The Burn Journals

by Brent Runyon

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

362.28092

Genres

Biography & Memoir

All Topics

Nonfiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Vintage (2005), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 336 pages

Description

Brent Runyon was fourteen years old when he set himself on fire. In this book he describes that 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.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member mzonderm

It takes a lot of courage to write a book like this. Most people can not write so openly and honestly about their feelings, especially when they know they've done something to grievously hurt their family. But Brent Runyon can, and does.

As an eighth grader, Brent set fire to himself in a suicide

attempt. He suffered sever burns over 85% of his body, but, obviously, did not die. Brent's story takes us from the events immediately preceding his attempt and through the many months of his recovery.

Much of the narrative is taken up with the details and routines that anyone suffering such severe burns must endure, no matter how they occurred. But in Brent's case there is the ever-present knowledge that he brought this on himself.

Although I wish we could have learned more about why Brent attempted suicide in the first place, he says very plainly (through recounted sessions with assorted psychologists) that he doesn't really know why he did it, can't remember what could have made him so sad and desperate, and certainly isn't going to do anything like it again. A cautionary tale indeed for any teens thinking of committing suicide.

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LibraryThing member Djupstrom

One of the most haunting and real memoirs I have ever read. A great teaching story for high school aged kids.

LibraryThing member mattsya

This true tale is extremely moving and funny. Runyon leaves nothing unsaid in this honest and open memoir, He is neither a great hero overcoming odds, nor a tragic victim of depression. The book is longer than most others in this database, but the narrative is entertaining and fast moving, even

through the most difficult, emotional parts.

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LibraryThing member goldiebear

This book wasn't half bad. I am not sure I really liked the pace of the book. I mean, I read it quite freely, and I didn't have to think very hard, but felt like there could have been more.... It was written from the view point of a 14 year old, which was enlightening and annoying all at the same

time. I was kind of hoping this book would be a little more, ah, intense? I am not really sure how to explain it. Runyon how ever is a very brave strong person. He never makes excuses for what he did to himself. He just keeps living. I liked that this book wasn't about "poor me" but it just told it like it was. That was inspiring. But, I also wonder how he was able to remember the details he did writing this book 10 years later. It makes some of it a bit hard to believe. Not that I don't believe he had those particular feelings, but some of the details I am sure were added or made up. I mean he was writing like a 14 year old when he was 24, you know? It made me a little leary. It is interesting to hear about how much time he spent in various hosptials and how long his recovery was, however. Being an adult, I wonder how much his treatment cost, being in the hospital for 10 months an all.. and nothing like that was mentioned at all. Anyhow, it kept my interest and it mildly interesting.

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LibraryThing member MSLMC

The memoir of a boy, who as an 8th grader, tried to commit suicide by burning himself, the six months on painful skin grafts and the long road to recovering his life.

LibraryThing member 4sarad

This was one of the hardest books I've ever read. It was so difficult reading about him lighting himself on fire and all of the pain and surgeries he had to go through afterwards. Very disturbing. The ending of the book seemed to drag on as he brought up things and events that didn't seem relevant,

but still a good read.

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LibraryThing member karriethelibrarian

There was nothing that prepared me for this sad memoir of a young 8th grade boy who is so depressed he attempts to kill himself by lighing himself on fire in his parent's bathroom. I still can't wrap my brain around someone being so unhappy in life that they would go to such an extreme. The fire is

only a small part of the book -- it's Runyon's healing in the burn unit of a hospital that grips you. The long road back for him becomes a part of the reader, and it's impossible not to finish this book without feeling emotional and spent.

Excellent read, but be prepared for heavy feelings.

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LibraryThing member SmithSJ01

This is an excellent book in all aspects. It is well written, interesting and informative. It is also disturbing. To be fourteen and feel the way that Brent does must be so traumatic. It would have been interesting to read a bit from his parents but then that isn't what this book is about.

Nothing

is left to the imagination; the reader knows exactly what the pain of taking a bath would feel like or the pain of being turned in bed. For me the most distressing part was actually the moment he set himself alight.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. The blurb is right and how often does that happen? The ending leaves you content but curious. I was that involved I regretted having to go to sleep but made sure I didn't put it down the next day.

Although the 'chapters' are extremely lengthy there are plenty of places to stop reading - however it's that good why would you want to!

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LibraryThing member emcnellis16

There were times that this book was difficult to read, simply because I have a fifteen-year old son. The teenage years are tough - I've been there. But, I hate to think that anyone could feel as hopeless as Brent Runyon did on that February afternoon.

After the debrieding treatments, skin grafts,

and surgeries, Runyon begins healing emotionally. When he is asked why he attempted suicide, he answers honestly, "I don't remember anything about myself back then." It's heartbreaking to think that those feelings that drove him to hurt himself were so transitory.

Eventually Runyon makes it through rehab, the treatment center, and to high school. Once there, his friends welcome him with open arms. At this point, any thoughts of suicide seem far away. However, Runyon points out that the depression that haunted him as a fourteen-year old does return. As an adult, he realizes that he must ask for help. He is now in therapy, taking medication, and living a productive life.

Runyon's voice come through very clearly in this memoir - one of the main reason I enjoyed this book so much. His style is clear, honest, and no-nonsense. He tackles the difficult topics of self-worth, sexual activity, pain, and uncertainty - all without playing the victim.

I would highly recommend this book for older teens. The lessons Runyon has to teach are vital - and often not discussed.

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LibraryThing member arianaxx

The title of my book is The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon. The thing that makes this book more fun is that it’s written as an autobiography. The main character is Brent. He has to deal with many problems in his life as you read this book. His mother is a very kind, sweet, loveable mother.

Brent’s dad is a hardworking and very caring man. Brent’s brother, Craig, is Brent’s older brother and he’s very caring ass well. This story takes place in Falls Church, Virginia in 1991. The theme for this story would have to be survival.
Brent is like any other young teenager. He was 14 years old and was in the 8th grade. You would think that Brent would be living a good life because his parents were so nice and gave him everything he wanted but that’s where it’s wrong. Brent is always depressed and he’s tried committing suicide plenty of times. He’s tried hanging himself, cutting, overdosing on pills and much more.
Brent went overboard when an incident in school occurred and Brent ended up burning his whole body after the incident. This was a turning point in everyone’s lives. The people who really cared about Brent were very worried and this whole incident was terrible. Brent had to deal with many complications after the incident and as you read the book, you will see what they are.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is very interested in cases like this. The author has very good ways to help you see all the things he went through, he gives great imagery. Overall, this book was very great and if you would like to see what happens to Brent, you should read this book Imagine yourself in his situation as you read the book.

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LibraryThing member meggyweg

When Brent Runyon was 14 years old, he deliberately set himself on fire. He survived despite being burned over 85% of his body, and spent months in recovery and therapy. I found this book a disappointment. The details about the burn recovery were interesting, but Runyon never really explained why

he tried to commit suicide or how he recovered his mental health. People seeking to learn about depression and suicide would do well to look elsewhere.

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LibraryThing member fromula

This book is an absolutely devestating, and in the end viscerally refreshing, anatomy of a suicide. The author writes with so much honestly and openness, with a level of clarity and bravery that few people acheive. For me, it answered the question "What were they thinking?"

LibraryThing member Omrythea

When a teen (or anyone, for that matter) commits suicide the big question that everyone is left wondering is “Why?” In this autobiography, The Burn Journals, by Brent Runyon, we are given a rare glimpse into the mind of a teenager who survives a horrific suicide attempt.

Short Plot Summary: In

1991, fourteen year old Brent Runyon is in a heap of trouble at school for lighting someone’s gym locker on fire. Distressed by this and many other issues, he decides that the way to end this pain is to catch himself on fire so that he can’t change his mind and save himself at the last minute. He ends up with third-degree burns over 85% of his body and a long, hard recovery—both physically and mentally.

The following passage shows Brent’s thinking during the moments right his suicide attempt. The passage is shocking and honest and pulls the reader into Brent’s world.

"I walk out to the shed to get the gas can. I bring it inside to the bathroom at the top of the stairs because that’s the room with the most locks. I go back downstairs and get the matches from the kitchen.
I take off all my clothes and put on the pair of red boxers with glow-in-the-dark lips that my mom bought for me at the mall last weekend. I bring my bathrobe into the shower and I pour the gasoline all over it. The gas can is only about a quarter full, but it seems like enough.
I step into the bathtub and I put the bathrobe over my shoulders. It’s wet and heavy, but there’s something kind of comforting about the smell, like going on a long car trip. I hold the box of matches out in front of me in my left hand.
I take a strike-anywhere match and hold it against the box.
Should I do it?
Yes. Do it.
I strike the match, but it doesn’t light. Try again.
I light the match. Nothing happens. I bring it closer to my wrist and then it goes up, all over me, eating through me everywhere. I can’t breathe. I’m screaming, “Craig! Craig!”

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LibraryThing member Jamily5

Maybe this was written for teens and, that, I am not. The first part of the book was interesting enough and held some promise, but his lack of introspection and insight left me disappointed. There were a few good parts to the book, like when he was describing his recovery and his apprehension about

his appearance. But, I was expecting much more from this book. I would not recommend it to anyone.

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LibraryThing member audramelissa

At fourteen, Runyon put on his bathrobe, doused it with gasoline, stepped into the tub and lit himself on fire. He suffered third-degree burns over 85 percent of his body. He endured months of excruciating skin grafts and physical therapy. The Burn Journals spans Runyon's first year of recovery

from this horrifying suicide attempt as he struggles with the pain, the guilt and the questions from himself and others as to why he did it.

This book does not contain any solutions or answers to suicide, depression or self-hatred. Runyon can never answer why he tried to kill himself. He doesn't really know. Runyon wrote his book ten years after he set himself on fire, but he writes it in the first person as his fourteen-year-old self. This makes the book so valuable for teens, especially males, who may run the spectrum of sadness to thoughts or plans of suicide. Here, in Runyon's words, they may find hope that they are not completely alone under the desolate weight of depression.

This book should be included in the teen departments of school and public libraries and will be useful for anyone working with teens; however, this may not be a book for readers who have suffered accidental traumatic experiences and burn victims may struggle to identify with someone who purposely caused such pain.

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LibraryThing member mibookgroup

Emotional, with touches of humor. Good discussion.

LibraryThing member kaionvin

Author chronicles his one year of recovery after he sets himself on fire in a suicide attempt in the eighth grade. What makes it work is that Runyon chooses to write it in the present tense- moment to moment. We are seeing his portraits of initial reactions, not a retconned 'message' or the

rationalization we humans are so prone to adding.

Self-destruction is never easy to understand, and Runyon lovingly recreates the disbelief and struggle of his family members around the edges of his internal struggles.

Where it fails, I think, is in treading old cliche male coming-of-age ground. Girls, brothers, hot nurses... it seems like there would be more ground to follow in continuing the further exploration of his emotional recovery - to bring full circle the story- and to offer, finally, what insight time has unfolded.

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LibraryThing member callmecayce

An extraordinarily moving book about a young man trying to come to terms with depression, first with attempted suicide and then with the aftermath. I also appreciated Runyon's afterward, giving us a glimpse into the live he's living now. Excellent.

LibraryThing member JLCasanova

This book tells the story of a boy who attempted suicide by lighting himself on fire. It tells of the painful process he must undergo to heal his physical wounds, as well as the mental therapy he must go through too. This book is based on actual events that the author, Brent Runyon has experienced.

While I am sure there are many people who will find this book interesting and not want to put it down, I found it very difficult to read. Many parts were too descriptive in explaining the treatment that was given to his skin. There were also numerous curse words and a few other topics that would only be appropriate for mature students. While this book does a great job of painting a true picture of what a person may experience when suffering burns or attempting suicide, this would not be a book that I would recommend for teachers to use in their lessons. While this book would be an acceptable book for the library, it is not a book for everyone and would not be a good book for mandatory reading. This book does not contain any pictures and is written in the form of a journal. The reading level is not very difficult, but because of the subject matter it is best suited for older and more mature students.

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LibraryThing member taletreader

I liked the book, I did. But. I found it hard to emotionally connect with. As a trauma survivor, I wanted something that expressed how psychologically demanding recovery can be and how the author got over it (I wanted a happy ending). What I found however, was a different story. I will say I'm glad

I read the afterward, though, because Runyon himself says that basically, recovery didn't necessarily happen. I can relate to that. But he doesn't give us an answer into exactly what he was thinking--which I believe to be one of the best things for YA to read. The writing style is that stream of consciousness but at times, it feels like the author maybe didn't want to write exactly what he was thinking? For fear of being hailed as crazy, or scared to give others the same ideas, or maybe just not knowing exactly what he was feeling...I don't know. Either way, I think it's a good book for teenagers to read. I was extremely depressed when I first went to high school and I never had an exact reason as to why. Most books centered toward YA seem to have a specific reason. This one doesn't, and I think it made it easier to relate to. If you're expecting a "happy ending" though, this one may not be exactly what you're thinking or wishing for.

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LibraryThing member Renee.Brandon

Interesting, but I feel like there wasn't enough shared about his true feelings, how he progressed mentally. He didn't really seem to have a huge mental change. Maybe I was looking for too much. Well written, just wish there was more.

LibraryThing member Debra_Armbruster

I had heard such good things about this book, but the read left me disappointed. _The Burn Journals_ is a memoir, focusing on Brent Runyon's 14th year - the year when he became depressed and desperate enough to douse his bathrobe with gasoline and set himself on fire, followed by his recovery at a

variety of hospitals and institutions.

Brent is frank and authentic. The problem is that (as he appears in the book) he is a difficult young man to like. While characters need not be likeable as a rule, it was a long slog to read through the memoir of someone who I could not connect with, but that was simply how I read Brent. It was also disappointing that, although the reader hears all of Brent's inner thought and knows the details of his medical procedure and daily massage (a lot about the daily massage) the actual psychological healing is completely absent from the book. Each hospital would pronounce him fit to move on, allude to the progress made, but none (that was not physical) was visible.

While I did not care for this book personally, I can think of several students to whom I would recommend this title. Teens love memoir; there is a certain comfort in witnessing the tragedy and strength of others, while knowing in the back of your mind that, however horrible their circumstances, they lived to tell the tale. While my gut tells me that grades 10 and up would be the most appropriate and mentally prepared to handle this book, I would hand it to 9th or even 8th graders, as Brent himself was when the incident took place

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LibraryThing member aputel

The true story about a boy who lit himself on fire during a bout of mental illness. It follows him upto and after the event.

LibraryThing member alsparks

Brent is a nervous teenager. When he gets in trouble he usually does drastic things. When he believes he is going to be expelled from school because he set someone's locker on fire, he tries to kill himself. He douses his robe in gasoline, steps into the shower, and then lights a match. Realizing

he doesn't want to die, he puts himself out and his brother calls the fire department. He is severely burned over 85% of his body. He goes through months of painful surgeries and therapy to get out. Based on his diary or journal, Brent recounts his experiences. His interactions with his mom, dad, and brother Craig. The nurses, doctors, and helpers at the various hospitals where he rehabbed. Through it all he relates his story and how he made it back to go to high school. Lot of emotion and pain. Good read.

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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian

Short paragraphs=fleeting memories. Voice and style: Matter-of-fact treatment of events, quite like a teen who can't fully articulate the emotional intensity of a moment. Not sure I quite felt his state of mind before the sucide so much as I understood his state of mind during burn treatment

(bored, anger, frustrated). Where was the depression coming from? Accuracy: Excellent as a document of burn victim care. Characters: The situation serving more as a character. The people seemed two-dimensional...again a teen voice unable to articulate fully?

Booktalk: At age 14, Brent was depressed. One day after school, he put on his bathrobe, stepped into the bathtub, poured gasoline over his robe, lit a match and set himself on fire. This is a true story. When the flames tore up his arms, the pain was so bad Brent knew he didn't want to die, he wanted to live. He snapped on the shower to put out the fire. But it wasn't quick enough. Brent had burns across 85 percent of his body, his face, his arms, his legs. This is his story of how he spent a year in hospitals undergoing painful treatment and physical therapy. Psychologists talked to him, asking question after question after question, even though Brent didn't know what to say to them and didn't want to talk to them. The experience affected his family, his friends and of course his whole life. When Brent was 27 years old he decided he needed to share his story with young people like you. If you decide to read his story, you may never forget the power of THE BURN JOURNALS.

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