immersed in the story.
I was deeply touched by the way the main characters (the teens) stand up for one another and look out for each other. Their choices are often imperfect, and their actions often show desperation, love and loyalty.
I’ll definitely be thinking about this for a long time.

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Fire and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

I will give this one three stars. It's fine, but for me nothing really pops out to differentiate from other YA books of here and now. Typical high school social groups, dialogue, emotions. Drama abounds! The main character, Eden, has some good depth, but the other characters feel paper cut out to me. There's the usual intrigue and murder mystery, but it's all very predictable. Could be added to the library collection. Warning: Contains sexual assault against minors by trusted adult.