Despite living in Matt's shadow, Reece absolutely adored him and he is deeply grieving his loss. He is also living with the horrible guilt that he is responsible for his brother's death and his troubled relationship with his father compounds these feelings. In the months since Matt's death, his relationship with his father has deteriorated to the point they barely speak. After a vague but troubling conversation with his best friend Alex, Reece decides to take his advice and tries to connect with his father by joining the junior cadet program at fire department where his father works as a volunteer fire fighter. While their interactions remain fraught with tension, the rest of the cadets pull together to help Reece succeed in the program.

Reece does not let the team's initial dislike of him or his father's derisive attitude intimidate him and he eventually thrives once he makes progress with the physical and intellectual demands of the program. While he is hoping to improve his relationship with his father by joining the cadet program, he is truly surprised by the camaraderie he finds with his fellow team members. He is also stunned to discover he truly enjoys the fire fighter training. As he gains more confidence and his dad's grudging respect, Reece's objectives for joining the training begin to evolve. He also begins making progress with dealing with his guilt and grief but his ongoing struggles with his dad continue to be a stumbling block.

Amanda is a fellow cadet whose home life is tenuous since she in the foster care system. She is finally with a foster family that she likes and she is not willing to do anything to jeopardize her current placement. She adheres to her foster family's strict rules and although she cares deeply for her foster brother, she tries to remain emotionally distant from him and her foster parents. Despite her initial animosity toward Reece, Amanda is fully invested in making sure he succeeds in the cadet program and she easily rallies the rest of the squad into helping him. When Amanda's feelings toward Reece deepen beyond friendship, their relationship becomes a frustrating push/pull since she is determined to protect both her heart and her living arrangements.

The novel is written in dual, first person perspective and the chapters alternate between Reece and Amanda's points of view. This technique works well for the story and the character's voices are quite distinct. While Reece's story is the most compelling, it is helpful to know the reasons behind some of Amanda's decisions.

Nothing Left to Burn is a fascinating blend of family issues, romance and a hint of suspense. The plot is unique and Patty Blount's meticulous research brings the fire fighting aspect of the storyline vibrantly to life. The romance between Amanda and Reece is the weakest part of the plot due to the "instalove" feel to their relationship. The suspense element is interesting but rather easy to solve. Neither of these story arcs lessen the overall enjoyment of the novel and I have absolutely no qualms about recommending Nothing Left to Burn to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary young adult novels.
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“I’m going to make you see me. Make you hear me. Make you…acknowledge that everything I am is because of Matt and everything I’m not is because of you.”

Reece is gifted as in he can easily memorize anything he concentrates on. As a child he easily grew bored and threw tantrums – only his mother and brother consoling him. His father always kept a distance from Reece even when the younger son wanted to join his brother and father on their trips. He’s very determined, but also a very broken character. The reader sees just how broken Reece is as the story progresses.

Amanda is a so-so character. She’s a foster kid who has been tossed from one home to another since her mother has been in jail. She puts up and strong front and she’s fairly independent, but she also has such a wishy-washy side that it bothers me. When she first meets Reece she can’t stand even looking at him. She had been crushing hard on Matt before he died, but she quickly falls for Reece. The thought of Reece being a replacement for Matt was briefly examined, but it really had no depth so I didn’t see a point in Amanda’s crush on Matt, especially since she already had a strong tie to him through the Junior Cadet program.

Even though Matt doesn’t have a physical part in this story his character is so developed the reader can understand what kind of person he was through the eyes of his friends and family.

The story seems to center more around Reece (as it should, in my opinion) but each chapter alternates between Reece’s and Amanda’s point-of-view. It took a few chapters of reading to get used to the alternating points, and really I wish it would have just stuck with Reece.

The main part of the story centers around Reece, Amanda, and the other Junior Cadets training in the firefighter program under Reese’s dad while an arsonist is on the loose. Reece struggles to prove himself to his father, come to terms with his brother’s death and his own part in it, and keep the final promise he made to Matt. Amanda fights against her feelings for Reece, her mother in prison, and her foster family while working toward a future for herself.

Overall, Nothing Left to Burn is a good young adult novel with heavy topics, but falls short on capturing a completely cohesive story. I recommend for fans of YA with family drama, firefighters, and sensitive topics.

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