Burned Away, by Kristen Simmons

Read this story.

(Mainstream) 16-year-old Caris tries to investigate a labor riot to prove she's a journalist. She meets a boy who seems to enjoy it all too much. (4,872 words; Time: 16m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆, Average

Set in the world of the author's upcoming novel, "Metaltown," this story whets your appetite for the novel, but it's inconclusive by itself.

"Burned Away," by Kristen Simmons (edited by Melissa Frain), was published on September 14, 2016 by Tor.com Publishing.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: The writing is compelling enough that I'm actually interested in reading Metaltown. Caris and Matchstick are both interesting characters, and the setting has plenty of built-in tension.

Con: This is pretty shameless promotion of the novel in the guise of a story. Almost nothing is resolved here.

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