Scheduled to post 5/14/22.
Literally everything I'm looking for in YA horror. EVERY. THING. I loved BURN DOWN, RISE UP. This is going to be one of those reviews where I struggle with what to say because it's just going to be me gushing.

I will say that I fully never expected to see Robert Moses' name pop up in any YA book, but I love how that piece of [racist] history is in there. If you want more history on some of the nonsense Moses did during his reign, listen to pretty much any Bowery Boys podcast featuring something from the 1940s forward. Moses is all over New York City. So if you read this book and ask yourself if the part about building the bridges so low the buses couldn't get through is true, yes, it very much is. Dude was a dick.

Maybe because I'm still old enough to remember those particular impressions of the Bronx, but I liked how that history was largely unknown to the kids living there today. This community has risen up from the literal ashes of the Bronx and insulated this generation, protected them. So while it's still not great, they still escaped the horror of what it was, until they all go down into the Echo and relive it first hand.

Loved Raquel as a character. So relatable in her approach to everything. She very much felt like a reactive teenager making the not-greatest decisions at times, but at the same time she kept her head for pretty much everything. Her drive to see everything through and save the girl had me rooting for her.

The book itself is pretty creepy too. Going back to my comment about how this younger generation has been insulated from what happened to the Bronx back in the day, that horror still exists not only in the memories of a lot of the people still alive, but in the Echo. So when Raquel and Charlize go down there and see these horrific memories brought to life, the past is no longer a memory but very real. On top of that, the manifestation of the Slumlord (capital S) as an evil villain is not a far reach for most people. He makes a perfect monster (mainly because they are). Then throw in the nightmare fuel bugs and EW. People trapped in a racist-fueled hellscape for eternity, kept there by the Slumlord, never to get out. You don't need to reach far to grasp that kind of terror.

I also amuse myself at how I hear stand clear of the closing doors, please when I read it on the page. That voice manifests fully in my head.

Tirado encapsulated New York's past and present perfectly in BURN DOWN, RISE UP, bringing a wholly reachable and relatable form of terror to the surface for characters that are instantly captivating. I got lost in their version of New York, both the modern day and the Echo, and my heart pounded as some intense moments and I cried at others, mostly in relief. I can't wait to see what Tirado cooks up next!

5

3.5/5 Stars

After several disappearances in the Bronx, 16-year old Racquel can no longer ignore what is happening when her crush's cousin goes missing. Her mother suddenly falls ill, and the mysterious disease seems to have a link to the disappearances. Charlize and Racquel must work together to beat the disturbing urban legend called the Echo Game.

This was a pretty interesting concept that I was intrigued to know more about when I read the synopsis. I listened to this on audio and think the narrator did a great job with the overall vibe of the story. The world building and pacing were a bit lack luster at times, but as the story progressed I became more invested in the story and the characters. I wasn't the biggest fan of Racquel, she just rubbed me the wrong way and I think she was pretty selfish, especially when it came to how she treated her best friend. I did enjoy the friendship aspect of this book more than the romance, and was glad the romance took more of a backseat. I also like how this had some historical fiction and supernatural elements thrown in as well, as I was expecting only a horror story, but got so much more.

What an absolutely splendid book! I was not sure what to expect going into this book, as it was compared to Stranger Things and I’m one of the few people who’ve never watched stranger things. I WAS BLOWN AWAY. Let’s start with the writing style. It was raw and gorgeous and literally sucked me in, right from the very first chapter. I’ve seen this book described by others as a “love letter to the Bronx” and that’s exactly what it is! I learned so much about the history of the Bronx, and the resilience and determination of the people who live there(I’m from Canada, so my knowledge of the Bronx is very limited) And the characters? Incredible. Raquel is the perfect main character: strong, flawed, emotional and determined. Another thing I really liked was the sapphic romance. It was cute and adorable, but also didn’t take away or overwhelm the plot, while also not fading into the background too much. I loved the plot. Plain and simple. It had one of my favourite things in a horror/thriller book, and that’s the ‘creepy cursed game’ trope. The whole concept of the Echo was so well thought out, and not confusing at all(I tend to get confused by these things if it’s not explained well). This book gets more points for being able to drag me out of my mini reading slump! I had started it a week ago but due to mental health and stuff fell into a slump, but yesterday I made myself focus and I ended up reading the whole book in three hours!! Overall, this is definitely among my top books of the year so far and I highly recommend it! 5/5 stars

Monster hunting book, sign me up! I would definitely watch this on Netflix

Disappearances are happening and an urban legend is coming to life. So a group of teens team up to find out what’s really happening. Raquel’s crush disappears so she teams up with Charlize, who’s cousin it is, to figure out what is happening to their Bronx neighborhood. They soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York's past.

Taking parts of supernatural urban legends and making a creepy mysterious story is what the author did. I enjoyed the fast paced story and twisty turns. I also really loved the characters and their development throughout the story. I feel she took the hardships of small community and amplified it throughout this story.

I enjoyed this spooky YA novel starring an Afro-Latine teen! Teens have been going missing in the Bronx, and Raquel finds herself pulled into the fray when her mother, an ER nurse, winds up in a coma because of a supernatural infection she gets from a patient. Raquel, along with her best friend and her longtime crush, set out to find out the truth, but uncover an unsettling game and a dark history of the Bronx.

I really liked the concept of this book and loved how the history of the Bronx was woven into the story. The Afro-Latine influences were also lovely and I appreciated the casual queer rep.

At times I felt like the writing needed more editing and I felt like I still had a lot of questions about the game and about the characters' actions. However, there were enough good things that I'd be willing to look past those issues. I will definitely still be recommending this book to teens at my library!

Thank you NetGalley and Source Booke for a e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

I loved the characters. They were written reall well and realistically teenaged, and they each bounced off each so well and it was fun to read their interactions.
I also loved reading the history of the Bronx and the way the “monsters” where based on human actions and racial and social injustices. And also how it showed the resilience and positive aspects of the community, just like in real life.
AND then a sapphic romance that added to the plot instead of taking over and turning it into a romance? hell yes!
From the beginning the book had me gripped with fast-paced narration and high stakes for the protagonists and I wanted to delve right into the story.
It was a creepy and mysterious, fast pace and jam-packed, which blends perfectly into a suspenseful and unique plot.

I’m not a big horror reader, so I didn’t know if I was going to like this, but from the beginning the book gripped with a fast-paced narrative and really high stakes for the two main protagonists. I wanted to go on this adventure with them so badly, and I think if I had to have a complaint, was that it takes a little while for them to get to the mystery. There’s a subplot that is thankfully entwined with the story, so the book doesn’t actually grind to a halt while the characters are trying to get some of the information the reader already has, plus it establishes a few facts of the world-building that are really intriguing.

Overall, I really loved the book. The history of the Bronx was fascinating, the characters felt like kids, the absent parents felt justified instead of contrived. Everything works, and as a bonus it was the right amount of scary for me, a person who doesn’t love the genre.

I found this book very intriguing, and I enjoyed reading it. While many of the elements in play here have been seen before, I felt that the way they were crafted together was inspired and that the author brought a real air of freshness to it all. The complex blend of mystery, the supernatural, adventure, drama, action, friendship, romance and honest realism was in turns breath stealing, pulse pounding and thought provoking. Was it perfect? No, I didn't think so. I did however think the author showed real talent and has a wonderful voice that needs to be honed and further developed because sadly sometimes the writing felt a bit rough, and I there were some loose ends here that I would have loved to see tied up. All in all, though I book well worth reading from an author I feel like we will be hearing much more about.

Thank you Netgalley, Source books and Vincent Tirado for the ARc of this book.

This was a totally different story than I've ever read before. I loved the eery vibes and the idea of the plot.

I found it was missing something to really pull me in and keep me hooked however I did enjoy the characters involved and the history of the Bronx that was explored.

This one is a good YA Fantasy / Thriller choice!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a e-copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

4.5 Stars

There was a lot of things I liked about this book. I loved the characters. I felt they were written very well and very realistically for a group of teenagers. I thought the characters played off each other well and it was fun to see them interact.

I loved the commentary on the history of the Bronx and the way the “monsters” where based on human actions along with racial and social injustices. But also shows the resilience and positive aspects of the community itself as well.

And then a sapphic romance on top? And the romance added to the story instead of taking over? Yes and yes!!

This was a creepy and mysterious book that was fast pace and packed a lot into it’s pages. But overall it blends wonderfully into a suspenseful and unique plot.

If you’re counting down the days till the newest season of Stranger Things, this may help you pass the time productively! This sapphic horror debut starts off at a frenzied pace, and keeps the reader fully engaged to the end.

Teens have been disappearing from the Bronx for more than a year. It seems like mostly urban legend, until things hit close to home for 16-year-old Raquel. First, her crush’s cousin goes missing. Shortly after, her mom, a nurse who had contact with the boy, contracts an unexplainable illness.

When Raquel and her crush–Charlize–and their friends dig deeper they get caught up in the terrifying and potentially deadly game behind the disappearances. The Echo Game is tying the dark past of the Bronx to the present. They’ll have to work together to dismantle the evil supernatural forces at play. Raquel was a badass heroine (and I love that the cover perfectly emcompasses this!) You’ll be rooting for her to not only take down the monster in the book, but also get the girl in the process.

If you can stomach a little gore in your YA, this could be a good fit for you. It’s pretty horror-lite. While I was left with a few questions overall, I really enjoyed this debut from nonbinary, Afro-Latine author Vincent Tirado, who will keep your pulse pounding with their sinister storytelling. I really loved how they drew from history, when the Bronx was inundated with fires a half a century ago, and tied it to the present. I think it made parts of the story that much creepier to know that it was based off of such a disquieting part of history.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for an eARC via NetGalley.

Burn Down, Rise Up is a sapphic horror thriller that suggests that a local urban legend may not be a legend at all. Raquel is a teenager in the Bronx who was going about her life until a friend went missing and her mother falls ill with an unknown affliction. As Raquel and her missing friend’s cousin, Charlize, investigate the matter, they find that there may be a connection to her mom…and to an urban legend called the Echo Game.

Blending in elements of old, such as the very real Bronx fires, as well as weaving the Echo Game into that setting made this story a hit. This was a fast-paced read with tons of action, a gripping mystery, an unidentifiable illness, and no shortage of creepy elements.

If you’re all about Stranger Things vibes, YA horror stories, and creepy other-dimensional characters, Burn Down, Rise Up is a great choice for your next read.

Special thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was a little hesitant about this book because I had heard some iffy reviews from colleagues, but I'm so glad I went ahead and picked his one up!

This book is such a clever book in how it intertwines the history of the Bronx with the game played in the novel. It seamlessly blends real-life horror with speculative horror.

The echo game felt like a real game that would be played by teens. The rules around the game were kind of vague, but I think that added to it feeling like an authentic internet lore-based game (think Bloody Mary/The Elevator Game).

The biggest reason this wasn't a five-star read was there were just too many easy resolutions where Tirado wrote the characters out of a corner. Not a big deal - but was something I noticed.

This is a clever story about racism, social class and gentrification told through the guise of a YA horror novel. It's also a love letter to the Bronx that helped me learn a lot about its history.

I loved the premise and urban legend. "Stranger Things meets Get Out" is an accurate description because I definitely had similar vibes while reading this. I wish there were more horror elements though as I was expecting the book to be more scary and creepy. The third-act seemed too easy.

I also didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters, which kept me from loving the book more. The protagonist was the only one that felt fleshed out enough but even then, I wasn't a huge fan. Kudos to the queer representation, though I feel like the friendships and relationships could have been explored more.

Teens have been disappearing in the Bronx, and when Raquel's mother comes down with a mysterious illness and her crush Charlize's cousin goes missing, they team up to investigate the sinister urban legend known as the Echo Game.

Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Alice in Borderland, Burn Down, Rise Up is a love letter to the Bronx, and I especially loved the atmospheric opening with Cisco's disappearance. I very much felt rooted in the neighbourhoods of the Bronx, and the tense atmosphere of the mystery of the disappearing teenagers was gripping.

Overall, my limited enjoyment of the novel was because I felt the characterisation was somewhat shallow, and the pacing could have been improved. A strong opening lapses for quite a while, until the Echo Game, which I felt could have been explored in more depth and given more time. Readers looking for an exciting read with some strong horror elements should definitely give Burn Down, Rise Up a try.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Burn Down, Rise Up. These opinions are my own.

Burn Down, Rise Up
Vincent Tirado
4 stars
Horror, fantasy, thriller, mystery, queer
Young adult
CW: Violence, Gore

Stranger Things meets Get Out. Mysterious disappearances, An urban legend rumored to be responsible, and one group of friends determined to save their city at any cost.
The description is spot on for this book, I haven’t really read anything like it before. I really enjoyed this sapphic horror book. It’s creepy and the the world building is fleshed out and characters are very thought out and realistic. I liked the main character, Raquel and how she matured through the book. The horror elements were just creepy to keep me reading to find out what happens next and I know I would not want to play this game. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes young adult horror.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks fire for the e-ARC in exchange for n honest review. Pub date: May 3, 2022 and I would definitely recommend it!

Raquel had ignored the disappearances in the Bronx over the past year. Police do, too. She starts paying attention when her crush Charlize has a cousin go missing, and her mother falls mysteriously ill in a way connected to the disappearances. Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, and find that it's connected to the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York's past. The two will have to play the game to save those they love or die trying.

The Echo is the past, memory of traumatic events tied to a particular location. There are precise directions to enter it, and the challenge is to stay on the journey for an hour without turning back or breaking rules; that's difficult for most people to do while traveling through a hellscape mirror world. It's this situation that Charlize's cousin fell into, and the Echo takes on the shape of fires of the 1970s Bronx, as well as the slum conditions in the buildings. This is a situation that is explained in the course of the novel, and Raquel sees the devastation firsthand.

This novel even references Silent Hill, which it reminds me of. I also think of the more recent novel Rabbits, which involves a game that most people don't know exists, let alone can play. The prize in this novel is survival, coming back to the world they left with a better understanding of how they fit into it. People think of the Bronx as dangerous, but there's more to it than that. Raquel has a Dominican heritage, and that's leaned into. Charlize is Creole, and Aaron is another Black young man figuring himself out. He and Raquel are best friends and support each other through times of trouble. As strained as their friendship got at times, they helped each other through and there was never a question of how much they cared about each other and their families.

Raquel is driven by her crush and her life for her mother to investigate what happened by participating in the Echo Game, but it's her connections in the end that keep her whole. It was such an engaging novel, I had no idea how much time passed as I read it, and was thoroughly engaged in the story.

This has a solid, interesting premise and an intriguing cast of characters. Unfortunately, the writing style just did not click with me at all. I struggled to stay invested and took a long time to get through this one. I have no major complaints but as a whole, this book offered nothing special in terms of plot or writing style.

There is so much diversity in this and it's great! It offers a unique perspective that is sorely needed and this will absolutely be a fantastic and treasured book for a lot of people. It meshes queer contemporary YA with horror quite well. There is also some great history knowledge dropped in there that I had never heard of before.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and sourcebooks for an eARC.

Trigger warnings: misogyny, blood and gore, racism, police brutality, missing children, ill family

The book started off amazing, but unfortunately fell flat for me. I didn't fully connect to many of the characters, and some of the decisions they made pushed me out of the world. It also may be that I haven't been loving supernatural books lately.

I really liked how the topics of family and friendship are developed. Raquel's friend group reminded me of my own, and the way her relationship with her father grows is very compelling.

I don't usually mind gore in books, but I think it affected me so much because I didn't expect it. I will reread this soon because I think my rating might get a little higher.

Wow. Just WOW.

I asked to read this book based on the blurb, because to me it sounded kind of like Hunger Games meets something dark and twisted. Here’s the blurb (or at least the part that called to me):

Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York’s past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.

I love urban legends, almost as much as they scare the bejaysus out of me. I don’t know why I am so drawn to horror movies and ghost stories when I am such a giant wuss, but that’s ok! This book was masterful.

I went in expecting the Hunger Games type of game, but what I got was more the Elevator Game (if you haven't read about the Cecil Hotel and seen the seriously upsetting video of Elisa Lam, do some reading, but know it is a LOT). I was not mad about this! The author did such a good job of blending the macabre with the everyday, and bring a place I have never been to life.

That said, I have never been to America, let alone the Bronx, have never lived in a neighborhood that diverse or charged, and I am white-passing, so I can’t speak to the accuracy there.

That all said, I genuinely felt a connection to the places in the story - it was jarring to look up and see bright sun and smiling eyes (no mouths because COVID). The author used their writing, the descriptions, the past pace, the shifts between the past/present/echo to amazing effect. I can understand how people would find it confusing, but I managed to keep up, and it just sucked me in and I had to keep reading.

The relationships in this book are as diverse and meaningful as the characters. We have friendship, the start of a maybe-relationship, family dynamics within a split family, school “friends” vs actual friends… And they all work together in a way that feels natural. I felt for our main character Raquel when she had to face an uncomfortable truth - she might be falling for the same girl her best friend has been in love with for years, but the girl likes her, not her friend. This burgeoning romance didn’t take over the whole story, which was nice. It wasn’t like a coming out story, it was just feelings being realised alongside everyday (ha) life.

The little parts of religion that are woven in are done well, not overwhelming or too in your face; just enough to make you want to learn more without HAVING to learn more in order to understand and enjoy. Ordinarily, the religion/spiritual aspect of a story calls to me more, but in this book the history was so powerful and so powerfully used, that I now need to do some research. As I said above, I can’t speak to the lived experience, but the author definitely brought to life not only modern day life or Afro-Latinx people in the Bronx, but also the systemic racism and poverty and general asshattery of those in power throughout the generations. It was interesting to have a main character learn things about the place they have grown up in in an organic way, rather than having them start out all “rah rah this is my town, I know everything, I will defend it”.

I don’t want to give away the plot, or the dark sh*t that is in the Echo, but I loved that the whole Echo wasn’t based in one area of the world. The Reddit threads show that history is a foundational part of EVERY city, and the author added a whole swathe of worldbuilding simply by tying in other people around the globe who had been to and reported back on their own local Echo.

Content Warnings: Guys, this is NOT A FLUFFY BOOK. These may not be all of the warnings, so beware. Gore, violence, racism, homophobia, police violence, gun violence, misogyny, missing family member, sick family member, burning, death, ghosts/spirits.

Overall Rating: 5 stars.