This book was unsettling in so many ways. I was on edge for most of it, and that has all to do with the emotional abuse of both parent and grandparent. To see how the toxic behavior manifested itself within Margot. It was horrifying to be in her headspace, ready for a fight, ready to forgive to just get back to a semblance of safety. The devastation of realizing early on, that Margot will never find the home that she craves. This story was enthralling and nauseating. Trying to piece together this mystery was what was most grounding...until it wasn’t. I was equally dreading what horrors were to come, and Rory Power delivered them.

I almost didn't request this based only on the fact that it's YA and I usually cannot get into YA at all. This was different and I am SO GLAD I requested it anyway and got approved. I have not read Wilder Girls- but I will after this. I was reminded of Sharp Objects and Carrie. The themes of abuse and neglect were so well done and not over the top or gimmicky at all. Honestly, the author's writing style was probably the highlight of this book. Margot is a character that I think many people will find relatable. Her life as a reality and even in many metaphorical ways. This novel REALLY needs to be read going in moderately blind, so I won’t say much more than, this one starts off a bit ominous and slow, but the end is like multiple gut punches that will make every confusing moment worth it. EXCELLENT!

Okay, this was something... something awesome! I admit that I requested this blindly on the fact that Rory Power had a new book. I went into it totally blind and It. Was. Amazing!

Rory Power has the ability to paint you into a world that is so vivid and dark, yet totally whimsical at the same time. We meet young Margot, alone with her single mother, loved but in a way that doesn't seem tangible. Without any information about who she is and where they come from, Margot starts to search for her roots. And find them she does in a hidden away book in storage of sorts. With only a small bit of information to go on, she leaves to find the family that her mother never told her about... The family and the history that her mother REFUSED to tell her about.

One thing that I assumed for most of this book, was that Margot was dumped into this world absolutely nobody on her side. Even a friend she makes along the way is more interested in Margot's life as entertainment. But as the story progresses, and you peel layer upon layer of the story away like husking an ear of corn, you learn that the rot runs deep.

I truly love the science fictional elements in Power's books. The story in here is creepy and strange and I loved it. This small town vibe was the perfect backdrop, too. Odd things always happen in small towns, where everyone knows everyone and secrets are kept hidden. I know this is one I will be happy to read again and again!

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this title before its publication date.

As a reader who was disappointed by Power's debut Wilder Girls, I was ready to give her another shot and excited about this cover and somewhat vague premise. I really ended up enjoying this one! It is very readable and once you hit about the 20% mark a mystery starts that takes you all the way to the end. This book is definitely dark, as Wilder Girls was, and one of my biggest hopes is that Power starts to write adult fiction at some point as well because I feel like she could really get scary.

Things I liked:
- The vague, eerie vibe of the farm, Margot's grandmother, the mystery of the fires
- The way Margot and her mother's relationship is complex and claustrophobic; it made for a very interesting dynamic
-The outcome/conclusion to the mystery

Things that were just okay:
-I thought the pacing could've been a little better
-I felt that certain characters/plots were underdeveloped and only there to further certain areas of the overall plot

Overall this was a very engaging read for readers who like mysteries with fabulist or fantastical elements.

“The flush is draining from my arms and legs, but I still feel tight all over, like if I move too fast my skin will split and I’ll pour out.”

Margot Nielsen is already going grey, just like her mother, the mother who doesn’t show her love and who Margot knows hardly anything about except her desire to keep a fire burning always. But when Margot stumbles upon the phone number of her grandmother, she contacts the woman she’s never met and finds herself hitchhiking to visit. Margot thinks her grandmother will reveal the answers to the questions she’s had all her life, but when she finds herself in a complicated impasse with her grandmother, Margot is determined to uncover the information from anyone, even if her family’s history with the cornfields is more than she bargained for.

Much of our story takes place at Fairhaven, an old, rickety house surrounded by acres of ruined cornfields, the perfect setting for the horror of this novel. The fields are full of yellowed and ruined crops, stretching towards the only other house in sight: the Miller’s. And with the help of Tessa Miller, the daughter of her grandmother’s neighbors, Margot will go to the greatest lengths to unravel the mystery of the ruined corn and the secrets her mother has kept.

I stayed up late reading this in a jet-lagged haze, and although I wasn’t completely engrossed in the storyline, I also couldn’t seem to put this one down. I had to know what Margot’s mom and grandmother were keeping from her. And when it was revealed, I was shocked, but also a little disappointed. It’s hard to put into words, but I guess I didn’t completely understand why Margot’s mother had kept everything so secret, when telling Margot the truth would have kept her away from Fairhaven and the horror that awaited her there.

This isn’t the typical story I’m drawn to (romance and fantasy are my favorites) so I know others will enjoy this one more than I did. But, I am a sucker for lyrical writing styles, descriptive settings, and tenacious main characters, which this book definitely had. I appreciated the clever and deep plot and the family history which sank its roots into me.

Power’s writing and descriptions worm inside your mind and make you flinch against their abrasive honesty. Burn Our Bodies Down is a unique blend of body horror and thrilling plot twists tied up in the young adult genre, something teen readers don’t see often. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller and endings you think you know but are so much worse than you ever could have imagined.

Burn Our Bodies Down is set to release on July 7th, 2020.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Content Warnings: emotional abuse and neglect from a parent, gaslighting, body horror, blood, death, murder, gun violence, child/infant death (off page). Visit Rory Power’s website, https://itsrorypower.com/books/burn/ for more information and a more detailed list of content warnings.

This book wasn't really bad but it wasn't really good either. I think it might have been my expectations mixed with my mood that made it just okay for me. I didn't read the authors debut novel so I have nothing to compare this to, but I am still looking forward to reading it sometime. I know some people didn't like the writing style of this book, but I didn't mind it. I also liked the main character, but I didn't care about the rest of them. The plot was interesting, but a little slow at times. Which I usually don't mind, but my reading mood has been off lately. Maybe if I reread sometime when I feel better, I'll like it more.

I’m at a loss for words. I will do my best to put this together. This was bizarre. It started out with a very depressing feeling then stays with you throughout. A 17yo girl lives with her mom and is neglected and emotionally abused. The teen ends up running away to a grandma she JUST found out about. Her mom has never given her any information about her life or family before. But Grandma is not all that she seems and weird events start happening as soon as she arrives.

I’m all for creepy. I’m all for mind-blowing. But this was just weird. I could not wrap my mind around it. It was too vague and mysterious and needed to give us more information earlier. I think it would have helped me wrap my brain around it. But instead, the big bombshell was met with disdain. When I guessed a lot of the plot, I realized there was no way that would be the storyline because that would be too weird. How would the author write that? Well I was right. It was too bizarre, too out there and too sad.

Somehow both more and less compelling than Power's debut, there's such obvious weirdness and mystery here that it makes you want to get to the bottom of things., and the writing kept me easily interested despite Gothic/horror elements not being a particular favorite of mine. I did find, however, that the characters didn't seem particularly deeply explored (Margot, her mother, Josephine, and her grandmother, Vera/Gram, are slightly better, but those like Tess and Eli seem intended as primary or strong secondary characters without being given very much), the structure of the story was a little odd (the setup of Margot's arrival in Phalene takes nearly the first third, then much of the last third is given over to expository backstory), and many of Margot's discoveries stem from the coincidental discovery of a pair of bibles.

Still, though it seemed a bit underdeveloped, or like something possibly better suited to a short story format, it definitely has atmosphere and hits the right buttons for lovers of weird fiction.

Burn Our Bodies Down is the sophomore novel of young adult author Rory Power, who made her debut last year with the novel Wilder Girls. I was a huge fan of the eerie atmosphere and creepy body horror of her first book, so I was highly intrigued by the vague premise of her newest novel. The synopsis isn’t particularly descriptive — almost-eighteen year old Margot is fed up with how secretive her single mother is regarding her family heritage, but through her investigation strange dark secrets are revealed…

Honestly, writing this review spoiler-free is extremely difficult. All I can say is this is one of the weirdest books I have ever read.

This book reads like a nightmare. Slowly, everything Margot knows to be true and ordinary starts being pulled out from under her feet. Who’s telling the truth? Who can she trust? The pacing of this book is also very slow which, while sometimes makes a story drag, I feel that this book was the perfect length to tell the story that it did. If anything, the slow-burn nature of the horror made the eventual reveals all the creepier.

I was a huge fan of the lesbian representation of this book, particularly the fact that Margot is single through the whole story. You don’t have to include a romance in your book in order to have LGBTQIA+ rep, and this book was a great example of that.

The setting of this novel was also a highlight point. Small rural towns and farms are the perfect settings for horror, in my opinion. (It might have something to do with the fact that there are a lot of cornfields where I live?) Margot runs away from home when she learns of a grandmother she didn’t know she had. Her grandmother owns a farm where she grows corn, and when she arrives her grandmother’s cornfield has been set on fire for a second time. She soon learns that the first time it was set on fire was when her mother was a child. Who set the original fire? Is it linked to the second? And why does nobody in the nearby town like her grandmother very much?

And of course, those aren’t the only questions you’ll be asking yourself…

I was on edge the entire time I was reading this book. And because I was reading this book predominantly at bedtime, I had to take short breaks now and then as the creepiness factor was starting to get to me towards the end, heh.

I feel like the ending of this book will be very hit-or-miss for readers. I found it completely unexpected, and I’m still processing a few of the twists. But though I think the build-up was fantastic, I’m still not entirely sure if I enjoyed the ending or not. (Though I appreciate that it doesn’t have an ambiguous ending like Wilder Girls, which I’m still a teeny bit upset about…)

Overall, this was a very enjoyable reading experience! If you are a horror reader, I highly recommend picking up this book! I’m actually really excited for this book to come out to see what kind of discussions it sparks within the book community. This book is dark, and bizarre, and creepy, and I am extremely excited to see what Rory Power does next! (And mildly terrified of the depths of her mind…)

I have picked this up multiple times and tried to get into it thinking it was my mood, but after the 5th try I can say this book is just not for me. It's also not generally in my favorite genre as thrillers are either a hit or a miss for me. Also to me the sentences seemed very choppy, but I think I just didn't like the writing style. I am thankful for the opportunity to read this book especially after hearing all the hype Wilder Girls has gotten, but I just cannot give this book a starred review as it was more me than the book itself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read Wilder Girls by Rory Power as an e-ARC and really enjoyed it, so I've been looking forward to Burn Our Bodies Down for quite some time.

This book follows Margot, a teenage girl who's been sheltered by her mom her whole life. Her mother, who is emotionally abusive, has kept her in the dark about her family and her past, until one day when Margot finds a bible that used to belong to her mother. This leads her on a journey to find out more about her mother and her family's past all while taking us through her mysterious family and the farm her mother grew up on.

This book was upsetting, as someone with emotionally abusive parents, and a bit cathartic. Margot's journey is by turns creepy and fascinating. A lot of what she went through, even though it was heightened with sci-fi elements, felt like an elevation of the cycles of emotional abuse that happens in real families.

While I think this wasn't quite as good as Wilder Girls, I really enjoyed it and will keep an eye out for Rory Power's work in the future,

I really liked the writing in this book and it made me excited to read more books by this author. For quite a lot of this book I was kind of expecting it to be a five star depending on how it would be wrapped up but that kind of missed the mark for me. It just felt a bit confusing for me. It didn't really answer a lot for me and made me confused over what was going on and the probability of it. I liked the characters in this book. I mean, most aren't the most likeable characters but I still thought they were interesting and well done. The plot was very engaging and I liked how everything was revealed bit by bit. It was a very interesting read. I maybe would have liked a bit more of the small town aspect but I also get why it wasn't really a part of this book. I'm really glad I read this.

Rory Power is back with another standalone novel, Burn Our Bodies Down. Readers like myself fell in love with her writing thanks to Wilder Girls, and this next novel is everything that we could have hoped for – and then some.

Margot and her mother have been a team as long as she can remember. A team of two. No more, no less. Granted, sometimes it does feel like it's Margot against the world (and her mother). But that's just how some families work, right?

Well, here's the thing. Margot has always wanted to have more, have more family, a bigger world, answers. You name it. Now she's setting off (on her own) to get all of that, and it is nothing like she expected. Or hoped.

“I think I'd give anything to know what happened to leave her like this. As long as it's not waiting to happen to me.”

Burn Our Bodies Down is a dark delight, through and through. Margot's journey is far from normal – or peaceful. Yet it is exactly that which pulled me into the narrative, leaving me desperate to learn more about what was truly going on behind the scenes.

I was so extremely excited to get my hands on Burn Our Bodies Down. I absolutely adored Wilder Girls, so naturally, I've been a wee bit desperate to read anything (literally, anything) else by Rory Power.
So did it live up to those high expectations? Yes, a hundred times yes. Maybe it's because I have been getting into more horror lately (while not reading it extensively, not yet at least), but I really loved the vibes that this book gave off.

To be fair, the vibes are pretty amazing. Picture 'Children of the Corn' meets thriller, meets coming of age, and you've got a slight idea of what is in store here. Throw in Rory Power's unique writing style, and you've got a much better idea about what sort of ride you're going to be in store for.
To say that it was a chilling read would be an understatement. This book got pretty dark at times, but in ways that truly fit the narrative. Likewise, this world created was fascinating. I won't say I'd want to live in this small town...(because I wouldn't) but I'd like to hear more about it if that makes sense.

Margot's journey into finding her family and her truth made for a brilliant read. One that was formed through several different layers, adding to the confusions and intensity of it all. I think at the end of the day, that's half the reason why I ended up enjoying it all so much.

One thing is certain, I honestly cannot wait to see what Rory Power is going to come up with next. In the meantime, I might just read Burn Our Bodies Down once again.

Margot has never known a life other than the one of neglect she has lived with her mother, a mother who doesn’t speak to her about their past and struggles to provide in the present. With nothing to ground her, Margot runs from her mother to find answers on her own after finding an old photograph pointing her towards her grandmother’s home in Phalene. Things start to go south quick when Margot arrives in Phalene to find her grandmother’s cornfield burning and a dead body that looks exactly like her. With cops asking questions and her grandmother refusing to answer their questions and Margot’s, the homecoming isn’t what she expected. Will Margot be willing to overlook her own questions about what is happening in Phalene in order to find the home and affection she’s been longing for with her grandmother?

VERDICT is that I was disappointed in this book. I was intrigued by the description and excited to read a book by Rory Power. I will admit I have not read Wilder Girls but it was on my to-read-list when I received this ARC and I have heard a lot of great things. Burn Our Bodies Down did not do it for me though. There were some strong elements to the writing of this book, as much as I did not like the characters, I felt compelled to finish the book. I liked the world building and overall concept although for the horror/mystery element I was disappointed. I did not have all the details of the ending figured out, but I knew pretty early on approximately what was going to happen. There were just to many random details and not enough character development for me to really get invested in the story. The world building is a redeeming factor though and I do hope it works better for other readers!

In a nutshell, this story is about Margot, who runs away from the only home she's ever known with her mom to try and learn more about her family and it's history. which has always been hidden from her.

The best thing about this book was how intriguing it was. I was interested in the story the entire time, and it was a quick read for me because when I was reading, I didn't want to put it down. It was unique, and up until the end I really didn't know what was going on. There were also a few great, chilling moments that were surprising to me as well, and I really enjoyed those. The end especially was chilling in the best way.

What I didn't like, and why I rated this three stars, was because of how it was written. I felt like it was generally very abstract, and there were a lot of times where if I stopped and thought about what I was reading, I would think "What does that even mean?" I usually don't mind what some would call "flowery prose" but this book included too much, to the point where I was frustrated at times because I felt like the story was hinting at things I was supposed to understand, but I couldn't because it wasn't clear enough. It did clear up at the end (thankfully) but throughout most of the book I was a little confused. In part because of the mystery of the story (which was great) but also in part because of the writing style (which I did not enjoy). But to each his own! I also wish there was more included about Margot's life with her mom. There's tiny hints about why their relationship is so bad, but I don't feel like enough was included in the story to help readers really understand the negativity.

Like I said, the story is super unique and I think it was worth the read. I would just say be fully prepared to have almost no clarity until the ending.

***eArc provided by Netgalley & Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review***

It's easy to say that my visceral response to Rory Power's second novel was to curl up into myself while I was reading. But in the best possible way. It's a hard book that deals with mental and physical abuse at the hands of not just family, but specifically mothers and grandmothers. It's sci-fi, it's horror, and it's so emotionally raw that I'm surprised that Power has talked about how much of herself she had to rip out of herself for Margot's story - it shows and it's brutal.

I adored this book, but it was rough to get through. The mystery of it all, and seeing if Margot ever gets what she wants out of her relationships, though, was a strong propelling force. Not to mention that Power's writing is just as beautiful and tragic here as it was in her debut, Wilder Girls.

It was a stunning read that floored me as the hits kept coming in, and I'm so, so excited to see what Rory's next book will be like.

This is creepy AF and I loved it. I normally don't read thrillers but this sucked me in. A nonstop wild ride! Highly recommended. RTC.

3.5 stars

This was a very strange read for me, which would not normally be a bad thing per se, but I just couldn't seem to get into the storyline. I couldn't get past the weirdness. Rory Power is an excellent author. The writing was fantastic and the characters are well fleshed out and detailed. I did feel that it was a very original book for its genre, so that definitely is kudos to the author. I did enjoy the story and I would actually re-read it because maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.

I would like to thank Rory Power, Random House Children's/Dela court Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am really surprised by how much I liked this book after I was so incredibly disappointed by Wilder Girls last year. I told myself I would give Rory Power another chance, hoping I just didn't connect with her previous work and I am so glad I did. Burn Our Bodies down moved so smoothly and definitely gave me a creepy mystery horror theme I really needed. It reminded me a lot of the feelings I got watching In the Tall Grass or Pet Sematary. The whole story is very Stephen King-esque. I did start to get a little bored right before the story picked up at the end, but that is my only complaint. The creepy backstory of Margot's family was truly...well creepy...and disgusting...and I loved it. Excited to read more and more from Rory Power!

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Net Galley, and Rory Power for the opportunity to read Burn Our Bodies Down in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but for some reason, despite the book description, I thought this would have a mild tie-in to Rory Powers’ debut novel, Wilder Girls. What a great book that was; I wanted more so bad that I was just hoping for this to link up somehow! But no. Despite this, Burn Our Bodies Down is still quite an intriguing book on its own. Not quite what I was expecting in terms of horror, though the mystery element is really what keeps the reader going with this novel.

Key elements of this novel include high-strung family drama and self-discovery.

As far as Margot can remember, it has always only been her and her mom. No father, aunts, uncles, or cousins that she can recall, and her mom refuses to tell her anything about her family. Margot eventually finds the clue she needs to reach the family she knows is out there.

After a phone call to a grandmother she has never known, Margot runs away from home to be with Gram, her aim to discover something about her family tree. She already has a million questions, but when a fire breaks out on her grandmother’s farm and she helps save a girl caught in the flames, her own face is mirrored back at her. Now a million more questions have been tacked on to everything Margot is trying to figure out about her family and how her life ties in, but nobody is willing to tell her anything!

What’s more, the girl is dead, and the same face keeps haunting Margot’s thoughts. Could the girl have been a sister she didn’t know about? A cousin? A trip to the morgue, rifling through old police files, and scrawled notes in a Bible are the only clues Margot finds. Each clue brings forth more questions, nothing seeming to connect at all, but Margot is determined enough to find out about whatever it is her family seems to be keeping from her.

The mystery element is what really drives this book. The whole time I was hoping for something paranormal, like witches or some such. On the contrary, the strange mystery is more scientific. It was quite interesting to finally discover the family secret, even though the book didn’t feel quite horrific or tense enough at times.

While this book wasn’t quite what I expected, the writing was still phenomenal and the story went swiftly. This is a book I certainly wouldn’t mind having on my free-choice shelf for students to choose from.