Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Reviewed by Lori
Title: Burning Blue

Author:  Paul Griffin

Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 75470

Description:  When beautiful, smart Nicole, disfigured by acid thrown in her face, and computer hacker Jay meet in the school psychologist's office, they become friends and Jay resolves to find her attacker.

Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It

Why I Read It:  I had read Adrift by Paul Griffin and this novel sounded good as well.

Notes:  I liked this book and read it over the course of two days.  Jay and Nicole go to the same school, they know of each other but don’t know each other.  Nicole is the school beauty queen and Jay is a loner with epilepsy. At an assembly in Freshman year Jay had an epileptic attack in front of the whole school.  He hasn’t been back since with the exception of meeting with Mrs. Schmidt the school Psychologist. Nicole’s life was great until someone squirted battery acid onto her face.  When Jay and Nicole meet Jay decides to take it upon himself to find out who burned Nicole and why. This book was interesting with a variety of supporting characters both for Nicole and for Jay.  The book becomes a who-done-it with Jay using his computer hacking skills to track down the culprit and eliminate suspects that range from people at school, teachers, parents, even to Nicole herself.  Everyone in this novel seems to have a secret, and everyone has issues to deal with and a different way of dealing with them – whether through art, drinking, self-harm, bullying etc. The interplay between inner and outer beauty was good.  The ending was also a little surprising.

Recommended Readers: Grade 9 and Up

Themes: Beauty, Mystery, Friendship, Computer Hacking, Self-Harm, Parent/Child Relationships, Divorce, Death, Loneliness, Epilepsy, Secrets


Cross-Genre Links:
Psychology: Self-Harm
Science: Chemical burns
Physiology: Epilepsy
Technology: Computer hacking
Sociology: Beauty

Inquiries and Activities:

  • Who is involved in the attack on Nicole and why? 
  • Is it actually a curse to be beautiful?
  • Why does Jay decide to help Nicole?  How do the two characters relate to one another.
  • Pick a secondary character and write a diary entry from their perspective about the attack on Nicole. 
  • What might their thoughts and motivations be?
  • Why do you think the novel was called Burning Blue? What might that title represent?
  • What are some of the secrets that the characters have?  Why do we have and/or keep secrets?
  • Discuss the parent/child relationships in this book. Jay and his father, Nicole and her mother/father, David and his father.
  • What did you think when you found out the truth about who hurt Nicole? Would you be able to forgive?


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