Born Burning

Rating:
Summary: Looks like another contestant for The Chair.
Review: An interesting premise molded into an enjoyable read about a young boy's torment. Sullivan writes well keeping the reader interested in his characters and the situations he puts them in. BORN BURNING is dark, erie, and has a warped sense of humor. A great late night book that burns time with cool little story.

Rating:
Summary: What more could a reader desire?
Review: I have met Thomas Sullivan and discussed literature with him. He is brilliant. I, too, want to read more from this remarkable man. I can't believe that this book is out-of-print. Worthwhile reading for anyone

Rating:
Summary: Worse Than Death Itself
Review: I really enjoyed the novel, "Born Burning", for its mysterious and at some points, unbelievable plot. The young protaganist, Joey, has a very strong part in the book and I also enjoyed reading along with his mother's part. I liked the family tradition added to the concept of the chair, it made the idea more realistic and believable.
Throughout the book Joey's uncle tests him and tests him in life or death situations. The family chair, handed down from family heir to their sons, soon to be the heir themselves, has an ancient legend behind it. Though for no other man in the family has this chair bothered or even dissatisfied them, but for Joey it is worse than death itself.
As the book moves along, as does Joey and his journey towards his encounter with the chair that he is destined for. The reader doesn't know if the chair will possibly devour him, curse him, control him, or do absolutely nothing at all. With all of the testing and preparing for what will happen to him when he finally sits in the chair finished, he is finally ready when the time comes. To me, the ending was surprising, but still exellent and brought a wonderful close to an outstanding book.

Rating:
Summary: can't wait to see the movie
Review: i spotted BORN BURNING while browsing.... glad i did. sullivan is great at crafting/wordsmithing.... and evokes strong empathy in this work. i can't wait to see the movie (i.e. hoping that it is made into one)!!!

Rating:
Summary: fearful chair
Review: there is a chair, and it will be passed on. but to who? things are not as they appear. the owner's brother wants it, his wife's son wants it. unfortunately, his own son does not want it. it is in fact his greatest fear. can the chair act on its own? there is great writing here. a great deal of psychology and "hidden" elements, some i did not see. good descriptions. but in the end, we are not given enough about the chair. i expected the story about the chair to really develop into something, or at least a very good psychological finesse. but no. therefore: 3.

Rating:
Summary: Best Horror Book on an Inanimate Object
Review: This book terrified me sooooo much just to even sit in one of my chairs around the house while I was reading it. The main character Joey was so easy to fall in love with. You just want to take him in a be his mom, but unfortunately the values he learns eventually and goes through and endures really tell you that he's strong enough to take it. I don't really want to discuss more because that would be giving it away. So all I can say is pick it up and start the horror...

Rating:
Summary: Born Brilliant
Review: Thomas Sullivan is a master of horor writing, so, while I am not a big fan of this genre, I have long admired Sullivan's writing skill -- his rich word choices and deft turns of phrase make him, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant authors I've ever encountered. So it was with much joy that I discovered that Sullivan's new paperback, Born Burning, is more of a psychological book -- my favorite kind! With three sons, and a full-time job, my big reward after a busy day is to read before bed. Sometimes a few minutes turn into a few hours...I hold Thomas Sullivan personally responsible for some sleep-deprived nights. And I'm definitely going to keep my youngest son, who will turn seven in July, away from heirloom chairs! I hope that more people will discover Sullivan, because he truly deserves mainstream fame!

Rating:
Summary: Where is this writer? Want more!
Review: Where is this writer? I want more! It wasn't until I was completely finished and a few days had passed that I realized I had not really read an "important" book. Rather, I had been caught up in a literary storyteller's dramatic talent and had fallen in love with, not so much the story, but the way the story was told. Rich reading, indeed.