"Chilling exposé of contemporary misogyny that draws powerful parallels with medieval witch-hunts"
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | March 2019 YA Debut of the Month
Written by the founder of Everyday Sexism, and based on real-life experiences, double-standard “slut shaming” and sexual degradation are here exposed with vital urgency, and interwoven with the gripping story of a medieval woman whose abuse at the hands of a misogynistic society has present-day parallels.
Fifteen-year-old Anna and her mum have moved hundreds of miles so she can escape the sexist bullying she was subjected to at her last school. But as Anna tries to make a fresh start, her past rears its head and continues to haunt her. While suffering torrents of abuse from her peers, Anna immerses herself in a history project that draws her into the tragic life of Maggie, an unmarried young woman from the 17th century. In juxtaposing Maggie and Anna’s experiences, the author lays bare an unbroken thread of misogyny from the Middle Ages to today’s culture of “revenge porn” and sexual shaming. Centuries on from scold’s bridles and burnings at the stake, women are still blamed and punished for the brutal behaviour of men.
But Anna finds strength in her friendships with Alisha, Cat and Robin, and her connection with Maggie makes this a potent page-turner that will speak to a generation. As the author states in her afterword, “You are not alone, you are not to blame, and you deserve to feel better”. Or, in Anna’s words, “We are the granddaughters of the witches you burned. And we’re not putting up with it any more.”
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
Fire is like a rumour. You might think you've extinguished it but one creeping, red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back into life again. Especially if someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames ...
The Burning tells the story of fifteen-year-old Anna who has moved to a small Scottish village with her mother. There’s nothing to trace Anna back to her old life. Nothing to link her to the ‘incident’. At least that’s what she thinks… until the whispers start up again. Desperate for a distraction to escape the brutal bullying at school, Anna loses herself in a history project about a young girl, Maggie, who was accused of witchcraft hundreds of years before. Anna finds herself irresistibly drawn to the tale of Maggie, a girl whose story has terrifying similarities to Anna’s own…
The parallels between the persecution of medieval witches and the social burning of modern day Anna become unnervingly apparent. The reader will be left in no doubt: it’s time to extinguish society’s sexist attitudes.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Burning and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
The Burning features in the following genres: Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Fantasy / Magical, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Horror & Ghost Stories, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Featured Books for Young Adults
The Burning is available in Paperback
The Burning was written by Laura Bates and published by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster Ltd
The Burning has 330 pages
£8.99
.jpg)
