REVIEW: Burn by Peter Heller

 

Synopsis

From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, a novel about two men—friends since boyhood—who emerge from the woods of rural Maine to a dystopian country racked by bewildering violence

Every year, Jess and Storey have made an annual pilgrimage to the most remote corners of the country, where they camp, hunt, and hike, leaving much from their long friendship unspoken. Although the state of Maine has convulsed all summer with secession mania—a mania that has simultaneously spread across other states—Jess and Storey figure it’s a fight reserved for legislators or, worst-case scenario, folks in the capital.

But after weeks hunting off the grid, the men reach a small town and are shocked by what they find: a bridge blown apart, buildings burned to the ground, and bombed-out cars abandoned on the road. Trying to make sense of the sudden destruction all around them, they set their sights on finding their way home, dragging a wagon across bumpy dirt roads, scavenging from boats left in lakes, and dodging armed men—secessionists or U.S. military, they cannot tell—as they seek a path to safety. Then, a startling discovery drastically alters their path and the stakes of their escape.

Drenched in the beauty of the natural world and attuned to the specific cadences of male friendship, even here at the edge of doom, Burn is both a blistering warning about a divided country’s political strife and an ode to the salvation found in our chosen families.

• Format 291 pages, Hardcover
• Published August 13, 2024 by Knopf
• ISBN 9780593801628 (ISBN10: 0593801628)

About the Author

Peter Heller is a longtime contributor to NPR, and a former contributing editor at Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Adventure. He is an award winning adventure writer and the author of four books of literary nonfiction. He lives in Denver. Heller was born and raised in New York. He attended high school in Vermont and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire where he became an outdoorsman and whitewater kayaker. He traveled the world as an expedition kayaker, writing about challenging descents in the Pamirs, the Tien Shan mountains, the Caucuses, Central America and Peru. He was the first man, with a Kiwi paddler named Roy Bailey, to kayak the Muk Su River in the High Pamirs of Tadjikistan. The river was known as the Everest of Rivers in the Soviet Union, and the last team that had attempted it lost five of their eleven men. The run was 17 days of massive whitewater through a canyon inhabited by wolves and snow leopards.

Learn more about the author on their website.

My Thoughts

Two men go on their annual hunting trip and emerge from the Maine woods to find destruction and a barren land amid political upheaval. The story follows their journey through ghostly quiet fishing towns as they attempt to safely make their way home.

Edmund L. Mitchell, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

He let the fire burn down to embers, let the dark envelop him, and stood.

Peter Heller, the author of The Dog Stars which was one of my favorite books of 2012, releases a new page-turner that blends suspense, action, and emotion into a gripping narrative. The book combines elements of mystery, survival, and deep emotional exploration, creating a complex but engaging experience.

Set in the rugged wilderness, Burn introduces us to Jess and Storey, two hunters emerging from a hunting trip into a changed world, caught in a life-or-death situation that will test their resilience, morals, and the very core of their bond.

Heller has a rather choppy writing style that I think can be a bit off-putting for some, but his descriptions of the wild landscapes and towns are so vivid that you can practically feel the cold air and hear the crackling of the fire. The writing is poetic yet sharp, with Heller’s signature style of blending intense action with reflective moments. The pacing is perfect—just when you think you have a grip on the story, another twist or revelation keeps you on your toes. The relationship between Jess and Storey is profound and the kind you only find among those who have grown up together and seen one another through all of life's hills and valleys.

Five words: introspective, patient, gripping, immersive, mysterious

Buy Now:

Check out the author's website for purchasing options

My final word: From the very first page, Heller pulls you in with a story that’s equal parts gritty and thought-provoking. His writing is vivid and immersive, with an almost cinematic quality that keeps you on the edge of your seat. While I didn't love Burn as much as The Dog Stars, Heller delivers a gripping, reflective narrative that’s as heart-wrenching as it is thrilling. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their dystopian to have a bit more depth and meat to it!

Warnings:

Mild language, sexual situations, violence

 

Cover:  4.5 stars
Writing Style:  4 stars
Characters:  4 stars
Storyline/Plot: 4.5 stars
Interest/Uniqueness: 4 stars

Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.