Title: Burn Our Bodies Down
Author: Rory Power
Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Edition/Pages: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Goodreads page

I received an ARC copy of this from Delacorte Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

It has always been just Margot and her mother. Just the two of them stuck in a dingy apartment, struggling to get along. But that’s not enough for Margot. And despite her efforts, her mother refuses to share any details about their family or past. So when Margot discovers the key to her family, she takes it and runs. Directly to a town called Phalene where grandmother lives. But the family she finds isn’t the one she bargained for and meeting them only raises more questions. 

Overview

➸ POV: 1st Person from Margot’s POV

➸ Margot Nielsen: 17, Lives in Nebraska, Resents her mother, Desperately wants to know her family and history

➸ Content Warnings: Child Neglect, Graphic Depictions, Blood/Gore, Murder, Abortion, Arson

My Thoughts

This book took me on a wild ride. Hands down one of the most unique and strange stories I’ve ever read. 

My favorite aspects of this story were the setting and atmosphere. This setting was so haunting. Between the creepy little towns and endless corn fields, this setting set the perfect eerie undertone. But on top of that, this book always had a sense of foreboding. Even when nothing outright scary or intense was happening, I had a sense of unease. I never knew where to put my trust or what what coming next which left me on the edge of my seat throughout this book.

I also really enjoyed the writing style. It took me a moment to sink into but once I did it really worked with the creepy vibes of the story. 

This book touched on so many things – what it means to be family, gender/feminism, friendships, etc. And I really loved the found family/toxic familial dynamic that this played with.

However, the pacing really slowed down throughout the middle. This story kicks off with a bang and ends in wild tornado of events. But the middle was missing some impact. I definitely found myself wavering during these chapters and I wish some events had been spread into this part of the book to keep the momentum going. 

I also thought the hint drop for the twist was more like a bash over the head. It definitely was not subtle so I had a good idea where this was heading as soon as it was mentioned. This didn’t really impacted my enjoyment per se, but I think the ending would have been even more intense if I didn’t see it coming so early on

Overall I really enjoyed this! This author has insanely unique and horrific concepts that leave me feeling so uneasy. This is definitely a story that will stick with me for a long time. I can’t wait to see what Rory Power releases next!!

---

Links to Purchase
(Not affiliate links)

Physical Copy
Audio Copy

---

♥♥♥♥