Burn by Suzanne Phillips

Cameron used to be a good student. He used to enjoy going to school, and hanging out with his friends. But when he got to high school, everything changed. His first friend wants nothing to do with him after the rumors that they were gay started. He is constantly bullied by the popular kids, and he doesn't even know why. His mom is oblivious, and since his dad left he would rather not ask for her help anyway. He doesn't want to upset her even more.

The bullying gets worse, every time Cameron makes a connection with someone Patterson makes sure they want nothing to do with him. If only that guy wasn't around. He used to run, and everything would disappear, nothing could bother him when he ran. Now he burns things, small things at first. Then the "incident" happens...Patterson and his lackey ambush him in the locker room. They hold him down. He doesn't want to think about it. He just leaves and runs and sets something big on fire. The fire will make it all clean, burn away the memory. If only he can forget, maybe he can pretend it didn't happen.

Patterson won't let him forget, he posts the picture in school...there's no going back after that. Nothing will ever be okay. His mom's boyfriend Randy tries to protect him, but can Cameron really trust him? Or is he just another guy that will fall out of his life. Everything is spiraling out of control, and he doesn't know if he can stop it. The only thing that makes him feel better is fire...burning things is a true destruction, a true new beginning...

"Cameron's going to get rid of them all. Then everything will be better. He can go back to thinking about normal stuff. He'll even get his homework done.

It'll be like today never happened.

Like in the movies, where they go in and cut out a scene that didn't work. What happened today definitely isn't working for Cameron. Cut and paste. It's that simple," (Phillips pg. 125, 2008).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Chloe Doe by Suzanne Phillips
The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon
Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Phillips, Suzanne. (2008). Burn. New York : Little, Brown and Co.