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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the authors writing style, it kept me interested and I didn't feel that it was overwritten. However, the author tried to incorporate a lot of different aspects that tie the mystery together which gave the reader a lot to keep up with and remember and at times it was confusing but still managable in the end. I also did feel that it dragged for a while towards the end despite the quick progression and the resolution could have been a bit clearer
The prologue was strong, it felt a bit confusing sometimes because details had to be left out to keep the reader intrigued but had it been described a little better it would have been easier to understand exactly the situation francisco was in.
The mystery aspect kept me hooked. from the beginning it was intriguing - it connected well with different cultures and incorporated real bronx history which made it so much more interesting. and it was scary to read it unfold.
the relationships between the characters was written well and backstories to their relationships were presented in a way that wasnt too time consuming but was still informative to the reader and also essential to the plot. every main character felt fully fleshed out, they were funny and charasmatic and i enjoyed reading them.
another thing i think was don really well was the development of the relationship between raquel and charlize. i love reading sapphic relationships, especially in supernatural/fantasy setting so seeing a black sapphic romance be the centre of the story was nice to see as it's quite rare to find this type of relationship. Their development didnt feel rushed or too slow, they were clueless teens navigating their feelings for eachother; it felt real and the author left me anticipating for their next interaction because i couldnt get enough of their chemistry. it was a sweet sideplot to read.
The afro-latino representation was a breath of fresh air, I hardly get to read about characters that I can relate to like that so it was really nice being able to see myself and my culture being represented in a main character. I really liked how both african american and latino culture were both present as they were key parts to not just the characters environment but to her identity, too; it felt really natural to read.
all in all, its one of my most favourite reads this year
The prologue was strong, it felt a bit confusing sometimes because details had to be left out to keep the reader intrigued but had it been described a little better it would have been easier to understand exactly the situation francisco was in.
The mystery aspect kept me hooked. from the beginning it was intriguing - it connected well with different cultures and incorporated real bronx history which made it so much more interesting. and it was scary to read it unfold.
the relationships between the characters was written well and backstories to their relationships were presented in a way that wasnt too time consuming but was still informative to the reader and also essential to the plot. every main character felt fully fleshed out, they were funny and charasmatic and i enjoyed reading them.
another thing i think was don really well was the development of the relationship between raquel and charlize. i love reading sapphic relationships, especially in supernatural/fantasy setting so seeing a black sapphic romance be the centre of the story was nice to see as it's quite rare to find this type of relationship. Their development didnt feel rushed or too slow, they were clueless teens navigating their feelings for eachother; it felt real and the author left me anticipating for their next interaction because i couldnt get enough of their chemistry. it was a sweet sideplot to read.
The afro-latino representation was a breath of fresh air, I hardly get to read about characters that I can relate to like that so it was really nice being able to see myself and my culture being represented in a main character. I really liked how both african american and latino culture were both present as they were key parts to not just the characters environment but to her identity, too; it felt really natural to read.
all in all, its one of my most favourite reads this year
Thank you Netgalley, Vincent Tirado, and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC! All opinions, thoughts and words are my own.
Burn Down, Rise Up follows a sixteen-year-old's journey through the Echo game, which takes place in the Bronx's subways.
I enjoyed the setting of the Bronx — the history explored was extremely interesting and was about a time I don't know much about. The culture was also really enlightening — I loved the main character, Raquel's voice. You could really see the author's passion for the setting of the story, and it read like a love letter to the Bronx, which I really adored.
Despite this, there were some problems with this book I couldn't overlook when rating it. Character decisions weren't based on much evidence and did things without reason. This made me a little frustrated while I read because characters either did things from convenience to the plot or to add more tension between characters (again to add to the plot) but there was no reason for some of these actions to occur. Though I enjoyed the Bronx setting, when it came to the Echo game, I felt the world-building was a little under-developed.
However one thing that shone in this book was the family relationships. The way they were developed and explored really made me smile. I did think, though, that the sapphic romance could have been improved -- I wanted more of it!
Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced read that will delight younger queer readers. If I were to suggest anything to be improved, I would ask for the world-building of the Echo game to be a little clearer, and to add a little more reasoning behind character's actions.
Burn Down, Rise Up follows a sixteen-year-old's journey through the Echo game, which takes place in the Bronx's subways.
I enjoyed the setting of the Bronx — the history explored was extremely interesting and was about a time I don't know much about. The culture was also really enlightening — I loved the main character, Raquel's voice. You could really see the author's passion for the setting of the story, and it read like a love letter to the Bronx, which I really adored.
Despite this, there were some problems with this book I couldn't overlook when rating it. Character decisions weren't based on much evidence and did things without reason. This made me a little frustrated while I read because characters either did things from convenience to the plot or to add more tension between characters (again to add to the plot) but there was no reason for some of these actions to occur. Though I enjoyed the Bronx setting, when it came to the Echo game, I felt the world-building was a little under-developed.
However one thing that shone in this book was the family relationships. The way they were developed and explored really made me smile. I did think, though, that the sapphic romance could have been improved -- I wanted more of it!
Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced read that will delight younger queer readers. If I were to suggest anything to be improved, I would ask for the world-building of the Echo game to be a little clearer, and to add a little more reasoning behind character's actions.
Burn Down, Rise Up is a supernatural, YA thriller with a focus on family, friendship, young love, and local history. The story revolves around a parallel world that traps horribly violent parts of a places history in an endless loop. This world can be entered through a mysterious “challenge” with vague rules and an extremely low survival rate. When people close to Raquel and Charlize are affected by this dark alternate reality, they jump into action to save the day with a bat and no real plan.
I found this story propulsive, especially the sections with literal countdowns at the start of each chapter. And although there were intense portraits of violence, they were used with purpose to show the horrors people of the past went through and to provide a deeper understanding on the history of the Bronx. I also appreciated the positive relationships portrayed in this story. Raquel has loving parents who try their best in their own way and she has a best friend who respects and trusts her. Positive relationships offer a nice juxtaposition to the horror elements of the story, and help to further the themes of community that permeate the narrative.
I found this story propulsive, especially the sections with literal countdowns at the start of each chapter. And although there were intense portraits of violence, they were used with purpose to show the horrors people of the past went through and to provide a deeper understanding on the history of the Bronx. I also appreciated the positive relationships portrayed in this story. Raquel has loving parents who try their best in their own way and she has a best friend who respects and trusts her. Positive relationships offer a nice juxtaposition to the horror elements of the story, and help to further the themes of community that permeate the narrative.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Horror, social justice, mystery, urban legend thriller set in The Bronx. Good, just not invested in the characters and was a bit slow moving. Cool world, learned a ton.
This book held my attention from beginning to end; I didn't want to stop reading. I thought it did a fantastic job of merging real-world history with horror, and I thought the characters and their relationships were equally compelling. Everything felt real, and Raquel is definitely one of my favorite YA protagonists. This book also had such a strong theme of community right from the dedication page, which I absolutely loved. Literally my one complaint is the rules of the Echo sometimes seemed unclear, and I had to reread certain parts to see if I misunderstood, but I want to be very clear that this is a nitpicky complaint, not an overarching, distracting flaw. It had no impact on the story itself or my overall enjoyment.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not American nor have I ever lived in a highly urbanized or historical community so gentrification isn't something I'm familiar with, but the stories authors write about it make me feel deeply. This story was beautifully written.
This is a clever story about racism, social class and gentrification told through the guise of a YA horror novel. It's also a love letter to the Bronx that helped me learn a lot about its history.
I loved the premise and urban legend. "Stranger Things meets Get Out" is an accurate description because I definitely had similar vibes while reading this. I wish there were more horror elements though as I was expecting the book to be more scary and creepy. The third-act seemed too easy.
I also didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters, which kept me from loving the book more. The protagonist was the only one that felt fleshed out enough but even then, I wasn't a huge fan. Kudos to the queer representation, though I feel like the friendships and relationships could have been explored more.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
I loved the premise and urban legend. "Stranger Things meets Get Out" is an accurate description because I definitely had similar vibes while reading this. I wish there were more horror elements though as I was expecting the book to be more scary and creepy. The third-act seemed too easy.
I also didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters, which kept me from loving the book more. The protagonist was the only one that felt fleshed out enough but even then, I wasn't a huge fan. Kudos to the queer representation, though I feel like the friendships and relationships could have been explored more.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Y'all do NOT sleep on this book!!
Terrifying urban legends, sapphic romance, adventures in the twisted version of a community's dark past, gory bloody horror, this book has it all!
Terrifying urban legends, sapphic romance, adventures in the twisted version of a community's dark past, gory bloody horror, this book has it all!