Scan barcode
blairfrank's review
3.0
I thought there would be more info about Son of Sam, but it was heavier on the family aspect and mental illness.
syncstarlight's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
myriadreads's review
5.0
So good! Set in NYC in the summer of 1977, against the backdrop of Son of Sam's reign of terror. Nora Lopez is waking to feminism, finding the strength to speak up against racial stereotypes, covering up family secrets, and aspiring to get out and get ahead. The light at the end of the story made me cry. #ownvoices #comingofage
tatyshills's review
5.0
Burn Baby Burn, by Meg Medina, follows Nora Lopez, a senior in high school, in New York City. Her family is literally falling apart, and all she is trying to do is find a way out. I chose to read this book because I am very interested in crime mystery, with a sprinkle of romance.
Nora Lopez, an 18 year old senior, is finally graduating High School and is already saved up to get up and move out of her broken home. Her mother can barely afford their tiny apartment in one of the worst areas in New York with her full time job, her brother (Hector) has been very mysterious and doing unknown things as wells as selling drugs, her best friend is going away for college and she doesn’t know where she’s going for college, she’s fallen in love with the new employee at her job, and there’s a serial killer loose in New York who goes by the Son of Sam, who kills couples on dates. Nora goes through a lot of difficult situations, and tries her hardest to keep her head straight, but when everything falls apart- her mom loses her job, her brother starts to go missing for long periods of time, her father seems to want nothing to do with her or her brother because of his new family, her and her mother are starting to believe that Hector is the Son of Sam and the Serial Arsonist, and her relationship with her best friend is on the edge.
I think that this book was very well written, Meg Medina did an outstanding job. The book’s ending was very satisfying, and I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of twists and turns, and in the end, everything ends well. I think that the ending was also a little quick- as if Meg Medina just wanted the book to be over, but she hides it well. One of my favorite parts was when Nora and her boyfriend, Pablo, go out on a date at her best friend’s house while the family is away. During this scene, someone calls the residence, and when Nora finally answers, the person on the other end of the phone call hangs up. Nora and Pablo become scared, and get out of the house as quickly as they can. When they get to Pablo’s car, they find the car to be keyed. They believe that it is the Son of Sam taunting them.
I really enjoyed this book, as I've already said. This book really reminds me of a book that I read a while ago, yet I can't remember the name of it. All I remember was that the book had a Serial Arsonist, and a Serial Killer on the loose, and they were doing everything they could to catch them both. This also reminds me of my all time favorite TV Show, Criminal Minds. There's always a Serial something on the loose, and they race against the clock to save people who could become victims. Though this book doesn't have anything to do with catching the serial killer, it still has them in it. I recommend this book to any person who is into mystery books and love stories. It was very well written, though at times I could find spelling errors (cause that's who I am, I'm always looking for them), it was a wonderful plot and ending.
Nora Lopez, an 18 year old senior, is finally graduating High School and is already saved up to get up and move out of her broken home. Her mother can barely afford their tiny apartment in one of the worst areas in New York with her full time job, her brother (Hector) has been very mysterious and doing unknown things as wells as selling drugs, her best friend is going away for college and she doesn’t know where she’s going for college, she’s fallen in love with the new employee at her job, and there’s a serial killer loose in New York who goes by the Son of Sam, who kills couples on dates. Nora goes through a lot of difficult situations, and tries her hardest to keep her head straight, but when everything falls apart- her mom loses her job, her brother starts to go missing for long periods of time, her father seems to want nothing to do with her or her brother because of his new family, her and her mother are starting to believe that Hector is the Son of Sam and the Serial Arsonist, and her relationship with her best friend is on the edge.
I think that this book was very well written, Meg Medina did an outstanding job. The book’s ending was very satisfying, and I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of twists and turns, and in the end, everything ends well. I think that the ending was also a little quick- as if Meg Medina just wanted the book to be over, but she hides it well. One of my favorite parts was when Nora and her boyfriend, Pablo, go out on a date at her best friend’s house while the family is away. During this scene, someone calls the residence, and when Nora finally answers, the person on the other end of the phone call hangs up. Nora and Pablo become scared, and get out of the house as quickly as they can. When they get to Pablo’s car, they find the car to be keyed. They believe that it is the Son of Sam taunting them.
I really enjoyed this book, as I've already said. This book really reminds me of a book that I read a while ago, yet I can't remember the name of it. All I remember was that the book had a Serial Arsonist, and a Serial Killer on the loose, and they were doing everything they could to catch them both. This also reminds me of my all time favorite TV Show, Criminal Minds. There's always a Serial something on the loose, and they race against the clock to save people who could become victims. Though this book doesn't have anything to do with catching the serial killer, it still has them in it. I recommend this book to any person who is into mystery books and love stories. It was very well written, though at times I could find spelling errors (cause that's who I am, I'm always looking for them), it was a wonderful plot and ending.
yikesbmg's review
5.0
YO THIS BOOK IS SO LIT. I found it in the YA at my local library and the synopsis on the back was intriguing so I checked it out, and I am so glad I did!!!
First, the plot and sociopolitical context are amazing. 18 year old cubana in Queens navigates poverty, an abusive brother, and teenage love while Son of Sam looks large, NYC is in financial ruin, a burgeoning feminist movement, and the 1977 blackout occurs. Medina puts a LOT of work into making the book as historically accurate as needed, dropping references to women leaders I’ve never heard of and disco tracks I don’t know. The text is super simple to read and very accessible.
I really, really appreciate that this book includes an example of when a sibling or children is violent, unstable, and abusive. This dynamic is very familiar to me and I didn’t realize it existed in other families before reading this, and I felt for Nora tremendously. Her character is extremely real and relatable, between dealing with her brother, navigating her crush, being ashamed to open up to her family, weighing college versus making a living. She’s one of the most real characters I’ve read in a while, to be honest, hence the 5 stars. Also, Medina does a really sick job of balancing the extremely violent relationship Nora experiences at home to the supportive relationship she has with Pablo and Kathleen’s family.
Also, the NYC in this book is the NYC my mom experiences and grew up in. The fear, uncertainty, and poverty in this book is similar to what she experienced. It’s crazy to compare this book and my mom’s memories to the ‘03 blackout I experienced and how I experience NYC. It was the murder capital of the world back then, and is the safest big city in America now. It’s fucking wild how much NYC has changed, and I’m so grateful that it has.
The book’s ending isn’t tidy. Nora has to make hard choices and Medina doesn’t sugarcoat any of it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a short YA novel, who is interested in historical investigation or NYC-related texts, and anyone who likes romantic thrillers. It’s a great book!!! Frfr
First, the plot and sociopolitical context are amazing. 18 year old cubana in Queens navigates poverty, an abusive brother, and teenage love while Son of Sam looks large, NYC is in financial ruin, a burgeoning feminist movement, and the 1977 blackout occurs. Medina puts a LOT of work into making the book as historically accurate as needed, dropping references to women leaders I’ve never heard of and disco tracks I don’t know. The text is super simple to read and very accessible.
I really, really appreciate that this book includes an example of when a sibling or children is violent, unstable, and abusive. This dynamic is very familiar to me and I didn’t realize it existed in other families before reading this, and I felt for Nora tremendously. Her character is extremely real and relatable, between dealing with her brother, navigating her crush, being ashamed to open up to her family, weighing college versus making a living. She’s one of the most real characters I’ve read in a while, to be honest, hence the 5 stars. Also, Medina does a really sick job of balancing the extremely violent relationship Nora experiences at home to the supportive relationship she has with Pablo and Kathleen’s family.
Also, the NYC in this book is the NYC my mom experiences and grew up in. The fear, uncertainty, and poverty in this book is similar to what she experienced. It’s crazy to compare this book and my mom’s memories to the ‘03 blackout I experienced and how I experience NYC. It was the murder capital of the world back then, and is the safest big city in America now. It’s fucking wild how much NYC has changed, and I’m so grateful that it has.
The book’s ending isn’t tidy. Nora has to make hard choices and Medina doesn’t sugarcoat any of it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a short YA novel, who is interested in historical investigation or NYC-related texts, and anyone who likes romantic thrillers. It’s a great book!!! Frfr
taylorlechat's review
3.0
I enjoyed this despite not at all involving son of sam like I had hoped it would. Mostly three stars for the misleading premise
4saradouglas's review
3.0
You know, I always thought the Son of Sam killings were so interesting but then the end, when they caught the killer, was quite a disappointment. Just some loser. That's also the way I felt about this book. There is a lot going on with the killer on the loose, the blackout, the romance, the mother's lost job, and the bad-boy brother... but in the end it just sort of went nowhere and was a disappointment.
julie_responsibly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
janewhitehurst's review
5.0
Burn Baby Burn takes place in 1977, during the Son of Sam killer's reign of terror in New York City. Beginning just after his first murder and ending after his capture, the story revolves around Nora, a seventeen year old girl living in Queens. Nora can't wait to graduate and move out of the apartment she shares with her mother and juvenile delinquent brother. She is developing into an adult and is confronted with issues of friendship, family, domestic violence, and young love all with the positive influence of the women's liberation movement, her job at a bodega, and a few excellent teachers. The book spans genres, containing romance, historical fiction, mystery, and realistic fiction all at the same time.