*3.5 ( )

Narrated by Julienne Irons. Author, how many times do you really need to mention oozing black rot? We get it, we get it, it's everywhere! Aside from that, tying in the 1970s decline of the Bronx and its burning buildings to a horror narrative makes an interesting premise but I lost interest...because of all the oozing black rot!!! ( )

DNF at 70%. I love the premise of the story, and really tried to stick through to the end, but the writing just wasn't doing it for me. A good audiobook makes me look forward to my time on the elliptical (or at least not dread it), and let's just say I had trouble dragging my ass to the basement for a workout these past few days. I especially hated the narration; Irons has a super-gross and creepy way of saying "mommy" that had my cringing. And her males voices are the worst.

4 stars 😁

I had Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado on my TBR (To Be Read) list for quite some time. I wasn’t in any particular rush to read it but I bumped the book up my list and dove right in when I found out it was the June 2023 book pick for the Horror Heaux Support Group.

Burn Down, Rise Up is a thrill of a book. The writing is informational, tense, and easy to digest. Set in the Bronx, New York, it’s observed that people are steadily disappearing without a trace. The disappearances command the attention of our main character Raquel, her best friend Aaron, his brother, Mario, and a friend ‘not a friend’, Charlize. Charlize’s cousin, Cisco is the most recent disappearance, and finding him requires Raquel and the others to play a dangerous game that could result in them disappearing too.

The characters of Burn Down, Rise Up are flawed but likable, and although many, they are all distinctly memorable and contribute to a believable story. It was refreshing to read a young adult novel where the characters don’t annoy me and I enjoyed the character interactions between Raquel and her friends. The cracks on each other and banter landed when necessary and it felt appropriate for me to laugh in otherwise stressful situations.

This book is a perfect balance of horror, history, and mystery. Horror, because I sometimes had that feeling of dread that I familiarize with watching movies like Candyman. History, because the author develops the story around the 1970s burnings and rebuilding of the Bronx without being heavy-handed with details that could take the reader out of the story. And mystery, because I was constantly seeking information regarding Raquel’s connection to the disappearances, how the Echo works, and what’s with the man in the corduroy jacket. So many questions that kept me reading. I loved it.

I look forward to reading more from Vincent Tirado and have high expectations for their recent release, We Don’t Swim Here.

If you like social horror, pick up Burn Down, Rise Up. You are sure to enjoy it. ( )

This book was heavily unique. It brings to mind both the series the Last of Us, and the book Ring Shout. There are three different things happening within this book. First is the history project assigned to Raquel. She starts looking at the history of the Bronx fire, a 10-year period between 1970 and 1980 where multiple dwellings within the Bronx burned due to neglect and slums. Then you have the story of Raquel’s mother, who is in the hospital with some sort of mold or fungal disease that keeps her in quarantine. The third storyline is that of the game. This viral event is called the Eco game where one must get on a train at three in the morning, say a specific chant, and then stay on the train for an hour without running off. If you make it all the way through, you survive but are changed. However, if you exit the game early, the game claims you as one of their own.

This all sounds crazy because it is, but it comes together to make an intriguing tale of life, death and how history affects modern society. Being an older reader, I remember slums and slumlord, but had never learned anything about this community that was destroyed. This is an area where segregation suppressed history. This book, while making one think “am I reading about zombies” also imbues a small bit of history that is not taught to modern children, that will have them racing to google to learn more. The writing is decent, but not superb, and the audiobook at times annoying. The publisher makes a big deal about this being a sapphic, horror tale, and while that is true, the sapphic part is an afterthought. This book is more about the role of severed because we’ve not lived it.

Overall, this book was an interesting read and keeps one thinking. Was it a phenomenal read that will still be on library shelves in 20 years? Probably not, but for those looking for something different, for something to make you think, for something that takes a historical event, gives it a modern twist, and still gives fantasy horror, this is a great read. ( )