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A review by lyss_reads
They Thought They Buried Us by NoNieqa Ramos
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Let me start by saying I was deeply intrigued by the premise of this book. The setting and atmosphere were great. A haunted boarding school with a dark secret and an aspiring horror filmmaker who is being forced to attend, as to not let their parents down.
Queer horror? Academic setting? A haunting? Yes, please!
It turns out, unfortunately, this just wasn't the story for me. The pacing and writing style were a bit odd and clunky for me. It felt like it took a while for the plot to really get going and the characters sometimes read as much younger than they were supposed to be. (In the first chapters our main character read as a middle school student rather than a high school teen.) This made it hard for me to get invested in the story and to understand character motivations, and their reasoning behind decisions.
However, I can see how this would appeal to another audience. The way this book was set up in a movie script style was really lovely and a nice change of pace. The story also relies on some classic horror tropes, and truly is creepy if you connect with the plot and characters.
Queer horror? Academic setting? A haunting? Yes, please!
It turns out, unfortunately, this just wasn't the story for me. The pacing and writing style were a bit odd and clunky for me. It felt like it took a while for the plot to really get going and the characters sometimes read as much younger than they were supposed to be. (In the first chapters our main character read as a middle school student rather than a high school teen.) This made it hard for me to get invested in the story and to understand character motivations, and their reasoning behind decisions.
However, I can see how this would appeal to another audience. The way this book was set up in a movie script style was really lovely and a nice change of pace. The story also relies on some classic horror tropes, and truly is creepy if you connect with the plot and characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Racism, Vomit, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and Grief