Jill's Reviews > Burn

Peter Heller’s best books – and I’ve read several of them – share many essential themes that resonate deeply with our human experience: the complicated dynamic of male friendship, the existential grief and longing we carry within us, the majesty of nature dwarfing our paltry existence, and the chilling violence that lurks beneath our surfaces. These themes, once again, are at the heart of his newest book, Burn.

All these themes are again at play in Heller’s newest book, Burn. Like The Dog Stars, which presented an unforgettable vision of a post-apocalyptic world, Burn is about survival in a dystopian world and finding comfort and meaning in unexpected places. Again, Heller tackles the reasons for living and the hopeless cycles we all must go through. Here, the setting is rural Maine, where two long-time friends who go off the grid on a hunting trip emerge to confront a world where secessionist violence has destroyed much of the familiar landscape.

At first, the two bonded men forging their way through dystopia seemed too evocative of The Dog Stars. The reader is as mystified as the characters: who is responsible for the violence, why are entire buildings and homes and bridges burnt to the ground, and how can these two friends possibly survive in a new “game” without any definable rules?

Left in the dark, I kept reading, and I’m glad I did. As the book progresses, the men chance upon a five-year-old girl who changes their perception of what is at stake and unlocks their own childhood memories. It will also showcase what’s in the balance for our characters, Jess and Storey, and for mankind if we don’t quickly wise up and heal our political divisions. As in all Peter Heller’s books, a thread of hope lies loosely, particularly through the power of friendship.

I am so pleased to be an early reader and thank Knopf and NetGalley for providing me with this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.