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A review by lovelymisanthrope
Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I bought a copy of this book from the library bookstore.
"Burn Our Bodies Down" follows Margot. For as far back as Margot can remember, it has been just her and her mother against the world. As much as she loves her mother, Margot wants more, she wants a family she can share her life with. Unfortunately, her mother is very tight-lipped about where they came from and who their family is. When Margot finally gets a clue about her family, it is too elusive to pass up. Margot ventures to the small town where her grandmother lives, but everything is not as picturesque as Margot imagined.
Just like with "Wilder Girls", this book was strange, sci-fi-y, and relied on some body horror to shock the reader. With that said, I thought it was very captivating, and I did not want to put it down.
Margot's desperation for a family and understanding where she came from was devastating and highly relatable. I think most young people grow curious about who they are, and a big part of that can be who their family was/is. Margot's mother refuses to share anything with her, which only makes the family secrets all the more alluring. This is definitely a very stereotypical YA trope, and I do not think this book did it in any special way, but it was still enjoyable to read.
The "mystery" about what was going on was a unique take, and although aspects of it I anticipated early on, I thought it was difficult to see the whole picture right away.
This was a pretty fast-paced thriller, as is most YA thrillers. Because it was so fast paced, it was easy to devour in one sitting, and it was fairly engaging from start to finish.
I definitely will continue to read from Rory Power in the future.
"Burn Our Bodies Down" follows Margot. For as far back as Margot can remember, it has been just her and her mother against the world. As much as she loves her mother, Margot wants more, she wants a family she can share her life with. Unfortunately, her mother is very tight-lipped about where they came from and who their family is. When Margot finally gets a clue about her family, it is too elusive to pass up. Margot ventures to the small town where her grandmother lives, but everything is not as picturesque as Margot imagined.
Just like with "Wilder Girls", this book was strange, sci-fi-y, and relied on some body horror to shock the reader. With that said, I thought it was very captivating, and I did not want to put it down.
Margot's desperation for a family and understanding where she came from was devastating and highly relatable. I think most young people grow curious about who they are, and a big part of that can be who their family was/is. Margot's mother refuses to share anything with her, which only makes the family secrets all the more alluring. This is definitely a very stereotypical YA trope, and I do not think this book did it in any special way, but it was still enjoyable to read.
The "mystery" about what was going on was a unique take, and although aspects of it I anticipated early on, I thought it was difficult to see the whole picture right away.
This was a pretty fast-paced thriller, as is most YA thrillers. Because it was so fast paced, it was easy to devour in one sitting, and it was fairly engaging from start to finish.
I definitely will continue to read from Rory Power in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy