JanB's Reviews > Burn

Two lifelong friends, Jess & Storey, at the end of their annual hunting trip in rural Maine, leave the woods to head home but find a world in chaos and violence.

While they were off the grid, civil war erupted, towns are burnt to the ground, and destruction and death is everywhere. While attempting to make their way home, they are met with secessionists and military who intend to kill anyone they meet who are not one of them.

Their trek becomes even more treacherous when they find a little girl hidden away who is frightened and crying for her parents and her dog. The scenes with the little girl are some of the most heartfelt and emotional of the book.

As they attempt to make their way home, they try to make sense of what happened. Who are the bad guys here? Secessionists or the military? Or both?

Heller never gives us the details of the political divide that led to civil war, and I was thankful he didn’t make it political, which would do nothing but divide readers.

This is a wilderness and survival story like no other. It’s a thriller but a quiet literary one. There’s an emotional depth with themes of male friendship, love, courage, and moral responsibility.

I love Heller’s portrayal of good men, men who are thoughtful and do the right thing at great risk to themselves, men who are tender and protective of children. He writes of men, through no fault of their own, who are tested to the limits. More than once I was brought to tears.

This is a beautiful story I won’t soon forget. 5+ stars

* I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own