Where am I? What am I wearing? Am I dead? Am I a ghost? What happened to me last night? These just so happen to be questions that a girl named Nan asks herself when she wakes up in a subway car with chopped up hair, wearing skeleton makeup, a too snug Halloween costume, and the words “HELP ME” written on her chest with Sharpie. Nan is a recovering alcoholic after six months of rehab and she isn’t supposed to wake up in places she doesn’t remember being in anymore. She has no memory of how she got there. She needs to find out what happened to her as soon as she can. As she tries to put together the pieces of the last twenty- four hours that she’s lost. She remembers old memories that may help her along the way.
Burnout is an amazing suspense story that makes you want to know more than the bits and pieces that it provides in the beginning. I t will have you hoping to get your questions answered at the end of this chilly mystery. This isn’t the type of book that you lose interest in because the story gets more and more intense when you least expect it. I would recommend this book to young adults who enjoy mystery/ suspense books.
I would have to say that the theme of the book is to be true to yourself and never let people influence or change you to better themselves. In the book, Nan was such a pushover and so lonely that she would do anything to have a real friend. When Nan met Seemy, she gained happiness, but slowly lost herself. The closer they got, the more Nan lost herself and her morals. She let Seemy control her and take advantage of her. If Seemy thought that she and Nan were dressed too alike, she would make her dress the negative or opposite way of her. Seemy wanted to be the perfect, girly girl. If Seemy put stickers on her nails, Nan colored hers with Sharpie. When Seemy bought girly little sunglasses, Nan pierced her eyebrow. And then her lip. And then her tongue. It angered Nan that she was stuck being the shadow to Seemy's light. She never had a say in anything. Seemy also made Nan heavily drink alcohol with her to make herself feel better, which led Nan to end up in rehab for six months. Luckily after that experience she became true to herself by wearing and acting however she pleased.
The setting of the book takes place in Soho, New York and I couldn’t imagine it taking place anywhere else. She talks so much about the farmers market in Union Square and the Duke’s pizza restaurant on Eighth Street. She also talks about her mother’s huge apartment on the top floor of an old brick building in Soho that used be filled with garment shops. The setting has a huge impact on the story because I don’t think I could relate with the book if the setting changed because Nan provides so much imagery, that you can basically see everything the way she does.
Samantha Turbin, also known as Seemy, was a very pretty, petite, wealthy, adventurous girl who luckily met Nan. At first, she seemed like such an amazing girl and Nan adored her, but the book later show her flaws unfold. Seemy had a lot of internal conflicts that involved her smoking and drinking problems. She also negatively influenced Nan by introducing her to the drugs and alcohol. Seemy changed from this happy person, to this alcohol addicted girl that controlled Nan. Seemy is important to the theme of the book because she portrays the person that tries to change Nan for the better of herself, not for the better of Nan. She is also important to the plot because she is the best friend of Nan, the main character.
Nan was a very misunderstood, bulky, large girl who hated herself and just wanted friends and to be pretty. She was always judged for how she looked and never fit in with others but was a very caring person. In the book, Nan’s conflicts were that she let people influence her and take advantage of her. She also suffered internal conflicts about accepting herself the way she is. She changes tremendously in the book from a girl with no friends to the girl who drinks all the time to a rehab patient. She later starts to enjoy who she is and becomes very happy. Nan is important to the theme because she portrays the person that is allowing herself to be changed for the better of others and not being true to herself. Nan is important to the plot because Nan is the main character of this mystery.
I really enjoy how the book was structured. The author divides the chapters between “Today” and “Remembering”. The “Today” chapters show Nan in the present day trying to figure out the mystery behind what happened to her the night before and what happened to her friend Seemy. The “Remembering” chapters update you on how Seemy and Nan’s friendship started, all the way until their friendship ended. The separation between the chapters brings you to a better understanding of the book because the “Remembering “ chapters help give clues and flashbacks to what will happen in the “Today “ chapters. I loved the beginning of the book because the “Prologue” reads only this, “This is a ghost story. I am the ghost”. These two sentences really grab your attention. It makes it interesting.
“Only assholes shoot in Vancouver and then call it New York. Only New York is New York. Our street is always in movies, since it’s tree lined and the buildings are old and picturesque and it’s dotted with precious little restaurants and boutiques with striped fabric awnings and faux-weathered signs hanging from curlicue iron rods that make it look charming without looking like an out door mall.” page 81.
The author. Adrienne Maria Vrettos, uses a lot of imagery in this quote to emphasize the difference between filming movies in Vancouver and New York. She describes what makes Nan's street area so appealing that someone would want to film around it. She also uses interesting words like curlicue and picturesque to help describe the the environment. I think that the type of location is very familiar and notable to the author. It seems like she has seen this place before.
Seemy befriending Nan was the cause of Nan’s distance between herself and her family. The effect of this was both negative and positive. After drinking while hanging out with Seemy one night, Nan showed up to her mother’s apartment drunk and threw up all over the apartment. The next morning, her mother left her for a second to care for Nan’s younger brother. Nan decided to take a shower but was too dizzy to stand and ended up slipping and busting her head open. Nan was then admitted to rehab and had to get a therapist. But on a positive note, all that she had gone through brought her and her mother closer. She also changed her image, accepted herself, and started to talking to people.
After Nan was free to depart from rehab, she ended her friendship with Seemy so she would no longer influence her to do bad things and lead her back to drugs and alcohol. Seemy got very offensive and felt a sense of abandonment. Seemy’s manipulating ways was the main cause of this. The effect of this only made Seemy’s bad habits worsen. She got herself caught up in crime related activities and was blackmailed by two older men who would later attempt to rape and kill her by spiking her soda with Liquid Gold, a poison that causes you to black out unexpectedly. Seemy also gave Nan some of the drink. Nan saved her from nearly dying of the poison and got police to escort her to the hospital, where they would later find out that Seemy would be sent to a boarding school rehab for rich kids.
While on the subway, Nan notices the words “HELP ME” written on her chest. The cause of this was that the night before, Seemy and Nan were both under the influences of the poison in the soda. They realized they were in danger and tried numerous times to get away from the two men that were blackmailing Seemy. They finally got to a secure place but Seemy could no longer move and kept blacking out. Nan told her she would get help and Seemy wrote the words “HELP ME” on her chest to make sure she remembered just in case she blacked out while trying to get help. The effect of this was that Nan eventually remembered after blacking out and saved Seemy from the men.
Layburn, Sharon. “This story is tense, raw, uncomfortable, and should appeal to your typical angst-ridden teen.” Review of Burnout, by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Good Reads, October 19, 2011, Wednesday Book Review, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917971-burnout?ac=1
V, Miles. “It was very engaging and I felt like I was literally inside the character.” Review of Burnout, by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Good Reads, January 17, 2013, Thursday Book Review, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917971-burnout?ac=1
Looney, Andrea. “I like the voice in this book but not sure about the story.” Review of Burnout, By Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Good Reads, February 16, 2012, Thursday Book Review, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917971-burnout?ac=1
Burnout is a book that deserves to be read. It sets new boundaries to what a mystery book should be like. It is also very realistic because it doesn't put baby-happy stuff. It shows the face of people who deal with similar situations. So many people can relate to the book because a lot of kids deal with low self esteem and drinking problems. This book could be a voice for those misunderstood teens. I tremendously enjoyed the book.
Burnout is an amazing suspense story that makes you want to know more than the bits and pieces that it provides in the beginning. I t will have you hoping to get your questions answered at the end of this chilly mystery. This isn’t the type of book that you lose interest in because the story gets more and more intense when you least expect it. I would recommend this book to young adults who enjoy mystery/ suspense books.
I would have to say that the theme of the book is to be true to yourself and never let people influence or change you to better themselves. In the book, Nan was such a pushover and so lonely that she would do anything to have a real friend. When Nan met Seemy, she gained happiness, but slowly lost herself. The closer they got, the more Nan lost herself and her morals. She let Seemy control her and take advantage of her. If Seemy thought that she and Nan were dressed too alike, she would make her dress the negative or opposite way of her. Seemy wanted to be the perfect, girly girl. If Seemy put stickers on her nails, Nan colored hers with Sharpie. When Seemy bought girly little sunglasses, Nan pierced her eyebrow. And then her lip. And then her tongue. It angered Nan that she was stuck being the shadow to Seemy's light. She never had a say in anything. Seemy also made Nan heavily drink alcohol with her to make herself feel better, which led Nan to end up in rehab for six months. Luckily after that experience she became true to herself by wearing and acting however she pleased.
The setting of the book takes place in Soho, New York and I couldn’t imagine it taking place anywhere else. She talks so much about the farmers market in Union Square and the Duke’s pizza restaurant on Eighth Street. She also talks about her mother’s huge apartment on the top floor of an old brick building in Soho that used be filled with garment shops. The setting has a huge impact on the story because I don’t think I could relate with the book if the setting changed because Nan provides so much imagery, that you can basically see everything the way she does.
Samantha Turbin, also known as Seemy, was a very pretty, petite, wealthy, adventurous girl who luckily met Nan. At first, she seemed like such an amazing girl and Nan adored her, but the book later show her flaws unfold. Seemy had a lot of internal conflicts that involved her smoking and drinking problems. She also negatively influenced Nan by introducing her to the drugs and alcohol. Seemy changed from this happy person, to this alcohol addicted girl that controlled Nan. Seemy is important to the theme of the book because she portrays the person that tries to change Nan for the better of herself, not for the better of Nan. She is also important to the plot because she is the best friend of Nan, the main character.
Nan was a very misunderstood, bulky, large girl who hated herself and just wanted friends and to be pretty. She was always judged for how she looked and never fit in with others but was a very caring person. In the book, Nan’s conflicts were that she let people influence her and take advantage of her. She also suffered internal conflicts about accepting herself the way she is. She changes tremendously in the book from a girl with no friends to the girl who drinks all the time to a rehab patient. She later starts to enjoy who she is and becomes very happy. Nan is important to the theme because she portrays the person that is allowing herself to be changed for the better of others and not being true to herself. Nan is important to the plot because Nan is the main character of this mystery.
I really enjoy how the book was structured. The author divides the chapters between “Today” and “Remembering”. The “Today” chapters show Nan in the present day trying to figure out the mystery behind what happened to her the night before and what happened to her friend Seemy. The “Remembering” chapters update you on how Seemy and Nan’s friendship started, all the way until their friendship ended. The separation between the chapters brings you to a better understanding of the book because the “Remembering “ chapters help give clues and flashbacks to what will happen in the “Today “ chapters. I loved the beginning of the book because the “Prologue” reads only this, “This is a ghost story. I am the ghost”. These two sentences really grab your attention. It makes it interesting.
“Only assholes shoot in Vancouver and then call it New York. Only New York is New York. Our street is always in movies, since it’s tree lined and the buildings are old and picturesque and it’s dotted with precious little restaurants and boutiques with striped fabric awnings and faux-weathered signs hanging from curlicue iron rods that make it look charming without looking like an out door mall.” page 81.
The author. Adrienne Maria Vrettos, uses a lot of imagery in this quote to emphasize the difference between filming movies in Vancouver and New York. She describes what makes Nan's street area so appealing that someone would want to film around it. She also uses interesting words like curlicue and picturesque to help describe the the environment. I think that the type of location is very familiar and notable to the author. It seems like she has seen this place before.
Seemy befriending Nan was the cause of Nan’s distance between herself and her family. The effect of this was both negative and positive. After drinking while hanging out with Seemy one night, Nan showed up to her mother’s apartment drunk and threw up all over the apartment. The next morning, her mother left her for a second to care for Nan’s younger brother. Nan decided to take a shower but was too dizzy to stand and ended up slipping and busting her head open. Nan was then admitted to rehab and had to get a therapist. But on a positive note, all that she had gone through brought her and her mother closer. She also changed her image, accepted herself, and started to talking to people.
After Nan was free to depart from rehab, she ended her friendship with Seemy so she would no longer influence her to do bad things and lead her back to drugs and alcohol. Seemy got very offensive and felt a sense of abandonment. Seemy’s manipulating ways was the main cause of this. The effect of this only made Seemy’s bad habits worsen. She got herself caught up in crime related activities and was blackmailed by two older men who would later attempt to rape and kill her by spiking her soda with Liquid Gold, a poison that causes you to black out unexpectedly. Seemy also gave Nan some of the drink. Nan saved her from nearly dying of the poison and got police to escort her to the hospital, where they would later find out that Seemy would be sent to a boarding school rehab for rich kids.
While on the subway, Nan notices the words “HELP ME” written on her chest. The cause of this was that the night before, Seemy and Nan were both under the influences of the poison in the soda. They realized they were in danger and tried numerous times to get away from the two men that were blackmailing Seemy. They finally got to a secure place but Seemy could no longer move and kept blacking out. Nan told her she would get help and Seemy wrote the words “HELP ME” on her chest to make sure she remembered just in case she blacked out while trying to get help. The effect of this was that Nan eventually remembered after blacking out and saved Seemy from the men.
Layburn, Sharon. “This story is tense, raw, uncomfortable, and should appeal to your typical angst-ridden teen.” Review of Burnout, by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Good Reads, October 19, 2011, Wednesday Book Review, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917971-burnout?ac=1
V, Miles. “It was very engaging and I felt like I was literally inside the character.” Review of Burnout, by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Good Reads, January 17, 2013, Thursday Book Review, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917971-burnout?ac=1
Looney, Andrea. “I like the voice in this book but not sure about the story.” Review of Burnout, By Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Good Reads, February 16, 2012, Thursday Book Review, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917971-burnout?ac=1
Burnout is a book that deserves to be read. It sets new boundaries to what a mystery book should be like. It is also very realistic because it doesn't put baby-happy stuff. It shows the face of people who deal with similar situations. So many people can relate to the book because a lot of kids deal with low self esteem and drinking problems. This book could be a voice for those misunderstood teens. I tremendously enjoyed the book.
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