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, New York Times Best Selling 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, acclaimed 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, Lambda-award-winning 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, acclaimed 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
"The claustrophobic setting is well executed, the social commentary around historical injustices is compelling, and the well-drawn characters include strong Puerto Rican representation." --Kirkus Reviews
.."This novel was expertly well written ... told as if it were a script, yet the dream sequences even have a “shiny” film to them ...The strength of the characters, the horror of Our Lady of Perpetual Mercy, and the very stylistic writing made for an excellent read." --K. Imani, Rich in Color YA
"This system holds poor people hostage. We cannot afford to be sick, we cannot afford to be healthy, and we cannot afford to die."
Nonieqa Ramos' books always have a way of crawling underneath my skin and activating my deepest emotions. They Thought They Buried Us, their latest book followed suit. Form the moment, I started reading I was held captivated by this story. Being that the main character, Yuiza, was a horror film fanatic, I loved how Ramos used this to tell the story. You get flashbacks, script format, and Yuiza's inner thoughts intermingling throughout the story. I'm neurodivergent so this writing style really worked for me and I didn't find myself lost. In fact, I think it added to the mystery and made the experience of reading this one more realistic. When Yuiza felt disoriented and questioning their own recollection of events, I was right there with them wondering the same things.
What made this one really special was that it wasn't typical horror. Ramos blended elements from the mystery & speculative genre that forces you as a reader to really engage with the work and become a detective of some sort. The ending giving several alternatives was a unique way to end. If you loved Choose Your Own Adventure books, then you will vibe with how this one ends.
The themes that ran throughout the story are what evoked strong emotions in me. Ramos is calling attention to the real horror to BIPOC folx is the erasure of this country's real history of colonization, oppression, classism, and the indoctrination of Indigenous people in boarding schools at the hands of religious leaders. They also call attention to how private schools take advantage of scholarship kids & how they face microaggressions and racism daily. This will resonate with Puerto Ricans, especially because Ramos does not shy away from including some important history in the story. When the girls are given a pill for "anemia" to take daily I quickly tied it the experimentation done on Puerto Rican women. There were so many moments that had me raging but Ramos' captivating storytelling carried me through. If you're looking for an atypical horror book, full of depth & emotion then read this one.--Sharon Velez Diodonet, Creator of #ReadPuertoRican Book Club
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