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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Alejandro Torres De la Rocha’s Mortal Vengeance: A Grim Tale, Julián Díaz, at 17 years old, is a student at the elite Excelsior Academy, a Catholic institution in Santo Domingo where obedience is often perceived as an indicator of virtue. He comes from a poor but hardworking background that has sacrificed much to ensure he can attend such a distinguished establishment, yet daily humiliations have left him terrified of the people entrusted with teaching him. Profesora Lourdes takes particular pleasure in tormenting Julián, whose fascination with the Grim Cojuelo, a horned devil from Dominican folklore, begins spilling into his artwork. His friend, Lucía Salgado, is aware of what the academy is doing to him, and a classmate, Fernando, is becoming someone Julián looks to for support. As the school year progresses, the academy’s religious punishments become increasingly disturbing, leaving Julián to wonder whom he can trust.
In Mortal Vengeance: A Grim Tale, Alejandro Torres De la Rocha delivers a downright disturbing psychological horror story about what happens when cruelty becomes routine. Fernando was a wonderful surprise, particularly in the way he looks out for Julián when he is most vulnerable. During a game of mock confessions in a darkened chapel, his concern is touching. The atmosphere is devilishly tense: every time we hear a noise, all I want is for someone to turn the lights on. The hypocrisy of the academy is revealed entirely through the choices the students make. As a debate emerges about whether violence can ever be justified, Lucía is center stage as the story alternates between the classroom and a football pitch. That is an absolutely chilling pairing of scenes, given everything the academy claims to stand for. Anyone who likes their horror especially wicked, this book, and the two books that follow, are just the ticket. Very highly recommended.
