BURN OUR BODIES DOWN

Suffocating generational trauma gets a speculative twist in this eerie YA tale narrated by Lauren Ezzo. Ezzo ably portrays the pent-up emotions of Margot, who's been kept in isolation by her volatile, inscrutable mother. After discovering the grandmother she's never met, Margot runs away to join her at the fire-stricken family homestead, where the burning apricot groves yield uncanny fruit: the body of a girl who looks exactly like Margot. Ezzo leans into the story's slow-burning pace, suffusing Margot's low voice with longing for familial love (no matter how toxic) and for the truth that eludes her right up until the gruesome conclusion. Ideal for horror listeners who prefer mystery and creeping dread over straight-up scares. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]