They Thought They Buried Us
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.
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Praise for They Thought They Buried Us
“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
“A riveting horror story. . . that reads like a Jordan Peele movie. . . the perfect choice for readers searching for purposeful horror that lingers long after the last page.” —Sandra Proudman, editor of Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories
“NoNieqa Ramos crafts a mesmerizing, razor-sharp horror story, spinning an intricate web of secrets, betrayals, biting humor and exacting truth. They Thought They Buried Us will challenge readers and devour hearts.” —Alexandra Villasante, author of The Grief Keeper
“Being a horror fan is better when you’re not the main character, but for Yuiza, it’s their only way out of a living nightmare. With a tightly-plotted mystery and snark that sings to a misfit’s heart, Nonieqa Ramos’s They Thought They Buried Us uncovers what happens when the ones rewriting history run out of ink.” —Amparo Ortiz, author of Last Sunrise in Eterna
Ramos (The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary, 2018) blends themes of discrimination, income inequality, and the effects of grueling education with some of the best elements of horror in their latest. Aspiring horror filmmaker Yuiza is leaving their home in the Bronx to attend the upscale boarding school Our Lady of Perpetual Mercy, where they’ll be surrounded by wealth—unlike their working-class, Puerto Rican neighborhood. Their scholarship covers tuition and little else, leaving Yuiza in weighty debt. When Yuiza decides to investigate the constant odd behavior of the students and faculty, things turn dark: not only does the school hide a dangerous past but their fate as a scholarship student might literally lead to their demise. This twisty thrill ride of a novel shines thanks to Yuiza’s all-encompassing passion for horror, which drives the plot forward. Meanwhile, Yuiza’s fears and frustrations as a queer Puerto Rican teen at a wealthy, predominantly white school are powerfully felt. Fans of horror movies in particular will appreciate this creepy story that centers survival for queer, BIPOC characters in the face of white supremacy.
— Aurora Dominguez, Booklist