Can I swear on Goodreads? Because if I could, I'd call this book a mindf*ck. I was intensely interested in following the thrilling mystery to its climax because I wanted to know how sick and twisted Power would make this especially having read Wilder Girls too. The book weaves in and out and then accelerates at a breakneck pace once Margot ends of the Fairhaven property of her grandmother and tries to identify the secrets that both her mother and grandmother have been keeping, including the new mystery of the girl who died on the very day Margot arrives after ANOTHER fire in the family farm fields.

There's an element of convenience for some of the plot points that are set up from the beginning with the pawning and discovery of Jo's mom's inscribed Bible, but you can conveniently forget how blatant they are in connecting some dots because it spins out of control in a crazy magical/sci-fi mashup that borders on a bit of STEM.

Take me on a ride, Power, take me on a ride because I was there from start to finish and the blood bath in between makes me never want to see an apricot again.

So here’s the thing nothing I say will give this book the justice it deserves so do yourself a favor and read it! 🌽Burn Our Bodies Down is hands down of my favorite books of the year. Wilder Girls 🌸 was one of my favorites of 2019 so imagine how anxious I was to get my hands on this one. It does NOT disappoint. 🔥 Now there’s only so much I can say because you should go into this one completely blind and let the story take you where it will. 🌽
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Margot has a weird relationship with her mother and wants to find out why they’re so estranged from the rest of her family, or if there is even anyone else in her family. She uncovers a note in a bible that leads her down a rotten, mysterious, and dangerous path back to her mother’s hometown. Can she get her questions answered? 🌽
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Rory has such a way of completely inthralling you. Her stories are wicked, twisted, thrilling, and dark. Everything I want and need in a novel. I love how Rory’s books make me love being a reader. 🖤 I never want to look away from her words until I’m finished. And then I still can’t stop thinking about them. 🌽
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Anyways guys read this fucking book. My synopsis was vague but to be honest I didn’t read what the book was about before I picked it up anyhow. All I needed to know was that Rory crafted it. So follow my lead and preorder this one. It comes out June 7, 2020. I can’t wait to see what @itsrorypower shocks me with next! 🌽
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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#burnourbodiesdown #rorypower #wildergirls #horrornovels #bookstageam #bookstagrammer #getunderlined #bookish #bookaesthetic #readerslife #bookworm #booknerd #readersgonnaread #iloveya #yalit #bookrecommendations #bookishthoughts

Wow. WTF did I just read? Was not expecting where that went at the end.

The lyrical writing style took some getting used to and I think that was done on purpose to confuse the reader and create suspense. This is rural horror like Harrow County or Stranger Things. Surprised by how much I enjoyed this and now I want to try Wilder Girls again.

Literary, complex, and ultimately--chilling. Margot has always had her mom but no other family. And, according to Margot, she's really the parent; she has always taken care of her mother. So, when Margot finally finds a lifeline, she grabs it. Margot goes in search of what she's always dreamed about--love and acceptance.

Not as comfortable in its own skin as Wilder Girls, but still more polished. The writing in Burn Our Bodies Down is reaching out to shake your hand with the right hand while pressing a knife between your ribs with the left. There's so much more teeming, unseen beneath the surface. While not as descriptive (read: gory) as Wilder Girls, Burn Our Bodies Down wraps the reader in the most toxic family I've ever seen. Daughter and mother and grandmother masters of manipulation in different forms: daughter explosive and emotional, mother jagged and unpredictable, grandmother remote and cold. The dialogue was like watching a series of duels between professional swordswomen with vastly different schools of training.

The surface-level plot was a bit dull. You don't really get a payoff on the big mystery (at least not in a way that really clicks) until around 85% in. It's just a lot of layers of cenversation between the three generations of Nielsen women and all the sharp hooks they toss between them. But there are a lot of really interesting interactions with outside characters, seen in a way that only someone like Margot could see. Her fascination with Tess (beyond just an initial spark of attraction) kept coming back and kept being relevant in a big way.

Despite being able to guess the answer well in advance, I still found myself surprised and intrigued on that journey. And when we did get to the gore and the weird stuff that was so beautifully present in Wilder Girls, Power absolutely did not disappoint.

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power is unique, haunting, atmospheric read that kept me shaking as I flipped to each new page. The story follows Margot who lives with her neglectful and secretive mother. When Margot discover's that her grandmother is alive and lives just 3 hours away, she runs away from home to meet her grandmother and discover why her mother is the way she is. However, when she gets there, Margot realizes that the mysteries keep getting bigger and even more dangerous.

This is my first time reading Rory Power and I instantly fell in love with her writing style. The small town mixed with the isolated corn farm fields made for the perfect creepy setting for this chilling book. While I loved uncovering the mystery of this small town with every page and meeting the residents who lived their, I wish we spent more time developing the side characters so that I would be more invested in their fates and relationship with Margot. I also wish we got some answers early in the book because the ending felt a tad rushed.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

BURN OUR BODIES DOWN is a twisting, creepy, atmospheric thriller from Rory Power—who has quickly established herself as on of my favorite writers. Power’s beautiful writing and sense of atmosphere carries on from her debut WILDER GIRLS, as she draws us into a tale of a very complicated family of women—and all the ways they love and hurt each other.

Aside from the thriller aspects, which are fantastic, the exploration of family and failure is actually what makes this book stand out so much for me. It’s a heartbreaking exploration of a fractured mother/daughter relationship, and the tortured path to understanding—and from there, what can come next.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved WILDER GIRLS, and to anyone who has struggled with a toxic family relationship

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I’d like to say that this is outside of my go to genre. I wanted to try it out because I heard a lot of good things about Wilder Girls and the cover is gorgeous! That being said- I’d still say this book wasn’t for me. It wasn’t the best thriller I’ve seen honestly. I guessed the entire ending by halfway through and didn’t feel like the twists were really that “thrilling” or were really explained well in any way. The reasoning was just kind of thrown out there in a very far-fetched way and then it was over.
Overall, I was just disappointed in the whole experience. I felt like this idea could’ve really been molded into something amazing, but it missed the mark.

What did I just read? I was sucked in by this book and read it in one sitting, every time I put it down I couldn't stop thinking about it and had to go back. I don't know how to talk about this book without giving things away but man it is weird. Most of the story is creepy and kind of slow paced, until the end where everything just hits the fan and I loved that.

Wow, that was interesting. A unique story that really had me guessing.
Very well written and paced.
I would describe this book as mommy dearest meets the twilight zone.

I was hoping for a little more of a twist at the very end. I love when stories like this answer all your questions, but then there is some sort of epilogue that gives you that lingering curiosity. But it just ended on a simple note. I just wanted more, which may be good sign I think. Overall, great story and themes. Powerful, excellent writing. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you netgalley and Delacorte for gifting me a digital copy to read and review

Having read Wilder Girls and being thoroughly entranced with its dark story line and subtle hints of darker things lying beneath what the narrators gave us, I was thrilled to be blessed with this ARC of Burn Our Bodies Down. Margot lives with her mother. Her mother, who looks exactly like her, isn't the best of mothers. She knows that. But it's always been the two of them and they've made do, despite the arguments, the fights, the beating each other down. She knows the limits of her mother. She can handle her. Even when her mother forces her to light a candle each day because it's important to "keep a fire burning; a fire is what saves you." When trying to get on her mother's always changing good side after an argument, she tries to bring her something that'll make her happy. In doing so, Margot discovers she might have family she's never known about. People and places, things her mother has hidden from her. Margot knows she might push her mother too far with this knowledge, but how can she let something like this go?

If Wilder Girls was a thriller, albeit a slightly magical thriller that kept me on the edge of my seats, then Burn Our Bodies down is a horror movie. Not a minute goes by where you don't think something dark is lurking beneath the words. Things are never what they seem. Everyone has secrets. But everyone also does a great job at covering them up. The characters walk a fine line between telling what they should and saying just enough. We know something isn't right at Fairhaven. It's a little too odd that Margot and her mom look as close as they do. Things aren't going well in Phalene and they haven't since Vera Nielsen took over Fairhaven. Margot is every bit the unreliable narrator. She knows little about her family's past and isn't the best at reading into things. But she does know nothing is as it should be. And she'll do anything to get to the bottom of it.

I have nothing but praise for Rory's books. Including this one. It kept me on the edge of my seat, the horror placed throughout and the sheer drama of the last 50% kept me entranced and almost made me sick. I do fine in horror movies, but there's something about horror books that just gets under my skin and keeps me up at night. Margot's story is no different. I was actually nauseous while reading and feel certain I'll have nightmares for a good while. And, to me, that makes this an excellent read. We all need a little something that keeps you up at night.

This was a pretty interesting read and kept my attention until the very end.

Margot knows next to nothing about her family, until one day when she finds a photo tucked inside a bible that belonged to her mother. This leads her to a small town called Phalene where her mother grew up. There she’s finds her grandmother...and a whole lot more than she bargained for! It becomes clear to her why her mother left, and the twist is one I didn’t see coming.

The buildup of the story was great and I loved Margot’s character. She seemed so lost, having known nothing about her family’s past, but once she found out the truth, she was determined to destroy it before it went on any further. Definitely recommending this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3324608632

This book was riveting from start to finish. I have never read a book so fast. Highly recommend. The book cements Rory Power’s spot as a YA powerhouse. Can’t wait to see what she does next.

Rory Power's BURN OUR BODIES DOWN was equal parts disturbing and enthralling. The characters were richly drawn, and the pacing kept me on my toes, trying to figure out the mystery. BEWARE the body horror (per Power's signature style), but just look away for a second. She wraps it up tidily at the end, but leaves us with questions we can only answer for ourselves. Highly recommend!

This story was dark. After ready Rory Power’s last book I was intrigued for anything else she put out and I was not disappointed. Her writing style is beautiful and she is able to craft such a twisted and strange story. It all works so well. It’s a slower paced novel where we spend most of our time trying to understand the mystery regarding this family. It’s unsettling but keeps you going. I enjoyed this a lot.

I wanted to read this book because a lot of times I like the second book from an author more than I like the first. I read Wilder Girls last year with a group of bookstagrammers, and it just didn’t hit well with me. But, I really wanted to try again and had high hopes for Rory’s second book.


I tried to go into this one a little blind. I had read the synopsis a long time before, and have found recently going into books blind made me enjoy them more. That lasted for only about 5% of the book because I felt very confused in trying to figure out what was happening with the story and relationships at the beginning. So I went back and read the synopsis which did help give my reading direction so I could get everything I was reading fixed in my mind.


I know this was meant to be a thriller, but overall I didn’t feel very thrilled. Because the story was set in the modern world, I was expecting it to be realistic thrills or pieces of storyline that were revealed as the story went on. But as I was reading I kept remembering Wilder Girls, and thinking that I needed to accept outrageous and unrealistic things happening. I kept trying to compare it in my head to reading Stephen King, where wild unrealistic things happen in reality, but by the end of the book I just could not get there.


I just could not get on board with immaculate conception occurring and the land growing human beings because of the use of a farming chemical. I think the concept was way too far out there for me to even be thrilled because it was so unbelievable.


But overall I feel like the real reason I struggle with reading Rory’s books is that I just don’t connect well to how she writes the dialogue to get the story moving. For example, I don’t enjoy thrillers where denial is the only theme, and characters constantly say “I don’t know what you’re talking about” or “That’s none of your business.” I didn’t think the breadcrumbs leading us to slowly figuring out the story were done well enough. I felt like it was constant I don’t know, you don’t know, what do you know, with no answers, until the very end where there has to be some explanation.


I also felt as a reader that the story was written with the main character “figuring things out” that I didn’t follow. As she “figured things out” I still wasn’t getting it, and it almost felt like it was written where, of course the author understands what the MC was supposed to get, but because I don’t know all the details in the author’s head, I wasn’t learning alongside the MC.


I know this is a YA book, but I feel like it could have been better developed if the story was extended over more than 3 days. I feel like that also lended to not really believing what was happening, or getting super involved in the story, because Margot wasn’t really involved. She had only been there 3 days.


I feel that I gave her a second chance, and I still didn’t connect well with the book, so I’m not sure if I will read another from her.

Corn’s haunted. That’s a review, right? Corn’s haunted.

Okay, in all seriousness, I got an ARC of this via working at a bookstore and I blew through it in a matter of days.
Power has this hypnotic sort of writing that even when I have things I should be doing (reading another book, getting some sleep, in line at a convention for a photo with Ted Danson) I just want to put the world away and READ, even if I don’t want the book to be over. I noticed it with Wilder Girls and I sure as hell noticed it with this. I only hope I can write that way someday, because hot damn. I curate an endcap at my bookstore of “Personal Recommendations” which are mostly queer books and/or by queer authors. This is absolutely going on my endcap as soon as it’s out, because I think this will be an easier sell than wilder girls (gripping and disturbing, with less body horror/gore, which I saw put off some of the people I recommend it to.)

Rory Powers writing and character depth is immersive and thrilling!!!
What does family mean to you? For Margot Neilsen it means lies, betrayal and secrets you cant imagine. But she remembers one thing her mother always said to her... you must keep the fire burning Margot. Indeed she will....

Twisted and thrilling had me jumping out of my skin and my head spinning with the possibilities!! Her breakthrough writing, exhilarating plot, and explosive character development round up one thrilling and amazing story you cant imagine!!!

When Rory Power's debut novel, Wilder Girls, was released last July, I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC from BookCon and eagerly devoured my copy. While the reviews were mixed, I greatly enjoyed the plot, characters, and world-building, and found myself looking forward to whatever Rory Power would publish next. I didn't have to wait long - her sophomore novel, <em>Burn Our Bodies Down, will be released almost a year to the day after her first (Lord, give me Rory Power's work ethic, please....) and I was thrilled when I received the notification that NetGalley had approved my request. The result of reading this ARC, however, was... well, less than enjoyable.

Let me explain: I love horror, and I love body horror when it's done well. Wilder Girls quickly became one of my favorite releases of 2019, and I found the story of Hetty, Reese, and Byatt engaging, thrilling, and the perfect mix of character development and dystopian horror. Maybe it's unfair to compare Burn Our Bodies Down to a book I loved so much, but I felt the story fell flat in comparison. Don't get me wrong - the creep factor of girls born from mutated genes and multiple clones murdered, one after the other, was freaky as HELL. But, given that I'd guessed that particular twist early on, it was up to the characters to keep my attention. And, dear reader, in that regard, I found myself disappointed.

Put simply, Margot Nielsen doesn't compare to Hetty. Tess Miller is a pale shadow of Reese. The other characters that populate the book - Eli, the Millers - are so bland that I've genuinely forgotten even one of their character traits. While the mystery of Vera, Josephine, and Margot was engaging and gripping, I never felt that I understood enough of anyone's motivations. For that reason, the reconciliation between Margot and Jo at the end of the book felt cheap, as I didn't have any reason to believe the characters had changed in any way. Also, I'm never a fan of books that begin on sheer coincidence, and the ease with which Margot discovered her "grandmother's" phone number felt like a lazy way to kickstart the plot.

All in all, this is a good book. It's creepy, filled with suspense, and full of the beautiful prose Rory Power is known for. I guess it's just a shame that, for a story that depends on its characters to keep you engaged, the characters themselves fell so flat.

I know some worry that an author’s sophomore novel won’t be able to follow up to their debut, but this is absolutely not the case for Burn Our Bodies Down. Rory Power’s second novel is gritty, haunting, and a can’t-put-it-down read. There are twists at every turn, and as someone who is rarely surprised by mysteries in a plotline, I was constantly taken by surprise. The clues are all there, and looking back, the reveals all make sense and fit into the world of the book, so even though I was surprised, the twists and turns felt genuine and earned.
The main character of Burn Our Bodies Down is Margot, the daughter of a neurotic mother who she is constantly seeking the approval-and love-from. With no other family in her life, or any that she even knows of in existence, she feels trapped in the endless cycle of fighting for power with her mother. That is, until she finds a lead to the only thing she’s ever wanted-a real family-in an unexpected place. What Margot finds is Vera Nielsen, and Fairhaven, a legacy that she stems from, and once she travels to meet her, she learns what it means to be a “Nielsen girl” in the eyes of the townsfolk, and what it means for herself.
Margot’s struggles with wanting to be loved, no matter who that love comes from, and being true to herself. She searches for the truth behind her unusual upbringing, and why her mother kept Vera a secret all of her life, but Vera is less than upfront with her on the past, often misleading her with loving comments with a biting undertone. Due to Margot’s own mother’s behaviors, this new kind of manipulation disarms her, but she persists.
In addition to Vera, Margot also seeks companionship with a local teenager, Tess Miller, who she finds attractive not because of her looks, but because of the attention she pays to Margot. Our unwaveringly lesbian protagonist shows an interest in those who put forth any positive effort to know her, and she brings Tess deeper into the Nielsen family mystery than is safe.
A lyrical, gripping read for anyone who enjoyed the weirdness of Power’s debut, Wilder Girls, and perfect for anyone who doesn’t normally read mysteries or thrillers because they think they are too predictable.