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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This was an intense, rewarding read that brings to life the history and trauma of the Bronx through the eyes of protagonist Raquel, a 16-year-old student. She and her friends set out to investigate the disappearances of other kids from their neighborhood, knowing the police aren't taking them seriously, and the mysterious infection that's put her mom in a coma. Along the way, they discover a haunting alternate reality where the ghosts of urban blight, arson and neglect are made terrifyingly real. This was a fast-paced, engaging book that remained readable even when dealing with heavy topics. Having a queer main character whose queerness is not the central point of conflict in the story is refreshing, and I learned a ton about the Bronx along the way.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
“Alone, we might not be enough, but as long as we can reach out to each other and stand together, we can change a lot.”
This was a fun horror novel about a mysterious plaque of disappearances linked 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. You’re trapped if you don’t follow the rules.
The horror elements were disturbing, and had me hooked from the beginning. Raquel was a great MC; I loved the themes of friendship, family, and community, and how hard she fought for what she loved. You learn some Bronx history, too.
Asthma FACT:
- Historical and present-day structural racism has resulted in low-income and racial and ethnic minority communities (in this case, mostly Black and Latinx) experiencing disproportionate social determinants of health such as poverty, inequities in education and employment, poor housing quality, greater risk of exposure to pests, mold, and pollution, unequal health care access and quality, and high levels of chronic stress. ALL of these increase the prevalence/incidence of asthma.
I really appreciated how this was incorporated into the story, and it honestly was my favorite part.
An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of teens determined to save their city at any cost.
Thank you so so much NetGalley for an arc !!!!!!
I’ve never finished a book this fast in a school night, Vincent had me screaming at my pillow so hard I’m surprised I didn’t wake anyone up.
OH MYYYY
The suspense of the short chapters had me turning the pages so fast I had to get back to confirm I read all it, and I had !!! All the information glued to my brain pretty easily, and that’s not common for me, so of course I enjoyed that SO much. A lot of books tend to just give you a bunch of information in a span of three pages and it ends up being overwhelming and annoying and then you have to go back to reread EVERYTHING. Vincent’s work here did the complete opposite, it had me invested in the story and through the whole book, interested, I wanted to know what was going to happen and how would they overcome this and that.
AND THE RELATIONSHIPS, the highs and lows of high school friendships, both friends falling in love with the same girl, I appreciated you have no idea how much that there was actual communication here. Aaron and Raquel are amazing both, and Mario’s care for his former friend. AND CHARLIZE OMG.
I would’ve actually wanted more from Charlize and Raquel, but after I organized my thought so I could write the review I realized that it was perfect really.
Horror isn’t a genre I normally read mostly because I get scared pretty easily, but with this book I just didn’t care, almost cried halfway but still didn’t care, and I loved it, I absolutely LOVED “Burn down, Rise up” from the cover, which is BEAUTIFUL, to how the title is connected to the story, to the characters, to the freaking rat mentioned in the story. EVERYTHING.
I will 100% be waiting to read more from Vincent Tirado.
Thank you so so much NetGalley for an arc !!!!!!
I’ve never finished a book this fast in a school night, Vincent had me screaming at my pillow so hard I’m surprised I didn’t wake anyone up.
OH MYYYY
The suspense of the short chapters had me turning the pages so fast I had to get back to confirm I read all it, and I had !!! All the information glued to my brain pretty easily, and that’s not common for me, so of course I enjoyed that SO much. A lot of books tend to just give you a bunch of information in a span of three pages and it ends up being overwhelming and annoying and then you have to go back to reread EVERYTHING. Vincent’s work here did the complete opposite, it had me invested in the story and through the whole book, interested, I wanted to know what was going to happen and how would they overcome this and that.
AND THE RELATIONSHIPS, the highs and lows of high school friendships, both friends falling in love with the same girl, I appreciated you have no idea how much that there was actual communication here. Aaron and Raquel are amazing both, and Mario’s care for his former friend. AND CHARLIZE OMG.
I would’ve actually wanted more from Charlize and Raquel, but after I organized my thought so I could write the review I realized that it was perfect really.
Horror isn’t a genre I normally read mostly because I get scared pretty easily, but with this book I just didn’t care, almost cried halfway but still didn’t care, and I loved it, I absolutely LOVED “Burn down, Rise up” from the cover, which is BEAUTIFUL, to how the title is connected to the story, to the characters, to the freaking rat mentioned in the story. EVERYTHING.
I will 100% be waiting to read more from Vincent Tirado.
3.5 stars. I wanted to like this one more. To me, the plot was scattered and the characters seemed flat. Unique idea with the "upside-down"-esque elements and definitely had some suspenseful and creepy parts. Other than the main love-interest storyline, all other relationships felt shallow, particularly the one between the main character and her mother. There's so much about these characters I still don't understand. But, thumbs up for originality.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"You don't have to move to live in a better neighbourhood."
The Bronx is hiding something. So are other cities across the globe. A game has popped up online, one that requires residents to go into the subway system at night, chant, and choose which direction to start. They only have to last an hour underground. Sounds easy, right?
Wrong.
They can't turn back. They can't touch what they see. They just have to keep moving forward or else they become part of the landscape. Each city has its history, each city its horrors. But when a classmate's cousin goes missing, Raquel just thinks it's structural racism. After all, no cop cares about a missing black kid. Until she realizes that it's the city itself that's keeping the kids. Until her own mother falls sick with mold. It's up to Raquel, her old friend (and new flame?) Charlize, and best friend Aaron to play the game. And live.
This was such a fun, fast-paced novel loaded with local history of the Bronx (who said learning can't be fun? Or terrifying?). With a creepy-pasta-esque game called The Echo, missing teens, and a sick mother, Raquel must come to terms with some of her worst fears. It's just a good thing she has support.
The Bronx is hiding something. So are other cities across the globe. A game has popped up online, one that requires residents to go into the subway system at night, chant, and choose which direction to start. They only have to last an hour underground. Sounds easy, right?
Wrong.
They can't turn back. They can't touch what they see. They just have to keep moving forward or else they become part of the landscape. Each city has its history, each city its horrors. But when a classmate's cousin goes missing, Raquel just thinks it's structural racism. After all, no cop cares about a missing black kid. Until she realizes that it's the city itself that's keeping the kids. Until her own mother falls sick with mold. It's up to Raquel, her old friend (and new flame?) Charlize, and best friend Aaron to play the game. And live.
This was such a fun, fast-paced novel loaded with local history of the Bronx (who said learning can't be fun? Or terrifying?). With a creepy-pasta-esque game called The Echo, missing teens, and a sick mother, Raquel must come to terms with some of her worst fears. It's just a good thing she has support.
This feels like a 2010s creepypasta that got extended into a complete book, that's not a good thing.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No