The Burn Journals By: Kirslyn Foster-Yee Period 1 Anatomy April 2012

 Title: The Burn Journals  Author: Brent Runyon  Publishing date 10/11/2005. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group  Genre: Memoir, Autobiographical  ISBN:  Author’s Purpose: Runyon started on February 4, 2001, exactly ten years after the day he set himself on fire. Originally, the book began as a way to let go of his past, but when he was finished he decided to publish it with the title The Burn Journals. The memoir describes one year of Runyon’s life. Questions

The Burn Journals is a true story following the journey of recovery for Brent Runyon, who at the age of fourteen years old set himself on fire at the attempt of a suicide. Brent suffered second and third degree burns of partial and full thickness to over 85%of his body. Summary (1) Brent spent four months at the Children’s Hospital, where he received lengthy and painful treatments to try and regenerate the skin he lost from the fire. After Brent moved to a rehabilitation hospital for three months, enrolling in physical therapy sessions and seeing psychologists. After being allowed back home for a little while, the Dominion Hospital Treatment program was Brent’s last stop for his treatments, where he stayed for two months and was treated for mental problems. After all these treatment centers Brent finally, after almost being out for a year, returned to school and although being nervous to begin classes again, all the treatments seemed to have helped Brent as he realized that why he burnt himself had become less of a big deal. The story takes place from February 4, 1991 to January 26, 1992.

 Throughout The Burn Journals, Brent Runyon uses sarcasm in order to cope with his ordeal. Swears are used frequently, and his sense of humor is shown throughout the book.  Written in the composed style of a young teen barely able to grasp his own, this memoir offers an honest and painfully unemotional portrayal of regret and hope.  As Brent struggles to convey to his parents, and to himself his reasons for wanting to die, he slowly pieces together a weak but possible blueprint for wanting to live again. Summary (2)

 Reading The Burn Journals definitely had an affect on me. The way that Runyon gave very vivid detail throughout his year in therapy and rehabilitation facilities made me never want to go through what he had to go through. Suicide is something I think no teenager, or anyone for that matter, should have to decide for themselves. Being able to be apart of Brent’s journey of successfully finishing treatments and having the courage to return to school after a year shows that after everything he’s had to deal with, he’s able to take control of his life and create a better future for himself. Did this book affect me? It’s a story based on depression that some kids our age go through every day. I learn about how Brent went through high school, and all the consequences he suffered from his thoughtless mistake. There's portions of the story where I thought his life will never be what it was before, and I was right. But Brent never gave up. When Brent returns to school he’s greeted by all his friends who were there for him from the start. All though there's plenty of thing's he'll never be able to do, and plenty of things he might never be able to try, he lives with the consequences of suicide attempt.

 The Burn Journals connects to anatomy and physiology because us readers are transported into Brent’s extensive treatments and numerous surgeries to attempt to re-grow skin he lost from the fire. Readers learn second and third degree burns, how burns affect skin, how much immobility Brent experiences from the tightness of his newly grown skin, etc. Connects to A & P

 I would recommend The Burn Journals for others to read because of the journey into Runyon’s own mind he takes us on. He shares his thoughts and hopes and fears with such steady honesty that we begin to fathom what it meant to him to want to die, and how it feels to struggle back toward normalcy.  Despite its dark subject matter, this powerful book of Brent's journey to heal expresses hope, celebrates life and provides an opportunity to slip inside the skin of a survivor with a unique perspective. Recommend to others?

 Within The Burn Journals there are various themes that come about.  Depression  Regret  Rebirth  Self-injury ^ These four themes I found were recurring throughout the book, however I believe the most significant theme in the novel would be that accepting who you are is part of growing up. Themes

 The thesis of the book appeared in the first chapter where Brent declared to the reader that he was going to commit suicide by going into his bathroom and lighting himself on fire. The tone is then set for the entire book, following the aftermath of his suicide attempt, and how his life was forever changed because of that simple mistake. Thesis

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