Burn Girl

Amazing read, hooked from the off!!

Oh my gosh, this is a brilliant emotional read! I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

This one was intense but very satisfying - loved the character of the uncle, and I thought the conflicted mother-daughter relationship was portrayed very realistically.

What I liked: This story is well written with believable and interesting characters. I love how Arlie is strong and resilient despite the worst upbringing imaginable. Mandy Mikulencak does an amazing job of getting into Arlie's head and showing us her real, raw, confused emotions. The themes of friendship and loyalty and perseverance weave through the entire book. I was swept up in the story and sad to see it end.

What I didn't like: I felt like Arlie seemed to make the same bad choices too many times. It seems she would learn that she could trust people...but maybe this is just realistic given her life experiences.

Overall, a great plot, memorable characters, and well worth reading.

This will appear on my blog on 9/13/15.
Arlie and her meth-addicted mother are barely surviving in a run down motel when her mother dies of an enormous overdose. Arlie thinks about running, but soon realizes that she would rather have someone else be in charge for a while. She hasn't been to school, although she has been keeping up with some of the lessons due to best friend Mo. Once in the social service system, Arlie spends some time in foster care and then ends up with an uncle whom she has never met. He moves to Durango with his Airstream trailer for the two to live in while he builds a house. Arlie goes to school for the first time but is very self-conscious-- when she was young, she was horribly burned in a meth lab explosion and her face is scarred. She also can't smell or taste anything, even though there is no medical reason for this. At school, Brittany gives her a very hard time, but she meets Cody during choir practice. The brother of a bookstore owner who has always made Arlie feel comfortable, Cody is blind. He gets around well on his own, but Arlie feels that the only reason he will talk to her is that he can't see her. This isn't the case at all, and the two embark on a sweet romance. Mo continues to be helpful and supportive of her friend, and her uncle really steps up to make Arlie feel that she is cared for and has a home. When Arlie's former step father comes to town, Arlie is worried that he killed her mother, but relies upon her strong support network to keep her safe. Strengths: This showed how significant Arlie's problems were, and flashed back to different episodes of her life while her mother was abusing drugs, but was such a hopeful book. Arlie tries very hard to accept her easier new life, but struggles with the fallout of the old. Her uncles motivation for helping rings true. Cody's blindness is treated very matter-of-factly, and the romance has realistic ups and downs. Very well written and insightful. Weaknesses: The language. Sigh. What I really think: Really, really liked this, and it would be very popular. Debating buying.

It was the title that first intrigued me. Burn girl. What could that possibly refer to? A fire? Hurt feelings? No, it refered to Arlie. (Arlene, but that is such an old lady name, right?). Young broken girl who found her drug-addict mother dead from an OD one morning... She was prepared for anything but to take her own decisions. She had to learn all over again how to live with other people and to appreciate herself. Believe she was worth loving. That was no easy task but she made it, and even though I know she is a book character, I am glad for her.

Seriously, I read it all in one night, couldn't stop until I was done! I loved it A LOT and I really am ready to tell everybody I know. If this book ever is translated in french, I suggest Gallimard and their "Scripto" collection, would fit in perfectly. It is beyond 5 star rating, I loved it, Thank you!

PS : You have the link to my review on the blog I work on, but it is in french.

Very fast paced story of one girl's struggle to obtain a "normal" life after having so many terrible things happen to her. Arlie is the daughter of a drug addict who was badly burned when a meth lab her mother and stepfather were running exploded. The book opens with another terrible event; Arlie's mother has overdosed and died in a cheap motel room. Arlie must clean up the drugs and her mother's body, call the police and then resign herself to a life in foster care as she has no relatives....or does she? Suddenly into her life comes her uncle Frank from Texas, who decides to relocate to Arlie's hometown so he can build her a house and a new life.
This book is about the power of friendship, as Arlie's best friend Mo is the one who drives the main character to believe there is hope and possibility of a better future, even when her father seriously disapproves of their friendship and her own life is tainted by the death of her sister to Leukemia.
Throw into this story, the love of a gorgeous blind boy called Cody, serious bullying by a girl called Brittany ( what else) and the stalking of Arlie by her creepy step dad, and we have a romatic, suspenseful and fast-paced story.
I loved the uncle Frank character and all his flaws, as well as the almost-too-good -to -be -true character of Mo, and the flashback parts of the story that explained critical events in Arlie's past added get weight to the story.
Recommended for older teenage readers due to subject matter - drugs obviously, and also a few instances of swearing, violence and Arlie and Cody's discussion about taking their relationship to a physical level.

A review of this book will be up on my blog on Sunday 5th July 2015. I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters, especially Mo and Frank. I liked the fact that this wasn’t a love story and there wasn’t a love triangle as in my opinion they are far overused in young adult books nowadays. Cody was a great character and the relationship between him and Arlie was lovely, especially at the beginning of the book when they were getting together, but I loved that fact that there was more to the book than their relationship. Nevertheless, it was cute and sweet.

I was happy that our villain of the story, Lloyd, got what he deserved in the end; however, the plot was rather predictable. The second Arlie realised that the text was written differently, I think we all knew what was about to happen and it was frustrating because despite how many times she has been told that she shouldn’t go off on her own, she still fails to listen and does it right until the end. Furthermore, I don’t feel like Lloyd’s motivation to go after Arlie was strong enough, I mean, she’s only a teenager and he’s expecting her to get him fifty grand?!

Overall, it is a good story with a lovely focus on friendships. It is well written with great characters and for the most part a good plot.

I rate this book 3/5 because I liked it and despite a couple of flaws, I do recommend it. The characters are developed and I couldn’t put it down. I spent the whole afternoon reading this, I was attached, and was almost in tears near the end.

There are so many positive things to say about this book. Arlie is the kind of character that sticks with you long after you've finished reading. So many YA books feature main characters that are broken/fragile/victims, but Arlie is never a victim. You can't help but cheer for her- even when she acts in ways that you don't understand. The author did a wonderful job of explaining Arlie's normal and how she had to adjust to a different life after the death of her mother. At the end of the book I cried and I'm not a crier. I plan on looking up other books by this author.

Burn Girl tells the story of Arlie, a teenager who is physically and emotionally scarred from her stepdad's meth lab explosion. When she finds her mother dead, she must pick up the pieces of her life and move on.

I loved the way that Burn Girl reads just like a YA novel should, while addressing the complications of a teen who has been in the role of responsible caregiver for far too long. I also liked that Mikulencak delves into the issues of trust and "family."

*This review will appear on my blog during the month of August*

Introduction Arlie knows what to do when she finds her mother dead after a purposeful overdose. Arlie has spent her life taking care of her mother and spent a great deal of time running from her step-father, Loyd, who is responsible for a meth lab explosion that left Arlie's face disfigured when she was young. Arlie has never been more afraid in her entire life than now. Now she's alone. She has taken care of herself as long as she can remember, her mother wasn't exactly the most reliable, but now even she's gone.

After a few weeks, Frank, an uncle of Arlie's that was previously unknown to her, is appointed her legal guardian. A world of new opportunities opens up to Arlie. She has a place to call home now, she goes to school, and is falling for a boy named Cody. Arlie's life is looking up in ways she didn't know could ever change, but then Loyd comes back in the picture, Demanding things. With him in her life, she knows it could ruin all the progress she's made to be better, and he could easily ruin the relationships she's made, and she'll be damned if she lets that happen.

Cover

I like the cover of this book. I like how it looks washed out and the title stands out nicely. I also like how the model on the cover's face isn't shown. I feel like that symbolizes Arlie and how she hides her face because of the scar she was left with after the meth lab explosion

Arlie

Arlie is wonderful. She's strong and sensible most of the time, and she seems like a real person, she seems like somebody that would really exist. She's not too flawed, and she's not too perfect, she's the perfect middle ground and I couldn't get enough of her.
After reading some reviews of Burn Girl I couldn't help but notice that some people found Arlie to be reckless and exasperatingly so. Arlie does do some reckless things, but I feel as though she really does think about what she's doing and she isn't being selfish. Maybe she could contemplate things a little more but I really do believe that she is trying to do what's best.

Frank

Frank is such a good character and I loved every scene with him in it. He was so light-hearted and I loved how much he took taking care of Arlie seriously, despite not knowing anything of her prior to his sisters death.

Mo

I loved Mo as well. I like how she always cared for Arlie and always made sure to have faith in her. I also like how in the scene where Mo tells Arlie that she is "so sick of her sh*t" it doesn't come off as a mean insult, it's like more of an aggressive way to remind Arlie that people care about her, and if she puts herself in dangerous situations, it'll hurt her and her other friends as well.

Cody

I liked Cody. I liked the relationship he had with Arlie, I feel as though they are a perfect fit because Cody understands the struggle of feeling different because of something that isn't of the persons control.

Conclusion

I love this book, the characters were fantastic and I was never bored while reading it, something about the book kept me wanting to turn the page and find out what's next, the book ends with a quietness that I found fitting and I am very happy with every aspect of this book.

I was given an electronic copy of this book by Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

It is hard enough being a teenager, but it is even harder when you have disfiguring scars on your face. All Arlie has ever really wanted was to have a normal life. When her Mom dies of an overdose, Arlie is sent to live with an uncle that she did not know existed. Painfully aware of what she considers her shortcomings, Arlie must learn that the only person standing in the way of her true happiness is herself. The realistic feelings of frustration, shame, pain, and grief come through in Arlie's mannerisms and actions. There are many well written characters, but my favorite is Mo. Throughout it all, Mo stands by to offer support, well meaning criticism, and a shoulder on which to cry. The author does an excellent job in crafting the characters and providing a realistic world for them to come to life. I recommend Burn Girl to those who like YA and realistic fiction and I look forward to reading more by Mandy Mikulencak in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At times it was a bit predictable, but the writing was good, the plot entertaining, and the characters likable. I give Burn Girl 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A very fast paced but great story of one girl’s struggle to obtain a “normal” life after having so many terrible things happen to her throughout her life.

Arlie was badly burned when the meth lab that her mother and step father were running exploded. That was just one of the bad event in her life. The book opens up with Arlie’s mother having an overdose in a cheap motel room. Of course she is left to clean up her mother and the remainder of the drugs before she has to call the police and resign herself to a life in foster care since she has no other family….. or does she?! Well out of the blue Uncle Frank come up from Texas and decides to move Arlie down there. I really believe this book is about the power of friendship. Its Arlie’s best friend Mo who drives her to believe there is hope and a better future for here even when Mo’s father does not approve of the friendship. And of course what is a young adult novel with out some romance huh?

Well we meet cody, the love of a gorgeous blind boy called Cody, serious bullying by a girl called Brittany and the stalking of Arlie by her creepy step dad, and we have a romantic, suspenseful and fast-paced story. I loved the uncle Frank character and all his flaws, as well as the almost-too-good -to -be -true character of Mo, and the flashback parts of the story that explained critical events in Arlie's past added get weight to the story.

A wonderful book

This is a book in which the topic is probably more compelling than the writing. Arlie is a survivor, and she has the scars to prove it. Her stepfather is a meth cooker/drug user, and her mother is--or was--an addict. Arlie has spent a life trying to stay under the social services radar, but all of that comes to a screeching halt when her other ODs in the motel where the two of them have been living. The story is told in present tense, present time, alternating with flashbacks that explain Arlie's life in hiding, her disfigurement, her relationship with Lloyd, and her relationship with her best friend, Mo. The jumping around may be a challenge for less sophisticated readers, but the plot is compelling enough. My complaint with the story is the tendency of the author to descend into musings that are tend more towards the pedantic/didactic than those of a teen--even a teen who has had to take on the role of adult. Her best friend, Mo, is equally as mature in her thinking, forgiving lapses in judgment and honesty that might be beyond that of an average teen. Arlie's romance with Cody, a blind boy at school, is equally as fantastical, but leaves readers with a feel-good sense at the end of a story that could otherwise be starkly depressing. Verdict: The students are loving this one. Fans of Ellen Hopkins will appreciate a gritty novel that is relatively free of profanity and graphic sexuality.
Curricular Use: This book aligns well with health curriculum that require students to understand issues like drug abuse, family relationships, and how to access community resources.

This review is long overdue, but since I’ve only recently gotten around to reading Burn Girl…it is better late than never.

I’ve been perpetually interested in Burn Girl for a few years. Every time I go to read it, I read the synopsis and think “Hmm, this’ll be good!” and then for some reason I move on to another book. So I’m really freakin’ glad that I finally sat down to read Arlie’s story.

I can honestly say that now that I’ve read the book, I see how great the cover for Burn Girl is. There’s more semblance in the cover than I had initially thought, prior to reading BG.

I really liked that Burn Girl only has Arlie’s point of view. I like how we see her struggles and her triumphs. Also, seeing her thought process was different, because of how she has lived her life up to when her mom died, as well as living with the big scar on her face.

I like that there’s a little bit of romance in this novel. The romance isn’t all in your face and it doesn’t take over Arlie’s life. The romance is instead really sweet.

Something that I really enjoyed about this novel was that we see Arlie’s life in the present, but there are moments that gives us insight as to how Arlie lived her life before her mom died. I’m bring attention to this because I usually don’t like when novels do the flashback thing, but Mikulencak has done it incredibly well. The flashback moments don’t feel forced. They feel incredibly natural.

The progress that Arlie makes throughout this novel is heartwarming. Because we see Arlie in pretty much three stages of her life: before her mom died, before the accident, and Arlie’s life in the present. At the start of Burn Girl, we see Arlie incredibly anxious and very stand-off ish. By the end of the novel we see Arlie grow to trust. We see how Arlie deals with her problems: she admits she has them, and she’s getting help for that.