In the midst of the horrors of war, there has to be love and kindness to allow life to go on. Peter Heller has crafted another fabulous novel that reflects the worry of a politically divided country devolving to war. His characters are fully brought to life, filling the pages with their memories and personalities. He explores what it means to be a family, to love, to forgive.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

I have loved every Peter Heller book I've read, and this one is no different. He is so good at male relationships, but also at writing such tense situations that it keeps you reading. I will always pick up a Heller book.

Peter Heller fans will not be disappointed by his latest, Burn. We begin with two male friends emerging from a hunting trip in the woods to a completely different world. Buildings are burnt to the ground, cars are abandoned, there's no one in sight, and there have been murmurings of state secessions. The men have to make sense of what is going on, which only becomes more difficult when they run into something else they must protect.

This is my type of dystopia. Character driven, yet with enough action and tension to pull us forward, enough questions answered but not too much to make it feel trite or neat; I really liked this. We get to deeply know our two main characters, their motivations, and their humanity. This all felt very prescient and I'll be thinking about this for a long time.

Every year, Jess and Storey have made an annual pilgrimage to the most remote corners of the country, where they camp, hunt, and hike, leaving much from their long friendship unspoken. The state of Maine has convulsed all summer with secession mania, a mania that has also spread across other states.

After weeks hunting off the grid, the men reach a small town and are shocked when they find: a bridge blown apart, buildings burned to the ground, and bombed-out cars abandoned on the road. Trying to make sense of it all they attempt to find their way home by resorting to unconventional, less modern means such as dragging a wagon across bumpy dirt roads and scavenging from boats left in lakes for supplies. This is all while dodging armed men as they seek a path to safety. Then, a startling discovery drastically alters their path and the stakes of their escape.

The idea of having to rely on nature for survival in a modern world is very interesting. This book is a lot more than that though. It takes a long time to get to the point and it's confusing along the way. Maybe I just couldn't see the grand scope.

The parts where the focus is on nature and survival are fun. I don't feel I got any answers to what was really going on though.

Heller's spare prose rises to the occasion yet again in Burn. Jess and Storey are BFFs on a hunting trip in Maine when everything turns upside down. As the two try to figure out why every village and hamlet has been burned down and the inhabitants killed, Jess reflects on the relationships he's had, especially with Storey and his family, who welcomed him in. Storey is married, and a father; Jess is neither. These roles dictate how they each navigate through the situations they find themselves in, giving a stunning examination of what we owe each other, found family, and self-examination.

My mystery book club read Peter Heller's Celine and I enjoyed that book. So when I saw that he had a post-apocalyptic book coming out I knew I had to read it as a possible recommendation to my post-apocalyptic book club.

It reminded me a little of Cormac McCarthy's The Road as the story is focused more on the journey that the two friends Jess and Storey are on rather than the apocalyptic event.

I was as invested as the two characters in figuring out what happened from the start with the description of an entire town burned to the ground followed quickly by Black Hawk helicopters coming out of nowhere to mow down a single woman in a rowboat. As details emerge I started to wonder what led to the events, however, that part of the world-building is vague. Speaking of world-building... it is pretty sparse. At first, I thought it was in the distant future but as technology and things are mentioned it felt more like the very near future.

We get a lot more backstory from Jess than from Storey. Perhaps it is because Storey is looking forward to finding his family, returning home to the town he grew up in. Whereas Jess, who left their Vermont hometown for Colorado and has no one to return to is more focused on the past. First it is the recent past with his wife leaving and their dog dying to further back into his teenage years. I'm not sure what point the author was really trying to make with all the introspection. It wasn't boring but given the ending, I'm just not sure what the point was.

Jess and Storey stumble upon a 5-year-old girl. This plot thread would make for a good discussion. While Storey seems to focus on the girl and her needs (perhaps because he is a father), Jess seems much more concerned about himself (which might be why Jan left him).

I enjoyed the book up to the end. I don't like ambiguous endings (like we get with The Giver by Lois Lowry). The story just ended. If you want everything wrapped up neatly or at least reasonably explained, then you probably won't like the ending either. There is no indication that this is the start of a series, but that is almost how the ending feels - like it is setting up book 2. I wouldn't mind a second book if it explained more about the world and what happens next for the characters.

I picked up this book as a possible recommendation to my book club. Will I recommend it? Yes. I think many people in my group will enjoy it. If we do read it as a group, there is plenty to discuss.

I don't normally comment on the cover of a book in my reviews but I really like the cover of Burn and I would like to have a print copy to have the cover on my shelf.

My review will be published on Thursday at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/08/burn-by-peter-heller-review.html

Best friends Jess and Story are close as brothers in Peter Heller’s Burn. While on a hunting trip, the men encounter an eery Maine town that has been burned to the ground, leading them on a harrowing and politically charged journey across Maine, as they struggle to return home.

For fans of the A24 film, Civil War and Rumaan Alam’s novel and Netflix film, Leave the World Behind.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Each year, Jess and Storey embark on a remote camping and hunting trip, leaving much unsaid in their long friendship. Despite secession turmoil spreading across Maine and beyond, they assume it's a distant issue. But after weeks off the grid, they return to find destruction everywhere. As they struggle to get home, a shocking discovery raises the stakes of their journey.

"Burn" is written from Jess's perspective, blending action with deep introspection and memories. I'm torn about this dystopian novel set in the woods of northern Maine during a civil war over the state's secession. The world-building immersed me in Maine's autumn, but the men remained unaware of the outside world's events for most of the book, only able to gather information from the violence witnessed around them. Some elements were compelling enough to keep me reading, but others felt out of place, vague, or unnecessary, leaving the story feeling somewhat incomplete.

While the last quarter reveals some answers, many questions remain, even after finishing the book. The novel explores themes of grief, loss, loyalty, and male friendship, but it can feel slow at times. The causes of the conflict and the ending felt unconvincing. Overall, it's a tense, thought-provoking read with great world-building, though I expected more action and clarity on the dystopian events. Hoping Peter Heller decides to write a sequel to this one!

Thank you again, NetGalley, for the ARC! I give this book a 4.00/5 stars!! Would recommend this book to any readers looking for a dystopian story where best friends try to navigate the violence occurring around them!

Two men, friends since childhood, are hunting in rural Maine. When they emerge from the woods, they spot a small town and are shocked at the destruction and death that they find. When they spot one of the victims with a '49' patch on his chest, they realize they have stumbled upon the secession movement that has taken over the state. Instead of hunting, they become the hunted, and their attempts to survive and escape the region make for a thrilling read! I loved the author's portrayal of these two men, determined to do the right thing. Lots of food for thought here!

While not my favorite of Heller's novels, Burn still showcases what he does REALLY well - creating a slow, uneasy build with extremely well rounded characters (ugh love back stories - even though one gave me the ICK) set in nature. The arc just didn't do it for me this time like other novels he's released.

Burn by Peter Heller is a short and powerful novel. Set in a near future dystopian world in which the state of Maine may have (or may not have?) seceded from the union, it is filled with tension as our main characters try to figure out what the heck is going on when they emerge from a hunting trip in the woods to a world that is burning, largely emptied, and imbued with unknown threats. When they find a young girl, their challenges increase. This book reminded me of the recent I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger in both the dystopian vibes and the introduction of a young girl to the mix (though it has less of a weirdly uplifting feel than Enger's novel). Heller's writing is excellent in its evocation of a brutal landscape and the weaving-in of the men's earlier lives is done in a way that masterfully serves the story.

This is my fourth read by Peter Heller. I love his descriptions of nature and how he practically turns it into a character in his stories. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me in this one. This story is told in third person and follows Jess, who has been on an annual hunting trip with his long-time friend, Storey. They emerge from the forest of Maine after weeks hunting off the grid to find blown up bridges, burned down towns and bodies, lots of bodies. As they make plans to figure out a way home without knowing what’s going on except a guess that the previous talk of secession they heard before their trip must have happened, they are under attack.

I thought the friendship between Jess and Storey was well done. It was my favorite aspect of the novel. I also enjoyed their comradery and collaboration as they strategized the best paths to take to make it safely back to Storey’s family. For the most part, everyone they encounter is in kill-or-be-killed mode.

The dystopian background is a bit too ambiguous for me. The pair look for information about what’s going on but never found anything that satisfied me. It felt like I was dropped in a war zone with no information about either side. In addition, a lot of the narrative is spent with Jess ruminating about his relationships, especially the unhealthy ones that he has had with women over the course of his life. Combined with the ambiguous dystopian setting, I found it too distracting to appreciate any of the beauty in their surroundings.

Limited recommendations for the friendship, descriptions of Maine, and dystopian setting if you don’t mind a bit of ambiguity.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for a copy provided for an honest review.

I am DNFing this at 45%. I've been stuck behind this book for about 3 weeks now, and just have no real desire to pick it up. I've been wanting to read a Peter Heller book for some time now. I am bummed this one didn't work out for me. I think the issues for this reader came down to 2 things: the pace and the descriptive nature writing. This is a very......very slow burn. And while I am interested in the story and what in the world is going on here, the pacing and nature writing just do not have me excited to pick it up and continue reading. I may try this again at a less busy season of life and see if it works for me then.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the eARC.

The premise of this novel promise dystopia, and I was all in for that. What I did not expect was some of the back story between these character that unfortunately for me took away from the story.

Burn by Peter heller on the surface is dystopian novel. Two best friends emerge from the woods in Maine to find their world changed by war. There are no songs of life. The two friends, Jess and story, navigate this world and try to piece together what it all means. While one would think this would be a fast-paced action-thriller it actually is a slow burn character study. The action takes second seat to the character development and the relationship between Jess and storey, heller does an excellent job of humanizing everyone he writes and the reader feels for these two men and their friendship. Recommend this book to any heller lover or readers of character-driven novels.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(Thanks to @aaknopf #gifted) I’ve long been a fan of Peter Heller and that only increased after reading his newest novel, 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡. Prior to 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯 my favorite of his books were 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳. In many ways 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯 is a hybrid of the two which I loved. ⁣
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Like 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯 is speculative in nature. His 2012 debut followed a man and his dog as they sought to navigate a world left vastly changed after a global pandemic. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 tells the story of two young men on a wilderness canoe trip who find themselves surrounded by wildfires, and with a woman in need of their help. Similarly, 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯 features two men, these lifelong friends, as they enjoy a hunting trip in Maine. As in the former, something about their world is amiss. After two weeks deep in the woods, the pair hike out only to find town after town obliterated. Scorched to the ground with few signs of life, but why? ⁣
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This book is a well balanced genre mash-up. First and foremost, it’s an action-adventure story as the publisher categorized it. The adventure is high, but the action is controlled. Some might call it slow, but I would not. Instead Heller, as he so often does, takes the time to develop his two main characters, Jess and Storey. This duo have been best friends since grade school and readers get to know the complexities of their friendship within the larger story. I loved their bond. It’s also dystopian, as the world around them has vastly, terrifyingly changed. And finally, as in most of Heller’s books, we’re treated to a couple of quiet heroes who fight to do what’s right. What more could you want? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for this advanced reader copy of Burn by Petter Heller.

Peter Heller is known for his highly descriptive, atmospheric, slow burn suspense stories. In this novel, childhood best friends, Jess and Storey, emerge from a two week wilderness trip off the grid to find civilization abandoned and burning.

While there are some heart pounding adventure scenes, and fantastic descriptions of rural Maine, Heller also tells the backstory of the duo’s friendship. Unfortunately, this is where the novel took a turn for me. There is something in their past that honestly just gave me the ick. I apologize for my lack of eloquence, but it really took me out of the story and left me less invested in the outcome.

This novel is out now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4.25* Jess and Storey, two lifelong friends, emerge from their annual moose hunting trip. What they find is a dystopian Maine, where whole towns are deserted have been burned. As they try to unravel what has transpired while they were deep in the woods, the reader learns, along with them, what has happened as well as revealing their past history.

Just as in The River, Peter Heller writes a suspenseful story in a rugged rural setting. I love how the characters need to assess the situation and use their survival instincts and how we get to know them individually through their interactions. I highly recommend it to lovers of The River. It’s a quick read, with mostly short chapters that kept me turning pages until late into the night.

Many thanks to #aaknopf for an eARC of this highly anticipated release in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 | This is ultimately a story about two men navigating a strange world, and the lengths to which they'll go to survive. It was a little light on the narrative – you're just dropped into this story and world, without any context as to how they got there – which can be a little disorienting, but it's also an interesting narrative device that drives the story forward. The setting is fairly unique – a town, far inland in Maine, and a caricature of a fishing village on the coast of Maine, despite there not being a coast – and he did a great job of making it a character of the story. Overall I liked its themes and how it wrestled with questions around relationships and morals.

Two childhood friends have made a plan to meet every year to camp, hunt, fish, hike and be out in nature in different places around the country. This year they are heading to Maine, despite what they hear about some political unrest/ divisions./ pushes for secession there. When they get there, they find a beautiful place in nature that should be peaceful but after a couple of weeks there, they end up finding an entire area bombed, burned and even discover a dead woman. Planes fly over gunning a young woman down. Things really go off the rails!

Peter Heller's books in nature with a mystery have tuned into a dystopian nightmare that never fully made sense to me. I won't add more to what these friends went through and the past that is explored in backstories, but it felt so thrown together, not fully understanding what Heller's intention was for this dystopian novel. The ending truly did not feel believable at all to me.

My thanks to Net Galley and Knopf Publishing for an advanced copy of this e-book.