Smoke
In her poetic sequel to Burned (2006), Hopkins pays homage to the old adage “The truth shall set you free.” In haunting memories, Pattyn and younger sister Jackie return to the horrifying scene of their father’s murder: Caleb’s rape of Jackie, their father’s discovery of the crime and his brutal beating of his violated daughter, and Pattyn’s gunpoint threat. Now Pattyn is on the run, disguised as a California migrant farm worker, while Jackie is a pariah in church, at school, and in her mother’s eyes. Hopkins’ riveting story line is full of the perpetual premonition of danger, and the simple free-verse format belies the complexity of both plot and craft. The poems are sparse, each word and phrase carefully chosen, each line and stanza designed to convey both girls’ desperation and resilience. Each sees herself as damaged and unlovable; each harbors guilt and hate for the father who physically beat her and the mother who emotionally betrayed her. Hopkins also tackles issues of immigration, homosexuality, bullying, Mormon extremism, and America’s shadowy antigovernment militia, making for a compelling and thought-provoking read.       HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Hopkins is a number-one New York Times best-selling author, and her fan base is huge, huge, huge. Grades 9-12. --Frances Bradburn