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The Burn Journals

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Overview

BRENT RUNYON WAS 14 years old when he set himself on fire. This is a true story. In The Burn Journals, Runyon describes that devastating suicide attempt and his recovery over the following year. He takes us into the Burn Unit in a children's hospital and through painful burn care and skin-grafting procedures. Then to a rehabilitation hospital, for intensive physical, occupational, and psychological therapy. And then finally back home, to the frightening prospect of entering high school. But more importantly, Runyon takes us into his own mind. He shares his thoughts and hopes and fears with such unflinching honesty that we understand-with a terrible clarity-what it means to want to kill yourself and how it feels to struggle back toward normality. Intense, exposed, insightful, The Burn Journals is a deeply personal story with universal reach. It is impossible to look away. Impossible to remain unmoved. This truly riveting memoir is a spectacular debut for a talented new writer.

Editorial Reviews

Engrossing from first page to last, this book based on Runyon's own adolescent experiences draws readers into the world of an eighth-grader whose life is irrevocably changed the day he deliberately sets himself on fire. Brent, after narrowly escaping death, wakes up in a hospital with 85% of his body severely burned and begins a slow, arduous path to recovery. Rather than analyzing reasons the patient wanted to kill himself, the first-person narrative remains focused on the immediate challenge of survival, incorporating meticulous details of Brent's day-to-day ordeals in the hospital and later in a rehabilitation center. Time, at first, is measured by Brent's fluctuating levels of discomfort and comfort, ranging from the excruciating pain of having bandages removed to the sheer bliss of tasting ice cream for the first time in several weeks. And his repentant apologies to his parents and to Craig, his brother, who discovers Brent immediately after the incident, are wrenching in their honesty ("I hope Craig can love me again"). When his wounds begin to heal, Brent's thoughts turn from the present to the future as he nervously makes plans to return home and re-enter society. Despite its dark subject matter, this powerful chronicle of Brent's journey to heal expresses hope, celebrates life and provides an opportunity to slip inside the skin of a survivor with a unique perspective. Ages 14-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

Author Information

Bio of Brent Runyon

Brent Runyon was 14 years old when he set himself on fire. His first book, The Burn Journals, is a memoir of his suicide survival. He is a regular contributor to public radio ' s This American Life, and lives on Cape Cod, MA.

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Additional Info

Imprint

Vintage

Filesize

759.23 KB

Number of Pages

336

eBook ISBN

9780307276957

Awards

  • Garden State Teen Book Award
  • IRA Children's Book Awards
  • Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award

Excerpt from: The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon

When seventh period is finally over, I run to my locker and put all my books inside. I won ' t need them anymore. I grab my lock-picking set and a spare Ace of Spades that I have lying around.
At the end of the hallway, I can see Stephen talking to Megan, the girl we both have a crush on. I walk up to them and say hi. She smiles at me and I try to smile back. He looks a little suspicious.
I don ' t really want to say anything, I don ' t want to tell them what I ' m going to do. I hand him the Ace of Spades and say, ' Good-bye, ' and I walk away. I hope they ' ll be happy together.
I see my friend Jake at his locker and give him the lock-picking set. ' Use them wisely, ' I say, and head toward the bus.
Laura walks with me down D hall. She says, ' Hey, I heard you set that fire in gym class. '
' Yeah. '
' What are you going to do '
' I ' m going to set myself on fire. ' She stops at her locker, and I keep walking.

On the bus ride home, I sit by myself. I lean my head against the cold glass window and try not to think about all the stupid things I ' ve done, all the bad things I ' ve done, and all the pain I ' ve caused everyone.

My brother is playing basketball outside the house when I get home. He ' s shooting free throws.
I rebound the ball for him and throw it back. I don ' t want to take any shots. I tell him the whole story, about what I did and what they ' re going to do to me. I don ' t tell him what I ' m going to do to myself.
When I ' m done talking, he says, ' That sucks, ' and I go inside the house. I don ' t have to write a note anymore. Craig knows everything.
I walk out to the shed to get the gas can. I bring it inside to the bathroom at the top of the stairs because that ' s the room with the most locks. I go back downstairs and get the matches from the kitchen.