Review: Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Goodreads

Release Date: July 7th, 2020

Genre(s): Horror, Mystery/Thriller, LGBT

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 352

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Synopsis

Burn Our Bodies Down follows Margot, whose family as she knows it consists of her and her mother. She knows nothing else of her family history until she finds the name of her mother’s hometown and goes there to investigate. Margot wants to find out why she left, but she knows for sure that there’s something wrong regarding her past, and soon finds out she may never be able to leave. 

Review

After reading Wilder Girls last year, Rory Power’s debut novel, I definitely wanted to give Burn Our Bodies Down a try. Power’s writing has this very eerie feel to it and I definitely wanted to see how that carried over in her second novel.

I really enjoyed the first half of this novel. From the beginning there’s a lot of questions left to be answered about Margot’s family. Plus, the buildup to a progressively creepier setting made this book addicting. I found myself reading this book in only a few sittings, and the only reason why I didn’t finish this book sooner than that was because I didn’t want to read it all in one sitting. This book definitely sets the stage very well and is so intriguing that it’s hard to put down.

Despite this, as the story progressed, there were some elements that I didn’t enjoy as much. This book for the most part seems like it’s going to be entirely realistic, but as you progress towards the end, it starts to wander in a different direction. I personally don’t mind stories that blend supernatural elements in a realistic world setting. But when this isn’t revealed until the end of the novel, I feel like this takes away from the mystery because it just ends up being a bit too convenient. And while there are hints throughout the book that I picked up on, and was able to develop theories, again – the conclusion of this book just felt quick and convenient.

 I also found the family dynamics in this book to be very interesting, especially between Margot and her mother. As the book progresses Margot begins to understand the emotional abuse she has been facing as well as how she’s been impacted by gaslighting. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read YA books where the parents are prominent characters in a while, but the exploration of their dynamics is something I haven’t seen in YA in a while. And I do think this is something important to highlight as this is something that impacts a lot of readers and these scenes may help readers draw parallels to what’s happening to them in their lives, especially for younger readers.

While I did have these issues towards the end of the book, I loved the writing of Burn Our Bodies Down in the same way that I did in Wilder Girls. This is a great pick for readers that like stories with twists and creepy elements. Just keep in mind that this book has a bit of a not-so-realistic twist if that’s your preference.