Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
too young adult. may try audiobook version
I love reading books that can teach me about things I’d never thought of. I didn’t know anything about the Bronx of Afro-Latino culture and this book shined on these things. The colors in the cover are absolutely beautiful even thought I almost missed the little monsters in the corner.
YA queer horror has been such a win lately. So many new books are coming out with these themes and I’m loving every second of it. The horror in this wasn’t bad at all. Not a lot of gore but plenty of moments with ghost, monsters, and zombie like creatures. I was skeptical about how much this was going to be like Stranger Things until I actually read it. Deff had a lot of the same vibes going.
This book touches on multiple social issues such as police brutality, poverty, as well as religion/spirituality in different cultures. It goes into detail about how people in the Bronx were treated horribly and how ghosts of the past live in every brick. Hearing about things that happened in the Bronx saddened me but didn’t surprise me. Whatever Vincent decides to write next I’ll be excited to read.
YA queer horror has been such a win lately. So many new books are coming out with these themes and I’m loving every second of it. The horror in this wasn’t bad at all. Not a lot of gore but plenty of moments with ghost, monsters, and zombie like creatures. I was skeptical about how much this was going to be like Stranger Things until I actually read it. Deff had a lot of the same vibes going.
This book touches on multiple social issues such as police brutality, poverty, as well as religion/spirituality in different cultures. It goes into detail about how people in the Bronx were treated horribly and how ghosts of the past live in every brick. Hearing about things that happened in the Bronx saddened me but didn’t surprise me. Whatever Vincent decides to write next I’ll be excited to read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado on my TBR (To Be Read) list for quite some time. I wasn’t in any particular rush to read it but I bumped the book up my list and dove right in when I found out it was the June 2023 book pick for the Horror Heaux Support Group.
Burn Down, Rise Up is a thrill of a book. The writing is informational, tense, and easy to digest. Set in the Bronx, New York, it’s observed that people are steadily disappearing without a trace. The disappearances command the attention of our main character Raquel, her best friend Aaron, his brother, Mario, and a friend ‘not a friend’, Charlize. Charlize’s cousin, Cisco is the most recent disappearance, and finding him requires Raquel and the others to play a dangerous game that could result in them disappearing too.
The characters of Burn Down, Rise Up are flawed but likable, and although many, they are all distinctly memorable and contribute to a believable story. It was refreshing to read a young adult novel where the characters don’t annoy me and I enjoyed the character interactions between Raquel and her friends. The cracks on each other and banter landed when necessary and it felt appropriate for me to laugh in otherwise stressful situations.
This book is a perfect balance of horror, history, and mystery. Horror, because I sometimes had that feeling of dread that I familiarize with watching movies like Candyman. History, because the author develops the story around the 1970s burnings and rebuilding of the Bronx without being heavy-handed with details that could take the reader out of the story. And mystery, because I was constantly seeking information regarding Raquel’s connection to the disappearances, how the Echo works, and what’s with the man in the corduroy jacket. So many questions that kept me reading. I loved it.
I look forward to reading more from Vincent Tirado and have high expectations for their recent release, We Don’t Swim Here.
Let me start by saying that anything horror is WAY out of my comfort zone. Burn Down, Rise Up was in the realm I enjoy. I saw it advertised as having elements of Stranger Things (which I haven’t watched), so I will describe it as like Resident Evil and Zombieland.
I really liked that this book explored urban myths, social media challenges and Bronx history all in one. And Raquel, the lead, is a strong young lady and it’s good to see her grow and start to come into her own.
Overall, this book left me wanting more. I read it in less than 24 hours and I wanted more because I enjoyed it and because I wanted more story, more character depth. I will be reading more from this author in the future!
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. As always, this review expresses my own personal opinions.
3.5 Rounded Up
I really liked that this book explored urban myths, social media challenges and Bronx history all in one. And Raquel, the lead, is a strong young lady and it’s good to see her grow and start to come into her own.
Overall, this book left me wanting more. I read it in less than 24 hours and I wanted more because I enjoyed it and because I wanted more story, more character depth. I will be reading more from this author in the future!
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. As always, this review expresses my own personal opinions.
3.5 Rounded Up