I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley.

The story of three lives (Jivan, PT Sir, and Lovely), centered around a life-altering lie and the surge of change they each encounter caused mostly by chance.

A Burning is about the morals we're willing to uphold or shed when faced with decisions that can alter the course of our lives - for better or worse. It is a glimpse into the decisions one makes to better their circumstances, the consequences it has on the people surrounding them, the role that fate plays in life and how the absence of justice can alter everything.

I did struggle with the first 20% of this book. The style of writing took me time to relax into and understand, however the intention to write in such a style was important as it transported me directly into the story and environment. Occasionally I found my emotional response to the characters lacking. Not through lack of desire but absence of pull from the writing.

Susan Choi wrote a great article about A Burning in the NY Times and this quote epitomises the book for me, "...depicting the workings of power on the powerless..." A really wonderful debut.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.