Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power | Audiobook Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

"[A] deliriously creepy tale...that'll keep your nightmares up at night." --Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girls comes a feverishly twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery--until she decides to return to her mother's hometown . . . where history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Ever since Margot was born, it's been just her and her mother, struggling to get along. But that's not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she may have just found the answer: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Only, when Margot gets there, it's not what she bargained for.
As soon as they see her face, everyone in town knows who Margot belongs to. It's unmistakable--she's a Nielsen. And when a mysterious girl who could be Margot's twin is pulled from a fire, Margot realizes that her mother left Phalene for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what's still there?
The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape.
Praise for Wilder Girls:4 STARRED REVIEWS!"Fresh and horrible and beautiful....readers will be consumed and altered by Wilder Girls."-NPR"This thrilling saga...is sure to be one of the season's most talked-about books, in any genre."--EW"The perfect kind of story for our current era."--Hypable"Your new favorite book."--Cosmopolitan

Why Did I Listen To Burn Our Bodies Down?

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power was the first ever audiobook that I’ve been approved for via Netgalley. While I am excited about this newer feature, it turns out that I am going to hold off requesting more audiobooks. My experience listening to Burn Our Bodies Down via the Netgalley Shelf app just was not wonderful. I am left wondering, was it the story? Was it the app? Or most likely, was it me? So, essentially, I listened to Burn Our Bodies Down to test out a new feature of a website that is so dear to me that I check it every single day.

What’s The Story Here?

Margot’s life has been a somewhat lonely one. It has always been just her and her mother, living in run down apartments. No relatives. One day Margot comes across a photograph that points her to a place called Phalene where she believes she will find answers. While in Phalene, Margot does begin to get answers and unravels some super creepy family secrets. Also, there’s the body of a girl who is found nearby and Margot gets caught up in all that. Plus, we see the strained and complex relationship between Margot and her mom.

What Did I Think Of Burn Our Bodies Down?

Honestly, maybe I should have physically read Burn Our Bodies Down. There was a lot that I don’t think I quite understood. This book was just plain weird and creepy. BUT, I want to acknowledge that I probably was not in the best frame of mind to read and absorb. After all, I’d have to interrupt my listening time to go be sick and well, I am not used to managing that. After reading this I did come to the conclusion that I want to like books by Rory Power and I want to like YA horror more, however, maybe I am just not at that season of life right now and that’s okay. I do think if you are someone who likes horror and is good at paying attention and reading deeply you’ll love Burn Our Bodies Down.

How’s The Narration?

The audiobook of Burn Our Bodies Down is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. It is 10 hours and 9 minutes long and I’ll tell ya, I felt every single one of those minutes. What didn’t help was not being able to speed up the narration without the audiobook sounding off and weird. I wonder if I had listened via Libby or Hoopla, would my experience have been the same? All I know is that listening at 1x speed was rough.

This was not the audiobook for me and I know it’s due to several factors – my physical health while listening and frame of mind, not being able to speed up the narration, and the story just not being for me. I did think the narration was a bit much and maybe too emotional. So, I am still open to trying other books by Rory Power, just not via audio and not moving them to the front of my queue.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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