Mortal Vengeance by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha

High-school drama and real-world consequences collide in Mortal Vengeance by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha, a fast-paced thriller with a supernatural twist.

When four young friends in Santo Domingo hatch a revenge prank against a particularly tyrannical teacher, they spark a catastrophic chain of events that threatens to destroy their friendships and any hope for the future. Not only do they face possible expulsion, arrest, military school, or just being grounded forever, a scythe-wielding monster begins to stalk the streets, and the grim deaths that follow send the town into a panic. Death has come to these unsettled Caribbean shores, and the perpetrators of injustice must find absolution before they are cut down by the relentless spirit of vengeance.

A page-turning work of YA horror, the novel is marked by a menacing antagonist and intense storytelling that grapples with relatable themes from both reality and nightmares. Interpersonal issues of jealousy, bitterness, and betrayal are complicated by larger crises of brutal law enforcement, the cruelty of authority, abuse in myriad forms, and the weaponization of terror. There could be more editorial attention given to some formulaic dialogue, along with tightening of procedural narration, but the taut maintenance of suspense and immersive descriptions are highlights of the prose.

Translating the larger-than-life drama of youth into a supernatural struggle for survival, this story unveils the potential for evil within us all, resulting in a gripping testament to our endless capacity for change.

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