Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Burn Our Bodies Down

This book is interesting, but the pace is much too slow and it throws off the flow of the story. Which is unfortunate, because it really is a good plot!

Content Warnings

definitelynotreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

wardenred's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think I'd give anything to know what happened to leave her like this. As long as it's not waiting to happen to me.

When I read Rory Power's other novel, Wilder Girls, my favorite parts were the ones that dealt with all the weirdness. In Burn Our Bodies Down, though, the weirdness didn't compel me that much. There were some interesting moments, and that image of the weird pink corn is going to stick with me, but I was mostly drawn in by the more "mundane" aspects of the story: the heroine's relationship to her mother, her search for her roots, for a place to belong, wondering if she grew up or simply survived. I almost disliked the fact that the explanations for many of the mysteries Margot faced were as supernatural/speculative as the genre dictates. Mundane horror sometimes hits harder.

It was really great to see a queer protagonist whose challenges or personality aren't defined by her sexuality. Margot mentions her sexuality in passing in her inner monologue and when she sees an attractive girl, she recognizes the attractiveness. That's it. No romance. Much as I love good queer romantic storylines, it's so refreshing to see queer characters just living their life with no relationships to define or justify their queerness. It was also refreshing to see the protagonist make zero assumptions about other people's sexuality: there's a moment where she's talking to a secondary character at a party, spots a ring on his finger and wonders if his spouse is around and if the character told them about the events being discussed. It's a small thing. It's a nice small thing.

The prose was as vivid and flawed as well as I expected from this author. The pacing was kind of rocky for me, with some parts of the narrative dragging while others whooshed past by the end, and I don't feel like all the threads were tied neatly by the end. There are at least two questions I don't have answers to. Not big plot questions, just... "wait, but why exactly the antagonist's plan didn't work here?" and "why are these two acting like friends, what brought this on?".

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but not something I'd call a favorite.

Read for Queer Lit Readathon (prompt: Non-Coming-Out) and #tistheseasonathon (prompt: Diverse Book).

Content Warnings

rorikae's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

'Burn Our Bodies Down' by Rory Power is a baffling book, in the best way possible. Power creates a story with so many twists and turns that I was never quite sure what was happening, but this made it so I couldn't put the book down.
I honestly think that it is best to go into this book knowing as little as possible but what I can say about the plot is that it follows Margot, a girl who lives with her emotionally abusive mother. Her mother has never told her anything about her family and so when Margot finds out where her grandmother lives, she heads off to learn more about her past.
There are so many reasons why I think this book is a masterpiece. Power's plotting is impeccable. She drops hints slowly and steadily and each new piece of information just made me want to read faster. It's a strange book but Power handles the strangeness well by pairing it with quick, clear writing. The story is told in first person, and this works extremely well because as the reader, we have just as much information as Margot does. This also makes the emotional abuse and manipulation by her mother and grandmother visceral. I found that I was confused throughout the book but that worked because Margot was confused as well. The confusion throughout the book was rewarded by an answer at the end that made it all worth it. This story is incredible and makes me more excited for what Power writes next. If you're looking for something mysterious and strange, I cannot recommend 'Burn Our Bodies Down' enough.

Content Warnings

ollieshark's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

pros:
-a ya novel with no romance!!!!!!!!
-the main character is a lesbian.
-super messy family dynamics and acknowledgement of the fact that parents can, in fact, be irredeemable despite what parents want you to think.
-spoopy corn horror.

cons:
-why did rory power ruin the horror by explaining it again? like with wilder girls, the scientific explanation removes the fear. a second read will not be effective at evoking the same fear and curiosity readers feel during their first read.
-sags in the middle and focuses a little more on the mystery of the Other Girl instead of the horror at fairhaven.

Content Warnings

nxclx's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Great book, almost read all of it in one sitting, keeps you hooked and guessing about what's actually happening.

Content Warnings

More...