Ooh! I really liked The Ocean Was Our Sky. It’s like a parable steeped in fantasy. Though I know quite a few people didn’t really enjoy it. The prophecy ends up being a real trip- both literally and figuratively. Literally for Malcolm, the young cult fellow who's supposed to be taking out Sarah, at the center of the prophecy, and figuratively for Sarah, her father, and her wonderful best-friend-with-benefits, Jason. Not only are they dealing with dwindling farm production and a new dragon, they're dealing with a very heavy dose of racist bullshit from the local police (holy relevancy), but now they've somehow found themselves at the epicenter of dragon cult prophecies. Ness’s borrowings from previous children’s literature add to the strength of his narrative. CS Lewis’s transformation of Eustace Scrubb into a dragon because of his greedy, hoarding nature underpins the movement of the main plot. Philip Pullman’s subtle knife, which opens up portals between worlds, is transformed into a claw taken from the dragon goddess herself, transporting the main characters into a parallel universe.

Burn : Patrick Ness : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming Burn : Patrick Ness : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming

Okay I know this sounds completely bonkers, and it is, but in the best possible way. I promise it all makes sense when you read it! It isn't just weird for the sake of weirdness or anything. The world building is fabulous, and every single bit of what goes down is thought provoking and full of very timely and applicable messages. On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron gas station for the dragon he’d hired to help on the farm… He was the thing the world had suffered from most in her four billion years of existence: a stupid man with power. When the lights of the universe went out one day, standing over the plug, having pulled it despite all warnings, would be a man like Deputy Kelby.” Ness has such a skill for seamlessly blending reality with more fantastical elements and yet maintaining the focus on real-world ambivalence with his running social commentary. Despite the plot being distinctly other-worldly this also opened up historical international conflicts as well as the sexism, racism, and homophobia rampant in this 1950's American setting. How Ness showcased and overcame this xenophobia was extraordinary and my favourite part of the book.Apparently I was wrong because quite literally everything went wrong. And I am really sad about it. Sometimes you just have to feel bad about a thing. Sometimes that's the only thing that makes you human.” Disclosure: I received a review copy of Burn from HarperCollins Publishers, the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. He was the thing the world had suffered from most in her four billion years of existence: a stupid man with power."

Burn by Patrick Ness – The Last Book On The Left Book Review: Burn by Patrick Ness – The Last Book On The Left

It is also just an incredible story with twists that I didn't see coming at all. Yeah, there's nothing more to say except I never wanted to put this book down and now I love it, the end.

Where Things Fell Short

The pacing of the story is on top of that really nice too. There is constantly something happening and the characters are constantly on the move. There is not one dull moment, the story never stands still, it also doesn't go in circles. And all the pieces of the puzzle also come really nicely together in the finale. If you're the kind of reader who enjoys a nice plot with loads of action this is totally the book for you.

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The story is set on a farm in Frome, Washington, in 1957. It begins when the father of a teenager, Sarah, hires a dragon to clear a field for them with his fiery breath, but the arrival of the dragon heralds a series of horrific events. A number of acutely drawn characters make this world authentic and fascinating. There is a bad cop whose hatred seeps throughout their small town and whose every move and word is toxic. There is Sarah herself, a teenager who lives alone with her farmer father after the death of her mother, and there’s the boy next door, Jason Inagawa, for whom Sarah has romantic feelings. There is also a cult of dragon worshippers who believe in a prophecy that predicts the end of the world. The plot was weird, like the synopsis promised it would be, and I’m glad. I do wish there had been a bit more dragon stuff, but oh well.

My Thoughts and Feelings

The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul, but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe.

Burn by Patrick Ness | Goodreads

Combined with that is the fact that gay love, not straight love, is what causes the whole “change in the course of history” in this book. I know, it seems like a small thing, but after so many books where it’s straight love that saves the day, this feels like a breath of fresh air.

Where Expectations Met Reality

You just got days, it seemed to her. Where stuff happened or it didn't. Where planning just showed you what a fool you were to think you had any say over what your life would be.” You know when you go to an all-you-can-eat buffet and you fill your plate so much it challenges all the laws of physics? Sarah is a sweet young girl who has been brought up by her father alone on their farm since their mother died. To keep the farm and pay off the debts her father needs a bumper crop and harvest and to be able to afford this he hires a dragon. Kazimir the dragon is a small Russian Blue, not many are seen and certainly not working on a farm. The book might be set in a fantasy world but the racism and bigotry of the 50s are certainly present and the locals don’t like a Blue being close by, he could be a Russian spy. The local police officer already doesn’t like the family as Sarah is of mixed race. He also has an issue with her best friend Jason who is of Japanese descent.