Burn Our Bodies Down
Ratings28
Average rating3.3
3.5 stars rounded up (I agonized over to round up or not but then decided to just give it the four stars lol)
Didn't LOVE the twist but it was a creative way to discuss the cycle of family abuse/trauma which is a topic I am always fascinated to read about.
The writing worked for me and it kept me interested. I will check out Wilder Girls now.
P.S.- If you liked this one go ahead and try out "The Perfect Wife" by JP Delaney.
This starts off slow and then really picks up with the reveal of what is really going on. Does the denouncement totally explain everything? Nah, but I'm OK with it. It definitely got me thinking about generational trauma, environmentalism, and families so it worked for me.
No Sophomore Slump here. Burn Our Bodies Down is a slow burn of a mystery that had me whipped into a frenzy trying to guess where it was going (is it Cosmic Horror? Is it clones? Ahhhhgggghh!) No spoilers here but I raced through the paragraphs as antsy as Margot trying to figure out what the hell was going on at the farm.
Margot is a strange girl, her mother-even stranger. When she comes across a photo hinting at a family that exists (and her mother has never talked about) she takes it upon herself to go investigate.
The second the pickup truck pulls into town, things get weird. Then they get weirder and weirder and weirder. I loved it.
Powers proves once again that Young Adult novels can be amazing and not feature 1. a chosen one and 2. a love triangle.
Full disclosure: I also LOVED Wilder Girls. I think I just love Power's voice and her amazing storytelling chops. Bodies is another winner and a perfect summer read. Perhaps one might consider skipping picking your own corn this year ;)
This was so, so good.
Burn Our Bodies Down essentially explores the consequences of intergenerational, non-physical abuse, dysfunctional family relationships and what it means to step away from and continue to love someone that can't healthily love you back. And this is all backdropped by a tense, freaky atmosphere where the reader knows something's wrong, but can't figure out what's happening.
From personal experience, I think Burn Our Bodies Down will resonate with readers with that have “Eldest Daughter Woes(TM),” or “Immigrant Kid Woes(TM),” or fuck it, general “I Have a Complicated Relationship With My Mother Woes(TM).”
Basically, I know a lot of us really struggle with loving and being grateful for what our mothers sacrificed for us and simultaneously have a really difficult time separating that love from some of the toxic, abusive behaviours that they learned in order to survive their own traumatic upbringings. That the methods our mothers learned to survive aren't actually sustainable outside of an abusive context. And so the cycle repeats.
That's Margot's mom. That's Margot's struggle. While the characters themselves aren't super complex, the relationships they have with each other ARE and it's so good. Margot introducing a little distance for her own mental and emotional well-being? It's good, so good.
AND THEN?????????????????????????? IT'S ALSO CREEPY AND TERRIFYING AND SOMETHING'S CLEARLY WRONG BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO???????????? MARGOT'S CASUALLY A LESBIAN AND THE FEW THINGS SHE HAS TO SAY REGARDING THAT IDENTITY? BEAUTIFUL. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, I loved this book, I loved the twist, I loved the characters, I loved how fucking creepy and eerie the atmosphere was. Ugh. Amazing.
edit: THE BEST PART? You can see Margot beginning to emulate some of her mother's (and her mother's mother's) behaviour - just in the way she treats people. Margot herself is a little self-centred and always, always thinks of herself first (not wrt her putting some distance b/w her and her mother, but it's in the relationship she has with Tess. Obviously, it's only been a few days and Margot is going through it, but Tess is a means to and ends for her, despite the blossoming attraction. It's good. So good.)
5/5 would read again.
It's about time love left a mark on me.
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration. All of the opinions presented below are my own. Quotes have been taken from the advanced copy and are subject to change upon publication.
This review can also be found on my blog.
Okay, I really liked this. While I enjoyed Power's debut, Wilder Girls, I feel like she really hit her stride here. I found myself drawn into Burn Our Bodies Down almost immediately. Margot came to life for me right away and I was so invested in her story and where it would go. The mystery was soo twisted and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. And I was absolutely wrong at every turn. My only problem was really some inconsistencies I'm sure will be ironed out in the final copy.
I never got good at recognizing attraction in other girls–it took me long enough to recognize it in myself, and even longer to say “lesbian,” without blushing.
content warnings:
Nonconsensual pregnancy – note, no sexual assault or rape.