Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to. Sarah is a sweet young girl who has been brought up by her father alone on their farm since their mother died. To keep the farm and pay off the debts her father needs a bumper crop and harvest and to be able to afford this he hires a dragon.

BURN by Patrick Ness - Word Revel BURN by Patrick Ness - Word Revel

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… This dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul but is seemingly intent on keeping her safe from the brutal attentions of Deputy Sheriff Emmett Kelby. Kazimir the dragon is a small Russian Blue, not many are seen and certainly not working on a farm. The book might be set in a fantasy world but the racism and bigotry of the 50s are certainly present and the locals don’t like a Blue being close by, he could be a Russian spy. The local police officer already doesn’t like the family as Sarah is of mixed race. He also has an issue with her best friend Jason who is of Japanese descent.You would think that the story would conclude when Malcolm reaches his target, but it doesn’t. This is only partway through and another storyline begins. There were certainly plenty of twists and I wasn’t expecting the book to change the direction the way it did.

Burn - Patrick Ness - Google Books Burn - Patrick Ness - Google Books

Sarah has a long-standing friendship and evolving romance with Jason, her Japanese American neighbour, and together they face the challenges of the society they live in and the curse of a prophecy that brings death and destruction to Sarah’s doorstep. Both characters show tremendous courage and resilience fighting against societal prejudice, a vengeful goddess, small-minded and power-crazy local law enforcement and the growing acceptance that they are at the forefront of a war between humans and dragons. The story is set on a farm in Frome, Washington, in 1957. It begins when the father of a teenager, Sarah, hires a dragon to clear a field for them with his fiery breath, but the arrival of the dragon heralds a series of horrific events. A number of acutely drawn characters make this world authentic and fascinating. There is a bad cop whose hatred seeps throughout their small town and whose every move and word is toxic. There is Sarah herself, a teenager who lives alone with her farmer father after the death of her mother, and there’s the boy next door, Jason Inagawa, for whom Sarah has romantic feelings. There is also a cult of dragon worshippers who believe in a prophecy that predicts the end of the world.He was the thing the world had suffered from most in her four billion years of existence: a stupid man with power. When the lights of the universe went out one day, standing over the plug, having pulled it despite all warnings, would be a man like Deputy Kelby.” Then with the deaths of family and friends, and people I thought would have a better ending. Then because of war in their dimension Sarah gets to live with both her dead parents, who did not die of bullets and cancer due to this being another dimension. I’ve written nine books: 2 novels for adults ( The Crash of Hennington and The Crane Wife), 1 short story collection for adults ( Topics About Which I Know Nothing) and 10 novels for young adults ( The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men, A Monster Calls, More Than This, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Release, And the Ocean Was Our Sky, Burn and Different for Boys). 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. You just got days, it seemed to her. Where stuff happened or it didn't. Where planning just showed you what a fool you were to think you had any say over what your life would be.”

Burn by Patrick Ness | Waterstones

Jun Aug » Tags 3 stars 4 stars book book haul book review books contemporary dystopia fantasy film monthly wrap up quote monday reading romance science-fiction Top 10 Top 10 Tuesday writing YA young adult Archives Disclosure: I received a review copy of Burn from HarperCollins Publishers, the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The twists and turns that it contains with, the teenage assassin Malcom of who discovers being gay does not matter and makes his alternate dimension self (Hugo) know that too. Faith is belief without proof," Malcom said. "It's a leap, an act of bravery. If I had proof, I would have no reason to Believe. I can't tell you how many times I've reaped benefit of that faith.”This is a cat and mouse chase like no other. Who has been misled and who is really trying to stop a war whether that be between men or men and dragons? When it comes to Ness, each of his stories are so different. They’re signature Ness and you can identify his fingerprints but his books don’t fit neatly into a (sub)genre. I find that for many, when they like an author, they’re usually looking for more of the same and when they don’t get that, they don’t know what to make of that.

Burn by Patrick Ness How does the world end? Read a review of Burn by Patrick Ness

Set in 1950s America at a time when humans and dragons co-exist. We meet young Sarah Dewhurst and her father who is waiting for the arrival of a dragon that will help them on their farm, as they are much cheaper than people. The dragon, a Russian Blue named Kazimir is there though to protect Sarah and to save the world. 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. A young man from the cult is sent on a mission to the very same farm, but is he there to halt or enact the prophecy? Following him are two FBI agents, ruthless and prepared to stop at nothing. There is romance, persecution, a goddess, alternate universes and much, much more. But at the centre of it all is Sarah, a seemingly ordinary girl who may just hold the key to preventing the end of the world. Become a Readings Member to make your shopping experience even easier. Sign in or sign up for free! 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.”Hasini @ Bibliosini recently posted Book Review (+ INTL GIVEAWAY): Why ‘A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire’ is My New Favourite Read of the Year