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Riley’s Fire
Riley Martin is a boy whose great curiosity takes him to a place he never imagined and a future that might seem impossible. But impossible is a word that doesn't exist for Riley.
A second grader from El Paso, Texas, he lies in a high hospital bed in the original Shriners Burns Institute in Galveston. He has third-degree burns over 63 percent of his small body and face, the result of his experiment with gasoline from the lawn mower and a match.
But inside that burned body glows a steady spirit.
In this debut novel, set in such an unlikely place, a boy and his parents face the future—his and theirs. Riley's mother has been with him every day since a private plane brought them to Galveston immediately after the accident. His father comes for weekends when he can. The isolated hospital universe, the other children being treated there, Riley's mother's furious grief at her son's disfigurement, and his father's determined support are fictional creations informed by extraordinary knowledge, empathy, and skill.
But it is Riley himself who charms and twists the reader's heart—Riley, a boy so compelling in his innate boyness and buoyancy that his presence transforms the setting, the circumstances, the pain, the loss, even his own expectations.
He is one of those rare beings who embody the human spirit in the act of transcending reality. His story is, above all else, a reward.
A second grader from El Paso, Texas, he lies in a high hospital bed in the original Shriners Burns Institute in Galveston. He has third-degree burns over 63 percent of his small body and face, the result of his experiment with gasoline from the lawn mower and a match.
But inside that burned body glows a steady spirit.
In this debut novel, set in such an unlikely place, a boy and his parents face the future—his and theirs. Riley's mother has been with him every day since a private plane brought them to Galveston immediately after the accident. His father comes for weekends when he can. The isolated hospital universe, the other children being treated there, Riley's mother's furious grief at her son's disfigurement, and his father's determined support are fictional creations informed by extraordinary knowledge, empathy, and skill.
But it is Riley himself who charms and twists the reader's heart—Riley, a boy so compelling in his innate boyness and buoyancy that his presence transforms the setting, the circumstances, the pain, the loss, even his own expectations.
He is one of those rare beings who embody the human spirit in the act of transcending reality. His story is, above all else, a reward.
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2006
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63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 17, 2009
So I had read a book review and decided to add this novel to my list. I pushed through it because it was short, but I just didn't get it. It told the story of Riley, a 7-yr old boy who was burned in a fire that he started. You're with his character for his entire stay at a burn victim hospital. I never felt connected with the characters or that I understood what the real story was. I don't know...this just didn't do anything for me.
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December 19, 2008Not that great! A pretty sad story with a really odd ending, I wouldn't waste your time!!
April 14, 2009
Not as uplifting as I had hoped. Strange ending, kind of abrupt after the detailed build up. Shows the turmoil of the parents involved in a tragedy of a child.
September 8, 2014
it was OK with a weird ending
January 20, 2020
The book is fiction, but based on the experiences of the author's two sons who survived a playhouse fire.
The main character of the book is Riley, a 7-year old boy who set himself on fire while experimenting with gasoline and matches. He has 3rd degree burns over 63% of his body. The top of his head was burned as well as all of his face, his left arm, his head, his back and his chest. He lost his nose, both ears, and three fingers. He is at Shriner's Burn Institute in Galveston, TX, for 3 months after his injuries.
*There were some aspects of the book that I liked:
The author has Riley overhearing bits of conversation, which is what you would expect when someone is probably on pretty high does of pain medicine after being burned over 63% of one's body. In this way, the reader gets some of the background of what happened to Riley.
The author does a good job of weaving into the story things that happen to a burn patient- have to get into a big tub so that the dead skin can be taken off, surgeries, skin grafts, wearing face mask and splints and bandages.
She also does a good job of writing about how burn victims are viewed as monsters by others.
*The things I did not like about the book were:
All the chapters that dealt with the other patients' families and how they drove Riley's mother crazy, as well as the chapters where Riley is imagining playing. I did not feel like these added value to the book.
Also, the mother gets angry at the father when he comes on the weekends to visit, but no explanation is given as to why.
The mother is angry with Riley for setting himself on fire. She tells him he ruined everything and she would like to kill him. (Probably a natural response, like when you lose your child in the store and you simultaneously want to yell at them for getting lost and also want to hug and kiss them and hold them tight because they are found....Still, to tell your child he ruined everything and you want to kill him is just terrible.)
Also, the mother is embarrassed by Riley's appearance and tries to avoid people when they have their first excursion out. (Also probably normal, but still, you would hope that the mother would be able to stay strong in her love for her son.)
Finally, the ending was a bit weird and not at all satisfying.
The main character of the book is Riley, a 7-year old boy who set himself on fire while experimenting with gasoline and matches. He has 3rd degree burns over 63% of his body. The top of his head was burned as well as all of his face, his left arm, his head, his back and his chest. He lost his nose, both ears, and three fingers. He is at Shriner's Burn Institute in Galveston, TX, for 3 months after his injuries.
*There were some aspects of the book that I liked:
The author has Riley overhearing bits of conversation, which is what you would expect when someone is probably on pretty high does of pain medicine after being burned over 63% of one's body. In this way, the reader gets some of the background of what happened to Riley.
The author does a good job of weaving into the story things that happen to a burn patient- have to get into a big tub so that the dead skin can be taken off, surgeries, skin grafts, wearing face mask and splints and bandages.
She also does a good job of writing about how burn victims are viewed as monsters by others.
*The things I did not like about the book were:
All the chapters that dealt with the other patients' families and how they drove Riley's mother crazy, as well as the chapters where Riley is imagining playing. I did not feel like these added value to the book.
Also, the mother gets angry at the father when he comes on the weekends to visit, but no explanation is given as to why.
The mother is angry with Riley for setting himself on fire. She tells him he ruined everything and she would like to kill him. (Probably a natural response, like when you lose your child in the store and you simultaneously want to yell at them for getting lost and also want to hug and kiss them and hold them tight because they are found....Still, to tell your child he ruined everything and you want to kill him is just terrible.)
Also, the mother is embarrassed by Riley's appearance and tries to avoid people when they have their first excursion out. (Also probably normal, but still, you would hope that the mother would be able to stay strong in her love for her son.)
Finally, the ending was a bit weird and not at all satisfying.
August 23, 2019
Very interesting book, created from a compilation of the author's experiences and her observation of other families in similar situations, presented from the point of view of a seven-year-old.
January 4, 2009
The narrator in this book is a 7-year old boy who is recovering from severe burns he suffered when he accidentally set fire to himself. The story is all the more vivid because the narrative starts as he begins to regain consciousness and ends when he is about to leave the hospital,and it flows so smoothly while remaining true to the child's viewpoint. I have found many novels which attempt to tell the story from a child's perspective are either too precocious, too Disney-esque, too pathetic that they strain credulity. The voice in this story is genuine and the difference is what makes the story so sweet and interesting. Riley has basically lost his face and has to wear a mask because his burns are so grotesque, but he still has the heart and mind of a 7 year old boy with all the optimism and energy of any 7-year old. It's a quick read and a good story.
Want to read
March 27, 2009NULL
January 23, 2016
Loved the story!
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April 23, 2017I tried, but just could not get into this. I found it hard to connect emotionally with the characters. Maybe it's the writing style.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews