This is a great look into slut shaming and the reality of our misogynistic culture, but I wasn't wowed by this. I spent the first half bored, and the second half trying to keep up. Great concept with a slightly subpar execution. Though I definitely think Laura Bates will be an author I keep my eye on.

The Burning is a touching book about injustices that girls and women go through. How so much is expected of us yet it's either too much or too little. What goes on through this book infuriates me and to know that it's more than fiction is heartbreaking.

The Burning
by Laura Bates

I sadly give The Burning a 3 out of 5 birds. I’d do 2.5 but no one wants to see half a bird…

I want to thank NETGALLEY for a free copy of this book in exchange for my HONEST review.

I wanted to LOVE this book but I did not. If you want to know the topics we talked about in my MANY women’s and gender classes in college every.single.one.of.them. is in this book. It was jam packed with issues. They weren’t subtle either. It was overwhelming to try and wrap my mind around all of the things these teens were going through.

I was intrigued by the witch plot line- but after making through a few of her monologues I spaced out and skimmed them.

Overall the book was on some of the most important topics in our society, but it was executed in a way that was messy, confusing, and overbearing. It probably needed another edit or two.

I hate saying this because I know how hard it is to write a book, especially this type. So for that- You go Girl!

It has swearing, sex talk, bullying, talk of porn, sexting. At this point you get the gist… It has a lot. Do I recommend it? Sadly, I don’t :(

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I feel like this is a hit or miss type of book, and for me it was a miss. It has a lot of social issues, too many, crammed into one teenagers life. Anna is a good enough written character, but I feel like it was just too much. The execution fell flat to me, and I feel like it's going because they trying to have too much going on with one single girl.
Overall, not for me, but the concept was pretty good if only executed better.

I thought this was going to be way more interesting but it went entirely too slow and wasn’t salacious enough for me to be wow-Ed by anything. The writing style was decent.

The premise of this book is amazing, but unfortunately the execution fell a little short of amazing for me. Well written this book is issue heavy, which was a little too much for my enjoyment. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC egalley.

If you add up all the social issues that could possibly happen to teen girls and put them all into one novel, that’s what this is. I expected something very different, especially since I just read something YA and wonderfully witty and salacious and thought this would be along the same lines. This just felt sensationalistic and flat.

There’s an audience for this book, but it’s not me. I’m giving two stars.

**Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for graciously giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

This is one where I want to rate it higher, but I don't feel that it quite reaches my expectations.

The book started off amazing! I loved the themes that went on here, such as bullying and slut shaming to name a few big ones. Once you get past that halfway point though, it starts to becomes really complicated and tries too hard. It kept focusing on adding more and more and more, but it never fully fleshes everything out in a way that is satisfying. While I liked how it ended, the way there was just a huge blur and way different than what I was experiencing in the beginning. Maybe some editing could help fix the middle, as right now it just has too much going on.

This review will be posted on the blog later closer to the publishing date.

Before I get to the actual book, let’s talk about how cool this author is. Her credentials are lowkey the reason I requested this book. Laura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. She has a Ted Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_bates_everyday_sexism?language=en) and was also on CNN’s 10 Visionary Women List.

This book had a very solid premise. The idea of this girl who had experienced large scale slut shaming through cyber bullying, learning about women in the past who had been accused of witchcraft realizing the similarities in their situation and gaining empowerment from this stuck me as so interesting. It seemed like the book would liken the sexist social pressure on young women to witch hunts which would make for a really solid book and I was so prepared to absolutely love The Burning.

The reason this book doesn’t live up to its premise is because it’s trying to focus on so many issues at once. Within The Burning, there’s discussion on sexual assault, abortion, teen pregnancy, double standards, sexuality, illness, privilege and so much more. There’s too much to discuss so every issue gets a shallow level of detail surrounding it.

I also wish more of the novel focused on Maggie, the young woman from the past who was accused of being a witch. The parts where Anna was researching her were some of the most intriguing parts of the work and her storyline could have been expanded. Since there’s so much else going on in the book, I think there were some missed opportunities where parallels could have been formed between Maggie and Anna. I think the plotline would’ve been stronger without the vaguely supernatural parts too.

There was also a little romance in the book but it wasn’t too major and doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the plot. The characters were for the most part well written but could’ve been developed a little further. Also one of the characters comes out to another character, and the reaction in response was quite dated for the setting in 2020.

Okay, I know I just emphasized a lot of problems in this review but I still really enjoyed the book, I just had high expectations. Like the actual foundation of the novel is solid and it had so much potential. If it was a little more focused it would have been such a good novel.

The writing in this book was so good. Definitely the strongest aspect of this book is the writing combined with the pacing. Even though the book isn’t too plot heavy, I was still so invested. Whenever Anna got super anxious when checking her instagram, the way the pacing would change to reflect her anxiety which made for an effective reading experience.

Final Thoughts: 4 stars. Whilst a little unfocused, The Burning is an interesting book.

This story follows Anna who has moved to Scotland to get away from events from her past. Her mother thinks that a fresh start is what she needs. She seems to be settling into her new school when her past comes back to haunt her. She also experiences visions/dreams of a woman who experienced similar treatment and was tried for witchcraft.

This book definitely has an impact as Anna experiences fear, loneliness and shame as her classmates turn on her when they discover a picture that she had sent in private to a boy that she liked. I liked that the author wanted to discuss difficult topics however I felt like there was a lot going on.

This book also has a supernatural element to it which I am not sure how I felt about this. It was interesting to read about but I am not sure if it really fits with the story. I appreciate that the author was trying to show that woman have been experiencing this mistreatment for centuries but at times it didn't feel as if flowed properly with the current-day narrative.

Overall I thought that this was a good debut and discussed a lot of really important topics. I would be interested to check out more from this author in the future.

I am not completely positive what the main point of this novel was supposed to be. The writing was extremely poorly developed and lacked details that appeared to be important that were missing entirely from the plot. would not recommend.

The Burning by Laura Bates, published by Sourcebooks, is a stand-alone YA novel.
Anna is a young girl who's already through a lot. She not only lost her father, she had to relocate and start her life over. New country, new name, new school, new everything.
But when her past catches up with her, her life is in shambles again.
And there's a second storyline that's just like captivating like the first one. I will not spoiler here, only so much. I started reading and soon I was so engrossed, I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't put the book down. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I connected very easily with the characters, the writing is excellent and the storylines are fantastic.
It's a heart-wrenching story that stays with you. I recommend The Burning, 5 Stars.

Excellent story of cyber bullying, slut shaming, and the painful ways teenagers treat each other. When Anna looses her beloved father to cancer, she begins a relationship with a boy who ends up being horrible to her. As Anna and her mom move to get a fresh start her problems follow her. Brilliant writing makes this a book that every teenager should read. I would gladly give this book more than 5 stars if possible. Highly recommend.

This book is spectacular, it deals with the unknowingly common abuse girls face in high school, the slut shaming, the cyber bullying, the ostracising of young women by society.

There are two time lines throughout this book, the present tense Anna who is attempting to start over in a new school for reasons unknown at the beginning of the story. And the tale of Maggie from 400 years ago, a young woman who had a baby out of wedlock and who was later accused of witchcraft.

Both girls are shamed for 'their behaviour' even when it is the behaviours and attitudes of others who has put them in the position they're in. Sound familiar? This, sadly, happens on a daily basis. Boys are admired when they spill the details whilst girls are shamed and considered immodest.

I really enjoyed the intermingling of the two time lines, the comfort Anna found in researching Maggie's story and the self belief and confidence she found along the way.

This is an important story, the ending was strong and empowering. I would consider this also a book that is essential for parents of teens to read as well, the story told from Anna's perspective really emphasises the damage and misery one action can cause. The snowball effect of destruction is shown in a very true and realistic way.

As a debut YA author, I am impressed with Laura Bates' brilliant writing.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars.

“We are the granddaughters of the witches you burned. And we are not putting up with it anymore.”

This book focuses on a teenager named Anna who moved with her mom to a different country to escape her muddy past. Her past comes back to haunt her as well as unexpected visions of a woman just like her.

The subject matter of this book is extremely important, and focuses largely on misogyny and bullying. The parts about being a woman and really “owning” that and not letting anyone take that away from you or make it seem like a shameful thing was super powerful and important and I valued those bits a lot.

There are elements of magical realism as Anna connects spiritually with a woman who was accused of witchcraft that lived in the same town as her. That part was pretty interesting and it was jarring to hear about the punishments she endured just for being a woman.

Overall, this was a nice debut with a lot of good insight on the pressures of being a young woman, especially in this social media era.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Burning by Laura Bates.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I made it to about 40%. It started with promise for me. A mother and daughter starting fresh after losing their husband and father. It is clear that they are hiding a secret and running from something. In the meantime, daughter is learning about the Scottish witch hunts, which she can apply to her own life.

Good stuff, but it was just not hitting home. It was like eating a soup that you really like, only to find it super thin and weak.

Why? Why? I was so ready to love this book! It started so good and slowly turned into something strange, messy and URO (unidentified reading object)!
Another interesting plot turned into something complicated, messy, okay WTH I just read kind of story!

I waited to read something brave, heart throbbing, soul searching, provocative and powerful story! But what I get is a spiral of girl’s self-hatred and depression with awkward, nonsense dialogues embellished with supernatural elements and not so heart wrenching but artificial ending pissed me off.

I think the problem about the story is author’s choice to juggle with too many issues at the same time. We had already sexual assault, body and slut shaming on our plate but she add more issues to the pile such as abortion, pregnancy, more shaming and yes you just dropped your plate because you cannot handle entire horrifying issues at the same story that a regular human being can handle.

And does this kind of moving and heartbreaking story really need supernatural elements to attract readers’ attention. Nope! I don’t think so.

I don’t want to be cruel and give two stars to this story because I got the intention of the author to write something meaningful and epic for the victims of abuse, rape and violence. I just didn’t like her approach and her way to tell the story. A simple, pure, emotional, genuine, honest, realistic and objective approach to this kind of sensitive issues are always more preferable for me.

So let’s round up our 2.5 stars to 3 for the promising beginning of the book and picking up another challenging reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire to share this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. I wish I could love it more.

This is a book that touches on bullying and slut shaming in our society and holds that important message, though I am not sure the book knows what it wants to be apart from that. Granted I am reading an ARC so there maybe things that will be touched up before going to press.

Overall it was a good read with a few weird interactions that came off a bit forced and preachy. And I say preachy as a super intersectional feminist. I love the work the author has done on the Everyday Sexism Project and want these things out in the open and dismantled. This book just didn't do it all the way for me, but younger readers, or those new to fighting the patriarchy may get into this a little more than me.

"Anna and her mother picked up their whole life to start fresh after rumors about Anna ruined her life. She thinks that she can have a fresh start until the rumors start again. As she works to hide her secrets she connects with the tale of a local girl who was accused of witchcraft centuries earlier."

I had been looking forward to reading this book. I was disappointed. The storyline could have been interesting, but the writing turned me off

After the death of her father, Anna and her mother have packed up their entire lives and moved from their home in England to a small seaside town in Scotland. It's obvious that they are struggling and that there is more happening that just the loss of her father, but it's not until classmates start whispering and rumors start swirling that we begin to figure out what really caused Anna and her mother to leave. To escape, Anna begins focusing on a school history project, trying to figure out what happened to a local girl named Maggie who was accused of witchcraft in the 1600s.

Laura Bates, author of <I>Every Day Sexism</I>, first fiction title is an incredible one. I couldn't stop reading. Through the stories of both Anna and Maggie, Laura explores the dangers of unchecked misogyny, sexism, and the physical and emotional harm that these issues inflict on women today. The parallel story lines weave together well and I just had to keep reading so that I could discover both Anna's secret and Maggie's fate.