The Burn Journal – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Burn Journal

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2004

78%

WISE Score

4.4

Amazon

A brutally honest, zero-filter look at what happens when a 14-year-old tries to end it all and has to live with the aftermath.

The Burn Journal

book

2004

78%

WISE Score

4.4

Amazon

A brutally honest, zero-filter look at what happens when a 14-year-old tries to end it all and has to live with the aftermath.

4.4

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this book is heavy. It starts with a 14-year-old setting himself on fire in a bathtub. It’s not 'wholesome' in the traditional sense, but it is deeply human.

In a world where social media often makes mental health look like a curated aesthetic, Runyon shows the ugly, messy, painful truth. It’s a tough read, and because it was written in 2004, the 'analog' world of the early 2000s might feel like a period piece to a kid in 2026.

However, the core struggle is timeless. For a teenager struggling to understand their own dark thoughts or looking for a story about genuine resilience, it’s a foundational text. Just make sure they’re ready for the graphic medical details—it gets intense and doesn't look away.

Age Fit

This is strictly for the 13 or 14+ crowd. It’s too heavy for a typical middle schooler and could be genuinely traumatizing for anyone younger who isn't ready for graphic medical and psychological themes.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While the book ultimately documents a journey toward healing and self-acceptance, the starting point is a graphic suicide attempt and the tone is intentionally raw and depressive to match the author's headspace.

Imaginative

As a memoir, it's grounded strictly in reality. Its strength is in its emotional honesty, not in creative world-building or imaginative play.

Safe

Capped due to graphic descriptions of a suicide attempt and the intense, visceral medical details of burn recovery (skin grafts, debridement) which could be highly triggering or disturbing.

Enriching

Extraordinary empathy-builder. It provides a rare, unflinching look at adolescent depression and the long-term consequences of impulsive decisions, making it a powerful tool for mental health awareness.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It’s the opposite of 'brain rot'—it’s a deep, empathetic dive into a kid’s breaking point.
Deglamorizes self-harm by showing the grueling, painful medical reality of recovery.
Written in a voice that actually sounds like a teenager, not an adult pretending to be one.
Provides a realistic roadmap of what long-term mental health recovery actually looks like.

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What to Watch For

The descriptions of skin grafts and dressing changes are visceral enough to make your stomach turn.
It deals with the darkest possible headspace a 14-year-old can be in; it's a heavy emotional lift.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Brent felt like he couldn't talk to anyone before his attempt?"
"What was the hardest part of his recovery to read about?"
"How did his relationship with his parents and brother change throughout the book?"
"What does this book tell us about the difference between a split-second decision and long-term consequences?"

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