Audiobook Review: Smoke (Burned #2) by Ellen Hopkins

I still remember exactly how I felt when I finished Burned a few years ago: an overwhelming amount of sorrow and betrayal. Mostly the betrayal I felt was geared toward author Ellen Hopkins for writing such a devastating ending to an already tragic story. It was one of the hardest books I ever had to take in because there was no closure for the characters and me as a reader. Well, a few years later, I finally have the closure in the form of Burned’s sequel.

Smoke begins not too long after Burned ends. Pattyn’s father is dead; she finally had the revenge she swore she would take at the end of the previous book. Now, she’s on the run and feeling massive regret for what she did. Her future is so bleak in her eyes and all she longs to do is see the ocean before whatever the future holds seizes her. On her journey, she strikes on unexpected friendship which leads to a new, different life.

All the while, we’re following Jackie, Pattyn’s younger sister, and the other witness to their father’s death. Jackie is recovering from that final beating from her father and being raped by Caleb, a boy she thought she loved and trusted. Jackie looks to her mother for guidance, but her mom is too busy being overwhelmed by all the other children and responsibilities that spring up with the loss of a husband in the LDS community. Jackie is disappointed by her mother’s non-reaction to what had happened to her and shocked that her mom accused her with partially responsibility for getting raped. Jackie tries to handle the pain that terrible day brought down on her and move on with her life.

The Von Stratten sisters aren’t in a good place. It’s despairing to see such spirited characters torn down by unimaginable horror. It’s easy to get angry by all the actions, injustices, words that are spewed in their directions. That’s the power of Hopkins storytelling to extract such a strong response from the reader. She delivers a punch in the gut, and we respond with a roar. Once again, it tackles all those dark and deep subjects, like death, love, abuse and religion. At this point, I’m starting to find Hopkins’ books as oddly cathartic, despite not even personally relating to any of these characters’ life experiences.

Unlike with Burned, I listened to the audiobook version of Smoke and found myself feeling much more personally involved in the story than before. Hearing their voices (narrated livelily by January LaVoy and Candace Thaxton) made it feel more real and immediate. Hopkins writes some of the most real voices in YA literature, so to hear her words spoken definitely makes it a better experience. I recommend it to those wanting to experience this story in the right mood and at the right pace.

Although it is sad and shocking at moments, Smoke does give readers the closure they truly needed after Burned. I won’t elaborate on how it all unfolds for the girls because the twists and turns—both ugly and beautiful—are part of the closure. Don’t be scared to go back there; it’s worth it.

Rating: 9.5/10

Smoke by Ellen Hopkins is now available wherever books and audiobooks are sold.

Book Info:

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Audio (September 2013)
Length: Approx. 8 hours
Series: Burned #2
Source: Unabridged audiobook (Provided by publisher)
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Religion
Completed: September 2013

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