Two years after his father mysteriously disappeared, Jim Hawkins is coping -- barely. Underneath he's frozen in uncertainty and grief. Then Ruth Rose crashes into his life. A sixteen-year-old misfit whose manic moods have to be managed by drugs, she tells Jim that her stepfather is a murderer. Every instinct tells Jim to walk away, to get back to the slow process of dealing with his own grief. Yet something about her fierce conviction will not let him rest. Ruth Rose lights a fire in Jim -- a burning need to uncover the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be.
Acclaimed author Tim Wynne-Jones turns his considerable talent to a stunning novel that is part mystery, part psychological thriller. Emotionally compelling, fast-paced, terrifying and clever -- The Boy in the Burning House is an irresistible read.
Two years after his father mysteriously disappeared, Jim Hawkins is coping -- barely. Underneath he's frozen in uncertainty and grief. Then Ruth Rose crashes into his life. A sixteen-year-old misfit whose manic moods have to be managed by drugs, she tells Jim that her stepfather is a murderer. Every instinct tells Jim to walk away, to get back to the slow process of dealing with his own grief. Yet something about her fierce conviction will not let him rest. Ruth Rose lights a fire in Jim -- a burning need to uncover the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be.
Acclaimed author Tim Wynne-Jones turns his considerable talent to a stunning novel that is part mystery, part psychological thriller. Emotionally compelling, fast-paced, terrifying and clever -- The Boy in the Burning House is an irresistible read.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Aug 1, 2000 |
| Specifications | 232 pages | 4.52 in x 7 in |
| Keywords | Social Situations; Emotions & Feelings; Boys & Men; Mysteries & Detective Stories; award winner; |
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Excerpt |
| Written By |
TIM WYNNE-JONES is the author of more than 35 books and is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Award, as well as a two-time winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and of the Arthur Ellis Award. His recent books include War at the Snow White Motel and The Starlight Claim. Tim is the recipient of the Edgar Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work and is an Officer to the Order of Canada. He lives in Perth, Ontario. |
| Written By |
|
TIM WYNNE-JONES is the author of more than 35 books and is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Award, as well as a two-time winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and of the Arthur Ellis Award. His recent books include War at the Snow White Motel and The Starlight Claim. Tim is the recipient of the Edgar Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work and is an Officer to the Order of Canada. He lives in Perth, Ontario. |
| Audience | ages 12 to 15 / grades 7 to 10 |
Winner, Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel, 2002
Short-listed, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, 2005
Long-listed, Wirral Paperback of the Year, 2005
Long-listed, OLA Red Maple Award, 2001
Long-listed, SYRCA Snow Willow Award, 2003
“An absolutely riveting thriller, this book is a tour de force for Wynne-Jones, Tim...full of wonderful literary play - with a sly nod to great adventures...” —Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW
“Intense, suspenseful, this novel is much more than a mystery - it's an exploration of human choices, of the tension between trust and reason, denial and self-knowledge. And it's hard to put down.” —Toronto Star
“The tale spins out taut as a bow string...Scary, absorbing, with a thrilling denouement.” —Booklist