Worst Hunting Trip Ever
Book Review: Burn by Peter Heller
"I am already dead. A long time ago I died of fullness a hundred times, and so now I need not be frightened, but I am."
-Peter Heller, Burn
Genre: Dystopian
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I recently read The Dog Stars and didn’t know he had a brand new book out, so I snatched it up right away. There are a lot of similarities between both of these books. While they are clearly dystopian, the focus is more introspective than action. Although there are some intense moments along their journey, much of the emotional weight is in the backstory.
In Burn, we follow Jess who is on an extended moose hunting trip in Maine (off the grid) with his childhood best buddy Storey. As they approach the river, they notice the main bridge has been blown up. They hike to the next town and find it’s been burned to the ground, everything but the boats. Everyone is missing, or dead. The internet is down, so neither of them have any idea what has transpired while they were in the wilderness or who is responsible. But they know they’re in danger. The few people they encounter are shoot-first-ask-questions-later types of men.
Although it never gets fully explained, we learn that secessionists have gone to war with the government, but we never know any of the details about who started it and how it got so out of hand within such a short period of time—days. Apparently, the author was less concerned about those details. Instead he focuses on the relationship between these two best friends, their backstories, and how their respective histories contribute to how they each respond to the crisis at hand.
They find a crying little girl on a boat in lion pajamas who has lost her dog and her parents. It was tense when they were on their own, but now with a small child to protect, the stakes are raised even more. Some of these scenes are quite heartening and also devastating. You’ll have to read it to find out what happens to her.
I’ve never been to Maine, but I imagine it’s exactly as Heller describes it. The writing is beautiful and puts our very existence in contrast with the majestic backdrop of nature. He shines a spotlight on just how close men are to violence, always bubbling right under the surface. But even in the face of such destruction, we find hope in the power of friendship.
There were times when I tired of the constant flashbacks and wanted to get on with the story in the present. But most of this story is buried in the past. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the writing in particular. Recommend.
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