Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I read Rory Power's Wilder Girls and didn't find it as amazing as everyone else seemed to say it was, so I went into Burn Our Bodies Down with a bit of trepidation. Alas, it was another disappointment, I don't think I enjoy Rory's writing, and it just isn't for me. Thank you for the chance to review this book.

This was a really interesting story! Margot has only ever known her mother. Their world is small, and her mum is distant and emotionally manipulative. Margot has always dreamed of family, but her mum absolutely refuses to discuss anyone from her past. When Margot stumbles across a photo of her mum as a teenager, with a clue as to where she's from and a number on the back, Margot discovers she has a grandmother who would love to meet her. Margot runs away to the small town of her mum's childhood, hoping for the love she lacks. But things are strange; on the day she arrives, a teenager with Margot's face dies in a fire. While warm at first, Margot soon realises her mum learnt parenting from Gramma. And Grammar's farm grows out of control, inedible corn. There are rumours about her family and their past, and Margot's mum might just have been keeping her away for a reason...

So, I read the author blurbs printed inside the book soon after I started reading, which I shouldn't have done, as one is massively spoilery! To be safe, don't read the blurbs! So even though I knew what was happening, if not how or why, I was so fascinated! I know if I hadn't known what I had, I'd be completely gripped by the mystery! It's a slow burn of a story, but a quick read, so I flew through it. It's strange and mysterious, and really quite creepy at times. I was expecting more of a scary vibe, having read Wilder Girls, but perhaps it would have been if I didn't know what was coming. But it's a really imaginative, original story that just super weird, and really messed up! I really felt for Margot and all she suffers, all she discovers about where she comes from. It was so good, despite the spoiler, so I really recommend it!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for the eProof.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features vomit, a teen runaway, a fire, superficial burns, a dead body, and child neglect/abuse.

I DNF'd this at 30%, I really couldn't find the point of the story. I may have to accept that Rory Power is not the author for me. I didn't like the Wilder Girls either. The common theme seems to be great concepts and poor execution. I was interested to find out more about the main character but after pushing forward I wasn't getting anything more than I had already read in the opening chapters.

A twisty plot and a threatening undercurrent are the real stand outs I took away from Burn Our Bodies Down. I've read Rory Power previously, and I will say she has a way with words and can build up an atmosphere like no other. Ominous and unsettling are two words I would certainly associate with this story.

I'd also say it's winding. The plot and pace take a long time to get going, to the point where I actively started to avoid picking this up because nothing was happening except for inter monologue after internal monologue. And although Margot is an interesting character, desperate to discover what happened in her mother's hometown, there's only so much over analysis I can take.

That said I enjoyed this more than Wilder Girls and thought it had a much more interesting arc and a more defined ending. Rory Power is an author I'll continue to look out for.

Really striking novel, for YA but will be enjoyed by adults too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Absolutely spectacular!!! 😍

If you're a fan of the dark, weird and macabre, gloriously haunting, with the pace of a psychological thriller, then this one is for you 👌

Burn Our Bodies Down looks like it might be my final review of 2020. And what a way to end the year!! 🙌

This YA thriller captured my attention, my imagination, and I literally couldn't put it down!
I ended up cooking dinner last night with it in my hand 🙈
Too greedy to find out what was happening to wait until I was finished!😂
I usually squeeze reading into the gaps real life leaves.
This one changed the rules, and I ended up squeezing real life into the corners to make room for it 🙌😁

I've read a couple of reviews now which said to avoid reading anything which describes or summarises the plot. And I wholeheartedly agree.

So all I'll say is that the writing thrums with tension, the plot is exquisitely detailed, and the timing is impeccable!
Characters are well drawn, believable, and it's probably the best YA novel I've read (it blurs the boundary between YA and adult read).
Margot is an absolutely incredible character, and if anything I wish the novel had been longer!
I've been left with the worst book hangover, left craving more darkness, a similarly twisty tale.

I think you will like this if you liked SALT SLOW and SISTERS.

Highly recommend!!

I didn't like Rory's first book so wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one, but I loved it! I loved the mystery surrounding what happened in the past, who the girl was in the fire, and the grand reveal was so unique and so fresh. It was a thrilling read and I'm so excited to see more from Rory!

I have completely mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand I think the plot itself was stellar. A really interesting and engaging idea that was the main reason I even finished the book.
On the other hand I felt like the characters and plot were just…. Flat.
The pacing felt wrong and the characters were underdeveloped and didn’t feel like they were deep enough to make me care about them.
It felt like a good idea but poorly executed.
Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me but I think that it would appeal to lots of people who prefer plot driven stories over deep character development.

I read Rory Power's electrifying first book, Wilder Girls, and I knew I was in for a treat with this one. When we first meet Margot Nielson, she is living with her mother, her identity a secret from herself. No father. No family. No past. Her life revolves essentially around her life with her mother and her mother's obsession with fire, the fire is what saves you, she says. But when 17-year-old Margot yearns for a life outside of their small town, for extended roots, and comes across a sign that points her towards a nearby town named Phalene, she follows its call. But what she gets in return is even more mystery. Even darker secrets and some, Margot isn't prepared to deal with. What is the cause of the fire that ripped across her grandmother's farmland, and who is the girl who died within the flames with the exact same face as Margot.

The Nielson girls all look alike...eerily alike...

This book had me speculating the whole way through as to what was going on and it is the fact alone that I didn't see the ending coming that I'm adding it to my favourite reads of 2021. While I haven't given this book five stars because I did find the reasoning as to why the Nielson girls look so alike a little anti-climatic in a way, I would never have guessed that as the outcome. I was thinking Star Wars-style cloning or a time loop or something along those lines. I would never have guessed as to the actual conclusion, which I don't want to say because it really is the kicker of the book. Rory Power creates uniquely brilliant stories and I can't wait to see more from this author. From the virus of Wilder Girls to the mysteries of Burn Our Bodies Down, I believe they are an author to watch. I loved seeing how Margot was defiant in the face of danger and wasn't afraid to face things head on. I would have loved to see more dynamic and connection with the likes of Eli throughout this book but the moments we received with Tess was truly a great addition to this book.

I would highly recommend this read.

I like weird books, and I love weird movies. Is this a weird book? A wholehearted yes. Did I like it? I'm not so sure.

Burn Our Bodies Down is the story of Margot. She is a teenager who has a strange, erratic mother with which she has a strained relationship. Margot doesn't know any other family, or any information about her father, or anyone else. It's just her and her mother, as always. One day Margot, after a fight with her mother, finds something that hints at the family she has always been curious of.

I went into this one without many expectations. It sounded like something I'd love, given the premise, but I had heard a lot of mixed reviews. Some people liked it, some hated it, a lot were just mediocre. With that in mind I just let the book speak for itself. It took me some time to get into it. I didn't really mesh with the characters at the beginning, I couldn't empathise with them. I thought this might change over time, and by the end of the book I'd at least like one of them, but it didn't change. I remained ambivalent towards them. I felt no chemistry (probably intentional), between any of the characters and I didn't really like any of them either.

I considered DNFing, but I really wanted to see what the weirdness was. I only really started getting interested in what might happen at about 70% into it, when things started to pick up. I won't spoil the ending, but it was weird. If you like movies like Midsommar, then it's that kind of weird. I liked the weirdness, but it wasn't juicy enough to warrant the mostly boring first 3/4 of the book.

I think this story could be fantastic if it was turned into a 'Midsommar' type movie however.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange of and honest review.

I was excited to read BURN OUR BODIES DOWN before Rory Power's participation in bullying debut authors came to light. I can't in good conscious read and promote this book, as I do not condone her actions, or that of her friend Emily A. Duncan - who she stood by while she made antisemitic and racist remarks, among others. Therefore, I do not feel as if I can read nor review this book.

Thank you for this opportunity to review this book, even though it did not work out this time. I look forward to reading books by other authors on your catalogue.

This novel really surprised me. It could be because I went in with low expectations after being let down by Wilder Girls. I decided to give Rory Power another chance and I am so glad I did.

Thrillers are definitely my least read genre, but I do enjoy them from time to time! With that said, this is one of those times! Power had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I had to find my bearings again once it ended. I loved the mystery and the female characters, especially the different dynamics between them. It is certainly best to go into this blind as I did because you really don’t know where anything is going!

This was such a deliciously weird book and I absolutely devoured it. My only issue is that the pacing changed towards the end and was wrapped up a bit quickly. I wanted to stay in this story a little longer and to know more about the relationships Margot had left by the end.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Books and Netgalley for the arc! This title was released January 7, 2021.

This was really slow to get started, it was hard to get into. The writing was good so I think it was just me looking for more action from the start. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an egalley.

This book really did have me on the edge of my seat for the whole time I was reading it. I loved the twists, and felt genuinely on edge at parts. What more could you want from a thriller?

I really enjoyed Wilder Girls when I read it last year, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, this lacked all of the excitement and intrigue of Rory Power's first novel. The writing style I loved was still there, but the plot just failed to keep me interested. I ended up skipping through huge sections in the middle just to try and get to something interesting. Eventually, I skipped right to the ending just to see what was happening, and it was just... odd. Made me glad I hadn't read through every page, because I would've been disappointed. Not sure if I'll be reading any more books by Rory Power after this!

I’m not sure what it was with this, but I struggled connecting with the story and the writing style. I found it quite slow, the characters to me weren’t well developed and I just wasn’t interested, it just falls flat for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This was my first book by Rory Power (thank you for the copy!)

I enjoyed this book, I genuinely didn’t know what to expect going into it but found it to be a quick and intriguing read. It really hooked me and I couldn’t put it down.

We follow the story of Margot, all her life it has just been her and her mother, but she wants more. She wants a family and a past of her own.
Then she finds a photograph of a town called Phalene......could this be home?
However when Margot gets there, it’s not what she expected.
She now knows her mother left for a reason.....she just doesn’t know why!

This book was pretty creepy and spooky at times and I LOVED it!

Looking forward to reading more by Rory Power

This was a book that I Really enjoyed this read and I would recommend to others easily, I will be looking out for other titles by this author.

Having loved Rory Power's debut novel, I was really intrigued to see what her second offering would bring. For me, this was a book of three parts: the first third and last third being really compelling, with a bit of a lull in the middle. It tells the story of Margot, a young woman with an incredibly difficult relationship with her mother. When she finds some information about her family roots, she flees to find her grandmother and an enormous can of worms is opened. There was something a little bit off about the pacing of the narrative that contributed to this slowing down in the middle section. I also thought that some of the reveals were a bit predictable, leading to a sense of waiting for the penny to drop for the characters involved. With that being said, I do really enjoy Rory's prose and her ability to situate her narratives firmly in a location is very impressive. Overall, I thought this was a generally enjoyable read, but I don't think it is one that will stick with me long term.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.