They Thought They Buried Us

by NoNieqa Ramos

Overview

Horror fan and aspiring film director Yuiza gets a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

As one of the few students of color at Our Lady of Perpetual Mercy, Yuiza immediately feels out of place. A brutal work-study schedule makes it impossible to keep up with the actual classes. Every expense, from textbooks to laundry, puts Yuiza into debt. And the behavior of students and faculty is... unsettling.

Yuiza starts having disturbing dreams about the school's past and discovers clues about the fate of other scholarship students. It'll take all Yuiza's knowledge of the horror genre to escape from Our Lady's grasp.

Praise for They Thought They Buried Us
Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Award Longlist
Jacqueline Woodson Award for LGBTQ+ Children's/Young Adult Literature Finalist

"Fans of horror movies in particular will appreciate this creepy story that centers survival for queer, BIPOC characters in the face of white supremacy."—Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728492322
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 15 Years

About the Author

Raised in the Boogie Down Bronx, NoNieqa Ramos is an educator and literary activist. Their work includes the young adult novels The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary and The Truth Is, as well as the picture book Hair Story. They believe Halloween is a lifestyle, not a holiday. If you're in Virginia, you might catch NoNieqa getting motorcycle lessons from their soulmate Michael or going indie bookstore hopping with their preciosos Jandi and Langston. Connect with their works on www.nonieqaramos.com or on the Latinx collective www.lasmusasbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

"A reflection of colonization and current society so real, it is unclear where the truth ends and the horror begins. This book will make you rethink everything you thought you knew and channel the power of ancestors into your soul with a calling to rise up in power. Unforgettable."—Joanna Ho, author of The Silence That Binds Us

From the Publisher

09/01/2024

Gr 9 Up—This horror novel features a non-binary, Puerto Rican teen intent on dismantling the systems that oppress them. Yuiza (they/them, she/her) is obsessed with horror movies, using them as a lens to view the world. They are upset to discover that their mom is sending them to a prestigious all-girls school on a scholarship and work-study program. A series of events seemingly set up against them causes Yuiza to quickly accumulate debt that she is expected to pay off through her work-study job. Meanwhile, Yuiza experiences visions of the school's sordid past and how it relates to those close to her. To take down the corrupt school, which acts as a microcosm of society's overall oppression, Yuiza teams up with other BIPOC students. Yuiza's love and knowledge of horror films are represented throughout, both in the way she describes events as horror tropes and in the syntax of the text, which often reflects a movie script, particularly when introducing a new character or depicting a flashback. Yuiza is well developed, with a rich family life and ability to connect with those around them. While Yuiza's story is important, the book feels underdeveloped in some key areas. The narrative occasionally lacks cohesion, with abrupt transitions between sections and ambiguous dialogue attribution. Overall, the plot is engaging and discusses important topics related to oppression and its toll. The cast of characters is diverse in gender representation and sexual orientation. VERDICT A modern take on horror for fans of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Jordan Peele films that falls short due to a lack of clarity.—Nicolette Pavain

School Library Journal

2024-06-15
A sophomore is about to find out what happens when a dream school is really a nightmare.

Yuiza Rivera-Vásquez (she/her andthey/them) is accepted to a prestigious, predominantly white, girls’ boarding school, Our Lady of Perpetual Mercy, which is located upstate, hours from their home in the Bronx. She would rather stay home and make horror movies with her friends, but Mami is insisting she go and pursue a bigger future. After arriving on campus, it doesn’t take long for Yuiza and her mom to notice the statues of Christopher Columbus, Lewis and Clark, and Robert E. Lee, not to mention the school motto, “Manifest your destiny,” and the students of color doing service jobs for work-study. At night, wrapped in a Puerto Rican flag their mother gifted them, Yuiza starts to have dreams that point to the school’s long, sordid past. At times, the story is framed like a movie script (complete with alternate endings) from one of Yuiza’s beloved horror films. Against a mildly supernatural backdrop, Ramos demonstrates and comments on the worst elements of white supremacy, past and present. The claustrophobic setting is well executed, the social commentary around historical injustices is compelling, and the well-drawn characters include strong Puerto Rican representation. The messaging isn’t always seamlessly incorporated into the story, however, and experienced genre readers may delight in—or feel less than surprised by—the horror tropes that the final act leans heavily into.

Strongly atmospheric but wavering in its execution.(Horror. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews