‘The Burning lights a fire in you – one that makes you want to fight for change and ignite sparks in others so the fire spreads and spreads.’ – HOLLY BOURNE A rumour is like a fire. You might think you’ve extinguished it but one creeping, red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back into life again. Especially if someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames … New … to fan the flames …
New school.
Tick.
New town.
Tick.
New surname.
Tick.
Social media profiles?
Erased.
There’s nothing to trace Anna back to her old life. Nothing to link her to the ‘incident’.
At least that’s what she thinks … until the whispers start up again. As time begins to run out on her secrets, Anna finds herself irresistibly drawn to the tale of Maggie, a local girl accused of witchcraft centuries earlier. A girl whose story has terrifying parallels to Anna’s own…
The compelling YA debut from Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and bestselling author of Girl Up.
PRAISE FOR THE BURNING:
‘This is a book teen girls NEED to read’ – Holly Bourne
‘Bold, brutal & hugely important’ – Abi Elphinstone
‘Defiant and inspiring’ – Katherine Webber
‘Brilliant’ – Stylist
‘Essential reading for fans of Holly Bourne and Louise O’Neill’ – The Observer
PRAISE FOR GIRL UP:
‘A bracing love letter to today’s teenage girls’ – Sunday Times
‘Essential reading for young women and girls’ – Morning Star Online
‘This no-nonsense guide to being a girl in 2016 is one all teen girls should read’ – Red magazine
‘If you have a daughter or a niece or a younger sister or a goddaughter, buy it for them now’ —The Pool
PRAISE FOR EVERYDAY SEXISM:
‘This is an important book’ –Independent
‘A potent reminder of how far feminism has come and how far it has to go’ – Kirkus Reviews
‘A game-changing book, a must-read for every woman’ –Cosmopolitan
‘Funny and clever’ – Telegraph
more
An incredible piece of work by Laura Bates, The Burningcreates a thoughtful narrative of a girl bullied and shamed.
The Burning is a Strong Feminist Read
A powerful novel The Burning follows Anna, forced to move due to bullying. Her mother packed them up and moved them to Scotland, reverting to her mothers’ maiden name. Anna tries to put the past behind and make new friends, but the past returns and the bullying starts again. Anna’s only escape is a history project that lures her into the past of Maggie, a young woman whose story resembles her own and who was burnt at the stake for her “sins.”
The Burning says much about the treatment of girls. Anna made a mistake; she took pictures of herself for her boyfriend. There was some peer pressure there from her boyfriend, but ultimately, yes, Anna should have been smarter about it. However, she is a teenager and I do not think that any of us can look back at our past with ignorant innocence.
However, her mistake does not justify her friends to abandon her, it does not make her a criminal, and in no way excuses how she was bullied and mistreated at school and online. No one ever “asks for it.”
It is beautiful how Anna’s mother is by her side through it all, presenting a strong family unit that should resonate with the reader. It is remarkable and sends a powerful message to readers. Their relationship has its ups and downs, but they remain united through it all. Anna’s friendships also highlight how strong peer pressure is. Her old friends cut her out instead of standing by her because it was “just too hard”, while her new friends stick by her through it all. It sends a powerful message on female unity and how women, both young and old, should stand together instead of apart.
Final Thoughts
Bullying is a tough subject, but it is not hard to deal with, and the approach of turning the girls into the criminal instead of dealing with the matter highlights much about society. Often it is easier to ignore the problem rather than deal with it, but easier does not make it right.
Bates includes a powerful scene where the Dean is suggesting expelling Anna for her past actions. That would be the easy solution because Anna is the target of the bullying. But when Anna’s mother stands up to the dean and accosts him verbally and eloquently, proving that it will not solve anything, that these young adults need to learn that their actions are not okay, it makes an impact on the reader.
As for the fantastical aspect of the story, mirroring back to Maggie highlights how long injustices have been going on. Women have been mistreated and criminalized for so long, and Anna sees that. She sees that her mistakes do not define her and instead stand up for herself and girls like her. It is an empowering moment for her readers and an empowering moment for girls everywhere.
This book grabbed a hold of me and refused to let me go until I’d finished it. Bates expertly evokes all of the unique horrors of being a teenage girl and cleverly parallels modern sexualised cyber bullying with the witch hunts of old. This book might technically be YA but adults and teens alike will enjoy it.