Ready for a fast ride through NYC?

Burning City by Ariel and Joaquin Dorfman kept me up last night to finish it, and when I read the last page I wanted to go back to some of my creative writing classes with Chilson (you'll know what I mean, Chelsea) and write an analysis of the style, technique and metaphor used throughout the book. It's an unusual feeling to finish a book and want to write a paper about it, but that's how I felt, as well as wanting to start at the beginning and re-read it and catch what I'd missed and try to catch my breath while doing so.

I feel a little unsteady writing a solid review about Burning City (a YA book) because it's such a quick read that I never caught up with myself to know what all was going on--but that's the point of the novel. You'll ride breathlessly along with Heller bicycling helter-skelter through NYC, causing people to dive away and cars to slam on their brakes, as he races from one job to another, a messenger that delivers news in person--and Heller is always the bearer of bad news. In the course of the week after his 16th birthday, Heller is forced to slow down and take notice of a few things in the city--but the authers, a father and son team, never give the reader a chance to slow down.

Burning City moved me both to laughter and tears, and I'm thinking about picking the book up and starting all over again--after all, it didn't take long to read--or at least it didn't feel like it.

--Amy