"Burn Our Bodies Down," by Rory Power

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power is a novel introducing a story of a teenager obeying against her mother. This book introduces topics of family secrets, belonging, and identity. 16 year old Margot tracks down her grandmother that she never met, hoping to uncover her own mothers secrets. Instead of figuring out her family secrets, she gets drawn to a suspicious world filled with strange events one after another. Before reading Burn our Bodies Down, I suggest getting to know Rory Power. The majority of Rory Power’s books are intense and in isolated environments. She is known for writing unsettling and dark stories. Readers who like the suspenseful mysteries and dark sides between family members, will like this book. 

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power follows a 16 year old named Margot who doesn't have the most trusting and supportive mother. She is extremely desperate to find where she comes from and her mother isn't very open with sharing her own history. Once she takes matters into her own hands, she uncovers hidden tensions and secrets that no one cares to explain. Margot gets closer and closer to understanding the long buried secrets. At the beginning of the novel, Margot struggles with her mother and having her open up to her. She’s spent her whole life wondering about her family history and the concern continues because her mother refuses to answer her questions. In the middle of the novel, Margot decides to travel to her mother’s hometown and uncovers many secrets. The town where her grandmother lives is named Phalene. Strange events continue to occur and the deeper she investigates, the more unsettling the situation becomes. She didn’t realize how severe this environment could affect her. Toward the end of the book, Margot gains important insights about her family and tries to connect the strange experiences that occurred. The conflict throughout the book allows readers to understand the meaning of family, trust, and generational secrets. Margot changes throughout the book by first being introduced as a lonely teenager living with her mother, Josephine. She feels extremely disconnected because Josephine is secretive and doesn’t talk about their family history. In the middle of the book, she begins to be more adventurous and tries to uncover and understand the secrets that her mother refuses to share. By the end, Margot starts to understand her family’s secrets and although the secret is hard to accept, she becomes stronger. 

I believe that this book was written to have a slow burn and to ease into the main point. Honestly this book was good but I believe it could have been better and given a better understanding of how she got from place to place. If you personally enjoy violence and generational secret books, this book is for you. Margot searches for a place to belong throughout the book because she isn't as comfortable with her own mother. Burn Our Bodies Down shows how family secrets can affect someone’s identity. Margot tried to break through those secrets and reveal what's really behind all the mystery surrounding her mothers past.