Vlog Post with Elana K. Arnold ~ Jean BookNerd

Photo Content from Elana K. Arnold

ELANA K. ARNOLD completed her M.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have her own horse--a gorgeous mare named Rainbow--and a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. She is represented by Rubin Pfeffer of the East/West Literary Agency. Sacred is her debut novel.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press; First Edition edition (June 11, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385743343
ISBN-13: 978-0385743341
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches

Praise for BURNING

Selected as a Banks Street Book of the Year, 2013

Selected as a Los Angeles Public Library Book of the Year, 2013

“Lyrical and inspirational.” ―Kirkus

“…two teenagers from worlds as different as they are specific—Ben and Lala—fall in love surrounded by the fabulous and terrifying landscape of Burning Man. And like that famous festival in the desert, their story is wholly compelling and full of surprises. Ben, especially, won my heart.” ―Pam Houston, author of Cowboys are My Weakness

“Infused with magic and never afraid to face life’s deepest, most complicated questions, Burningis a story of forbidden love, great risk, and ultimately, transformation. Readers will find themselves moved beyond words by the perfect, blazing beauty found at the end.” ―Nova Ren Suma, author of The Walls Around Us

“Burning is seductive and uplifting, a real story filled with resonating characters who must choose between allowing the fortunes of the past to determine their paths as adults, or take a step toward freedom and define themselves. An absolutely perfect summer read.” ―Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle

TEN FAVORITE GUY CHARACTERS FROM YOUR BOOK, INCLUDING RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THEM.

In no particular order…
Hog Boy. He loves knock-knock jokes… the dirtier, the better.
Martin Cohen. He is a wonderful listener.
James. His big brother Ben doesn’t think he can take care of himself, but he’s tougher than he looks.
Andy. He will probably play college baseball, and maybe even the major leagues.
Pete. He’s the best-looking guy at Gypsum High.
Will Cohen. Come on. Too sexy for words.
Romeo. He’s engaged to Lala White, and he can’t wait until the wedding night.
Gunner Montgomery-Valentine. In SPLENDOR, he comes to Catalina Island as an exchange student. Wait until you meet him.
Adrian. Lily met him during her family vacation to Amsterdam (SPLENDOR). Trouble ensues.
Ben Stanley. He didn’t get where he is by luck, or chance. But he feels guilty, anyway.

TEN THINGS TO DO OR KNOW AT A BURNING MAN FESTIVAL.

Burning Man functions as a gift economy. That means that, once inside, there is no buying or selling allowed. And no trading, either. Bring gifts, with no expectation of return.
Leave No Trace—whatever you bring in, take home.
There will be art, everywhere… if you have something you want to express, go for it!
It can be very hot… over 100 degrees.
Watch out for White Outs… sudden high winds that stir up dust and dirt, making visibility poor. Bring goggles and a dust mask.
You will see naked people. Lots of naked people.
Each year, Burning Man has a theme. This year, it’s Cargo Cult. Google it.
It’s a desert. It’s dry. Bring lip balm, and moisturizer, and saline nasal spray, and Vaseline for when your skin starts to chap.
Bring shade.
Don’t be a spectator.

Ben: Having just graduated from high school, Ben is set to leave Gypsum, Nevada. It's good timing since the gypsum mine that is the lifeblood of the area is closing, shutting the whole town down with it. Ben is lucky: he's headed to San Diego, where he's got a track scholarship at the University of California. But his best friends, Pete and Hog Boy, don't have college to look forward to, so to make them happy, Ben goes with them to check out the hot chick parked on the side of Highway 447.

Lala: She and her Gypsy family earn money by telling fortunes. Some customers choose Tarot cards; others have their palms read. The thousands of people attending the nearby Burning Man festival spend lots of cash--especially as Lala gives uncanny readings. But lately Lala's been questioning whether there might be more to life than her upcoming arranged marriage. And the day she reads Ben's cards is the day that everything changes for her. . . and for him.

Elana K. Arnold’s Burning is a detailed story about the meeting of two young people during a critical time in their lives. Ben is leaving the town he grew up in for a full scholarship at a college. Lala is a fortune telling gypsy who knows exactly what her future holds. She’s bound to an arranged marriage but questions her gypsy lifestyle from years of reading old books. One summer, the two meet when Ben takes his friends, Pete and Hog Boy, to a fortune telling gypsy. Lala didn’t expect that Ben would open her eyes to something that she cannot overlook.

This coming-of-age story is adorably told through Elana’s amazing writing. The layers she brings to the story are interwoven seamlessly. The dual point-of-views provided a different outlook on the story. Each POV was written differently as Elana was able to capture the essence of two entirely different characters. The history of Ben and Lala are fully explained and when they unfold, readers will appreciate the thoroughness of Elana’s writing.

The culture education within this book is quite immense. It was rather impressive how Elana is able to explain a lot about the gypsy lifestyle. Although there are hard strict rules that are attached to this lifestyle, it shows that rules can be loosened to some degree but can also break the bonds of family.

The pacing of the story is done wonderfully. Lala was given a voice that is completely different from most teen girls. Instead of her emotions taking control of her actions, she was a total thinker. Ben on the other hand is the complete opposite. The contrast between them delivered a poignant story about making life choices for yourself. We often lead a life that we are thought to live but Elana K. Arnold’s Burning endows you to think otherwise and go for what feels right.

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