The Boy in the Burning House

By: Tim Wynne Jones

At www.amazon.com the book is $7.49 CND

An average of 5 out of five stars are given to this book

My rating is 5 stars out of five 

     This teen directed novel is full of realistic dialogue, an intriguing plotline, and fascinating characters with actions motivated by drastic changes to their lifestyle for the worse in recent years.

     Jim Hawkins is a troubled teen suffering from the dubious disappearance of his father. He is making his way through life slowly but surely when Ruth Rose interrupts. She is also a troubled adolescent. Her mother was crippled in a car accident that killed her unborn sibling and father. And now she has a step father she truly believes is a murderer with a questionable past. Ruth Rose somewhat convinces Jim that something corrupt is afoot from the very start.

     As the truth unravels we become surer of many things, Father Fisher is a debauched man, misleading the entire town with his false righteousness. Jim’s fathers’ disappearance isn’t as mysterious as many may have thought, and Ruth Rose may be more perceptive than what is given her credit.

     This book is an interesting read for a broad range of teens of any age. It has a certain realism that makes it a believable read, it sparks imagination, it is written impeccably, and it reaches a startling climax. This is a must read, once you start you won’t be able to put it down.