Burned by Ellen Hopkins, Sammy Yuen (2006, Hardcover)

This book is very deep, deals with many aspects of life, personal to each individual, and also our surroundings, and other people in life. It's written in verse, which I think adds to it's depth and meaning. It flows from beginning to end and you just can't put it down.

Ellen Hopkins deals with issues in certain people's lives that most people don't experience personally, but can still feel empathetically connected. Like with Pattyn, the main character in Burned, you feel for her in all of her struggles, as she discovers a world, and experiences life beyond what she knew. Whenever there's happiness or sadness, you're as overjoyed and ache as much as she does.

I LOVED this book, and I highly recommend it to any teenager or adult to broaden their horizons and understand how things can be for people other than ourselves.