Yes, you saw that correctly. This book is a 1 star. One. Star. Yikes.

So before I get into this review, I think it's important to point out that I genuinely like the Rory Powers as a person. I have seen her speak at a few panels and she is so down to earth and funny. I think if I were an angsty teen, this book would be right up my ally. But it fell off a cliff and burned for me.

I went into this book with no expectations because after reading Wilder Girls and not liking it, I wanted to give Powers a second thought and this book seemed interesting enough. The premise is this girl named Margot and her mother live secluded away from the rest of their family. It has always just been the two of them, but Margot desired more. After snooping, she comes across a photograph which leads her to her mother's hometown in Phalene. There she meets her grandmother and finally feels as if she can connect with more of her family. But the town isn't what she thinks and when Margot discovers a dead girl that looks exactly like her, she realizes that this town holds more secrets than answers.

Doesn't this sound cool? Because it sucked me in. I was a fool.

This book is told in first person through Margot's POV. Margot is not a happy character, literally nothing makes her happy and we are stuck inside her ramblings the entire time. She is extremely dramatic, which I can understand to an extent due to the craziness of this town. But her inner ramblings get sillier and sillier as they go on and it soon becomes a story about her thoughts and loses all semblance of a plot.

After twenty off pages of her dramatic inner dialogue, we finally get the plot moving. The thing is, the book could have been done so well. It had all the creepy elements, but the execution of these plot points were hidden beneath layers and layers of stream of consciousness. This town is creepy. People are getting killed. Girls are miraculously getting pregnant (yeah, you read that correctly) and then more death.

I am not going to skip over this miraculous pregnancy, which could have had the potential to be really cool...but once again Power let me down in some major ways. If you are going to add a weird/crazy plot point like this, you have to play it up correctly. It was just absurd and left more questions than answers. And when you think that there is finally some clarity...BAM they dead now.

This book is marked as a new twisted thriller, but it should be filed as "This book is too absurd to comprehend, trying something else." Anyway, I read this so you guys did not have to. You're welcome and I'm done taking one for the team.

The audiobook of Burn Our Bodies Down is one you don't want to miss. The haunting narration adds another element to the already amazing story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC of this one!

Rory Power, author of last year’s Wilder Girls (a book I thoroughly enjoyed), is back with another weird, mysterious thriller. If you’ve read my reviews at all, you know I love a good, weird fiction book that is unapologetically so. I also love horror elements that don’t feel the need to explain themselves. Sometimes, you can just let these things be, just go outside of your logical brain for a second, and it makes immersing yourself in the story so much more fun. Burn Our Bodies Down did that for me.

Margot and her Mom have always been at odds, and most of the time it feels like Margot is raising herself, that is, when she’s not taking care of her mother. It’s always been the two of them, and any inquiries into reasons behind that have been immediately squashed. When Margot finds a photograph leading her to family, history, and roots, she takes it. Even when her mother wants nothing to do with it. The further in Margot gets into the town of her ancestors, the weirder things start to get. Finding a body that looks strangely similar to her in a field is the first in a string of odd incidents. There are mysteries about her family that may be better left buried.

I listened to this one while working this past week, and it made some of my more monotonous tasks more enjoyable. I was fully enthralled in Margot’s world and loved that she acted as our guide into these uncharted fields of her family’s land. I enjoyed the characters, and I felt confusion, heartbreak, and anger right alongside Margot as she made her discoveries. It’s certainly a different story than Wilder Girls, but some of my favorite elements show up in these pages as well. It’s creepy. It’s mysterious. Not everything has a full-blown explanation. Bonus points for queer representation that doesn’t dominate the entire story.

Lauren Ezzo does an excellent job with the narration. I was with her 100%, had no trouble following character shifts, and I enjoyed the cadence. It was melodic while keeping me fully engaged. It’s out now, so if you need some more thriller-y titles to add to the last bit of your summer TBR, definitely check it out.

Rory Power definitely displays her prowess at writing stories with a strong creep factor. Margo is a sympathetic character who just wants to understand the idiosyncrasies of an emotionally absent mother. The opportunity to visit her estranged grandmother is just the impetus she needs to abandon her mother and go on a search for her family identity. A trip back to her roots, the discovery of the body of a girl who could be her twin in a burning field, and an enigmatic grandmother who alternates between caring and controlling make this story about finding your identity a great read for fans of Daniel Kraus. Readers looking for a quick resolution are going to have to be patient with this slow burn that is deliciously predictable--and yet not. Lauren Ezzo is a strong narrator. Though her cadence takes a little getting used to at first, her characterization and ability to inject emotion into the story make this a strong audiobook selection for fans of thrillers.

Can you truly know your self if you don't know your past? Margot doesn't know who she is because her mother does not disclose her past. Making Margot wonder what secrets she keeps. Burn Our Bodies Down is a suspense novel about the secrets families keep to protect their legacy and themselves. Power tries to build anticipation with children of the corn theme but falls short. The pace of this book is excruciatingly slow and bogged down with excessive detail. Margot has no time to develop and form a connection with the reader. Throughout the book, you have no reason to cheer on Margot and because of this, the family story feels superficial. The supporting characters feel vapid and forced on the reader. Gram is a shell of a person and her backstory is hardly expanded on. Her reason for what she does seemed rushed and not thought out. The climax felt hurried so the book could have closure. While there were instances of suspense and wonder, the dragged out mundane interactions outweighed those. A faster pace and more depth into the interactions and history of the family would have made this book a more suspenseful read.

The narrator's inflection helped the suspense the book lacked. although, sometimes the narration was overdone and made the actions of the characters or their dialect too much.

Loving this book was not surprising for me. I enjoyed Wilder Girls, but I will say that this book...this book was way better. It had purpose, the plot was driven by phenomenal characters, and it had a sense of brilliance that built over time through Power’s melodic writing style.

The story is about a young woman who is fed up with her mother’s emotional abuse and secret keeping. She sets out to find her extended family, something her mother keeps from her at all costs...until she’s had enough. When she arrives at the town her mother grew up in, she comes across a dead body—one that looks just like her. This is where the mystery begins.

Power’s slow-burn writing style was extremely effective for this story and really put a lot of the metaphors she was alluding to in perspective. The idea of complex generational trauma was explored through the conflict that Margot, her mother, and Gram experienced with one another. This book also showed how family dysfunction can stem from a lack of insight and ability to communicate effectively. Sometimes you just wanted to shake the characters and say, “TELL THE TRUTH!” It was hard watching Margot experience passive aggression and emotional abuse from people in her life that were supposed to love her unconditionally. Margot was such a resilient character who learns overtime to set boundaries, especially complicated boundaries with your loved ones! And finally, the horror and thriller elements that Power used led the story into a stronger, more interesting narrative—which really pulls the reader into the mystery behind what the actually f**k is going on. I was on the edge of my seat at times, because the anticipation of what was going to come out at the ending was really exciting for me.

Overall, I loved this book so much. It’s been a long time since I’ve read something that I could psychoanalyze and have fun with.

Also before I go: I listened to the audiobook. Lauren Ezzo is a GODDESS! Great job Blackstone Audio!! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving us this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Four stars for Burn Our Bodies Down!

I was hooked right at the beginning because the MC’s mother reminded me so much of my own - a specific set of psychological issues that are rare to find in books because they’re hard to explain. I immediately identified with Margot and the story grips you from the beginning. Family drama isn’t usually my forte, but I was so curious about her mysterious family and her weird circumstances that I flew through this to find out what the secret behind this family farm was. Boy oh boy, I was not disappointed. The ending was surprising and interesting, and although just a tad too ambiguous for me, I really enjoyed the book overall. My only major problem was with the audiobook itself — it echoed so badly that it took me awhile to get used to that. But the book was great and I’ll definitely be getting my hands on a hard copy!

This was a hauntingly beautiful thriller with a lot of shocking twists. Margot always feels her relationship with her mother is a bit off, so she goes to seek her roots based on a clue she finds in an old Bible. When she goes to visit her Gram, things go more awry by the minute. Family secrets, frustration, teen angst... I did not foresee the conclusion. Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

This book is definitely for fans of Rory Power's previous book, Wilder Girls, as much of it felt very reminiscent in tone and pace. As many other reviewers have noted, none of the characters are terribly likable. In fact, they are all so damaged and damaging that it occasionally makes reading about them a bit exasperating. That said, I personally found the honest and complicated portrayal of their relationships refreshing and made everything especially worthwhile. I cannot exactly say I enjoyed the ending but I very appreciated it and am glad I went along for the ride. It's worth the read/listen if this is your type of book.

Although I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as WILDER GIRLS, I still found this to be a great read. Rory Power is fantastic at creating an unsettling and eerie atmosphere in her books, and BURN OUR BODIES DOWN was no exception. I also really appreciated how the main character is queer, yet this book is not about romantic relationships. We need more YA novels that showcase characters of all backgrounds and identities whose first priority is not a romantic entanglement. I should also note that I read this one via audiobook format, and I highly recommend reading it this way. The narrator was perfect -- really set the tone for a spooky story!

Rory Power is a knockout author. Her debut novel,The Wilder Girls, is a creepy, atmospheric tale, that was a bestseller with my students in 2019. I could not keep enough copies on hand. With Burn Our Bodies Down, Powers has done it again.

Margot, the 17 year old central character, knows nothing about her past. For Margot, her whole world revolves around her mother Josephine. Margot and Josephine are hiding, but from what? As Margot goes in search of family and a past, the twisting tale provides moments of fear, doubt and intrigue to hook the reader. Margot's family past is more shocking that even she can fathom. This story will stay with the reader.

My teen readers will devour this book.

Burn Our Bodies Down it's my first Rory Power book. I have heard it's less weird than her first, but let me tell you, it's still very weird.
.
.
The book follows Margot who is living in a small town with her mother who she has a very bad relationship with. Her mother is neglectful and emotionally abusive and has been keeping Margot away from her family. Margot finds information about her grandmother and after a bad argument runs off to live with her grandmother. We follow her as she delves into the secrets of her families past and what that means for her now.
.
.
This book is expectantly dark and eerie. There are in particular a couple of body horror scenes that are fantastically written and utterly disturbing. But the book can at times be almost too real especially with the elements of gaslighting and emotional abuse. I don't have a major history of that but it was still very difficult to read at times. On the same note, Margot reads like an abuse victim. She doubts her own memory, and she is desperate for any approval anyone will give her. This is realistic, but very difficult if it's in anyway reminiscent of your past.
.
.
If these are things that will not bother you, then I think the book is an entertaining wild ride. I guessed part of the reveal pretty early but that didn't ruin the book for me. The other part was too weird for me to get to on my own even when the book was explicitly leading me there. The build up to the reveal was well done. I think how the book ended makes a lot of sense. This book wasn't life changing for me, but I enjoyed it and think others could too. Thanks to Netgalley to providing this in exchange for a honest review!

This was such an interesting read.
Burn Our Bodies Down is my first Rory Power and it was really surprising. I don't read as much YA as I used to, but the thought of YA Horror was very appealing to me and that's why I requested the audiobook from NetGalley.
This starts with Margot living with her mother, and they have an unstable relationship. When Margot discovers that she has a grandmother, she escapes town and goes to her grandma's farm. Coincidentally, the plantation is burning when Margot gets there and she finds a body amongst the flames. The story kicks off from there.
I had a bit of a problem with the writing of this book: it is very descriptive in every way, from the scenario to the main character's emotions. But I just wasn't feeling it: it was a lot of family drama and it became repetitive fast, especially since the audiobook narrator was intense every time that Margot was getting emotional (and she was angry for most of the book). But the ending of this: WOW. I did not expect that plot twist at all, everything came full circle and I just admire Rory Power's creativity.
If you like your YA totally twisted and disturbing, here's a good one!

This was an atmospheric mystery thriller with an interesting premise, however I found the plot somewhat underdeveloped and it was too predictable from very early on. I listened to this as an audio book and thought the narrator's performance was excellent. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC.

Fans of Power's debut 'Wilder Girls' will not disappointed with her latest 'Burn Our Bodies Down.' While 'Burn Our Bodies Down' has less of a science fiction feel with its chemical impacts, it will create no less terror and revolution than her first book. Following Margo to her ancestral home, readers are taken on a wild ride to learn to why Margo's mother left in the first place, the identity of the body she finds during a fire, and how those two stories converge. Like Margo, the reader knows something is off but it's not till the end that the cards are all laid out and the truth comes to bear. Lauren Ezzo captures the essence of an angry and lost teenage girl who is desperate for any sort of connection in the world. Ezzo's narrative in tandem with Power's writing will keep you on the edge of the seat till the credits literally start rolling.

Rory Power is an author I’ve wanted to read for a while, ever since her debut Wilder Girls took the YA world by storm. Thus it was with great excitement that I started Burn Our Bodies Down, which I was fortunate enough to receive from NetGalley’s new audiobook review program. I loved the description of the book, and the fact it sounded closer to an “American Farmland Gothic” than a true horror. So then, why didn’t I enjoy this more? Well…a lot of it to do with the main character.

Margot has always been something of an outsider. The only close relationship she’s ever had is with her mom Josephine, and she’s not exactly mother of the year. Josephine works a lot, and even when she’s at home in their tiny run-down apartment, she’s emotionally distant or volatile, causing Margot to tiptoe on eggshells whenever she’s around. And when she asks about her father, or any question about family really, Josephine simply shuts her out. Finally, Margot has had enough. Defying her mom, she uncovers an old photograph with a name and phone number of someone she believes is her maternal grandmother. After calling the number, the old woman who answers confirms Margot’s suspicions and extends an invitation to visit her in a nearby rural town called Phalene.

Excited at the prospect of answers at long last, Margot travels by herself to Phalene to meet her Gram. Upon her arrival though, Margot quickly gets the sense that things aren’t quite right. First, Vera, her grandmother, is not the exactly the kind little old lady she led Margot to believe. Her farm, Fairhaven, is an eerie place, yielding strange and unnatural crop. Soon, Margot starts seeing and experiencing disturbing things that defy explanation. She came to Phalene to learn more about where her family came from, but the longer she stays, the more she understands why her mother left this town, never to speak of it again.

As usual, I’ll start with the good. First, we have the incredible atmosphere. Burn Our Bodies Down is all about the setting—a creepy small town that feels isolated and forgotten by the rest of the world. What amazed me most was how such a wide open space with its sprawling fields and endless skies could still result in such a strong sensation of claustrophobia and suffocation. Phalene feels like its own little world, the tensions growing ever more stifling as the pressure builds within. As the reader, you’re made to feel acutely aware that this tight little bubble can burst at any time, and when it does, you know bad things are gonna be a-coming.

However, the trade-off for such thick and delectable atmosphere is a hit to the pacing. Admittedly, this is not a story that goes anywhere fast. While I think there’s plenty to keep the reader entertained, especially when Margot meets other people in town like Tess and Eli, for the most part the plot development chugs in place as the narrative focuses on establishing the mystery and immersing you into the setting. There’s also a lot that doesn’t make sense—at least at first. Rest assured things come together in the end—mostly. There will be some loose ends, and for a long time, it just feels like you’re supposed to ignore all the questions and inconsistencies, which might be a bit too much to ask.

And now, time for what I struggled with, which was mainly Margot. I know she was written to be a little abrasive and belligerent, but I could only put up with her attitude for so long. After a while, that massive chip on her shoulder started getting on my nerves and I just wanted to slap her every time she got snappy or confrontational—which was pretty much all the time. Unfortunately, the fact that I listened to the audiobook did not help, since the narrator tended to overact and made Margot sound even more hysterical and annoying.

Bottom line, the world-building was fantastic, but atmosphere alone couldn’t carry this novel, and ultimately I thought the story and characters were lacking. My experience was also affected by an overdramatic narrator, but if you’re not listening to the audiobook, you’ll most likely not encounter that issue, though I can’t say I was feeling all that sympathetic towards the protagonist regardless. At the end of the day, Burn Our Bodies Down wasn’t a bad book and I thought its premise was interesting, but overall, I can’t say I enjoyed it as much as I’d hoped.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an earlier copy of this book to review. Everything is my opinion and my opinion alone.

This was going to be a three star, but I just loved that ending. The last few chapters of the book really are just the exact kind of creepy a girl needs. When I started the book, I felt like the MC was just being really dramatic without any backstory to back-up her feelings. She didn't have a good relationship with her mom at all, but we didn't spend a lot of time on that and so it felt kind of pushed. But like... gah, that whole ending of the book was CRAZY and I enjoyed it so much. I honestly think Rory writes such creepy-good books!

I didn't really enjoy this audiobook at all.
The story was kind of confusing, the characters were unlikeable and kind of awful, and the relationships were all very toxic.
The main character, Margot, was SO ANNOYING. Anytime something happened that mildly inconvenienced her, she runs away. Like, either LEAVES TOWN or just randomly turns up at the girl she likes' house. The relationships (especially Margot's family) was so toxic. Every relationship. Margot and her mother, her mother and her grandmother, her and her grandmother. GET THERAPY.
Most of the characters were annoying, frustrating, or just plain awful.
I didn't love the narration, sometimes you couldn't tell if the character was supposed to be thinking or speaking out loud? Which made an already kind of confusing book more confusing.

This time I read (listened) to the book in audiobook format, and it just enhanced the experience. The audiobook narrator was amazing, and her voice fit so well with Margot’s character, and she gave the book so much more life. One of my favorite things about reading in this format was how you could hear the anger in the narrator’s voice, especially nearing the last few chapters Margot found out the truth about her family, and it made it seem so much more

Burn our bodies down is a haunting and atmospheric tale of Margot who has a tumultous relationship with her mother and wants to find out more about the mystery surrounding her family, since her mother never talks about them.

I loved the premise of this book, and I loved how casually queer it was (Margot is a lesbian) but unfortunately it just fell a little bit flat for me. I don't know if this is because I'm not used to the thiller genre but I felt like the mystery element was kind of pointless because it was pretty clear what was going on. The ending felt like a bit of a let down, I felt like the climax happened really wuickly and there wasn't a lot of aftermath (which i always like seeinga bit of character growth after the ending)

I did like how it dealt with intergenational trauma, especially between women and I feel like I would have liked it more if it had leaned more into that rather than the mystery/thiller aspect.

ARC only feedback - I listened to the audiobook for thi son the netgally shelf app and I'm not sure if it was just this book or audiobook arcs in general but the sound was weirdly echo-y. I didn't mind, it fitted the book and was kind of asmr-y but i just wanted to point it out. Otherwise I thought the audiobook was excellent and the narrator did a really good job with Margot's voice.