Smoke

by Ellen Hopkins

Overview

Pattyn’s father is dead. Now she’s on the run in this riveting companion to the New York Times bestselling Burned.

Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated.

Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?

Bestselling author Ellen Hopkins continues the riveting story of Pattyn Von Stratten she began in Burned to explore what it takes to rise from the ashes, put ghosts to rest, and step into a future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416983286
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	09/10/2013
Pages:	560
Sales rank:	211,636
Product dimensions:	5.27(w) x 7.26(h) x 1.64(d)
Lexile:	HL710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Tilt, and Smoke, as well as the adult novels Triangles and Collateral. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada, where she has founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative. Visit her at EllenHopkins.com and on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter at @EllenHopkinsYA. For more information on Ventana Sierra, go to VentanaSierra.org.

Read an Excerpt

Smoke

You can’t take back, no

matter how much you wish

you could. No matter how

hard you pray to

some

all-powerful miracle maker.

Some supposed God of Love.

One you struggle to believe

exists, because if he did,

things

wouldn’t be so out of control,

and you wouldn’t be sucked dry

of love and left to be crushed

like old brittle bones that

are

easily ground into dust.

Hindsight is useless

when looking back over

your shoulder at deeds

irreversible.

Reading Group Guide

A Reading Group Guide to

Smoke
By Ellen Hopkins

About the Book

Blamed for her abusive father’s death and haunted by the loss of her boyfriend and their unborn child, Pattyn Von Stratten is on the run. Aboard a bus destined for California, she makes friends with Adriana, a young girl whose family helps her find work as a housekeeper for the Jorgensens, a wealthy ranch-owning family. Patty sets out to build a new life under a false identity, but she is overwhelmed by feelings of loss and guilt and questions her ability to build new relationships and establish a new existence. Back home, her younger sister is the sole person who knows what happened in the shed that day, but Jackie is haunted by troubles of her own. Her mother, for one, refuses to accept reality and the role Caleb played in the death of the girls’ father. Smoke, the much anticipated sequel to Burned, brings closure to one girl’s heart-wrenching journey.

Prereading Questions

1. Why is abuse (both physical and emotional) so prevalent in society?

2. Discuss what you would do if you knew a loved one was in an abusive relationship.

3. In your opinion, why do individuals stay in abusive relationships?

4. What responsibility do we have when we know a loved one is in a dangerous relationship?

Discussion Questions

1. The story opens with Patty having run away from home and Jackie in the hospital. What event has occurred?

2. Patty, bound for California, meets Adriana on a bus. Why does Adriana open her home to Patty and how does Patty prove to be useful to Adriana’s family?

3. Angel, Adriana’s brother, helps Patty secure a job as a housekeeper for a ranch owner. Describe the family and Patty’s feelings about working for them.

4. When Jackie returns home from the hospital, her mother begins making new plans for the family. How does their life change? Why does Jackie’s mother turn a deaf ear to Jackie’s story about Caleb? What reaction does Jackie have to her mother’s denial?

5. How does Angel help Patty adjust to her new life? What does he know about Patty’s past and why does Patty give him limited information about why she is on the run? How does she feel about Angel not having the right facts?

6. Religious convictions play an important role in the Von Stratten family’s responses. How does faith impact Ms. Von Stratten’s decisions and her responses toward her daughters? How does their religious upbringing impact the way Patty and Jackie respond to their lives? Support your answers with evidence from the text.

7. Patty nurses Maria and her baby, Teresa, through the measles. Maria and her family are poor, yet “María lives in hope of the future, a more precious gift than she knows.” Why might Patty hold this belief? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

8. As Patty becomes more acquainted with Adriana and Angel’s family, what does she learn about the life of migrant workers and the plight of undocumented workers in the United States? In what way does she feel connected to their plight?

9. Patty is surprised to learn that Adriana knows she is on the run for murder but has never approached Patty about what happened. Adriana says, “[G]uilt—is more punishment for you than jail.” Do you agree or disagree? Would this be true for everyone? Explain.

10. Patty believes that to embrace courage, two things are required: “unshakable faith that death is no more than a portal to some Shangri-la reunion. Or zero belief at all.” Is her argument accurate? Does she view herself as courageous? Does the author present her as a courageous character? What about Jackie? their mother? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

11. Jackie believes that truth is a product of perception. Explain what she means. Is her statement accurate? Why or why not?

12. Mr. Jorgensen and others are surprised to learn that Pattyn can tame Shoshone. What previous experiences with horses does Pattyn have? How does working with Shoshone bring Pattyn peace?

13. After returning home from the hospital, Jackie decides to focus on school and seeks out a tutor—Gavin. Is Gavin good for Jackie? Explain. How is he different from Caleb? What strengths does he have as a friend?

14. Ms. Von Stratten invites Caleb and his father to a holiday dinner and Jackie is outraged. Why does Ms. Von Stratten invite them and how does Gavin come to Jackie’s aid?

15. Patty goes Christmas shopping with Angel. In some ways, the holiday is satisfying, but in others it is not. What mixed feelings does she have?

16. Why does Ms. Von Stratten send Jackie to clean out the shed? Is this decision a good one? Why or why not? How does Jackie respond to the task?

17. Deirdre, the Jorgensens’ older daughter, is an angry and dangerous teen. What warning signs does Patty see and why doesn’t she share those with Deirdre’s family?

18. Describe the scene in which Jackie speaks up against Caleb in church. Why does Jackie speak out? What does her action say about her character? Is her mother’s response expected?

19. Who are Aunt J and Kevin and why does Pattyn go live with them in the end? What does the reader learn about their past? Is this arrangement in Pattyn’s best interest?

20. As a sequel to Burned, how is Smoke a fitting title for this latest Hopkins novel?

Questions/Activities for Further Discussion

1. In addition to physical and emotional abuse, what other strong themes are apparent in Smoke? How do these themes evolve throughout the story?

2. Ms. Von Stratten seems worried about image and perceptions. Find a scene that supports such a fear. In what way is her behavior damaging to her family? Is she likeable? How does she serve to advance the plot?

3. Identify an especially compelling scene, rich with imagery, and discuss the language the author uses to make the scene effective.

4. Patty and Jackie both develop new relationships over time. What do Angel and Gavin have in common? Keeping their personalities in mind, describe a short scene in which Angel meets Jackie for the first time and Gavin meets Patty, or describe a scene in which Angel and Gavin meet.

5. Physical abuse is a central theme in Smoke. Using Hopkins’ suggested site, teensagainstabuse.org, as a starting point, gather five additional facts (not identified by Hopkins) from other websites or informational texts related to physical abuse. Share your points with a small group.

Guide written in 2013 by Pam B. Cole, Professor of English Education & Literacy, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.

Editorial Reviews

"The book is rife with real issues and demanding attention, leaving the reader to realize that when the smoke clears, redemption is always possible. In the end, voices are heard that refuse to be silenced and the empowerment that comes with the character’s decisions transcend the page and leave much to be discussed and contemplated among readers."

starred review VOYA

"A strong, painful and tender piece about wresting hope from the depths of despair."

From the Publisher

"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...a compelling and thought-provoking read."

Booklist

For Pattyn Von Stratten, life has not been a crystal stair. At seventeen, she has experienced more heartbreak than most people do in a lifetime. In this sequel to the 2007 hit Burned, Pattyn goes on the run after the murder of her abusive father and the deaths of her boyfriend Ethan and their unborn child. Pattyn’s younger sister Jackie also narrates her struggle to put the pieces of her life back together after she is raped. Pattyn finds refuge with a family of Mexican immigrants manning a fruit orchard in California, but her tenuous hold on peace shatters when the family becomes victims of a hate crime. Pattyn and two friends are gunned down, but Pattyn survives along with her new boyfriend Angel. Pattyn’s story is one of heartbreak and recovery. She comes to terms with her father’s abuse, death, and the loss of Ethan. Jackie also finds the courage to report her rape. This story is one of abuse, suffering, and eventual redemption as Pattyn heals her many wounds. Her strength is admirable, and Hopkins’s experience with abusive relationships is evident and haunting. The novel also touts her liberal views and criticism of the church, but the message is not preachy. Hopkins’s emotionally brilliant verse will capture readers. This sequel is a nice placeholder, but is not quite as cinematic and harrowing as its predecessor. However, Pattyn’s character development shows, and Jackie’s newfound strength also reshapes her character. The new characters—Angel and Gavin—enrich the drama. Reviewer: LeAnn Deel; Ages 12 up.

Children's Literature - LeAnn Deel

After a cliff-hanger left readers completely breathless in Burned (Simon & Schuster, 2006/Voya June 2006), Smoke picks up immediately and does not disappoint. Pattyn von Stratten is on the run, and her abusive father is dead. Brokenhearted after the death of her lover and unborn child, Pattyn finds refuge disguised as a migrant worker and as a maid to a family with a teenager living a dangerous lifestyle. Pattyn's sister Jackie, left behind to pick up the pieces of their broken family, has secrets all her own and holds the key to what happened that fateful night of her father's death but has been advised by leaders in the Mormon community, as well as her own mother, to remain quiet. In traditional Hopkins's style, Smoke is in free verse but leaves nothing out; the book is rife with real issues and demanding attention, leaving the reader to realize that when the smoke clears, redemption is always possible. In the end, voices are heard that refuse to be silenced and the empowerment that comes with the character's decisions transcend the page and leave much to be discussed and contemplated among readers. Reviewer: Stephanie Wilkes

VOYA - Stephanie Wilkes

Two sisters wrestle with guilt and fear after one kills the father who battered them. Readers last saw 17-year-old Pattyn at the cliffhanger ending of Burned (2006), immediately after her beloved boyfriend and their unborn baby were killed in a car wreck. Stunned with grief and fury, and with nothing left to lose, Pattyn vowed to shoot her long-abusive father, whom she blamed for the accident. This much-desired sequel begins two weeks later--and Dad's dead. Escaping town, Pattyn meets a warm, welcoming family of mostly undocumented farm laborers. They find her a ranch job, where she hides from law enforcement. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Jackie is stuck at home, narrating her own half of the story. Through free-verse poems thick with the weight of trauma, the shooting's details emerge. A schoolmate raped Jackie; blaming Jackie, Dad broke her ribs and loosened her teeth; Pattyn's gun stopped Dad forever. Now Pattyn faces "blood-caked nightmares," while Jackie fights a mother and two LDS church leaders who insist she forget her rape. Waiting for the past to "tackle [them] from behind," both girls struggle toward fragile new connections and inner strength. The lives of undocumented Americans, a renegade hate movement and a wild horse wary of trust are all organic to the plot. A strong, painful and tender piece about wresting hope from the depths of despair. (author's note) (Verse fiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews