I will read anything by Patrick Ness, and I especially will read anything that has dragons in it.
Lots of points of views, multiple stories, and yet they all work, and all finish off nicely.
There was a twists or two I didn't see coming.
Thank you for that Mr.Ness.
Always a pleasure to read.

I don't think it's possible for him to disappoint. Humans and Dragons coexisting, parallel universes, prophecies, a cult and an assassin. What's not to love? I couldn't put it down from the start. I kinda wish it wasn't standalone because I really want to know what happens to some of the characters after the events in Burn, though it was a great ending. I haven't stopped thinking about it, I'm already planning a reread.

Burn by Patrick Ness is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that delves into issues of power, politics, and the consequences of our actions. Set in an alternate version of the United States, where dragons exist and are used as weapons of war, the story follows the lives of several characters whose paths cross in unexpected ways.

Ness's writing is both visceral and poetic, and he tackles complex themes with subtlety and nuance. The characters are well-drawn and multi-dimensional, and their struggles and conflicts feel real and relatable.

Overall, Burn is a thrilling and intelligent read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. I found it full of twists and turns threw out and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way threw  I would defiantly recommend this book if you like a good book to keep you reading threw the night hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did

I will happily read any book that features dragons so was eager to read this one. It was an epic and magic-filled tale with plenty of twists that keep the reader fully engaged in the gripping plot. Highly recommended.

A book by Patrick Ness is always a wonder to behold and this one is no different. Set in an alternate 1950’s, this is a world where dragons do exist. A rich, immersive story that captured my imagination from the very beginning and didn’t let go until the final, mesmerising page had been turned.

A book to be savoured and enjoyed.

Highly recommended.

Burn by Patrick Ness is set in a world where it's 1957, and dragons are real.  Some humans worship them, and the rest of humanity is unsure, but happy with the truce that is between the dragons and the humans.

Sarah Dewhurst lives with her father on their farm.  They're struggling to make ends meet, and so when her father hires a dragon to clear some fields, she doesn't know how to feel.  She's fascinated by the dragon, but also being warned away by her father.

Meanwhile, a teenage boy is on a mission, sent by the head priestess of the dragon worshippers.  He knows his actions are going to prevent a war, and he has been trained to fight.  But he has 2 FBI agents on his tail.

This was a fast paced YA fantasy book, with dragons that act mysterious, teenagers discovering more about themselves, and the threat of war looming.

 Burn  was published on 6th May 2021 and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

You can follow Patrick Ness on  Instagram  or his  website .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Walker Books .

Thank you very much to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This book covers topics such as racism, xenophobia and homophobia. It is dark and not necessarily for everyone.

Burn takes place during the Cold War era. The year is 1957. Set in a world much like our own, except this one has dragons and cults of humans who worship dragons.

Sarah’s father has hired a Russian Blue dragon to work on their farm in Frome, Washington. The dragon, Kazimir, holds a secret, a reason to be in Frome that isn’t clearing fields... knowledge of a deadly prophecy and a girl he will do anything to protect.

Patrick Ness’ writing is incredible, gripping and one of my favourite reads this year. This is a fast paced book, full of unexpected twists and turns I never anticipated. I really hope there will be a sequel as I’d love to read more set in this world.

This was such a well constructed and compelling book. It tells the story of Sarah Dewhurst, a young girl living on a farm in 1957. When her father hires a dragon to help clear the fields, Sarah is catapulted into a world filled with FBI agents, Russian satellites and religious cults. The narrative is so well paced. Split into two parts, the action ramps up to a mid-point crescendo before slowing back down to ramp up again, ensuring that you just can't put the book down. This is not a light book about dragons. Patrick Ness introduces complex topics, such as institutional racism and bigotry and deals with them in a compassionate but unflinching manner. There is a lot going on with the plot here, but that doesn't mean that the characters are poorly drawn as a result. On the contrary, each character has depth and authenticity, with believable motivations, making them easy to root for. Overall, this is a really thought-provoking novel with a narrative pace that keeps those pages turning.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I did really like this book. I think it took a bit of getting used to, and I'm not wholly sure what the message was apart from: war is bad, don't be a warmonger. I really loved Malcolm, our cultist boy assassin, because he's just such a dedicated dumbass and I loved seeing him stretching and challenging his own thinking. Sarah was so down-to-earth and sensible, I did like her a lot too! And the writing has this factual quality, but also it's just so powerful and has a lot to say.

This is a story of war and change, of teens who have been lied to or mistreated and gone to search for their own truths. It's bizarre and enchanting and twisty, and incorporates high fantasy (prophecies! Dragons!) into a more modern setting in such an intriguing way. I've not read anything quite like this. And if you're sitting there like, "does this have REAL dragon content" omg YES IT DOES and Kasimir is a sassy little smart alek, I do adore his scaly unruffled self.

Burn is set in rural North America in the 1950’s where racism and homophobia are the norm. Our main character, Sarah Dewhurst, lives on a farm with her father which they are trying to keep running but it’s growing more difficult by the day. As desperate as they are, Sarah’s father hires a dragon to help out on the farm, which everyone knows only the poor do.
The dragon is a mystery to Sarah and despite her fathers warnings she gets curious and gets to know him better. But the dragon is hiding a huge secret which could change the world as they know it.

I loved this book!! The writing is superb and if I didn’t know Patrick Ness wrote it I would guess at Stephen King!
The characters are down to earth and relatable, it was refreshing to have the mixed and same relationships without it being on the blurb and they fitted into the story seamlessly. I enjoyed the mixed points of view and found it made the story clearer and more wholesome. I didn’t see any of the twists or turns and found I wanted to keep reading after every chapter. I would love to see how the story evolves from here and hope to see book 2 eventually!

As a huge Ness fan, I have to say that this was a more disappointing read from him.

Very abmitious and exciting at a glance, it is often confusing and tries to achieve maybe a bit too much. The representation is great here, as far as I can say from my point of view. Especially as it is ser in the 1950’s, the world still suffers from many evils auch as racism and homophobia to name a few.

The inclusion of 10+ POVs was overwhelming, often jumping away from a more engaging character to a scene that was maybe less important. I loved some characters more than others, but I wish they had more page time.

Has this novel been a bit longer and had a few less voices, I feel like I would have enjoyed it more. But it had dragons, so there’s that.

I don't like books about dragons. I don't enjoy reading fantasy books in general. It's just not my thing...

But I adored this book. Of course it does feature a dragon. or indeed dragons, but it's a book about people. It's a book about how people relate to other people, how they accept or alienate other people. and about what really matters when it comes down to the line.

I love Patrick Ness as an author, and that's why I picked up this book. His writing feels so truthful and there are so many layers to this book. The only negative comment I could make would be that I wish it were longer. I think the endgame could have been more developed, and there could have been many more pages added. Still, I loved it.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

have been a massive fan of Patrick Ness for years, since the release of The Rest Of Us Just Live Here so whenever he puts out a new book, I have my preorder ready. One of my favourite things about Patrick Ness is that he is not afraid to write stories that you don't quite expect and that is Burn. Burn is a story that kept me guessing until the end which features lovable characters to keep you reading.

It is fair to say that Burn was nothing like I was expecting but that is not a bad thing. In fact, it is all but a good thing.

Like most people I knew the basics, the fact that it was set in the 1950s and that there were dragons, but Burn is so much more than that. Once you get past the first act, the whole world shifts and I was not imagining that it would go that way.

I will say that it does quite weird but for me, this is a good thing. I love how Patrick Ness takes an idea that has been done in YA and flips it on its head. All this kept me really invested in the story and I finished it really quickly in about one or days. This is a credit to Patrick Ness's writing of course!

With this, I did like the setting, as I have always wanted to read about books in the 1950s and I think that the time period is utilised well. As a time in the Cold War era, ideas such as race and sexuality are discussed. They are key ideas with the main protagonist, Sarah being BIPOC and one of the side characters being gay. I also liked how dragons were placed in the plot as there is a way that you expect dragons to be in the story but this was shifted around.

I really connected to the characters and they were the main draw point of the story. We see them all go on journeys and change just as the story does. Although I really liked Sarah as a character, I really loved Malcolm and seeing his progression throughout the story made my heart melt.

I want to recommend the audiobook as the narrator, Joniece Abbott-Pratt because I loved listening to her bring the story to life.

Like a lot of Patrick Ness stories, I always think about revisiting them so I will have to revisit this weird story soon.

The Verdict:

Patrick Ness has created a wholly imaginative and exciting world in Burn where you consistently guess what happens is going to happen next.

When I read this book, I did enjoy it. The only part of the book that I didn’t particularly like was the time travel section towards the end of the book.

I would recommend this book, it has everything in it! There’s dragons and great characters and a fantastic plot.

This is a YA speculative novel set in 1957 in the US which is similar to our own world except in this world, dragons are just a normal and accepted part of society. So we follow our MC Sarah who lives on a farm in Washington state with her dad and they are running out of money and options, and they end up hiring a dragon originally from Russia which during this time, the cold war, causes some raised eyebrows. Sarah is meant to stay away from the dragon, Kazimir, but she is curious and he comes actually bearing a prophecy that involves assassins, a cult, the FBI and all sorts of things and everything takes off from there.

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one. I didn’t feel any personal investment in this story, there was no emotional attachment to it or any of the characters. Saying that though I do think this is a really interesting book to think about and I think it’s well crafted. The balance between the relatively large cast of characters was really well executed and they all felt fleshed out to me. It definitely goes off on a bit of random trajectory but I kind of enjoyed it, it’s definitely a bit weird and experimental which isn’t a surprise if you’re familiar with Ness’ works. And I did feel like the pacing was really solid throughout the story. As I said I felt like the characters were good but I just didn’t feel a whole lot for them, and this book was very easy to put down for days and I wasn’t interested in picking it up again.

Also I did personally find the climactic scene a bit of let down considering the build up to it, I feel like that may have been the point but regardless, I just wanted something slightly different from it. But I do think it’s an interesting concept and story and if you like Ness’ previous works I would recommend it.

Patrick Ness has been one of my favourite authors for a number of years now. You never quite know what to expect with his books and Burn is no different.

In 1950's America, Sarah Dewhurst lives with her father on a farm in a small community. Dragons are commonplace and Sarah's father hires one to help on the farm. But a series of strange events lead Sarah to the knowledge that a prophecy identifies her as the one to save everyone from a terrible war. An assassin is on his way to kill her before she can fulfil the prophecy. And FBI agents are hot on his tail...

Ness cleverly weaves different storylines together to lead the reader on a whirlwind journey through reality and fantasy with moments that make you sit up and take notice.

This is not a story for the faint-hearted - with an assassin on the loose, there are some reasonably bloodthirsty killings to deal with!

A brilliant book.

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Alternate reality and dragons...yes.

The dragon was by far my favourite character. He got all the best lines and Patrick was able to convey his personality just by the way he moves and I loved that.

I enjoyed how many races and sexualities they were in this and that’s not usually the case for books set in the past.

To me the ending wasn’t my favourite but it was all well written and I definitely recommend it.

Patrick Ness, writes across many styles; journalism, fiction, screenwriting. He has also won a number of awards including the Guardian Children’s Fiction award, the Costa Book Award and multiple nominations for the Carnegie Medal. As a screenwriter, Ness wrote the screenplay for A Monster Calls (2016) and it is this film that made me hesitate to request an advance copy of his most recent publication Burn.

A Monster Calls tells the story of Conor who has been having a recurring dream ever since his mother became ill. The power of the storytelling left myself and my friend emotional wrecks. Thankfully there was a pub open across the road from the screening room as we both needed a stiff drink. Those who have read the book or seen the film will know of what I write. Those who haven’t experienced either, you should. It’s gloriously painful.

Fast forward a few years to the present and Burn.

“On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron gas station for the dragon he’d hired to help on the farm… The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul, but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe. Because the dragon knows something she doesn’t.”

It is quickly becomes evident to see why Ness is so highly regarded and nominated as a writer. His work is almost flawless. His words are exacting and precise (except for telling us about Agent Woolf repeatedly) and they lead you into a world you almost believe you’re in. The feeling is extraordinary.

Throughout this book I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I cheered and I enjoyed every single moment.

When I read I highlight parts of the text to come back to (so much easier in an e-reader) but often I don’t include quotes in my reviews. This is mainly because I’m working from a proof that hasn’t been finalised - but in this instance I want to make XX exceptions;

He was the thing the world had suffered from most in her four billion years of existence: a stupid man with power (p70 in my version).

You just got days, it seemed to her, where stuff happened or it didn’t, where planning just showed you what a fool you wee to think you had any say over what your life would be. (p73 in my version).

And my favourite;

I’m just a girl.
It is tragic how well you have been taught to say that with sadness rather than triumph. (p303 in my version)

This is the moment I cheered. Women and girls have so many expectations thrust upon them while at the same time being told that their own autonomy means nothing but that’s not the direction I want to take this post.

I want to stress that the Young Adult (YA) designation doesn’t mean an adult can’t read Burn and take something great away. Ness has blurred what little boundary there is between YA and adult fiction, giving readers a strangely familiar story, with believable characters and outcomes. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from what I’ve been reading in 2020 is the current cohort of YA authors are writing the books I needed and wanted when I was in the “right” age group. I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me because of them. This is especially important because of the emotional intelligence and the insight that comes as one beautiful package.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It’s bloody marvelous!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Burn
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Walker Books
Date of Publication: 07 May 2020
Number of Pages: 371
AudioBook Length: n/a

Rating: 4.5 stars