The Boy In The Burning House (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
The book “The Boy in the Burning House” written by Tim Wynne-Jones is a non-fiction mystery. The novel shows the events of a teenage boy named Jim Hawkins whose father had disappeared 2 years earlier. All seemed to have settle in his life before meeting Ruth Rose a seemingly psychotic girl who is on anti-depressants. When Ruth Rose surprises Jim while he is taking down a beaver dam on his farm one day he thinks she is playing some sort of elaborate game on him. She has been spying on Jim and his mother for long enough to know both of their schedules. Even freakier, Ruth-Rose insists that Jim's father, Hub Hawkins, who's been missing for over a year, is dead and has been murdered by Ruth Rose's step-father, Father Fisher, to be exact. Jim doesn't want to believe Ruth Rose, but when the crazy-bad girl tells him about a fire that links Father and Hub, he begins to think that maybe Ruth Rose isn't completely insane in this case and that there may be a connection between the long-ago fire and his father's disappearance. Jim doesn't want to believe Ruth Rose, but when the crazy-bad girl tells him about a fire that links Father and Hub, he begins to think that maybe Ruth Rose isn't completely insane in this case and that there may be a connection between the long-ago fire and his father's disappearance.Wynne-Jones created a book that is captivating from the start. The plot is shown at the start in a fragmented way, so as the reader moves forward through the book, the pieces begin to come together to form the story. This was a great choice for Wynne-Jones, as it makes the reader want to continue filling in the blanks. The straightforward storyline and relatable characters make for a great mystery novel. I also enjoyed how the book setting took place in Canada. Although in an unfamiliar location, just the country alone made it feel more relatable.The biggest thing I did not like about the book was the typical cliché characters. I wish the characters had a few more dimensions to them rather than just, “curious boy”, “crazy girl”, “creepy stepfather”. It would have made the characters and the story more interesting to follow.I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quality mystery/suspense novel, which is easy to follow. The lack of complexity may bore some, but if you are into books where you can stay engaged from the first page through, without becoming confused, then this is the book for you.
CAUTION: Spoilers ahead!CATEGORY SATISFIED: Tim Wynne-JonesI'd read Wynne-Jone's The Maestro before, and thought it was good. But I wasn't prepared for The Boy in the Burning House. This book was compelling and great and—well, it was great!The novel follows Jim Hawkins, who has lived a life of turmoil ever since the disappearance of his father. He's had a hard time of it since then—he's even attempted suicide (and failed) a couple of times—but things seem to be looking up. Then, without warning, a crazily compelling girl named Ruth Rose shoots into his life to shake things up. Her story? That her stepfather, the priest Father Fisher, is actually a murderer, and maybe a crazy one at that. The catch that gets Jim involved? That his father is somehow involved, and that learning the truth about Father Fisher may finally tell him what happened to his father.At the risk of sounding repetitive, this novel is compelling! It's basically a combination action novel/murder mystery, and everything kept pulling (or dragging) me on—especially Ruth Rose, who is wild and unpredictable and intense and maybe just a little crazy (as we all are). But she's sincere. Some of the scenes in this novel are filled with adrenaline, such as when someone breaks into Jim's house and pursues Jim and Ruth Rose (who juuuust get away); I felt kind of like I was watching a movie. (I hate to say that because I think novels are usually superior to movies in terms of content and detail, but there is a definite cinematic quality to much of the book.) Pacing was a little slow in some parts, but overall I was pulled somewhat breathlessly from one chapter to the next.There are obviously some dark themes in this book: its main premise is a murder/disappearance, and references are made to mental illness and attempted suicide—but it's nothing overly heavy, and it ends with the bad guy getting caught and everyone getting served a healthy dose of closure and hope. I highly recommend this book to readers young and old, and I think junior high- and high school-age and adult readers will especially enjoy it.
What do You think about The Boy In The Burning House (2003)?
I thought it was well-written and kept your interest. (Some bad language.) I liked the themes of fathers, appearance vs. reality, and the destructive power of anger. Still however I am uncomfortable with the portrayal of Christianity in the book. When a major Christian character is the bad guy, I always wonder: is this just a plot device, a way of showing ultimate hypocrisy, someone who preaches love but is living a lie? OR does the author have an ulterior motive? Is the author motivated by a hatred of Christianity and wants to attack believers? Since the main characters don't claim to be true Christians, only Father Fisher claims to be a real Christian and he is the bad guy. Ruth Rose makes a derogatory crack about communion and Jim states that the last of his faith disappears at one point. There is a line near the end about other pastors being sad at Father Fisher being a bad guy, but there are no Christian heroes, only a "Christian" villain. The main characters are not brought closer to God through this story; instead by the end they probably would reject any form of religion. Readers identify and learn along with the main characters so the reader also could be led to reject Christianity. Because of this, I found the book uncomfortable, even though it was an interesting, easily-read mystery.
—Lisa Rathbun
Genre/Category: Mystery/suspense/mental illness/murder/frienshipRead for the "Tim Wynne-Jones lit circles"Summary: This book starts off creepily, foreshadowing the rest of the book: a step-daughter listening to her father's private guilty confessions, and drawing the conclusion of murder. This step-daughter, Ruth Rose, determines that she needs help in order to reveal her father's crimes and she turns to 14-year-old Jim Hawkins. The same Jim Hawkins whose father disappeared two years ago. The same Jim Hawkins whose father was killed by Ruth Rose's step-father. The suspenseful story follows Jim and Ruth Rose's exploration for the truth and the terrifying places that it leads them. Unfortunately for both of them, Ruth Rose is on medication for mental illness and Jim has had recent suicidal thoughts. People are not too concerned with their life or death information, brushing them off as somewhat delusional. Unfortunately, Ruth Rose's step-father, the pastor of the local church is aware of their search and is attempting to hinder it in any way that he can, even if it means injuring of killing the children. I am not the kind of person who reads scary books, but this book was so excellently written that I couldn't put it down once I had started! It was a page-turning thriller for young adults and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were so real, including Father, that this book played out exactly like a movie for me and I think that it would be an excellent book to engage non-interested readers!
—Allie Randall
This book starts off very eerily it foreshadows the rest of the book: a step-daughter listening to her father's private confessions, and drawing the conclusion of murder. This step-daughter, Ruth Rose, determines that she needs help in order to reveal her father's crimes and she turns to 14-year-old Jim Hawkins. The same Jim Hawkins whose father disappeared two years ago. The same Jim Hawkins whose father was killed by Ruth Rose's step-father. I really liked this book because I love scary because I like scary books. This book wasnt to scary but it is really suspenseful and will keep your eyes glued to it. This does have some language in it. It also has some religious elements too it that add to its depth.
—Lauren Avery
