I didn’t love this, but I liked it.

I love a good historical education moment in a fictional story, so the way the Bronx burning and the whole careless landlord situation was weaved into the story…great! I do like the idea of the echo game. It definitely gave stranger things vibes with an urban twist.

I could’ve used more action or things happening that progressed the plot. It dragged at several points in my opinion and for some reason I couldn’t get into any of the characters or the “romance” between Raquel and Charlize.

Overall, I like the idea, and I’d be interested to read another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and sourcebooks fire for this eARC

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher and author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really really loved Burn Down, Rise Up. It was one of my most anticipated reads this year so when I got the notification that my request to read it had been accepted I dove straight in. I’m so happy it lived up to my expectations.

BDRU is a tense story about the dark places of the world, the games that we get sucked into, and the power of love and standing up for yourself and what you believe in. It’s about friendship and fighting and doing what you can to save those around you who can’t save themselves. There were a few moments when I had to suspend my disbelief and go with the flow but once I’d settled into it there was no stopping me.

The world was realistic and brutal, the writing was sharp and full of action and I was never bored. There were moments where I couldn’t stop reading, absolutely glued to the page and desperate to find out what happened next - and these were balanced by the moments where the writing showed us the characters and the world through a softer light.

Overall I’d recommend this for fans of magical realism/horror set in a city atmosphere. I loved the diversity and I think a lot of other people will too! The world needs more sapphic stories, especially set it worlds that have a dark side to them.

A book that manages to teach you about the Bronx and it's history while interjecting horror and a lesbian mc of color...sounds like a weird mix, but it definitely works out in this book by Tirado. The writing style and dialogue is choppy at time and some decisions don't always make sense, but who knows, could also be because I am a bit farther away from 16 than several years ago.
The plot was interesting and kept me reading way past my bedtime, the vivid descriptions when it comes to the rot, mold and burning bronx made me more immersed in the story and I flew through the pages.
If you like the supernatural, horror and a bit of sapphic love: go for it!

***Thank you Netgalley for giving the chance to read and review this book***

Although I've never been to The Bronx, I feel like this book is as close as I have ever been without actually getting on a plane. Great atmosphere, well developed characters, an enjoyable read!

I want to thank the publishers for providing an arc for my honest review. I liked this book I did. I just felt like the ending was rushed. I was hoping for more destruction and bad stuff to happen. But all the characters were really fleshed out and came alive on page. Really fast paced and I would recommend to everyone who likes stories about survival.

A fast paced, well researched story of the Bronx, both now and then.

The Latine protagonist and her community were well fleshed out and we'll defined. Papi, especially.

Raquel grappling her growing feelings really came across well - but I felt mum was an afterthought through the whole novel.

I loved the historical horror elements and I learned a lot I didn't know.

Probably my slightly older readers - Y8 upwards.

Wow. This book took me for a wild ride. I can't say I enjoyed all of it, but I did learn things about the Bronx that I didn't know before. It's probably more of a 3.5 rating than a 3. If your into YA horror/distopia/adventure stories, then it might rate even higher for you.

The idea of the game and the Echo were very cool. I really liked the world-building around it. I wasn't a huge fan of the formatting of the story, it kept losing me for some reason. But the story was a good one. I'd be very into reading other Echo stories set in other countries. This would make a wild Japanese drama.

I loved this! First of all, the cover design is absolutely adorable. Second, I LOVE the amount of suspense that is contained.

The main character was very likeable, and I felt like I could get to know her easily. The LGBTQIA+ supportivity is something I like, for a fact.
Nice plot, and it's something I couldn't put down.

I have mixed feelings about this book but really appreciated the research that was done to produce such an unique story.

We are following our mc, high schooler Raquel, as she journeys through the Bronx playing the Echo game.

I LOVED the historical elements that were weaved through the story & I deeply appreciated the information shared about redlining, public health issues like mold & its impact on asthma rates in Black and Latinx children. Those educational moments really spoke to my public health & history loving self.

But I still struggled to understand the world that existed in the Echo game. I think Tirado could’ve benefitted from building a few more pieces out along with a little bit more character development. Some parts of the story lagged while other parts seemed a little rushed. Overall, I enjoyed the story, the relationships - both familial & friendly - & the Bronx history. I think this is a decent debut and I look forward to reading more from Tirado.

Oh also, it’s very cool that Tirado is a bioethicist! I hope they do more science & history related stories in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Vincent Tirado & Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tirado has written a completely engrossing and exciting YA horror, while also managing to weave in fascinating information surrounding the history of the Bronx. This book will keep young readers turning the page and rooting for the main character. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Generally good book, with good representation. The quality representation definitely brings this up to a 5 star read!

I didn't care for any of the characters and their decisions made no sense but i loved the history of the Bronx.

An empowering read that does what it sets out to do! I was not overly impressed by the prose of the story itself, but I do think this is a valuable entry into the publishing market and will find its audience easily!

4.5 This is one of those books that remind me just how powerful horror stories can be, when done well, and why I love the genre so much.

The horror in this book really had an effect on me. At times I could feel myself shivering, I felt nauseous, there was a palpable dread in my gut. And, of course, I did sob just a little.

I also learned about the Bronx in the 70s, the slumlords, the arson epidemic, and I thought Tirado really used the genre well to get across the horror of that time.

The descriptions in this book are absolutely disgusting—in the perfect way of course. The burning, the melting, the mold, the rot. I really felt like I could smell it and feel it on my own skin.

I do wish I could have gotten more from the MC’s relationships with others, specifically Charlize. Some of the character development seemed a little rushed and the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly.

It took me a bit of time to get into it at the beginning—more so because of my own schedule than the book itself—but once I really started, I didn’t want to put it down. Overall an amazingly well-executed horror novel that I would recommend to anyone looking for some nausea, some tears, and a little bit of sapphic, black girl magic.

hank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this. I really wanted to because the premise sounded incredibly cool. Seriously, come on, a supernatural death game in a thriller novel, including a sapphic protagonist who is also a person of color?? hell yeah.

however, as I read through the novel, I found that I didn't like the way the characters interacted with the world and each other. Plus their dialogue and reactions were unrealistic.

Things just happened in succession and the writing got boring very quickly.. In the end, I would rate this two stars, because in the end the book was something I had to force myself to finish.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Burn Down, Rise Up in exchange for an honest review.

Do most of the character decisions in this make you want to jump into the book and scream at them because of how nonsensical they are? Yes. But also, badass yet socially awkward sapphics make brain go brrrr.

The writing style just wasn't for me - it felt choppy and the character/relationship development wasn't really there. But Tirado did really infuse the story with creepiness! I think that even though I didn't love this as a book, it would make a good TV show?

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of this. I really wanted to be because the premise sounded incredibly cool and alluring. Like, come on, a supernatural death game in a thriller novel, including a sapphic protagonist who is also a person of color?? hell yeah. however, as I read through the novel, I found that I didn't like the way the characters interacted with the world and each other, and that their dialogue and reactions were very unrealistic and stilted, almost. Things just happened in succession and the writing got boring very fast. In the end, I would rate this two stars, because in the end the book left a bad taste in my mouth, the kind that I get after a book I have to force myself through.

Burn Down, Rise Up follows a sixteen-year-old's journey through the Echo game, which takes place in the Bronx's subways.

I enjoyed the setting of the Bronx — the history explored was extremely interesting and was about a time I don't know much about. The culture was also really enlightening — I loved the main character, Raquel's voice. You could really see the author's passion for the setting of the story, and it read like a love letter to the Bronx, which I really adored.

Despite this, there were some problems with this book I couldn't overlook when rating it. Character decisions weren't based on much evidence and did things without reason. This made me a little frustrated while I read because characters either did things from convenience to the plot or to add more tension between characters (again to add to the plot) but there was no reason for some of these actions to occur. Though I enjoyed the Bronx setting, when it came to the Echo game, I felt the world-building was a little under-developed.

However one thing that shone in this book was the family relationships. The way they were developed and explored really made me smile. I did think, though, that the sapphic romance could have been improved -- I wanted more of it!

Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced read that will delight younger queer readers. If I were to suggest anything to be improved, I would ask for the world-building of the Echo game to be a little clearer, and to add a little more reasoning behind character's actions.

Burn Down, Rise Up is such a fantastic YA novel. It's based out of the Bronx, and I loved the immersion of what makes the Bronx THE BRONX for people that are not from New York, it mentions the historical past, and present, the different religions, and how true we hold the cultures and our beliefs to our heart. It's a true prideful moment for teens living in the Bronx, they are seen in this book. I think they will be very proud of Vincent Tirado and their story. Burn Down, Rise Up is a page-turner, I could not put it down. The LGBTQIA+ relationship that evolves I believe it is very realistic on how coming to accept one's identity can play out, and in this situation (I don't want to give anything away) but there's a bit of turmoil but it blossoms and everything comes back full circle. The voice and power that it gives with the message of community and that speaks volumes to a variety of current social issues. They are a wonderful author that I hope to be able to read more from, this spoke to my heart.