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Flash Burnout

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 1,681 ratings · 318 reviews

Winner of the 2010 William C. Morris Award!

Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him.

When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing dram...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published October 19th 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

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Jan 04, 2012 Reynje rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book-kindle, read-2012, young-adult, unexpectedly-liked, contemp-or-realistic

She flips through the photos, her face impassive. “Too bad about the flash burnout on this one.”

I look over at the shot she’s indicating. “The what?”

“The flash burnout. You got too close to the subject. So the flash overexposed her. Well, me, I mean.”

Books like this remind me of why I love contemporary young adult fiction.

Flash Burnout is by no means a perfect book. Its frank approach to love, lust, death and drug abuse may not hold universal appeal with readers. But where these themes ofte...more

23 likes · like · see review

Dec 06, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Three words; gritty, pretty & bizarre

There was just something so very unique about this story. I couldn't stop turning the pages, even though on the surface the plot isn't something I'd think of as a "page turner".

Madigan seamlessly blends humor with more serious matters. She's somehow realistically channeled the mind of a teenage boy (to me anyway) that most authors even the male ones, have a hard time doing. The characterization was fantastic. Even the most minor characters seemed to leap...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Blake is trying to understand relationships. He has a girlfriend and he is also the friend of a girl. Both relationships are important to him, but he realizes balancing them requires artful skill much like in his hobby of photography. There are rules to follow and one mistake can cause everything to go out of focus.

Blake is a cool character. He dreams of life as a stand-up comic and uses almost every opportunity to test out jokes an...more Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Blake is trying to understand relationships. He has a girlfriend and he is also the friend of a girl. Both relationships are important to him, but he realizes balancing them requires artful skill much like in his hobby of photography. There are rules to follow and one mistake can cause everything to go out of focus.

Blake is a cool character. He dreams of life as a stand-up comic and uses almost every opportunity to test out jokes and one-liners. He chalks up an invisible mark every time he gets a laugh. Many of those laughs come from Shannon. Blake can't believe how much fun she is, how beautiful she is, and how much he is really starting to love her.

Marissa is Blake's partner in photography class. As the two youngest in the class, they became partners by default, but it's a partnership that has worked well. Their friendship revolves strictly around photography until the day Blake accidentally takes a picture of Marissa's mother. He didn't realize they were mother and daughter when he stumbled across the homeless woman sleeping on the street. The photo begins a change in their friendship as Blake learns the truth about Marissa's mother.

What makes this story unique is the combination of an interesting cast of characters in a mix of serious situations and refreshing humor. My attention was immediately grabbed in the opening pages as Blake enters the kitchen for breakfast. He describes the snapshots of gunshot wounds fanned out across the kitchen table and the snoring of his father, the coroner, asleep on the nearby couch. Then there's the entrance of his mother, a hospital chaplain, dressed in only underwear and a blouse. As she fixes her morning coffee, Blake is disgusted, but not particularly shocked, when she warns of an oncoming hot flash and promptly removes her blouse.

With an introduction like that, how can readers not continue turning pages?

L. K. Madigan has fun with her characters as she takes them through the good times and the bad. Readers are sure to find at least one character to relate to and at least one experience to learn from. Several added bonuses include a photography tip at the beginning of each chapter and two interesting playlists with commentary from Blake at the end of the book.

FLASH BURNOUT doesn't come out until October 2009, but be sure to watch for it; it's a worthwhile read. (less)

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May 05, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I don’t think I ever expected to pick up a book about a 15-year-old boy and call it one of the best books I’ve ever read. Yet here I am doing just that.

I found out about Flash Burnout at Wordstock last weekend. I heard the author speak about the book during a teen-book session (I had gone to see a different author). L.K. Madigan really didn’t impress me. She’s new to writing, she’s a 40-something soccer mom, and yeah. The one thing that really caught my attention about her book was that it won t...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Sheela Chari rated it 5 of 5 stars

What I learned from this book as a writer:

This book made me aware of voice - of how certain combination of words, the use of slang, even the placement of punctuation can all contribute to the unique sound of a narrator. The narrator's voice will stay with me for a long time -- not the voice of LK Madigan, who I soon forgot about, but Blake, whose whole personality formed with perfect pitch.

I'm learning more about YA, too, as I read, about how voice might be the single most important quality of a...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Kaitlyn M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kaitlyn M. by: Ms. D

Shelves: 9th-grade-books

this book is really good. i loved it. the main character Blake really shows how he feels and what he think. its so sweet. it gives a peep show of how teenage boys think and feel.you can learn how werid us girls seem to guys. I love how hes dosnt have a normal family but he dosnt let it affect him. the detail is really good.

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Oct 19, 2011 Edraniel Tookes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Even though this book the narrator is a teenage boy, Blake, I liked it more than I had expected. The book is about a fifteen year old boy who has a pretty normal life- first real girlfriend, class clown, and amaetur photographer. Then there has always been the girl in the background of his life, Marissa. Blake knows Marissa from photography class. When he find out that Marissa's mom is a meth addict, he wants to be there for her. He's left to choose from the girl that loves him, and the girl tha...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Tammara added it

I love, love, loved this book. This story doesn't require suspended disbelief, which is a nice change of pace occasionally. It's incredibly authentic. The characters are perfectly fleshed out. Blake is in love with Shannon, who seems rather self-sufficient, and he's friends with Marissa, who needs him. He's a regular boy, but he's kind, and he tries to act with intention. This is, for anyone of any age, easier said than done. There's something inherently honest in adolescent boys' inner monologu...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Arron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, male-pov, illness, believable-relationships, refreshing

“Fear of what other people think should never dictate whether or not you do something.”

Captured through the clarity and cleanliness of well-rounded, deeply rooted Blake; a fifteen year old boy, whose personality induces an honest, emotive feel on the book as a whole, L. K. Madigan expresses the realistic tale of a suburban drama. Taking the all too commonly confiding themes of love, loss, maturity and friendship, Madigan is able to step away from the melodramatic and messy webs many writers spi...more “Fear of what other people think should never dictate whether or not you do something.”

Captured through the clarity and cleanliness of well-rounded, deeply rooted Blake; a fifteen year old boy, whose personality induces an honest, emotive feel on the book as a whole, L. K. Madigan expresses the realistic tale of a suburban drama. Taking the all too commonly confiding themes of love, loss, maturity and friendship, Madigan is able to step away from the melodramatic and messy webs many writers spin, and instead graces us with a rather refreshing flawless authenticity. She's honest, both to herself and her characters. She does not allow herself to slip into the dangerous realms of melodrama. If you're expecting a tale of werewolves and winged-human hybrids that take on cities in the rise of nuclear destruction, turn away now. If you want a powerful, sustainable love that conquers all problems, throw this book to the floor and run approximately ten blocks. Yet, if you're grasped by the complexities of overlapping lifelines; if you're insightful to the workings of the human mind in all its glory and the truthful account of realistic relationships in a setting far from castles, moats or, godforbidden, anything twilight related - then this book is for you.

Not many authors possess the ability to draw strings from reality, and develop relationships that read with realism. Madigan is one of the gifted few that can entice me into the realms of the teenage life, and do so without exaggeration or melodrama. She, instead, fleshes out the clear difference between the ideals of love: of compassion for a friend or family member, or of that of lust and craving love. This is explored between his girlfriend, Shannon, who is self-sufficient, startling average in parts, and luckily is not written as your typical broken teenager. Also, she is aided by Blake's closest friend, Marissa, whose mentality is dependent on his presence. Respectfully, Madigan was far beyond the age range of her chracters in the writing process - however, she uncomfortably manages to slip into the inner-working of the male teenage brain with a disbelieving fluency. His thoughts read like strips ripped from an adolescent subconscious; he's witty (no really, she thrives where many have failed), resilient, socially neutral, flawed and consistently supportive. He makes mistakes, he forgets to apologize for them, he worries over seemingly pointless things; all of which, add beautiful depth to an otherwise two-dimensional character.

Family life is dealt with superbly; the household reads as a unit rather than inconsistent separates that flutter into each-others lives at times of poignancy, but otherwise disappear into a distant cellar and sit there for two-thirds of the text. The Hewson parents fill the usual blank shadows of parenthood; they're caring, compassionate, occasionally overwhelming and overprotective, enigmatic and both have a deep understanding of their children. Similarly, Blake's brother is effervescent, taunting, trivial and protective. The family balance is delicate, and held in balance clearly by their alternating and opposing personalities. Madigan, a mother herself, is able to take us deeply into the heart of a household and witness the realism family love holds.

Madigan maintains a bravery throughout. She does not fear of stepping into the darker territory; of handling dangerous material or themes of controversy. Instead, she manages to treat each digression with both the maturity it so deserves and the realistic touches of opposing dynamics towards each issue. Her characters are flawed, but ask for neither sympathy nor hatred. Instead, each character has the potential to be liked - even Marissa's drunk addicted mother, who is a vital element to this twisted, teenage tale of relationships and reliance.

Sticking firmly to her guns, Madigan does not give us a perfected ending; she denies us the glamour of a 'happily ever after' - instead, she takes the unpopular yet resoundingly honest route of leaving us as unfulfilled as the characters we begin to love. Her blend of comedy and charisma is perfectly established in Blake, and her denial of falsity is encouraging. Glimpses of photographic terminology provide a reassurance of the key symbolism; Blake's image of his best friends mother, and her writings on the complex instability of the teenage mind is a trait that would leave many a writer jealous. Taken too soon by illness, it is a shame another Madigan novel will not be ingested by the legion of fans she leaves behind, but you would certainly be a fool to miss out on this precarious read.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Shelf Talkers Anonymous rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Dec 23, 2011 Kelly Bryson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes "witty" characters just aren't as funny as they're meant to be, so I was curious if Blake would feel authentic. And to my surprise, he did. Blake scores himself everyday on how many times he makes people laugh, especially his girlfriend, Shannon. She's perfect. Totally. Not only does she think he's hysterical, but she's hot and not psycho, and she likes to make out with him. But Blake's photography partner, Marissa, needs a friend, and he's there to help as she tries to get her meth-ad...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Doreen Fritz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abraham-lincoln-h-s-book-award-nomi

Having been a high school librarian for several years, I have read many books which portray the inner life of high school students. It has been many, many years since I myself was in high school, and I was NEVER a high school boy, but this novel gives me as close a realistic picture inside the brain of a H.S. boy as I can remember ever reading. Blake's father is a forensic scientist, his mother is a hospital chaplain, and his older brother Garrett refuses to drive him places other than school, c...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: photography, high-school, relationships, relationship-problems, dating, heartbreaking, meth-addiction, drug-use, addiction, friendship, lies, 2012-abe-lincoln-nominees, teenagers, young-adult-fiction, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Blake is fifteen, has an older brother (Garrett), parents who are still together (his dad is a medical examiner who’s a little too comfortable being around corpses, and his mom is a hospital chaplain), and a girlfriend (finally!) – the funniest, loveliest person he thinks he’s ever met – named Shannon. He’s pretty normal with the usual teenage guy issues (full of hormones, sans driver’s license, can’t figure out what women want). Blake is really into photography. He and his friend Marissa are ta...more Blake is fifteen, has an older brother (Garrett), parents who are still together (his dad is a medical examiner who’s a little too comfortable being around corpses, and his mom is a hospital chaplain), and a girlfriend (finally!) – the funniest, loveliest person he thinks he’s ever met – named Shannon. He’s pretty normal with the usual teenage guy issues (full of hormones, sans driver’s license, can’t figure out what women want). Blake is really into photography. He and his friend Marissa are taking a class together (they took one last year, too, when they were freshmen) and working on their portfolios when Blake snaps a picture downtown that changes their relationship forever. His picture depicts what appears to be a homeless woman, a meth addict, strung out on her substance of choice. Marissa recognizes the woman. It’s her mom. This shared experience (and others) bring Marissa and Blake closer together – something Blake can’t talk about with Shannon because it’s Marissa’s private business. It causes a lot of friction in their relationship. Then, Marissa has a breakdown and she and Blake end up comforting one another. When Shannon finds out, she’s furious – and Blake knows she has every right to be (he feels terrible). There is no happily ever after for any of these characters, but Blake does find a kind of peace when he exhibits a series of photographs he’s taken of Marissa.

Blake really comes to life when he talks about photography. Until that point, he’s indistinguishable from every other smart aleck high school kid. His relationship with Shannon doesn’t seem like anything special either – they don’t really share any interests, and Blake doesn’t seem to know Shannon at all (something that also bothers him, when he thinks about it). His relationship with Marissa is much more nuanced – especially after he learns about her mother. Heartbreaking at times with surprisingly beautiful descriptions and painful insights.(less)

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Jun 08, 2011 Mrs. Foley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a Gateway nominee for 2011-2012. Interesting photography terms, etc. start each chapter. The relationships explored seem honest and are probably quite common (although it has been awhile since I was a teenager!). :)

Review from Booklist:
Fifteen-year-old Blake believes he has the perfect set-up a gorgeous girlfriend (Shannon) and a friend who shares his love for photography who just happens to be a girl (Marissa). But a chance photo op of a street person begins the unraveling of his happy...more

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May 01, 2011 April Helms rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

Blake is 15, with a good homelife, a girlfriend and good circle of friends. Life becomes complicated when one of his friends and fellow photography student, Marissa, needs his help due to her less than stellar home life. Her mother is addicted to Meth and wanders in and out of her daughter's life. Marissa wants to help, and Blake wants to help her. But he finds that juggling a girlfriend and a friend more challenging than he could ever anticipate. This is a very enjoyable, fairly clean book. I r...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brief synopsis: Blake is a teenage boy with a girlfriend (Shannon) and a girl friend (Marissa). As part of a photo class assignment, he unwittingly takes a picture of Marissa's long-lost, meth addicted mother. And so the roller coaster ride begins...

This was one of those books that I kept reading to see what comes next but then I was so disappointed when the book is over. The ending was a bit more open ended than I would've liked, but I'm a "dot all the i's and cross all the t's" type of reader....more

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Feb 27, 2011 Black Dog Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

One of the things I appreciated about Flash Burnout is the novel’s setting: Portland, Oregon. Overall, it felt like the Portland I know. It weaved a quirky local event—zoobombing, called “hurtle” in the book—into the story arc.

Protagonist Blake has two major hobbies: photography, and comedy. He also has two girls in his life: his girlfriend, who’s cute, has a good sense of humor, and he hopes to sleep with. Then there’s Marissa, his friend from photography, whose work is “pretty” as opposed to B...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Krista Ashe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-111-of-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked this book---so much so, that I started it last night and devoured it late into the night. I loved Blake--I think Madigan did a great job capturing the male POV. This is high praise indeed since I wrote a male narrated book as well. I never found myself thinking, "This sounds like a chick....".

Even though it was a heavy handed subject, I didn't think it was as gritty as it could've been--BUT, that's the true beauty of it. It's the harshness of Marissa's world encapsulated in the p...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Novel Novice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Flash Burnout is a rarity among YA novels for a number of reasons.

1. It’s edgy and realistic: No vamps, no zombies, nary a faery, but the subject matter does include a number of difficult subjects including drug addition, parental abandonment and sex (parents, don’t cover your eyes yet). I love vamps as much as the next reader, but it’s refreshing to visit real problems in the real world — there are no potions, runes or spells to undo the choices the characters make.

What’s more, the story doesn’...more Flash Burnout is a rarity among YA novels for a number of reasons.

1. It’s edgy and realistic: No vamps, no zombies, nary a faery, but the subject matter does include a number of difficult subjects including drug addition, parental abandonment and sex (parents, don’t cover your eyes yet). I love vamps as much as the next reader, but it’s refreshing to visit real problems in the real world — there are no potions, runes or spells to undo the choices the characters make.

What’s more, the story doesn’t have a neatly-wrapped ending like so many YA novels, where the guy gets the girl, evil is defeated and mortals sleep in peace. Life has loose threads and so does Flash Burnout (and I promise, nothing more spoilery than that). That’s not to say it isn’t satisfying – it is, with its central message of “actions have consequences.”

To that I say, amen.

2. It’s written from a male POV: Blake’s voice is, hands down, the best male POV I’ve read in a long, long time. There is a serious lack of boys’ POVs in YA. Because girls read more? With more characters like this, even reluctant male readers will be forced to bow down to Madigan’s genius. She captures a guy’s high school experience like Blake captures “gritty” with his ever-present camera.

3. It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious: Readers may not realize this, but it’s extremely difficult to write humor, even for funny people, but again, Madigan handles this with ease. Not only that, she creates necessary and ever-present sexual tension using humor, reminding this reader of her best guy friends from high school.

The funniest scenes involve Blake’s parents, particularly his dad, when he has “the talk” with Blake after realizing he may soon be taking things to the next level with his girlfriend. It’s awkward, embarrassing and shoot-soda-out-your-nose funny. It’s also great to see present, supportive parents, in a genre where parents are largely MIA.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up — it deserves a place in your to-read list. Then tell us what you think in the comments or at clumzbella@yahoo.com. (less)

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Dec 22, 2010 Diane Ferbrache rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny, romance, young-adult

Blake, Marissa, and Shannon are sophomores in high school. Blake is good at photography, likes to make people laugh, grossed out by his father's job (he's a medical examiner), in love with Shannon, and Marissa's best friend. Marissa is also a photographer, fun to be with, and is trying to cope with some serious family problems. Shannon is beautful and sweet, in love with Blake, and jealous of his relationship with Marissa.

This is a wonderful, funny, realistic, heart-warming and heart-wrenching...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Autumn Mckagan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was another great book I’ve read. It's hard for me to find a good book and stay interested in it enough to finish the entire book. This story tends to be mostly about a Fifteen year old boy named Blake who’s madly in love with his girlfriend Shannon but finds himself always saying the wrong thing, or always wanting to crack a joke at a time of awkwardness. He has a passion for photography so one day he took a picture of a haggard old woman laying on the side of the street, and later came to...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, good-book-for-dudes, young-adult-books

If I could give the first half of this book three stars, and the second half four stars, that's exactly what I'd do. Blake is a 15 going on 16 year old, and has a pretty amazing life. Two really cool parents, who manage to parent but not over or underdo it (a pretty damn near impossible feat, I'm beginning to believe), a pretty, kind of interesting girlfriend, and a group of pals. He dreams of being a comedian, and is a fair photographer. That's mainly what he has in common with his friend Maris...more

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May 30, 2010 elissa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all middle schoolers

Shelves: youngadult, my_10s_reads, music

4 1/2 stars. Near perfect, for what it is, which to me is a high school slice of life that's an excellent look ahead for middle schoolers. It has sex, drugs, language, and music, BUT they're all so tastefully done that I'd hope that any parent who tried to object would just look like a total doofus. Morris committee made an excellent call on this one. I personally liked Hold Still slightly better, but I can see why this would win over that. They have in common the photography as art and healing...more

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Feb 12, 2010 Yvonne Powderly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan gets into the mind of fifteen-year-old Blake who is struggling to balance his perfect girlfriend Shannon and his photo partner and friend Marissa who happens to be a girl. He constantly gets in hot-water by saying or not saying the right thing. After taking a photo of a worn-down, drug addict on the street for his photography class (Blake always sticks to gritty photos), he discovers more about Marissa – that woman was her missing mother. As Blake learns more about...more

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Jan 23, 2010 AnnaBnana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 20, 2010 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

This one is really well-named since I felt totally burned out from the subplots by the time I was done. Blake is 15 years old and in his sophomore year in high school. Most people find him to be quite humorous, and he is quite happy with his developing relationship with his girlfriend Shannon. It is probably not surprising to most readers that between his age and his relationship status that he is considering taking things to the next level with Shannon, but he is willing to wait even as he seem...more This one is really well-named since I felt totally burned out from the subplots by the time I was done. Blake is 15 years old and in his sophomore year in high school. Most people find him to be quite humorous, and he is quite happy with his developing relationship with his girlfriend Shannon. It is probably not surprising to most readers that between his age and his relationship status that he is considering taking things to the next level with Shannon, but he is willing to wait even as he seems to focus on certain parts of girls' anatomy.

Blake also finds a strong friend in Marissa, a girl in his photography class. They have a shared interest in the art, and their teacher has called them Gritty (Blake) and Pretty (Marissa) because of the focus each takes when selecting subjects for their photography projects. Their shared interests draw Blake and Marissa to spend more and more time together. No one wants to believe they are "just friends." Shannon in particular is concerned about the time Blake is spending with Marissa.

One day Blake takes a picture of a meth addict/streetperson and submits it for an assignment. It turns out to be Marissa's mother. As he learns more and more about her home life, he becomes a confidante and source of support as she deals with the the troubles. As things come to a head, the two of them make a decision that will change the relationships of everyone.

Blake's family is a great contrast to Marissa's. His parents and brother form a tight unit. Blake and his brother Garrett are typical brothers who bicker, but are really there for each other. His father is a medical examiner who is more than willing to share information about his cases, grossing everyone out and leading to laughter. His mom is a minister who works in the pediatric unit at the local hospital. Blake's parents do everything they can to mold their sons properly.

Blake is an interesting and complex character. He is drawn in many directions because of his interest in photography, his feelings for Shannon, his lust, his friendship with Marissa, and the need to do good. This mixture allows him to come across as a realistic teenage boy even though some of his thoughts and lines don't quite live up to capturing the spirit of being a 15-year old boy.

The one weakness I could sense is that his seems to have multiple personalities. Sometimes, he throws out lines that are crass just to "sound" more like a guy. The voice just seems inconsistent because of the major contrast when he seems very mature or adult-like, when he seems almost like a girl, and when his seems like a crass teenage guy.

This book won the William C. Norris Award for best book from a first-time young adult author this week.(less)

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Oct 14, 2009 Jaclyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once I started reading this book I had trouble putting it down, even though, on the surface, the plot doesn't sound like one I would find page turning.

What I loved about this book was the depth of characterization. I know Lisa, and sometimes that makes it very hard to get lost in a book. When you know the author, you see too much of them in the pages to forget that you're reading a story. But I did get lost in the characters. They were so complex. At first I thought Blake's older brother would j...more

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Sep 01, 2009 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan gets into the mind of fifteen-year-old Blake who is struggling to balance his perfect girlfriend Shannon and his photo partner and friend Marissa who happens to be a girl. After taking a photo of a worn-down, drug addict on the street for his photography class (Blake always sticks to gritty photos), he discovers more about Marissa – that woman was her missing mother. As Blake learns more about Marissa, their relationship changes, and Blake begins to realize that tho...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Wendy F

Good reading this, though likely not the first time to have funny combined with the sad, not once does it cross the line into hokey and over the top. The way things wrap up, and there really is none… he screws up, but they all do (OK, him most of all) was fine… more than fine because he made me laugh, he made me cringe, and he made me furious, too. Except he screws up and he owns up to it.

A fifteen year old boy’s perspective, I kind of liked it even when I did want to give him a piece of my mind...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

FLASH BURNOUT REVIEW
If you like books about people being caught cheating on then you will LOVE this book a lot. And if you like to take photos then you will also like this book too.
Flash Burnout is a book about this guy who is in photo taking class and his best friend is a girl named Marissa and they hangout in house all the time and he does have a girlfriend (which she doesn’t know what’s going on between Blake and Marissa).
Til one day she is with him in his room and she grabs his camera an...more FLASH BURNOUT REVIEW
If you like books about people being caught cheating on then you will LOVE this book a lot. And if you like to take photos then you will also like this book too.
Flash Burnout is a book about this guy who is in photo taking class and his best friend is a girl named Marissa and they hangout in house all the time and he does have a girlfriend (which she doesn’t know what’s going on between Blake and Marissa).
Til one day she is with him in his room and she grabs his camera and finds the “dirty” pictures of Marissa on it. She breaks up with him and Blake feels really bad and he should have done what Marissa told him to do (which was to delete the pictures). She knew he was going to get caught cheating on Shannon with her. And plus they did have sex which is really bad cause now they both feel horrible and they don’t feel like they are close like they used to be, like they feel strange when they hangout and they are alone. And Blake’s brother Garret is fooling around with one girl while dating another which it ends horrible for him too. Blake always saying he don’t want to end up like his brother, but he already did screw up with his relationship and he won’t be able to get Shannon back because her parents don’t want him around her no more since he broke her heart. Garret tells Blake one day when Blake is feeling depressed to think of ways to get Shannon back, but Blake says he is not allowed to speak to her. So Blake helps Marissa find her mom, who is addicted to meth and all kinds drugs (which I think is dumb) and they think she might be dead because they heard on the news that police found a dead ones body on the streets and they didn’t know who it was, so Blake, Marissa, and Garret go to where their dad does things to check out who the person died and stuff like that. When they got there they lifted the blanket up to see if it was Marissa’s mom and it wasn’t. So if you want to learn more about this book I think you should get this book and read you might like it! And I also think this is a very interesting book to read.

BE CAREFUL AND WATCH OUT FOR THE FLASH!!!!!!
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About L.K. Madigan

Lisa Wolfson (also known as L.K. Madigan) was born in Portland, Oregon, but when she was ten years old, her parents moved to Los Angeles. They were pretty insistent that she accompany them. She spent the rest of her formative years in L.A. (the Valley, to be exact … a region made famous in both song and film). When she was 28, she decided that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in L.A.,...more

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“Fear of what other people think should never dictate whether or not you do something.” — 29 people liked it

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