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.

I have such an immense love for Rory Power. Wilder Girls is one of my favorite reads and Burn Our Bodies Down is no exception. Burn Our Bodies Down is a story about family, secrets, and trauma we pass down to our children. Centering on the relationship between her mother and Margot, it's like a single point constellation. Burn Our Bodies Down began with tenderness and heartbreak. Emotional observing all the cracks in the foundation and feeling it crack a little more each time. When you see fractures and try to plaster them up, knowing they will always be there. Until that one splinter of a second which rattles them open again, destroying whatever remained.

The writing in Burn Our Bodies Down is lyrical. Margot embarks on a journey to find her family. Searching for that feeling of acceptance, a love we know without testing. What Margot finds is a home full of unspoken secrets and mystery dripping from the pages. The horror peeks through cracks in the fields, dripping from the plants, and in shadows on the walls. At the heart of Burn Our Bodies Down is a story about family and putting the past to rest.

This was wonderfully weird. I enjoyed Wilder Girls, but didn't feel like I got enough explanation for what happened. I felt like this was better explained at the end, but not fully since it's crazy stuff, but I was okay with that. I love her blending of humans and nature and hope to be reading more from her.

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

I spent the majority of this book thinking that it was just sort of a weird little book, and kind of confusing. I thought about how I could see the deeper message, but wasn’t quite sure where the horror side of things would come through. Well, by the end I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I fell in love with this “weird little book” and the messages that were weaved between the stalks of corn. The horrors both real and ones only possible in fiction started to unfold slowly and had me shaking my head and even tearing up a bit.

Margot is a character that I think many people will find relatable. Her life as a reality and even in many metaphorical ways. Clearly this one 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.

“It doesn’t sit right, that nobody will ever know all of it. Even the parts that were mine.”

WHAT. THE. HELL.

After Wilder Girls I knew that Burn Our Bodies Down would be just as creepy, and it did not disappoint.

Our story is about Margot, a girl who feels trapped under her mother and her odd rules, her inability to buy groceries properly, her consistent arguments, and how she hides everything from her.

Margot wants to know where she comes from, why her mother is the way she is, who her family is, who her father is, who she is.

One day, Margot accidentally discovers where her mother is from, and the grandmother that she never new. As her adventure takes her to to Fairhaven and the town of Phalene, Margot learns more about where comes from then she expected, and at a cost much higher than she expected.

I absolutely adored the town of Phalene. Right away Margot meets Tess (who not gonna lie, Margot is not the only one here who had a crush on her) and Eli, and her introduction to Fairhaven is through a fire that is spreading across her grandmother’s land – and a dead girl who looks exactly like her.

Things only get weirder from there, with her grandmothers odd behaviors, the fields of corn that shine with a pinkish tint, and bleed pink when you open them up, and the fact that this has been the second mysterious fire on the FairHaven property, the first one resulting in Katherine’s disappearance. But who is Katherine? Why is the produce so odd? And who was the dead girl? And what’s up with the Apricot grove and the strange amount of frozen apricots Gram keeps in the freezer?

These questions all get answered as Margot learns more about her mothers past, her Grandmother, and the town as a whole.

This is an odd book to review because its hard to say much of anything without giving away spoilers…there’s just so much going on and so much mystery.

I absolutely love Rory Power’s writing style, and if you liked her slow reveal about what happened in Wilder Girls, you’ll absolutely love the format of Burn Our Bodies Down. It’s a slow but beautiful story, cultivating in one giant decision that can either save or destroy everyone.

I finished "Burn Our Bodies Down" within a 24 hour period. 'Wilder Girls' had been one of my favorite books last year, and I was slightly nervous that Burn Our Bodies Down wouldn't be as good, but I was wrong to worry.

The whole time I was reading, I was trying to solve the key mystery at the center of the story. I wasn't sure if it was going to be something realistic, fantasy, or science fiction. The fact that I wasn't sure which path it would take was something unique and totally new. I generally pride myself on being able to at least solve 90% of the mystery before it's revealed, but honestly I barely got half of it in Burn Our Bodies Down. I absolutely loved the pacing of this book. The whole thing takes place in the span of only a few days, and that's definitely something you feel in the short, quick chapters. I never forget the short amount of time Margot has been in Phalene, and how that time frame really plays with her emotions - both good and bad.

I was so close to thinking of this as a 5-star book, and for so many, I think it will be! What took the one star off for me was the quick turnaround at the end of the novel. I understood the timeframe and the reasons why Margot and her grandmother did what they did, but I would have loved to have dwelled on Margot a bit more at the end. Margot's story is messy, just like she is, and that's what makes her such a strong protagonist. I would have loved the legal situation at the end to have been a bit messier as well. It all seemed to wrap up a bit too neatly for a mystery that was decades in the making, but maybe that's just me being super picky!

Overall, I'm going to strongly recommend this one!!

If you need a twisty turny wtf... look no further!!! Rory Powers writing is amazing and she does tension and suspense like no other. Highly recommend!

Burn Our Bodies Down, by Rory Power, features the same creepy, horrifying, gripping, mysterious tone that made her debut, Wilder Girls, a breakout bestseller. It’s a true page-turner that presents a ton of questions and releases answers slowly over the course of the novel.

Burn Our Bodies Down starts with the relationship between Margot and her mother. There’s an implication of some kind of mental illness, or PTSD, and we are, like Margot, left with a lot of questions and no answers about why she is the way that she is. It’s exciting when Margot breaks free from her mother and starts a quest to find those answers from her grandmother. Like Margot, the more time we spend in her mother’s hometown of Phalene, the more questions we ask, and the harder it is to find answers.

Much like she does in Wilder Girls, Rory Power presents strange and odd scientific anomalies without spending too much time on the mechanics of why things work the way they do. I like how we’re left to accept that these things have happened, and we can focus on the way what’s happened has affected people and their relationships.

Burn Our Bodies Down is a white-knuckled read, and if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself staying up way past your bedtime, unable to put it down. It’s scheduled to be released July 7, 2020. Add it to your Want To Read list now and thank me later.