The Burning Land

Firebrats #1

by Barbara Siegel, Scott Siegel

Sixteen-year-olds Matt and Dani are deep underground in a theater storage room when nuclear missiles hit, and when they emerge one month later, they struggle to survive in the radioactive wasteland that was once their home.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Adventure

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[❀Aimee❀ Just one more page... · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this series when I was young. Post apocalyptic teenage kids surviving in a post nuclear holocaust, trying to cross the country on foot. I kept watching for subsequent books after #4, but they never materialized. I finally went scrounging around the internet today to see what it was called and see if there were more than 4. Alas, the saga never concluded.

[Lauren Penin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was read this series when I was in Grade 5 by my teacher, I had been searching for this series for years. I remember she ordered in the last three books and kept them very safe, hopefully if I find her again some day, she will still have them. My class was absolutely captivated by the story and I believe she found this book as we were studying WWII and the effect of radiation and the nuclear bombs. I hope some day to be able to read this series again.

[Tricia Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blast from the past, as I went out looking to find a copy of this book I enjoyed as a kid (and to try to track down the rest of the series, as interlibrary loan couldn't find them when I was a kid). Still a good story - it seemed much longer when I was a kid. When I was a kid, the time in the theater prop room seemed interminable, and terrifying.

[Brittany Fulton · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Burning Land is a story about Matt and Dani, two teenagers who get caught in a basement when World War III breaks lose. Nuclear bombs come crashing down and they are forced to live in the cramped basement, living off snack foods for as long as possible. When they can finally emerge back into the world, they find the home they knew turned into a hostile environment where it is survival of the fittest and every man for himself.
I really liked the story line for this book, but I found the characters were not likeable, Dani especially, so I wasn't really rooting for them like I should have been with such a theme. Over all it was a clean book and a fast read, but I have no interest in reading the sequels

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to remember liking this series, even if I thought it was light and fluffy for a post-nuclear fallout story (and I was only 12 or so). I remember checking my library for years to see if the fifth book came out, but it never did. Then I forgot the name of the authors, and only just found the series again with the power of google. It kind of makes me upset that the authors were disloyal to their story and readers by not taking it to it's conclusion, but maybe it was the publisher who abandoned the story. I'm still wondering if they ever made it to California. Something tells me that it couldn't have had a happy ending, but even so... When I picked up a story about two teens travelling cross country though a radiation soaked apocalypse I didn't expect a happy ending.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of a 4 part series that I started reading in middle school. Two teenagers of different backgrounds that get stuck together when nuclear war starts. The series follows their hopes of finding their families and other survivors, while evading the road warrior mad max types of survivors also. If you can find it I would recommend them.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book from my childhood, which I just re-visited. Short, and deeply problematic in places, but still a fun little teen-fiction post-apocalyptic romp. I'll have to hunt out the rest of the series again, not easy these days!

[Henrik Andersson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and simple, seems very much like something you buy in a kiosk when going on a busride, finish before you arrive and leave on the bus for the next passenger to enjoy. Fun theme as well, surviving in a world that's gone to shits is rarely boring and I enjoyed this ultimately forgettable book

[Kylie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in High school and I have searched for it to read the rest of the series ever since! I'm in a Facebook book group and I posted what I remembered about the first book today and somebody wrote that thought it was Firebrats. I'm so happy to finally have a name and authors, now to track down the series 😊

[Timothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars.