A deliciously terrifying tale with serious pacing problems. This is my first time reading Power, and while I think the story ideas are incredibly strong, it felt like everything was unspooling and wrapping up at strange times. I rarely say this, but the first 3/4 could've been cut in half and I would've enjoyed BURN OUR BODIES DOWN so much more.

2.5 stars

I really, really wanted to like this better than Wilder Girls, and in some ways it did work better for me - I was less distracted by issues with Power's sentence-level writing, for instance, which lead to an overall slightly better reading experience. And some of the things I really liked about Wilder Girls make a return, like creeps and body horror (though it's mostly at the end). But ultimately, this had similar structural problems and similar characterization problems as Wilder Girls. I love Rory Power's premises and I want more YA horror of this ilk, so I'm still hoping that I can love a future book, but this wasn't it.

The above paragraph has a representative balance of positives and negatives, but I do want to go over a few things that particularly bothered me which will skew the whole review to sound more negative but oh well:
1. The pacing was off for me. The beginning of the book is intriguing enough with several questions set up, but the middle dragged (genuinely, nothing happens) until we finally picked up pace, only for reveals that I either predicted or found deeply unsatisfying. (view spoiler) [Seriously, it was all caused by a ~*~chemical~*~? (What kind of chemical? It sounds like a fertilizer, but one that somehow affects the genes of a plant to reproduce, even though that's not generally a problem that farmers need fixed?) And that ~*~chemical~*~ somehow induced a clone pregnancy in humans? Come on. I didn't expect a thoroughly convincing answer. I expected the answer to be handwave-y. But this felt both lazy and implausible. To be fair, this is an area of semi-expertise for me, so most people would probably not be as bothered by this, but if this isn't an area of interest for you, trust me, this was not it.] (hide spoiler)
2. Our main character, Margot, goes through at least four different emotional states in every other conversation. Some of that is well-adjusted human, and some of it is not-well-adjusted human, so I could imagine a writer convincing me of this quantity of rapid emotional shifts, but I wasn't convinced here.
3. I don't consider myself a particularly perceptive reader - I don't actively try to look for contradictions or come up with solutions - but there were several times when the text contradicted itself in the span of a few pages or even, once, in the very same paragraph. Maybe that's my fault as a reader, maybe I misread, but I think this needed another pass or two with fresh eyes.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book! Oh my goodness.

The girls, the "gram", her mom.
All of the girls.
My mind is blown.
I took this book slower so I wouldn't miss any details. Very good!

This book was given to me by the publisher through Netgalley for my honest review. Thank you.

This was my first time reading anything by this author. Although knowing we came from the same state was fun at the end of the book.

On to the story.

Do you enjoy being gaslighted? Well if you do this book is for you! No seriously the first half of this book I felt gaslighted from the main characters perspective. No one in poor Margot life can be real with her. Any information she wanted is outright refused or a lie. I feel like a lot of research (at least I hope it's research and not lived experience, bc let's be honest dating in the 2000's to present is a blast, right?!) went into making the reader have the appropriate feel of gaslighting. As an individual with a two degrees in counseling (and plenty of lived experience) I'd say it is shown accurate.

Despite trying to send me in other directions I still had a solid grasp on the end result halfway through reading. It's a bit of a weird SciFi twist, with a hint of a thriller.

I was hoping for a heartwarming Margot finds what's she's looking for ending. But it's kind of left hanging as a maybe and overall sad resolution.

Would I recommended it I suppose. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. You be the judge.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Keep a fire burning; a fire is what saves you."

It has always been just Margot and her mother Jo. Margot knows nothing of her father, her mother's past or her family history. She also doesnt know why her mother looks more like her twin sister then her mother. They are nearly identical other then a scar her mother has on her face.

"But you learn quick when you're Jo Nielsen's daughter. It's answers or her and you'll only ever get one of them, so you'd betterbe careful deciding which it is."

Margot finds a picture in some of her mother's old stuff. On it a phone number, and short message written by her grandmother. She jumps at the chance to learn more about her mother and the family she knows nothing about.

I went into this book knowing next to nothing about it other than it was written by the author of Wilder Girls. It drew me in from page one. The writting and storytelling were great. The story kept me guessing the whole time, giving small pieces of info at the right time, and makes you second guess everything you thought was going on.

I talked to my family about the story and bounced ideas off of them trying to figure it out. Everytime I thought I had it figured out I would get new information that made it all fall apart and I was back at the beginning trying to make all the pieces fit together.

It's a fun quick read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Wilder Girls.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an ARC of this title.

This book has the simmering something-is-wrong-here feeling of an old 80s paperback with a crazy over-the-top cover you pick up in a used bookstore for a buck, and absolutely deserves a V.C. Andrews-style cutout cover to make you pick it up. Like most of those books, the contents both feel like something you shouldn't be getting away with reading, AND ultimately leave you feeling a little underwhelmed once the plot hits its final points.

I devoured Rory Power's previous book [book:Wilder Girls|42505366] earlier this year and was excited to dive into this based on that. That had an undercurrent of body horror that it shares with this, but this was much subtler and took a little too long to reveal what was truly going on. There's great atmosphere, and a whole generational something-is-wrong-with-grandma vibe that I liked, but most of the characters were a little underdeveloped overall. This is more of a YA title (and totally felt like I should be reading it by flashlight under the covers after curfew) than I tend to read, but it made for an engaging couple of sessions over the same day.

2 Stars!

Okay, unpopular opinion time, sorry folks! I was really excited to read this book and had some high expectations for it given that I've heard rave reviews about the Wilder Girls, although I haven't read it. I'd also seen great reviews about Burn Our Bodies Down, but was sadly disappointed.

The story starts off strong, you've got a girl, Margot, being raised by a single mother that ran away from her past and will not tell Margot anything about it. Obviously, it only makes her more curious. Margot has a chance to find out and returns to her mother's hometown. People treat her strangely, as does her grandmother. The whole corn fields story was reading like a Stephen King novel, again, this had me very excited.....unfortunately, the story drags on and does not become interesting until 80% of the way through. The explanation for what happened is also pretty convoluted and does not entirely satisfy me.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Rory Power for providing me with an ARC.

4 stars

I’m not quite sure what I was expecting with this book but it was not this. This book was somewhere between Children of the Corn and Flowers in the Attic. I know, how can that be, you ask. Well I won’t spoil it so you’re just going to have to trust me. This was my first book by this author and the writing did take some getting used to but it turned out good. I may just have to try Wilder Girls now.

Having enjoyed the author's debut, Wilder Girls, I was really looking forward to Burn Our Bodies Down, and it definitely did not disappoint! I am going to break it down into what I liked versus just the little things I didn't, so here we go!

The Stuff That Worked:

►Holy atmosphere! The author absolutely has a knack for writing eerie, mysterious settings and worlds. It takes place in small-town Midwest, with just the right amount of rurality to make you feel uneasy. Then we segue to a family farm which... look, Midwest farms are just kind of iffy. No neighbors for miles, who knows what you're gonna find in the crops, you know the drill. But even the way the author wrote the characters feels just enough "off" for it to be unsettling. Quite perfect, really.

►Obviously, I needed to know what was behind the mystery! From the start of the book, something just was not right in Margot's world. Her mom acted super bizarre, and Margot was so isolated. Then we meet dear old Grandma, and yep, curiouser and curiousier.

►It's so family focused, which is refreshing for a horror story. I mean- so often we've got missing classmates or friends or whatever, but in this case, pretty much the whole mystery was interwoven with Margot's family. Not only that, Margot's own focus was very family-oriented. She so desperately wanted to belong, to have a family unit. And sure, she was eager to make friends with peers too, but family was number one.

►Things get pretty bizarre and I liked it. I mean. I can't say anything else, obviously, but things take A Turn™ and I am here for those.

What Didn't:

►Bits moved kind of slowly, especially at first. I get that we needed to build up Margot's family background and home situation, but it seemed a little longer than necessary? I felt for Margot, but at the same time, I needed some stuff to happen. It was hard to connect to her when we were just living her regular life, so I was glad things got moving after about 20%.

Bottom Line: Atmospheric and family focused, this was certainly a unique mystery that I could not have predicted!

"It's not how it should be. None of it is."

Burn Our Bodies Down was an interesting and creepy second novel by Rory Power.  I had really enjoyed Wilder Girls but I may have enjoyed this one even more.  I read this in only two sittings because it was so intriguing. I was just as invested in figuring out the history of the Nielsen family as the main character and narrator, Margot Nielsen. Her relationship with her mother was almost interesting enough to be a story on its own. Then you throw in the small town of Phalene, Vera the secretive grandmother, and the family background that  everyone in town seems to know about but Margot, and this book is unputdownable.

Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an uncorrected proof of this book that I received from Delacorte and Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Damn, Burn Our Bodies Down is good! Rory Power is carving out that space for gritty, haunting, and disturbing YA and I am here for it!

I’m not going to say much about the plot because that would immediately give away far too much, but it’s a family thriller/mystery with a twist. Truthfully, the atmosphere crafted in this one takes on a life of its own – and definitely creates the “creep factor.” Powers also knocks it out of the park when making characters that are both fascinating and complex, while also being horrible people. I will also give credit for the way emotional abuse was handled in this one!

I read Roy Power's first release and honestly could not grasp the concept or the gore. However, with Burn Our Bodies Down I was able to see her writing for what it truly is...brilliant. She really paints a vivid picture with her descriptions and has you drawn to the weird and spooky and eerily enticing. It reminded me of an old horror film, not all gore and violence but more of a psychological mind bending cluster full of twists and turns.

It starts as a book about a girl with an absent distant mother wanting to flee her family situation in hopes of finding family in the small town where her mother was raised and turns into something so much more.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who like Paul Trembley or Stephen King.

I have a confession to make. I am 46 years old and still love a good YA novel. There, I said it. I think I love they're easy to read and often the escape I am looking for. That being said, I have enjoyed both of Rory Powers books. Both of them have been sort of " out there" but for some reason I like it.

That being said, I can't give away much of the plot. It would give too much away. Margot is frustrated with the life her mom has given her. They've never had much money and no family to turn to until Margot finds proof that she does in fact have a grandmother. Margot leaves hoping to find someone who is loving towards her but finds much more.

I never got bored with the book. However the ending was non-stop and I had to find out the truth. Once again, my imagination was intrigued by the ending.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I finished Wilder Girls I was really excited to read more books from Rory Powers but this one I guess kinda was just kinda meh for me. I started it and then put it down for a long time. This book is very slow in the beginning and doesnt really pick up until over halfway through. All the gore and shock was left for the ending like some after thought. I dont really feel like i connected with these characters at all. At the beginning of the story it mentions that maybe Margot might be bisexual or lesbian but then as go along it's not really brought up much after that except when Margot meets Tess. Eli is another character she meets once in Phalene and he's a staple in Tess's life. The entire time I read the book I was wondering if they were an item or not because nothing is ever really said. It's like it's up to you to decide about these characters relationships. The writing for the small towns Calhoun and Phalene was really great. It was super descriptive. Sometimes I felt like the dialogue was weird I guess. This book was completely different from her first book which I really liked a lot. This one kinda disappointed me.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley and Delacourte Press.

I have not read Power’s popular although divisive debut, Wilder Girls. Judging by its synopsis, though, I’d say Burn Our Bodies Down is more of a mystery, less gory, and less overtly speculative fiction for most of the book’s time. So if you didn’t like Wilder Girls, I would still check it out.

Burn Our Bodies Down starts out as a bit of a slow burn (ha), but once I got to the 30% mark where a major event happened soon after Margot arrived in Phalene, I was compelled to keep reading. Even if a lot of the action doesn’t come until the end, there is a sense of uneasiness and dread throughout.

I will say that there were some ideas I had early on that turned out to be true to an extent and that Margot caught onto a bit later than perhaps the average person–but that is part of her character. She has been so sheltered and told so many things she has to deal with her whole world changing. Because one of the main threads done well in Burn Our Bodies Down is that of the effects of emotional abuse and neglect. Margot has lived 17 years shut off from most of the world and, as she says a few times, raised herself. Instead of “whodunnit?” some of the major questions are exactly what she’s going to do and how…the ending left me a bit surprised but also satisfying, and that’s a testament to her character growth.

I won’t give anything away, but the last 20% of the book had me on edge and truly took a horror turn. I had to stay up and read it…at the risk of having nightmares! So I’d recommend finishing this one in broad daylight if graphic images at night bother you!

Keep a fire burning; a fire is what saves you.”

4/5 stars!

Going into this book, I thought it was a bit slow at first until I eventually pretty much figured out what this book was about. I was kind of happy, kind of sad that I figured it out so early, but enjoyed the book nonetheless (it’s really hard not to). Most of my reaction to the book has to do with the ending and all answers to what’s happening, but in the interest of no-spoilers, I’ll be skirting over all that as best I can.

So this book is about Margot Nielsen, who’s living miserably with her mother in a corpse of a town when she finds information leading her to the rest of her family that she never knew. With this, she leaves for the town of Phalene to look for connection, more about her past, and maybe a family that she’s never had. But something isn’t right with Phalene and the consequences of finding out what may be too big to pay.

SO the one thing I have to talk about is, this book is literally terrifying. I mean- I liked Wilder Girls, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t scared of Wilder Girls. This book scared me. Part of it is because the twist of it all – which I said I knew quickly- is something that really freaks me out. Another part of it is the absolutely stellar writing.

The pacing of the story is an aching crawl, I was barely aware that anything had really happened before realizing that the book had past me by and oh my god I’m already in the third act. I honestly feel like the pace purposefully messes with you, I would think “wow, what a crazy way to start the book” then realize that I’m 40% into it and I suddenly remember everything else that already happened. It’s kind of hard to explain, but what I’m saying is that even the writing of the book freaked me out.

It’s also the setting. Phalene has the dangerous small town energy that scares me. I hate the idea of a whole small town bring in on a conspiracy and you’re the only one who doesn’t know. This town definitely had some of those vibes, where at any moments I thought that everyone might just start purging. I hate small rural towns, can’t trust um. The fact that Margot has the guts to go there and stay there is absolutely astonishing to me.

The one thing I wanted more of in this book, is character development for Margot. I didn’t quite feel like I had a reason to care about her or any way to emotionally connect to her. Granted, I was busying being terrified, but I just wish there was more to her. I thought it was great that she likes girls. I’m always here for it, but a lot of those scenes feel squeezed in and kind of awkward. They are probably the only scenes that contribute to her personality, but they just didn’t do much to get me to like her. Sure, I was rooting for her, but only because she’s the main character. I didn’t feel like I was rooting for her.

I don’t feel like I liked or enjoyed reading about any of the side characters either, except maybe one of the police officers, no idea why. But I don’t really care about that. What mattered most to me in this book, was getting closer to the true of the book and being happy when I realized I was right. Yay! But I was right about my terrifying fears! So….not yay?

TL;DR: Look, despite not really being a die-hard horror fan, I loved everything this book did to scare me. I think it shows amazing work on the author’s part and I applaud the book for it’s plot, pacing, and unique execution of a wild idea. (P.S: I ate some corn while reading this, big mistake.)

E-galley provided by Delacourte Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.

I am so thankful for amazing books like this one that keep me sane during all this madness because I am so well entertained. I love creepy books and this one will have the hair on your arms sticking straight up. Don't start this at night because you'll never sleep. A must read and a top spot on your TBR stack. Happy reading!

I read Wilder Girls, by the same author and was intrigued for another of her books. This book fell flat for me, much like Wilder Girls. The synopsis of the book is great, her ideas in developing the book were also great, however the actual follow through not so much. This book seemed very choppy to me-situations in the book occurring and the author moving on with no explanation (ever). I was left with more questions than answers.

One thing I love about the horror genre is its potential as a way of talking about difficult and painful topics. Burn Our Bodies Down is a perfect example of that. This is a creepy YA horror novel that is really about cycles of violence and abuse in a family and the complexity of these relationships that carry both love and toxic hurt. It does an incredibly job of digging into those issues that lack easy answers.

Margot has only ever had her mother. Her secretive mother with strange rules who runs hot and cold, can barely take care of herself much less a daughter, who is emotionally abusive. Margot is 17 and longs for a family and for love, but her mother refuses to discuss whether they have any family or where they come from. So when she finds a photo of her mother as a child along with a phone number that turns out to be for her grandmother, she decides to finally leave her mother and travel to this small town to meet her previously unknown relative. But things are strange in this slowly dying midwestern town, her grandma might not be what she seems, and there may have been a good reason that her mother ran away and never looked back.

This is a horror novel, so there are disturbing and violent scenes. But this is just so well-crafted and hits the right emotional notes. It's also queer without centering a romance. Margot is a lesbian and that plays into the story, but not in a way that overtakes anything and this is decidedly not a romance. I won't say more because of spoilers, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who can handle horror. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

BURN OUR BODIES DOWN: come for the family secrets, stay for the creepy corn.

Margot and her mother have a co-dependent and often adversarial relationship. They have no other family in the world, or so Margot thinks until finding a photograph in an old Bible. The writing on the back points her to Phalene, a small, economically-struggling former farm town. After a blow-up with her mother over her long-buried secrets, Margot hitch-hikes to her mother's birthplace and meets her grandmother for the first time. Gram runs the ancestral farm Fairhaven all by herself. It's a shadow of what it used to be. Hoping that she'll finally feel part of a family, Margot quickly discovers that Gram - like her mother - is also hiding many secrets. With the help of some new local friends, Margot works to figure out her family's dark and sinister secrets.

Like Power's debut WILDER GIRLS, BURN OUR BODIES DOWN is a tightly paced environmental/ecological horror-thriller. It's also a strong mediation on toxic family dynamics and the ways in which family can harm, as much as protect. Where Margot's mother refuses to have open and honest communication, Gram perpetually gaslights Margot. The prose is very strong and I never guessed the major twist(s). Reading BOBD felt like working on a jigsaw puzzle and once all the pieces came together, it was a deeply tragic and terrifying story.

CWs (copied from the author's website): Fire; Emotional abuse by a parent, including gaslighting. Familial and generational abuse; Nonconsensual pregnancy – note, no sexual assault or rape; Body horror, some gore, blood (lighter, relative to Wilder Girls); Death. On page character death. Child/infant death (takes place off page but implied violence – pages 301 and 308 in the print ARC); Off-page gun violence; Emesis (mention of vomiting).