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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Burn Down, Rise Up is a sapphic horror thriller that suggests that a local urban legend may not be a legend at all. Raquel is a teenager in the Bronx who was going about her life until a friend went missing and her mother falls ill with an unknown affliction. As Raquel and her missing friend’s cousin, Charlize, investigate the matter, they find that there may be a connection to her mom…and to an urban legend called the Echo Game.
Blending in elements of old, such as the very real Bronx fires, as well as weaving the Echo Game into that setting made this story a hit. This was a fast-paced read with tons of action, a gripping mystery, an unidentifiable illness, and no shortage of creepy elements.
If you’re all about Stranger Things vibes, YA horror stories, and creepy other-dimensional characters, Burn Down, Rise Up is a great choice for your next read.
Special thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Blending in elements of old, such as the very real Bronx fires, as well as weaving the Echo Game into that setting made this story a hit. This was a fast-paced read with tons of action, a gripping mystery, an unidentifiable illness, and no shortage of creepy elements.
If you’re all about Stranger Things vibes, YA horror stories, and creepy other-dimensional characters, Burn Down, Rise Up is a great choice for your next read.
Special thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks FIRE, and the author for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book surprised me, in a good way. I had been starting to get tired of uninventive YA books, but this one excelled in a few key categories which kept it enthralling. I read it quite quickly, and was solidly hooked for the whole second half of the book.
This is effectively part of the thriller/ horror genre, but it's not too intense for a horror wimp like me. It was scary enough to thrill, but not so scary as to keep me up at night like Mexican Gothic did. Importantly, it also had a compelling YA storyline which involved interesting characters - particularly involving the Black community in Brooklyn, and a lesbian / queer romance.
On top of all that, this book dealt with classic YA themes - belonging, growing up, friendship, and romance - all while also addressing the deeper issues of police violence and shining a light on the historical oppression of the Brooklyn community. This is where horror books do their best work - where they use horror and mystery as a vehicle to investigate real-world issues.
Burn Down, Rise Up is a fun YA novel, full of classic YA issues and with realistic characters. Tirado has a great knack for the characters' voices and they feel alive. But Burn Down, Rise Up is also a novel which is about the way Black communities come together to deal with loss and oppression. There's a lot going on, and the author takes time to investigate these issues while also hooking you into one hell of a ride for the whole second half of the book (think: stressful Jumanji-style curse designed to ensnare kids, and creepy shadowy zombie people on a train).
Burn Down, Rise Up came out on 3 May 2022 - it has only been out in the world for just over a week!
This book surprised me, in a good way. I had been starting to get tired of uninventive YA books, but this one excelled in a few key categories which kept it enthralling. I read it quite quickly, and was solidly hooked for the whole second half of the book.
This is effectively part of the thriller/ horror genre, but it's not too intense for a horror wimp like me. It was scary enough to thrill, but not so scary as to keep me up at night like Mexican Gothic did. Importantly, it also had a compelling YA storyline which involved interesting characters - particularly involving the Black community in Brooklyn, and a lesbian / queer romance.
On top of all that, this book dealt with classic YA themes - belonging, growing up, friendship, and romance - all while also addressing the deeper issues of police violence and shining a light on the historical oppression of the Brooklyn community. This is where horror books do their best work - where they use horror and mystery as a vehicle to investigate real-world issues.
Burn Down, Rise Up is a fun YA novel, full of classic YA issues and with realistic characters. Tirado has a great knack for the characters' voices and they feel alive. But Burn Down, Rise Up is also a novel which is about the way Black communities come together to deal with loss and oppression. There's a lot going on, and the author takes time to investigate these issues while also hooking you into one hell of a ride for the whole second half of the book (think: stressful Jumanji-style curse designed to ensnare kids, and creepy shadowy zombie people on a train).
Burn Down, Rise Up came out on 3 May 2022 - it has only been out in the world for just over a week!
ummm
So this book had me on the edge of me seat from the beginning. I was intrigued by the mystery of the Echo, train, and finding a long lost friend. As the story progressed, so did my interest. It wasn’t til the last few chapters that I wish he story ended differently then it did. For that is why I gave 4 stars.
So this book had me on the edge of me seat from the beginning. I was intrigued by the mystery of the Echo, train, and finding a long lost friend. As the story progressed, so did my interest. It wasn’t til the last few chapters that I wish he story ended differently then it did. For that is why I gave 4 stars.
One of the best books of the year, and probably one of the best YA action/horror books of all time, BURN DOWN, RISE UP is nearly impossible to put down. It is heart wrenching, thrilling, chilling, and fast-paced. It's a must-read not only for fans of sapphic fiction or survival thrillers, but for anyone looking for a masterfully crafted story that will keep them up to 3am and stay with them long after.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This was a fun romp through the Bronx, with some Stranger Things elements in the mix. Monsters? Check. A Game? Check. Urban Legend? Check. Rules. Check. The fight for past injustices. Check. Break the rules, you don't come back from the Echo. Definitely a love letter to the Bronx. I look forward to interviewing Vincent at TLA and to ask where they got the inspiration for the story!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
I saw this book around a couple of months ago and immediately pre-ordered it. I loved the concept of this book so much, which slightly reminded me of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, one of my favourite books. The idea of a city-wide game sounds like such a unique idea and I was super excited to find out more about the concept.
I listened to the audiobook for this one, which I must say I felt quite hard to get into. It might be more me, or the book itself, rather than the audiobook, but I often felt like I wasn’t concentrating enough on the story.
It was in ourselves, and no matter what happened,
There was definitely a horror element to this one which intrigued me, and I liked the atmosphere. This felt like a love letter to the Bronx, which I enjoyed, and I could picture the settings well. But unfortunately, I just didn’t connect to the story as much as I hoped to at all.
I liked the characters enough, but definitely didn’t feel an emotional connection to them, which I realised most when it didn’t get to me when big things happened.
that would always be part of our legacy.
Overall, this book just didn’t quite match up to expectations. I did enjoy it, but the concept was more enthralling for me than the book itself. I would read more from Tirado in the future, though!
★★★
3 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
I listened to the audiobook for this one, which I must say I felt quite hard to get into. It might be more me, or the book itself, rather than the audiobook, but I often felt like I wasn’t concentrating enough on the story.
It was in ourselves, and no matter what happened,
There was definitely a horror element to this one which intrigued me, and I liked the atmosphere. This felt like a love letter to the Bronx, which I enjoyed, and I could picture the settings well. But unfortunately, I just didn’t connect to the story as much as I hoped to at all.
I liked the characters enough, but definitely didn’t feel an emotional connection to them, which I realised most when it didn’t get to me when big things happened.
that would always be part of our legacy.
Overall, this book just didn’t quite match up to expectations. I did enjoy it, but the concept was more enthralling for me than the book itself. I would read more from Tirado in the future, though!
★★★
3 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
Teens have been disappearing in the Bronx, and when Raquel's mother comes down with a mysterious illness and her crush Charlize's cousin goes missing, they team up to investigate the sinister urban legend known as the Echo Game.
Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Alice in Borderland, Burn Down, Rise Up is a love letter to the Bronx, and I especially loved the atmospheric opening with Cisco's disappearance. I very much felt rooted in the neighbourhoods of the Bronx, and the tense atmosphere of the mystery of the disappearing teenagers was gripping.
Overall, my limited enjoyment of the novel was because I felt the characterisation was somewhat shallow, and the pacing could have been improved. A strong opening lapses for quite a while, until the Echo Game, which I felt could have been explored in more depth and given more time. Readers looking for an exciting read with some strong horror elements should definitely give Burn Down, Rise Up a try.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Burn Down, Rise Up. These opinions are my own.
Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Alice in Borderland, Burn Down, Rise Up is a love letter to the Bronx, and I especially loved the atmospheric opening with Cisco's disappearance. I very much felt rooted in the neighbourhoods of the Bronx, and the tense atmosphere of the mystery of the disappearing teenagers was gripping.
Overall, my limited enjoyment of the novel was because I felt the characterisation was somewhat shallow, and the pacing could have been improved. A strong opening lapses for quite a while, until the Echo Game, which I felt could have been explored in more depth and given more time. Readers looking for an exciting read with some strong horror elements should definitely give Burn Down, Rise Up a try.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Burn Down, Rise Up. These opinions are my own.
Admittedly I picked up because I have been on an unrelenting stranger things kick, and this definitely delivered. It was suspenseful and creepy and overall an incredibly fun read. I was obsessed with the dichotomy of Raquel, who was determined and faced down danger head on but could not function in front of a pretty girl. Me too Raquel.