The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp – Krystal Evans – Bookshine And Readbows

July 11, 2025

0 Views 0

SaveSavedRemoved 0

*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author, Octopus Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Blurb: When Krystal Evans was 14, the house that she shared with her mother and little sister burned down. Narrowly escaping by breaking a window and jumping out head-first Krystal suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and the unimaginable tragedy of losing her sister. That Evans has written such a warm and disarmingly funny memoir about what led the family to that fatal night, and how they coped with its aftermath, is nothing less than astonishing.

This is a spellbinding story of growing up poor in America, living with a mentally ill mother, and having a wolf for a pet (really). From the indignities of being rejected from a summer camp for burn victims, to putting up with a succession of her mom’s increasingly shady friends and partners, Krystal and Katie’s childhoods were marked by adult chaos, inappropriate behaviour, and never knowing what the next day would bring.

But, writing with joy, skill and candour, we witness Krystal growing as a person from the ashes of disaster into the confident, funny, and (reasonably) well-hinged adult, mother and comedian that she is today.

At the same time, funny, tragic and inspiring, it is the story of a family dangerously close to the edge, and of a girl struggling to make her way into adulthood, once the smoke clears.

Review: It is absolutely shocking what Krystal Evans has survived and not only survived, but survived with her sense of humour intact and ready to share.

This is your warning that there is some very heavy, heart-breaking material in this memoir, including but not limited to child neglect, domestic abuse, mental illness and tragic accidents (not only the fatal fire but more than one car accident). Yet, despite all of the horrific subject matter, this book is just incredibly readable and entertaining.

By turns devastatingly sad, hilariously funny, rawly honest and wryly witty, Krystal takes a lifetime’s worth of trauma and somehow frames it in a way that helps us see the funnier side of life and find the bright spots in the darkness. I can definitely see how this would make for a breathtaking and memorable comedy show!

Both the author and her written self show great strength and resilience alongside that indomitable sense of humour. No matter what is thrown at her, she somehow picks herself up again and again and searches doggedly for the best path through it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves real-life accounts of difficult times, but finds ‘Misery Memoirs’ too bleak and depressing – this one tackles all the rough stuff without getting bogged down by it in the slightest.

And on a personal note, I am so very glad that the author’s career and family dreams are coming true for her now and that her book can end on a happier, hopeful future.

The question is more this – and I have thought about this more and more, as I’ve got older – how in hell did I manage to even come close to making my peace with all of the madness of a childhood of which the fire was but one (admittedly major) part? How did I manage to outrun not only the fire, but its aftermath? And more than that – how have I emerged not only sane, but as a person who tells jokes for a living?

– Krystal Evans, The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp

Purchase Link: The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp on Amazon

About the author

Krystal Evans is a writer and American stand-up comedian based in the UK and is known for her powerful live shows and also her work with Mitchell & Webb and on Comedy Central. Her stand-up show about the fire, also called The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp, won critical acclaim and widespread coverage. She lives in Edinburgh and is the super responsible mum to two boys. Her favourite food is breakfast burritos and she has a gigantic photo of Rod Serling in her front room.