Ok so I’m still trying to wrap my head around the craziness of this book, in a really good way!

It was creepy and captivating and really well written. It’s one of those books that just gives you this unsettled feeling the whole time. Like you’re not quite sure what to think or believe. I absolutely loved that, it really added to the overall the story, the atmosphere.

Margot goes searching for a family she never knew she had, but what she finds is not at all what she expected.

Everyone in this strange town seems to know who she is, knows her family, and everyone seems to think she’s pure trouble. I had no idea where this story was going to go, and I never saw the twists coming.

I swear even the setting of the book, the rural, sleepy town was perfect. I enjoyed it so much. Although I did find Margot to be a challenging character and narrator at times. She was so unique.

If you’re looking for a great YA mystery thriller, I definitely recommend this one.

Sorry, this was a DNF for me. It was weird, dull, confusing and unlikable. I had no idea if it was supposed to be paranormal or metaphorical at times. Did her mother really make her hold flames to her skin every day and keep candles lit all the time, or am I misunderstanding the text? Is this for some magical reason or is her mom just mentally ill? This girl's life is so sad and dysfunctional, and the trajectory was clearly to just worse and worse. Looking at other reviews, it looks like it does eventually go to some supernatural nasty place, which makes me glad I finally just gave up before it got even uglier and more depressing, but with horror.

I viewed a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

I liked a lot of things about this book. I really felt for Margo and her frustrations with her mother and I think the longing to feel wanted and loved is something a lot of teen readers will connect with. I got really sucked into the story and found it compulsively readable. The creepiness of the grandmother and the tension between Margo's desire to give in to belonging to her vs knowing deep down that something isn't right really works. I liked the ultimate explanation for what is going on, even though it felt a little hazy on the details and I had to work a little to suspend disbelief.

There are some elements of the story that didn't work as well for me: I felt like the whole thing with her mom making her light candles and the holding a flame to her skin was never really clear in terms of what is actually happening and how Margo feels about it. I get that the end of the story (sort of) explains why, but it still didn't feel right that Margo accepts it unquestioningly for so long, and then she never revisits and connects it once everything happens. I also felt like she should have grieved more explicitly for Tess in the end. We never get to see her deal with any emotions about what happened to her.

2.5 stars

I was let down by this book. I loved the atmosphere and I think the storyline had the potential to be incredible.

However, the plot was messy and convenient. I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all.

I had the same problem with this book that I had with Powers’ first book. It had so much potential, but it fell totally flat.

“A mystery that will hook you in to the very end, Burn Our Bodies Down, is as eerie as it is bizarre. Fans of the 90’s television show X-Files will devour this book whole.”

Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

My Thoughts
I purchased Rory Power’s debut novel, Wilder Girls, when it came out last year because one: the cover and two: the story was intriguing. When I heard about her second novel and one: saw the cover and two: read the synopsis, I raised my hand and said, “Yes please!”

First let’s talk setting.
In Wilder Girls, Power’s really utilized the idea of isolation, setting her story smack on an island. She wrote these brilliantly lush vivid details of her setting, creating a volatile atmosphere between the environment and the characters who inhabited it, making readers feel constantly on edge.

Whereas with Burn Our Bodies Down, Power is able to capture that same uneasiness, like the rushed notes of a violin, shrieking staccato, but missing those vivid details. I compare it to a Vincent Van Gogh painting minus the paint.

But Dear Readers this book was a crazy and intense read. The mystery of the novel grabbed me by the hand and held firm. Rory Power did an exceptional job of keeping you invested in reading the story. She leaves small bread crumbs, details decisively placed to keep your fingers turning each page.

Even though the first fifty pages were sluggish, I still had the momentum of wanting to figure out what was going to happen next. I needed to know why these characters were in this situation. After Margot runs away from her half crazed mother (that relationship needs its own novel), I was still invested in what Margot would find when she got to Phalene.

Once Margot finally gets to Phalene the story morphed into something I wasn’t quiet expecting. Something akin to an X-Files episode. Everything about this new town was odd, strange, and unnerving. The characters were as unsettling as the setting. It was clear this was intentional, that perhaps everyone was drinking from the same contaminated proverbial Kool-Aide, but I felt that we needed at least one character rooted in reality. Someone who could play point guard in helping Margot survive the nightmare she just stepped into.

While the ending is knock-you-out-of-your-seat jarring, I felt the reasoning behind all the madness was slightly disappointing. Perhaps Power is making a political statement on humanity’s negative impact on the Earth (which I commend and agree with), but how that’s transcribed into her book, though shocking, lacks the full scope needed to make a completely satisfying conclusion.

Burn Our Bodies Down shows the fraying edges of a rundown town, a family with dark secrets, and the disturbing dynamics between mother and daughter.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

I was not a fan of Wilder Girls, but I decided to pick up this book anyway because of all the hype. 

This book got 4 stars simply because of the twists and turns. I was completely along for the ride the entire time and it was absolutely insane. Actually some of the characters were insane but this is a no spoiler review so I'll stop there.

The story was easy to follow and I did read it in one sitting. From the very first page, I was wondering what this book is about, and what the main character was going to find out about her family. Even up until the end, you're left guessing and shocked. Another thing I like is that this is a standalone and I am totally into standalones lately because I don't have the time to commit to more series right now.

This cover is absolutely stunning and fits the story so well. I am honestly surprised at how much I liked this book and while I felt like the story unraveled a little bit slow, it was worth the wait. It was enigmatic and haunting and mysterious. I will definitely pick up whatever Rory writes next!

Thank you so much to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book. I loved Rory Power’s Wilder Girls and was so excited for this book. I was not disappointed it turned out to be a new favorite book. I loved the characters and the aspect of mystery.

Atmospheric. Lovely. Quiet.

Oh my goodness, can Rory Power WRITE! Honestly, she could pen a guide on how to brush your teeth and it would still be some of the most excellent prose to ever be written.

If it was not clear, Rory's writing style was probably the highlight of this book. That is not at all to say that that was the only thing about this novel that was excellent, because that's not the case at all. This story as a whole was simply incredible. It was moody and dark and twisted, and reading it felt like diving straight into a fever dream. There were times when I would be reading and I would feel as if I'd entered an entirely new universe, and it was such a magical experience.

These characters were nothing to rave about, but they were perfect for the story. They were suspicious, and you could never quite place their moral code, and they were just so interesting. I loved being inside the main character's head, and the complex relationships Margot had with her mother and her friends and everyone was so riveting to read about.

The story flowed smoothly, and although quieter, slower plots like these aren't for everyone, this specific one was totally my thing. The setting was so intoxicating and atmospheric, it was just a fantastic reading experience.

I leave my rating at 4.5 stars because although I loved my time reading and thought the ending was excellent, there just wasn't that final feeling of YES! THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER READ! It was, on the other hand, a book I would still heavily recommend.

Finally, thank you to NetGalley for approving me the arc for one of my most highly anticipated releases of all time, I swear I almost cried when I saw this notification pop up.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you, Random House Children's, for a free copy.

Margot has always lived with her mother Josephine, just the two of them. She has no history, no relatives, no stories about her past or Josephine's, only them, in their run-down apartment, with their fights and her mother's attitude. Margot longs for Josephine's attention, for a real family to hold on to, but her mom is destached, their relationship tense and strained. Until one day, in her mother's belongings, Margot finds a clue about their past, a photograph and her grandmother's number. Determined to find a family and some answers, Margot travels to Phalene, but there she will find answers she may not be ready for.

Burn our bodies down is a very peculiar and eerie read. It grips the reader's attention right away, because it's intriguing and Margot is a captivating main character. She's stubborn, indipendent, determined to find her answers and truths about her family. She wants to belong to a real family, a family able to give her love and attention, things her mother seems unable to give her.
The author wrote skillfully about their relationship, intense, difficult, full of half truths and tension, Josephine and Margot pushing one other, hurting and loving each other, until Margot decides to leave her mother and search for the truth on her own, looking for someone and somewhere to belong to.

The story is full of plot twists and the reader follows Margot in her research, trying to piece things together, wondering about what really happened to her mother, why she hid the existence of Margot's grandmother, what happened years ago and in that moment, because it seems that history is repeating itself in Phalene. Helped by Tess, a new friend and her grandmother's neighbour, Margot is involved in a murder investigation and she gets herself into a complex and creepy mystery until the disarming truth.

Able to capture the attention at once and never letting it go until the last page, the writing style is intense and evocative, the story thrilling.
Burn our bodies down is downright twisty, brilliant and eerie.

Burn our bodies down by Rory Power is a creepy and bizarre thriller. Margot is desperate to find out more about her emotionally distant mothers past, so she goes back to where her mom was born and raised. This is where she finds some very disturbing secrets about her family roots.

Incredible.

Margot is a neglected child living in poverty with her emotionally distant mother, until she learns her grandmother lives on a farm in another town. She leaves her mother, and her current life in hopes of finally fining a place where she belongs.

Wouldn't it be something if it ended there?

Burn our bodies Down is a short but sweet, twisty and delicious thriller very much in the spirit of "Sharp Objects". You can finish this book in 2 hours, but theres so much intrigue packed into these pages- so much slow, crawling atmospheric terror.

Following Margot as she slowly unravels her family mystery, Rory Power is an exceptional fictional gaslighter. It's easy to get wrapped up in the emotional isolation hurt that Margot experiences as the women in her life she looks up to most lie to and attempt to manipulate her..and it's all so true to life. Outside of being a thriller, Burn our Bodies Down is also an intense and sad story about emotional abuse, motherhood, and family identity. How do we distinguish ourselves from the family that has hurt and abused us? How do we carve out our own identity from our family legacy? And what does it mean to be "us"?

Its hard to talk about this book without spoiling it, because some of the revealed mysteries speak the most volume about why this brilliantly crafted thriller deserves a read, but I will say this- Outside it's lovely themes and thrilling conclusion, it's also a quick, easy, fast paced cinematic read with a lovely writing style and charming characters. It will keep you up all night, and itch at you during the day at work.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wow. This book was bizarre and gripping and eerie. It definitely reminded me of Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl and Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, but with a very weird, horror twist to it.

That being said, I had a hard time rating this book. I think for now its a 4 star book, but honestly, the way it boggled my mind could bump it up.

I really don’t know where to start with this. This book was a wild, wild ride from start to finish. I could hardly put it down. I was so wrapped up in the secrets of Fairhaven, and it was so fun for me to try and put the pieces together. I did not expect the book to go the way it went, but I’m glad it did. Margot was such an interesting and relatable character, even if I haven’t gone through half the things that she has, I could feel her anger and desperation throughout the book.

Wow. Wow. Wow! 5 stars to Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of one of my most anticipated books of 2020 and to Rory Power for writing this work of art. I might have gasped when I got the NetGalley notification and I’m not ashamed!

This book is an ache. That’s the best way I can describe the emotional journey it took me on. The way it talks about being a daughter and a sister and a girl (and a lesbian for that matter) all at once was absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking. Wilder Girls is one of my all-time favorite books, and I knew this one wouldn't disappoint when it came to the horror aspects—the world created in Burn is so vivid and dark and lush. The IMAGERY.

The plot is twisted, teeming, and roiling. I couldn't believe some of the twists. They were shocking and painful and so necessary to make this story what it is. If you're looking for something creative and fresh within YA horror, this is something you'd adore.

When this comes out in July, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Or better yet, go place a preorder right this second.

I have been very interested to read Rory Power’s second book because I wasn’t really Wow’d by Wilder Girls.
While I did feel this book was better than Wilder Girls it did fall short for me. I felt like the ending was a little lack luster. The whole time reading I’m coming up all kinds of theories about what would happen in the end, and I felt like the actual ending did not live up to my expectations.

Holy wow, what a strange, but great read! It’s absolutely chilling, but also very dark and disturbing. Written in a strange fashion, but one that absolutely hooked me. Definitely supplied me with plenty of suspense, chills, thrills, and shocks! It’s one I have a hard time rating, because it’s not my normal thriller, but yet it provided all I yearn for and more! Definitely look for themes, if you are one that has triggers to certain themes, as this is a book that might trigger you. I will be looking for more by this author, as I think although it’s a bit on the weird side, I loved it! Highly recommend to those who don’t mind books that are not just black and white, but yet dip into a little rainbow color side! You’ll feel a bit funky, but will get your thrills, chills, and shocks!
Will make sure I buzz it up on all the different platforms!

Trigger and content warnings are listed here: https://itsrorypower.com/books/burn/

"Keep a fire burning; a fire is what saves you. The first, the last, the heart of them all."

Rory Power does it again! Burn Our Bodies Down is a beautiful, painful, brutal, and tragic exploration of intergenerational trauma. It is yet another breathtaking novel that shows the worst in people.

Her prose is, as always, beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever had as many highlights and notes in a book... ever. After Wilder Girls, I wasn’t sure how she was gonna top it, but she managed to do that with this book.

Now, let’s get into this!

"I love her so much more when she’s not here."

First off, Margot and her mother (Josephine’s) relationship. If you’ve got any sort of mommy issues, it will bring those feelings and problems RIGHT TO THE SURFACE. Jo is a verbally and emotionally abusive and negligent parent so Margot is extremely self-sufficient.
They fight constantly, and many of their arguments were painful for me to read because they reminded me a lot of my own relationship with my mom. At times it felt like Margot was reading my mind and saying all of the things I feel when I argue with my mom. There were some extremely heavy moments and almost difficult parts to read, but their messed up relationship is so raw and real.

"I wonder if maybe I’m on my own. With this, just like with everything."

Margot. Margot Margot Margot. She is smart, inquisitive, and brave. She may not seem conventionally nice, but she cares so much about everybody. She may not seem nice, but it’s just because she has been raised to fight to survive. Everything she does throughout the book is to help others, to keep them from experiencing what she has had to live through.

"I’ve seen enough boys to know he has the sort of face I think I’m supposed to like, but how can any of that matter when there are girls like Tess in the world?"

TESS!!! She deserves the world, ok? She, again, is not a character who is not conventionally nice. But she wants to help Margot, she is willing to listen to Margot when no one else is, and she allows Margot to do what she needs to cope with life. She deserves the WORLD.

"I never got good at recognizing attraction in other girls - it took me long enough to recognize it in myself, and even longer to say “lesbian,” without blushing."

The rep!!! We love a good canon lesbian!!! While Margot’s sexuality isn’t a main focus of the story, and there is practically no romance whatsoever, it is still an essential part of her character and important to include.

"Prove it. That’s the Nielsen family motto, after all. You’re hurting? Prove it. You deserve something better? Prove that too."

Overall, Burn Our Bodies Down is a captivating read that I will recommend to all. Not only does it comment on intergenerational trauma, but also addresses chemicals that we put into our bodies. Rory Power is a powerhouse and I cannot wait to read ALL of her books.

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power was a roller coaster that I couldn't but down. It's the kind of book that makes you lose sleep. Both for the creep factor and the "but I just need to know if I'm right"/"what in the actual hell is happening" factor. I devoured it.

This is actually my first Rory Power book- despite the undying praise for Wilder Girls that I've seen, I somehow never got around to it. But after reading this. I immediately sought out a copy.

This was a quarantine read for me and I'll admit that the first few chapters were so depressing that it was hard to get through. I grew up with a single mother who battled depression, and though she did her best, things were not easy. There was not always food, she was not always okay, and sometimes I felt more like the parent. So I found the characters incredibly relateable but initially hard to read for emotional reasons. But once I got past those first few chapters, it was full throttle. And I had no idea what I was in for.

Power's writing style is utterly gripping, it is engrossing in a way that makes you feel inside the story. It is tangible. My fingers trailed a dusty dining room table, touched pages of a forgotten Bible, I could smell the fire in the fields.... and I truly felt the fear, pining, and longing as Margot did.

This is the kind of book that I'd caution readers and reviewers to be careful with- too many details and the richly woven story will lose some of its power. You want that uncertainty, that thrill, that 'can't sleep until I finish' feeling that can sometimes be so elusive. It's worth it to not go in prepared.

And as a side note, I really appreciate that this is another summer release with a queer main character. We need more of this. We're everywhere and we don't all want to read steamy and elicit affairs or coming out stories (though there is nothing wrong with either of those)... sometimes we just really appreciate a good story with a character that feels like us. Representation matters, whether it be queer representation, cultural and color representation, body diversity (in every sense- shape, ability)... it's important and I appreciate that diversity is becoming more prevalent in well-developed characters.

Big thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Rory Power for the chance to review this ARC. As always, all opinions are my 100% my own and Burn Our Bodies Down is definitely one of my top summer read recommendations.

Once again, Rory Power’s writing has knocked me off my feet! Her writing is sharp and painfully beautiful. The way she wields grammar and syntax leaves me breathless. I absolutely devoured this book!

Burn Our Bodies Down is staggering in its raw intensity. The first-person POV keeps you completely immersed in the main character’s, Margot’s, thoughts and emotions as she struggles to find her roots only to discover they’re buried in poisoned ground. The build up of suspense and secrets kept me on edge until the very end!

Rory Power has cemented her place among my list of favorite authors. I cannot wait to share this book!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Burn Our Bodies Down solidified Rory Power as one of my favorite authors. After loving her debut last year, I was OVERJOYED to be able to read this one early and it absolutely did not let me down. Power's writing is compelling and addictive to read, and it keeps pulling punches throughout Burn Our Bodies Down.

This book packed some serious punches - ones that I still can't believe happened. And the ending? Woah. Absolutely WILD. Though I will say that those punches came with some trigger warnings - reading about our main character's relationship with her mom as well as with other characters in this book was hard to read. Serious gaslighting and just begging to be heard and listened to. It was painful and very raw.

Overall, this was a story about memories, family, truth, secrets, and a MidWestern farm that felt so real it felt like I could drive there and see for myself. In saying that, I also think that should be all you know going into the book. Going in blind is something I definitely recommend with this one.

Like I said before, Rory Power is now one of my favorite authors and I will absolutely die on that hill.