Malicia by Dos Steven Santos (review)

Reviewed by: Malicia by Dos Steven Santos Jessie Maimone Dos Santos, Steven Malicia. Page Street, 2024 352p Trade ed. ISBN 9781645677871 18. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 9-12 Halloween is just a few days away, and off the coast of the Dominican Republic, Malicia, the world's largest horror theme park is on the precipice of being demolished. Thirteen years ago, the theme park shuttered its doors after a massacre left no survivors and no suspects. Four friends—Ray, Isabella, Joaquin, and Sofia—are headed to the island, which was owned by Ray's parents, to try to solve the mystery of the massacre. But each of the friends has a ulterior motive for making the trip. As secrets come to light, the park comes to life with inanimate statues showing up in odd places, demons possessing former park staff, and serial killers who were once played by actors terrorizing the group. While the group of friends have a love of horror movies, they're not happy to find themselves forced into classic horror tropes—splitting up, following strange noises, and becoming possessed. Narration shifts among the teens, and the multiple points of view give the reader insight into each of the characters' motivations; Joaquin's and Ray's chapters have a surprising sweetness, as the two boys crush on each other even as readers know Joaquin is up to no good. Unfortunately, Sofia and Isabella aren't given the same depth and seemed cast merely to tick boxes and to serve as a convenience to the boys' stories. Gruesome and vivid depictions of violence bring cinematic flair to the book, but the dialogue is overly formal and stilted, and the scattered plotline loosens the tensions and blunts any scare factor. However, the queer love story brings high emotional stakes to the dramatic ending, and the play on classic horror tropes may serve as an introduction to the genre. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois