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About The Burn Journals
Product Description Fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, Running with Scissors and Girl, Interrupted will be entranced by this remarkable true story of teenage despair and recoveryIn 1991, fourteen-year-old Brent Runyon came home from school, doused his bathrobe in gasoline, put it on, and lit a match. He suffered third-degree burns over 85% of his body and spent the next year recovering in hospitals and rehab facilities. During that year of physical recovery, Runyon began to question what he’d done, undertaking the complicated journey from near-death back to high school, and from suicide back to the emotional mainstream of life. Review “[ The Burn Journals] describes a particular kind of youthful male desolation better than it has ever been described before, by anyone.” -Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon“A fascinating account of the mending of a body and mind, told with the simple and honest sensibility of someone too young to have endured so much.” —Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha"Runyon has, perhaps, written the defining book of a new genre, one that gazes...unflinchingly at boys on the emotional edge ." - Booklist (starred review)"A taut, chilling account of the author's attempt to commit suicide...a must-read for teenagers struggling with self-doubt."- The Denver Post“An excruciating, brilliant book...WOW.” —A.M. Homes, author of Things You Should Know From the Back Cover 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. "From the Hardcover edition. About the Author Brent Runyon is a writer and regular contributor to public radio programs, including This American Life, where portions of his award-winning memoir, The Burn Journals, first aired. Booklist praised The Burn Journals as “the defining book of a new genre, one that gazes unflinchingly at boys on the emotional edge.” In his novels Maybe and Surface Tension, he retains that raw honesty. Mr. Runyon lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 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
