Alright y'all, time for another review. Today it's Vincent Tirado's Burn Down, Rise Up. Billed as Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele and I feel like that's a pretty accurate description.

Our main character Raquel lives with her mom who is a nurse in a local hospital. Her best friend Aaron is a quiet guy, to the point of it being annoying to her, and they're highschoolers who have been given a history assignment. All pretty standard stuff.
That and an argument between Raquel and Aaron. It was...contrived almost? He's got no ability to tell she's not interested in, who she is interested in, makes all kinds of assumptions. It was annoying and I rolled my eyes at it.


At least until it comes out that Charlize, the girl she used to be really close with, has lost her cousin Cisco. He's gone missing. And he's not the first.

The first were white kids and they couldn't find them. Now when the Black and Brown kids go missing, people don't lump them together, don't want to say it's all related.

Raquel is just trying to go through life until she finds out her mother is ill and in a coma. She ends up living with her father, her parents are split, and that's when things kick off.

This story is fast paced. And for the most part, that doesn't hinder it. It handles the pacing pretty well with character development and the story itself.

I liked it, it was believable, fun, dark, tense. And relatable. There were passages that had me cracking up because of the difference between how Black people handle spooky hauntings, monsters, etc., versus how white people handle it. Rarely does a book actually make me laugh out loud.

What I think faltered was the development of the romance. When it came to that, I don't know anyone who could be so obtuse when dealing with someone who likes them. It wasn't the greatest handled in my opinion and I was a little thrown off by it.

That and an argument between Raquel and Aaron. It was...contrived almost? He's got no ability to tell she's not interested in, who she is interested in, makes all kinds of assumptions. It was annoying and I rolled my eyes at it.

I think the ending also sort of suffered from the pacing. Because it was so fast, some things were a little tricky to follow and so it got a little convoluted. And with that, things happened in ways that didn't make sense. It felt like the characters were stunted at that point. There was also something that happened at the end of the book that was out of nowhere. It was literally in the last few pages and threw me because it came out of nowhere and I don't think it added anything.

I think for me, it was a three (3) out of five (5) stars. I enjoyed it.

I received this eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

I apologize for how long this took me to read. I would pick it up, then get overwhelmed by everything that was happening that I would have to put it down. I guess I would consider this a paranormal thriller. Oh, and it's sapphic.
I couldn't begin to explain the paranormal bits, but I definitely felt all of Raquel's anxiety. I definitely didn't a good chunk of this in confusion. But again, that was mainly because of all the information being thrown at me. I've only rated this a 3, cause while I did enjoy it, I don't see myself reading it again.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to Sourcebooks publishing for the hard copy of this title.

As soon as I saw this book cover at TLA, I wanted to know more about this title. Then when I learned there was another dimension involved, I knew I had to read it. Set in the Bronx, Burn Down, Rise Up is a mystery/horror with a bit of history (1970's), a love triangle, and fierce friendships.
People are disappearing. They had been playing a mysterious game/challenge that takes place at 3am in the subway. The game only has 3 rules, but you must NOT break the rules. When Raquel's mom comes down with a strange sickness and Charlize' cousin disappears the girls team up to find out what is happening and try to save their loved ones.
The loves tory is sweet, the family dynamic is relatable and the monsters are creepy. I will definitely recommend this one to my students.

This book was a little weird. Stranger Things meets Flatliners. Are you up to playing a game? Just do not break the rules. I did enjoy the history of the burning of the Bronx.

✨ Stranger Things meets Get Out!

💜 People are disappearing in the Bronx, and when Charlize's cousin disappears, Racquel knows she must find him. Even if it takes her to a weird, evil, alternate reality game.

💥This book is creepy and at times scary, but the history of the Bronx was fascinating. This was probably my favorite thing, and since the author is from the Bronx, I appreciate the cultural information as well. The characters are scrappy and not afraid to fight for who they love.

My face at the end: 😬

🍪 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from @Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney). I will give you a list of reasons to read! Or join us on Youtube (@zaineylaney) for our monthly wrapups and snap book decisions.

TWs: Body Horror, Cannibalism, Gore, Fire Injury/Death, Violence



BURN DOWN RISE UP is an incredibly creepy book! It's perfect for fans of YA thrillers and the TV show Stranger Things.

Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. I definitely appreciate the author's work, and do genuinely think they wrote a good story. It just didn't hold my attention. I definitely think my dislike is a me problem, not a book problem.

Horror is not my genre in the slightest. The overall plot was interesting, but I wasn't a fan of the aspect of the mold and creatures the teens encounter in the Echo.

I enjoyed the Sapphic representation in Burn Down Rise Up. It was not at the forefront of the plot, more so just a simple addition. I felt that it was great in that it helps to normalize same sex couplings.

The main character is bad ass. Raquel is funny and relatable, and her strength and perseverance is to be admired. She displays extreme bravery by going into the Echo not once, but twice.

I was absolutely the target audience for this book and I think it was great. Described as Stranger Things meets Get Out, this YA book is going to be easily sellable to teens and adults alike. Plus it's sapphic!

**I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

For the most part I really enjoyed this book, I really love books surrounding the idea of history/the past influencing the present and this did a good job of handling it + it’s sapphic !! i was a little lost sometimes but that’s probably more of a me problem than the book itself. Overall i would definitely recommend

This was a fun one. If you like Stranger Things, Inception or Get Out you'll definitely want to read this one. Raquel and her friends suddenly find themselves playing the "Echo Game" and entering into a warped time in the Bronx's past to save a friend.

Burn Down, Rise Up is the perfect title for this allegory about the power of working together. I am seeing comparisons to Caraval and Stranger Things, but I am not familiar with either, so I can compare it to a mix of The Midnight Meat Train, Candyman, and the show Wishbone; you know, where the dog is transported into a different book each episode.
This story centers around Raquel, whose crush's cousin has just gone missing while playing some mysterious game on the subway in the Bronx. Digging through Reddit, using her dad's resguardos to connect to her spirituality, and teaming up with dreamy Charlize, Raquel must figure out the game and save the people she cares about.
I watch a lot of horror movies, and this book scared me. Being trapped underground with burning buildings above you and burning people around you and no one else is seeing it? Terrifying! But Raquel is able to see the positive in everything. Will it be enough to save her friends and the ghosts of the burning Bronx?

This book was very fast paced and non-stop action. The idea of the Echo Game was very creepy, especially since it revolved around a real event that happened in the Bronx history. There is a sweet sapphic romance and a great friendship. Overall, I really enjoyed this story!

Raquel lives a normal life in the Bronx and everything changes when her best friend Cisco disappears and her mother is sent into a medical coma because of some weird black mold. Then, her dreams start getting really weird. Raquel realizes she will have to team up with Cisco's sister Charlize with the threat of a mysterious game on the horizon.

I was absolutely hooked by this story! I really loved the concept of the Echo Game and the lore behind how it forms within the Bronx. It leaves room for the story to develop beyond just a typical horror book and something that leaves a commentary about the treatment of people of color within marginalized communities that have it out for them. I was a bit torn on the form that the main villain presents itself as, but when you take a step back and see how it fits into the larger picture of the Bronx, it makes a lot more sense. Although, I do think Raquel's tie-in to this figure was a bit too vague, even with the foreshadowing of her asthmatic condition throughout the story.

Each of the characters were super compelling, especially Raquel. She has really strong motivations throughout the story and also is just a extremely well-written character in that her dialogue and actions were realistic and made me want to root for her to make it out alive. Even though Raquel struggles to make some decisions in the story and they are highlighted as bad decisions by others, I personally felt for her struggle and didn't shame her for making those choices.

I also felt the same about Charlize, and having Raquel and Charlize as a couple was a really nice way to thread in a romance in an otherwise dark horror story with a LOT of gore. However, my one caveat was that Charlize does not appear for the middle half of the story into the final act. As a result, there's a massive gap in build-up with these two characters that left the romance a tad lacking at the end of the story. There was also a side plot revealing the best friend of Raquel, Aaron, to also be in love with Charlize, and I personally felt that it could have been done away with since it's such an overused trope that didn't benefit the story.

Burn Down, Rise Up is a fast-paced horror story that I can absolutely see being turned into a movie one day with its disgusting visuals and compelling narrative.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley as an e-arc. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've barely read any YA horror mystery thriller book but I'm happy I read this one. The worldbuilding was easy to imagine and understand because of its clear imagery. The thrill, the mystery, everything kept me on my toes like it felt like I was engaged in it. I do have to point out that I love how the author portrayed certain social issues in the Black community and mixed it with some horror/mystery elements. Also, the tiny bit of sapphic romance was a cherry on top of this awesome book.

Thank you so much for the ARC! Burn Down, Rise Up is definitely a serve.

4.25 stars

This is a YA supernatural thriller pitched as Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele which is a fantastic combination to sell me a book. It describes our protagonist having to journey through the New York subway system in order to find what evil is lurking down there because there's been unexplainable disappearances in her city for over a year. This story involves a lot of mystery, some urban legends. Great rep as well since our main character is a young sapphic black girl so if you need more queer horror in your life, this is definitely one to check out.
Full review to come on YouTube.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks FIRE, and the author for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book surprised me, in a good way. I had been starting to get tired of uninventive YA books, but this one excelled in a few key categories which kept it enthralling. I read it quite quickly, and was solidly hooked for the whole second half of the book.

This is effectively part of the thriller/ horror genre, but it's not too intense for a horror wimp like me. It was scary enough to thrill, but not so scary as to keep me up at night like Mexican Gothic did. Importantly, it also had a compelling YA storyline which involved interesting characters - particularly involving the Black community in Brooklyn, and a lesbian / queer romance.

On top of all that, this book dealt with classic YA themes - belonging, growing up, friendship, and romance - all while also addressing the deeper issues of police violence and shining a light on the historical oppression of the Brooklyn community. This is where horror books do their best work - where they use horror and mystery as a vehicle to investigate real-world issues.

Burn Down, Rise Up is a fun YA novel, full of classic YA issues and with realistic characters. Tirado has a great knack for the characters' voices and they feel alive. But Burn Down, Rise Up is also a novel which is about the way Black communities come together to deal with loss and oppression. There's a lot going on, and the author takes time to investigate these issues while also hooking you into one hell of a ride for the whole second half of the book (think: stressful Jumanji-style curse designed to ensnare kids, and creepy shadowy zombie people on a train).

Burn Down, Rise Up came out on 3 May 2022 - it has only been out in the world for just over a week!

This is a fast-paced YA debut that can only be described as Stranger Things meets the best of Reddit blackhole conspiracies. A mysterious game and missing teenagers - could the answer really be that there is a underground, "ghost" of lifetimes past? The atmosphere woven into Burn Down, Rise Up is dark and grisly, without being too grippingly horror. There are elements of community history, family disfunction, and the extent one would go for friendship.

The paranormal, magical-realistic elements are incredibly well done. Rooted in history, but fleshed out even further with online investigation and theories, it's a mystery that will keep readers sucked in late into the night. None of the elements are overdone or cheesy. Rather they are thoughtful and beautifully tied together, to create a fantastic story of loss and societal betrayal.

this is basically stranger things x caraval but sapphic :DD

this was such a grotesque but capturing read -- my heart is still beating and im definitely gonna get nightmares tonight in the best way possible!

the way the book tied in historical events from the lower-income neighborhoods and the things they faced in the past and how they shape them today made the shock factor so satisfying and the "mystery" of the game was so exciting to read about!

A sapphic Stranger Things?! Sign me up. This was a creepy wild ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. I found Raquel so interesting which made this an incredibly quick read. It does get a little confusing at parts but don’t let deter you from this mysterious story. I loved the monster hunting of it all and the setting really got me as well. I would definitely recommend this to friends looking for something unique.

I really liked this book. I have quite a few students who would enjoy that there is POC representation and that it is a dystopian-esque setting similar to Stranger Things.

Unfortunately, this was one of those books that I had a very "it's not you, it's me" relationship with. There wasn't anything wrong with it, and it's actually got a very compelling plot and interesting world building. Unfortunately, I found that I just didn't vibe the narrative voice, so I found myself drifting in and out of focus with it and couldn't get as engrossed in it as I wanted to.