Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and Netgalley for the advanced copy of Peter Heller's newest, The Burn. The River by the same author is one of my most recommended books. So I was excited for the opportunity to review this one. The dystopian genre is usually not one of my go-to reads, and unfortunately I am still sticking with that. I did not enjoy this one, which was a disappointment, but for those who do enjoy dystopian fiction, this is well written and tragic.

The book, in typical Heller fashion, focuses on male friendship in two times- slightly futuristic, and then through flashbacks by the main character Jess. When the book opens both you and the characters are clueless as to what happened. It seems all human life has vanished in a very violent and destructive way. Slightly confusing is why certain things, like boats, are not destroyed. Who is causing this, and why? Unfortunately this part of the book is very drawn out and goes on too long, the book does not move the plot along with Jess and Storey's journey to find answers. The story alternates from quiet and deserted nature scenes to very violent war action and visualizations.

I did enjoy the part of the book told through memories of Jess's childhood, coming of age, and Storey and Jess' developing, continuing, and deep friendship. The ending of the book leaves you hanging and still confused- there is a bit of explanation through radio broadcasts about why the world is in this state, but you are still left as to why, how large the problem is, and do our characters ever get out?

This was not my type of book, and if it wasn't for my agreement to give a review, I would have never finished it. No fault of the author, just not my taste. Though I will continue to recommend The River to one and all, I will be more discerning with future Peter Heller books since the last couple I have read have not been my taste.

BURN by Peter Heller is a literary tale of survival, friendship, morality, and love set in a deeply divided future.

I received the digital ARC from @aaknopf via @netgalley and the audio from #partner @prhaudio which was a fantastic pairing. Mark Deakins voiced this story exceptionally well.

As best friends Jess and Storey emerge from their annual hunting trip in the wilds of Maine, they find a world upside down in chaos and division. They are forced to reconcile their new reality while simultaneously find peace with their past as they try to navigate toward a place of safety. This becomes exponentially trickier when they discover a child alone and cannot leave her.

While this does hold tension throughout, BURN is really a deeper character driven novel. I was happy to read a story about male friendships and how nuanced it can be. These men were certainly flawed, but in a human way; coming together to try to do the right thing. It was a tender and moving portrait at times.

There is a clear state of disunity in the country, but it is not addressed in any clarity. This was brilliant, as the finger pointing is not the goal, but the affects of such a fallout may be.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of character driven stories. Published this week, it is available now!

I was all in on this character-driven dystopian novel. I love how Heller explores the dynamics between male friends and man's relationship with nature, while also giving the reader a suspenseful survival story. This has all the makings of a fantastic series or move - Netflix, get on it!

Thanks to Knopf for the copy to review.

I definitely shouldn’t have read this while spending time in Maine! Heller’s novel begins with two lifelong best friends emerging from a hunting trip to find a world gone mad. The secessionist movement in Maine has apparently started a bloody civil war, and the two friends have no idea which side of the line they are in or how to get to safety. This novel is very similar to Heller’s previous, THE RIVER—two friends must go on a dangerous journey. But it’s none the worse for the repetition.

I love Peter Heller's books for many reasons but probably my top reason is, the way he crafts his words particularly when it comes to nature. This may be one of his first books that doesn't include the natural world as a striking element. And I still loved it!

Two lifelong friends. on their annual hunting trip, in Maine come out of the backwoods to refuel only to find the urban world is, for all intents and purposes, gone. The small town has been burned to the ground. No one to be found. No cell signal. Nothing. Except for one significant thing, which I did think was really weird, but somewhat necessary to help the book flow as they make their way through Maine from town to town searching for answers. At this point, I'll let you enjoy the rest for yourselves.

This book does touch on a couple of political issues but I felt it was done from an amazingly unbiased position where nobody is right. But it does make one think of unforeseen consequences. But stick around for the depth in which these two men's characters go and the relationship between them.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf books for providing me with an advanced electronic copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Burn is a novel about two men facing nearly impossible odds when the world they know erupts into chaos and violence.

Childhood friends Jess and Storey are on their annual hunting trip in the woods of Maine when they encounter their first destroyed bridge. Every road they travel leads to more burnt homes, dead bodies, and no contact with the outside world. With very little information to go on, they can only assume that the recent demand for Maine’s state secession has turned violent, leaving the two of them stuck in the middle of a civil war.

Despite being mostly a survival story, I found myself highlighting so many thought-provoking passages as Jess muses about his recent divorce and the mistakes he made in his marriage. He also reflects on his childhood, his relationships with his parents, and a forbidden affair as a teenager. I enjoyed the pacing and the details surrounding the survival tactics and didn’t find the action dull or the characters flat. I rooted for them from the beginning and wanted both of them to be able to return home.

Burn manages to be both a character-driven piece on looking back at the past when the odds of surviving the next few days are low, and a plot-driven novel about two men using what they know and relying on each other to get to safety.

Best friends Jess and Storey go on their annual hunting trip where they are off the grid for weeks. They emerge from the woods to find the world has completely changed. Bridges have been blown up, houses burned to the ground and there is destruction everywhere they go. They are determined to make their way home, but danger mounts as their journey continues. The suspense of their plight is frequently juxtaposed with the tranquility and beauty of the natural world, along with flashbacks that offer insight into Jess and Storey’s friendship. I enjoyed this book other than the abrupt ending!

This is the first book I've read by Peter Heller. For a dystopian thriller, I expected something faster paced. This is definitely a slow burn. The description in the summary peaked my interest, but I struggled with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Two childhood best friends, Jess and Storey, emerge from the woods of north-central Maine at the conclusion of a week-long, off-the-grid hunting trip to find a drastically altered America. The small town they enter had been burnt to the ground and four charred bodies were left curled in the ruins. The friends assume that the damage was the result of secessionist mania that had been roiling the State, but these “were fringe minorities, vocal and passionate, but not a real threat.” The duo could not comprehend why secessionists would want to deliberately destroy bridges with dynamite? “Did they want to keep moose from moving south — the moose and the loggers?” Didn’t destruction on this scale indicate full-on U.S. military involvement?

Lacking cell service or an intact vehicle to return them to Burlington, Vermont, where Storey’s wife and two daughters were (Jess’s wife had left him a year ago, and his dog had died two months later), they watch stupefied as unmarked Black Hawk helicopters destroyed a dinghy carrying a fleeing young woman. To survive in this new dystopian reality, and to protect their new companion, a 5 year old girl, Collie, who had been hiding in a boat they had filched, Jess and Storey must shoot more than game.

Peter Heller excels at writing about the wilderness and the natural world, and his latest novel is a propulsive, suspense drama as Jess and Storey fight to survive and to reunite Collie with her missing family. The white-knuckle tension is enhanced with emotional depth as Jess ruminates on his defunct marriage and his long friendship with Storey. Thank you Knopf and Net Galley for an advance copy of this novel reflecting a chillingly plausible dystopian future.

Anytime there is a new Peter Heller book I'm there. He writes book about nature and about the most dangerous creature that lives there which is mankind. His latest novel is about two hunters that are stuck with each other because an event happened and they are trying to figure out what happened. I won't give away too much except to say there are topics that are very timely for today. Climate change, secession, guns. and good old manhood. What I loved about Burn was the relationship of the two men. When you are with someone and you are both trying to survive the event and you both have famalies at home and only hope to survive. The only thing is that they don't know what is happening and why there are dead people and destruction at every corner. This book is a quick powerful read. Lots of short paragraphs that keep the story moving along. It's a world that is in a novel but if we don't change the ways of the world it could actually be a memoir in our near future. Great for fans of Heller, dystopian fiction and climate issues. Another winner from Peter Heller. Thank you to random House and Netgalley for the read.

I'm usually a big fan of Peter Heller's outdoorsy thrillers and I especially love dystopian stories but I just couldn't find myself getting invested in this speculative future America in which extremists have taken over and two friends have to learn to survive in a brand new world. Okay on audio but definitely not my fav by this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A moose-hunting trip for two old friends turns into a survival trip when something goes terribly wrong in the northeast section of the country. A discovery on a boat complicates things. Heller provides a wealth of detail about the outdoors and hunting that enthusiasts with love. At the same time, he explores male friendship and other relationships.

After I finished it, I had no idea what I had just read. The description sounded really intriguing and it started out interesting, two characters walking out of the woods after discovering their way home is blocked after their hunting trip.

Based on the description, I wanted more information on what happened, why, and how these two men were going to make it out. There was a lot of background information on the two men, from childhood to their relationship over time, to their families. It wasn’t the story I was expecting, but I did keep reading to try to find out more information. I didn’t get my questions answered, which left me a little dissatisfied. I think some people will really enjoy the book, it just wasn’t for me.

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

This is a well written novel. This was definitely a slow burn (hence the title). I'm sure this book won't be for everyone because of the slow-moving plot. It's more of a character study between 2 men coping with a stressful circumstance. Even though I didn't fall head over heels in love this, I still appreciated the quiet beauty of this book. I will read more from this author in the future.

Two men, friends since childhood,, walk out of the woods to a landscape unrecognizable. Completing an annual hunting trip in the state of Maine,Jess and Storey,find themselves in the midst of a civil war. Secessionists vs the Federal government and its brutal, entire towns burned and blown up, citizens and troops dead. On a quest to survive in a shoot on site scenario these two men try to make their way home.
Told from the perspective of Jess we hear the backstory of their lives and complicated history. When they take on a child survivor everything changes. Their goals become hers. This intense narrative has no real solutions and the men’s path remains unclear yet the book is hard to put down. The beauty being how Jess and Storey try to maintain their humanity in a world gone mad. Many thanks to Netgalley and Knopf publishing.

Burn by Peter Heller is a very entertaining dystopian survival story.
An adventurous and quick read that pulled me in and held me captive.
A breathlessly page-turning and satisfyingly slow-burn story.

Thank You NetGalley and Knopf for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Two lifelong friends, more like brothers, embark on their annual off-the-grid moose hunting trip in rural Maine. They emerge from their hunt amidst a Civil War. As they slowly piece together bits of information, they realize they can only go back in their memories and the path forward is treacherous and unclear.. What choices and sacrifices will they need to make?

This fast paced dystopian take is both a tale of survival and a love story... love for a best friend and love for family one may never see again. It is also a tale of memories, the images of your life that have impacted you the most and what regrets or hope they bring in the face of death. Nature plays a large role in the story as the physical backdrop but also in the characters' memories. As avid outdoorsmen, this feels so right. Burn is also a smart novel... the two main characters use their experiences and skill to survive and problem solve when there is no clear right answer. What makes this novel so chilling is that you could definitely imagine it happening. Between the nutjobs, the extremist groups, and the government, what is the worst that could happen, right?

The only thing that kept me from giving this a 5-star rating was the lack of conclusion or closure of major plot lines. But, I also respect the author's choice to not do that as well and leave things open for interpretation and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Burn by Peter Heller is a very highly recommended dystopian survival story full of personal reflection. This is an exceptional literary novel - one of the best of the year.

Jess and Storey have been friends since boyhood who go to rural Maine every year to camp and hunt. This year they emerge from the woods to find a bridge blown up and continue on to find small towns burned down and no sign of life. As they keep hiking, trying to find a way home, they search for food left in boats, encounter more destruction, and a few armed men. They knew all summer secession mania had been rampant in the entire state and had been spreading but they didn't expect this. Then the two discover a five-year-old girl, Collie, and know they have to help her survive while they try to find her family.

The narrative is told from Jess's point-of-view. In between the action scenes, Jess contemplates his failed marriage and memories of his long friendship with Storey. Jess's inner thoughts provides a keen insight into his personality and character while also bringing the setting and landscape to life through his descriptions. It also makes their journey through the war-torn area more poignant as the two long time friends try to find a way out of the danger, along with their new responsibility to Collie.

Actions the two men take for survival in this changed landscape during an unknown conflict are understandable and relatable. Their journey begs the question: What would anyone do if they faced and had to navigate the same high stakes dilemma on foot with little knowledge of what is going on? The divided country's strife is present in the civil war but Heller never gives political details or accusations.

Heller is an excellent writer and masterfully captures the descriptions of the natural world, the disconcerting journey, and the friendship of Jess and Storey. Burn is a literary wilderness adventure that melds with a dystopian survival story that is full of real emotional depth, courage, and thoughtful actions. Thanks to Knopf Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I was intrigued with how the book started as two best friends emerge from the Maine woods after hunting in the remote land to find a community burned to the ground with no people around. The story progresses.

I thought this was a fun and interesting plot but it started to feel a bit repetitive. There was a plot point that I didn’t understand why it was involved and it didn’t resolve in the end. I was left wanting.

That said, I’ll be reading his next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advance e-copy of this book.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf and NetGalley for an electronic advanced readers copy of this novel.

Two best friends, Jess and Storey, go on an outdoors trip every year. This year, they emerge from near isolation after a hunting trip in Main eto find that things have changed. Not knowing what has occurred, they find dead bodies in a town, dead pets, torn apart buildings and empty towns. Struggling to figure out what was going on, they run into helicopters firing at civilians. Storey has a family to get back to in Vermont, cell service is non-existent and food is scarce.

Trying to stay safe and also figure out what is going on, the friends set off to try to get some answers. I don't want to give out any spoilers, so I'll end there.

Burn by Peter Heller is a well-written and sobering tale of what can happen in America. It's a story of friendship, survival and adversity. I didn't know what to expect from this book but I really liked it. Heller leaves the door open for a sequel and I would definitely be interested to find out what happens.