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Malicia
Four friends, three days, two lovers, and one very haunted theme park.
On a stormy Halloween weekend, Ray enlists his best friends Joaquin, Sofia, and Isabella to help him make a documentary of Malicia, the abandoned theme park off the coast of the Dominican Republic where his mother and brother died in a mass killing thirteen years ago.
But what should be an easy weekend trip quickly turns into something darker because all four friends have come to Malicia for their own reasons:
Ray has come to Malicia to find out the truth of the massacre that destroyed his family. Isabella has come to make art out of Ray’s tragedy for her own personal gain. Sofia has come to support her friends in one last adventure before she goes to med school. Joaquin already knows the truth of the Malicia Massacre and he has come to betray his crush Ray to the evil that made the park possible.
With an impending hurricane and horrors around every corner, they all struggle to face the deadly storm and their own inner demons. But the deadliest evil of all is the ancient malignant presence on the island.
On a stormy Halloween weekend, Ray enlists his best friends Joaquin, Sofia, and Isabella to help him make a documentary of Malicia, the abandoned theme park off the coast of the Dominican Republic where his mother and brother died in a mass killing thirteen years ago.
But what should be an easy weekend trip quickly turns into something darker because all four friends have come to Malicia for their own reasons:
Ray has come to Malicia to find out the truth of the massacre that destroyed his family. Isabella has come to make art out of Ray’s tragedy for her own personal gain. Sofia has come to support her friends in one last adventure before she goes to med school. Joaquin already knows the truth of the Malicia Massacre and he has come to betray his crush Ray to the evil that made the park possible.
With an impending hurricane and horrors around every corner, they all struggle to face the deadly storm and their own inner demons. But the deadliest evil of all is the ancient malignant presence on the island.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2024
16 people are currently reading
4426 people want to read
About the author
Steven dos Santos
6 books275 followersSteven dos Santos is author of THE TORCH KEEPER novels, a Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic series. Book One, THE CULLING, was released by FLUX Books in March of 2013, and named an American Library Association 2014 Rainbow List Top Ten Selection. Book Two, THE SOWING, was released on March 8, 2014. Steven is currently finalizing Book 3 of The Torch Keeper series, THE RAISING. His new novel, DAGGER, a Young Adult Paranormal Espionage Adventure, was released by Evernight Teen in September 2015! Steven is a Team Member of We Need Diverse Books and is represented by literary agent, Lynnette Novak of The Seymour Agency. Steven graduated from Florida International University with a B.S. Degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Television Broadcasting program and also has an MFA in Writing from Spalding University. He is an adjunct English Professor and a passionate advocate of LGBTQ+ rights.
To learn more about Steven, visit his website: www.stevendossantos.com.
You can also connect with him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stevendossantosauthor); Twitter (www.twitter.com/stevendossantos, www.twitter.com/thetorchkeeper); and Tumblr (http://stevendossantos.tumblr.com/).
You can also add Steven's books to your Goodreads reading list here:
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To learn more about Steven, visit his website: www.stevendossantos.com.
You can also connect with him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stevendossantosauthor); Twitter (www.twitter.com/stevendossantos, www.twitter.com/thetorchkeeper); and Tumblr (http://stevendossantos.tumblr.com/).
You can also add Steven's books to your Goodreads reading list here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 27, 2024
Special thanks to @tbrbeyondtours and @stevendossantos for the #gifted physical copy of the book and Netgalley @netgalley for the e-arc.
Four friends, three days, two lovers, and one haunted theme park.
Ray enlists his best friends to help him make a documentary of Malicia, an abandoned theme park where his mother and brother died in a mass killing thirteen years ago.
But what should be an easy trip quickly takes a turn for the worse when hidden secrets are reveled and a hurricane is on the horizon. Now without power, and only their secrets, the friends are forced to survive with the malignant presence that haunts the island. Will they be able to survive?
This was a really fun and engaging YA horror book. I was drawn to the premise of an abandon theme park and the book delivered in the form of a super creepy atmosphere. As soon as the teenager’s arrived things were off and the vibes were just not right, something was up. It was easy to tell from the start that the teens were keeping secrets, but I wasn’t quite sure who it was, or why. There were just so many and some were bigger than others. So, reading how that unfolded was a lot of fun. We have chapters from each of their points of view and it really added to not only the atmosphere but the story overall because we got to see the secrets from their perspective and why it was their secret. This book also had the fun element of demons, and possessions. Because of the slightly more mature themes that were present, the book was rather intense, I would place this on the upper end of the YA spectrum versus the younger end and I it was enjoyable for me as an adult.
Four friends, three days, two lovers, and one haunted theme park.
Ray enlists his best friends to help him make a documentary of Malicia, an abandoned theme park where his mother and brother died in a mass killing thirteen years ago.
But what should be an easy trip quickly takes a turn for the worse when hidden secrets are reveled and a hurricane is on the horizon. Now without power, and only their secrets, the friends are forced to survive with the malignant presence that haunts the island. Will they be able to survive?
This was a really fun and engaging YA horror book. I was drawn to the premise of an abandon theme park and the book delivered in the form of a super creepy atmosphere. As soon as the teenager’s arrived things were off and the vibes were just not right, something was up. It was easy to tell from the start that the teens were keeping secrets, but I wasn’t quite sure who it was, or why. There were just so many and some were bigger than others. So, reading how that unfolded was a lot of fun. We have chapters from each of their points of view and it really added to not only the atmosphere but the story overall because we got to see the secrets from their perspective and why it was their secret. This book also had the fun element of demons, and possessions. Because of the slightly more mature themes that were present, the book was rather intense, I would place this on the upper end of the YA spectrum versus the younger end and I it was enjoyable for me as an adult.
Want to read
September 4, 2024You can't show me this cover and expect me to walk away. It's not going to happen. Add another one to the TBR, baby!
ARC received! Thank you so much, Page Street!!!
ARC received! Thank you so much, Page Street!!!
February 20, 2024
"Malicia" is a ya horror novel written by Steven dos Santos.
The story follows Ray, who on a stormy Halloween weekend, enlists his best friends Joaquin, Sofia and Isabella to help him make a documentary about Malicia, the abandoned horror theme park off the coast of the Dominican Republic where his mother and brother died in a chilling mass murder thirteen years ago. But what should be a quiet weekend quickly turns into something darker because all four have come to Malicia for their own reasons. Ray came to Malicia to find out the truth about the massacre that destroyed his family. Isabella came to profit from Ray's tragedy. Sofia came to support her friends in one last adventure before she goes to medical school. And Joaquin, who already knows the truth about the Malicia Massacre, has come to betray Ray, on whom he has a crush, to the evil that made the park possible. With an impending hurricane and horrors around every corner, they all struggle to face the deadly storm and their inner demons. But the deadliest evil of all is the ancient malignant presence hovering over the island, waiting.
"Malicia" is a novel that intrigued me from the premise. I love the idea of a haunted amusement park, even more so if it is a horror theme park! So I started reading it with great curiosity, not quite knowing what to expect. And in the end I found it to be an enjoyable, fast and compelling read that entertained me a lot, even if it did not completely convince me.
I loved Malicia, the theme park! An abandoned location, located on an isolated island, scene of a horrible mass murder. A mysterious place in itself, highly atmospheric and dark, made even darker by the malevolent presence hovering over everything. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the various ruined and rotting carousels, as well as the typically more horror scenes. The engaging and evocative writing effectively sketches the various environments, making the horror elements truly enjoyable. Between sinister creaks, ominous shadow play, shaky lights, eerie whispers, treacherous gusts of wind, actual apparitions, and so much more, I had a lot of fun! Added to this haunted environment is then the raging of a powerful hurricane, which further complicates things! Seriously, I can't express anything but compliments about it!
The story proceeds dynamic, full of action and events, with a fast and brisk pace and the presence of short chapters. I was absorbed in the vortex of the narration, finding it almost impossible to tear myself away from the pages! A lot happens, perhaps too much, so that some scenes seemed rather rushed and chaotic. I admit that I guessed the various plot twists in advance, without being surprised, but in general I enjoyed it all.
The characters are what convinced me the least. Ray, Joaquin, Isabella, and Sofia all have their own pov, in first person. But even so, I found them superficial and poorly analyzed. I don't know, they didn't convey anything to me, I couldn't bond with them, and that made me indifferent to their fate.
All in all, "Malicia" is a good ya horror novel, with an atmospheric setting and an intriguing story, perfect for a quick spooky read.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Ray, who on a stormy Halloween weekend, enlists his best friends Joaquin, Sofia and Isabella to help him make a documentary about Malicia, the abandoned horror theme park off the coast of the Dominican Republic where his mother and brother died in a chilling mass murder thirteen years ago. But what should be a quiet weekend quickly turns into something darker because all four have come to Malicia for their own reasons. Ray came to Malicia to find out the truth about the massacre that destroyed his family. Isabella came to profit from Ray's tragedy. Sofia came to support her friends in one last adventure before she goes to medical school. And Joaquin, who already knows the truth about the Malicia Massacre, has come to betray Ray, on whom he has a crush, to the evil that made the park possible. With an impending hurricane and horrors around every corner, they all struggle to face the deadly storm and their inner demons. But the deadliest evil of all is the ancient malignant presence hovering over the island, waiting.
"Malicia" is a novel that intrigued me from the premise. I love the idea of a haunted amusement park, even more so if it is a horror theme park! So I started reading it with great curiosity, not quite knowing what to expect. And in the end I found it to be an enjoyable, fast and compelling read that entertained me a lot, even if it did not completely convince me.
I loved Malicia, the theme park! An abandoned location, located on an isolated island, scene of a horrible mass murder. A mysterious place in itself, highly atmospheric and dark, made even darker by the malevolent presence hovering over everything. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the various ruined and rotting carousels, as well as the typically more horror scenes. The engaging and evocative writing effectively sketches the various environments, making the horror elements truly enjoyable. Between sinister creaks, ominous shadow play, shaky lights, eerie whispers, treacherous gusts of wind, actual apparitions, and so much more, I had a lot of fun! Added to this haunted environment is then the raging of a powerful hurricane, which further complicates things! Seriously, I can't express anything but compliments about it!
The story proceeds dynamic, full of action and events, with a fast and brisk pace and the presence of short chapters. I was absorbed in the vortex of the narration, finding it almost impossible to tear myself away from the pages! A lot happens, perhaps too much, so that some scenes seemed rather rushed and chaotic. I admit that I guessed the various plot twists in advance, without being surprised, but in general I enjoyed it all.
The characters are what convinced me the least. Ray, Joaquin, Isabella, and Sofia all have their own pov, in first person. But even so, I found them superficial and poorly analyzed. I don't know, they didn't convey anything to me, I couldn't bond with them, and that made me indifferent to their fate.
All in all, "Malicia" is a good ya horror novel, with an atmospheric setting and an intriguing story, perfect for a quick spooky read.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
June 17, 2024thanks to Page Street Publinshing and NetGalley for the digital copy!
this one is available for purchase now!
--
there's an abandoned theme park called malicia, a place where a huge massacre took place in years past. amongst the victims were ray's mom and little brother and now he's going back with friends to make a documentary of the place that took so much from him.
i think this was a case of this book not working for my personal taste. though i finished it, i feel like i mentally checked out 30-40% in and couldn't tell you a ton about the back half of the book. for a book that was set in an abandoned theme park, i felt really disengaged from both the characters and the action. ray wanted to go to the park to make is documentary. his friends each had different motives, most importantly that joaquin, a boy with a crush on ray, was the only surviving member of the park massacre and is set with a choice - sacrifice ray or be the sacrifice.
i think part of the issue with this for me was that i wasn't expecting a paranormal read, nor do i think i would have picked it up had i known that's what i was in for. i was looking for a serial killer and lots of chases and hiding around old park rides.
i do think some of the park lore that was set-up was pretty cool, but i think the back half of the plot and the reasons for everything going on lost me a little.
i do want to say i think i'm very much the exception as i'm a reader that likes things exclusively rooted in reality. i believe that most will enjoy this one!
this one is available for purchase now!
--
there's an abandoned theme park called malicia, a place where a huge massacre took place in years past. amongst the victims were ray's mom and little brother and now he's going back with friends to make a documentary of the place that took so much from him.
i think this was a case of this book not working for my personal taste. though i finished it, i feel like i mentally checked out 30-40% in and couldn't tell you a ton about the back half of the book. for a book that was set in an abandoned theme park, i felt really disengaged from both the characters and the action. ray wanted to go to the park to make is documentary. his friends each had different motives, most importantly that joaquin, a boy with a crush on ray, was the only surviving member of the park massacre and is set with a choice - sacrifice ray or be the sacrifice.
i think part of the issue with this for me was that i wasn't expecting a paranormal read, nor do i think i would have picked it up had i known that's what i was in for. i was looking for a serial killer and lots of chases and hiding around old park rides.
i do think some of the park lore that was set-up was pretty cool, but i think the back half of the plot and the reasons for everything going on lost me a little.
i do want to say i think i'm very much the exception as i'm a reader that likes things exclusively rooted in reality. i believe that most will enjoy this one!
October 22, 2024
For the setting alone this deserves 5 stars. I freaking love that we are at a horror-themed amusement park. It's everything I've ever wanted. I've wanted to visit Spooky Island since middle school and this gave those feels. 😂 We have a ton of stuff going on in this one from a hurricane to demons and spirits to parasites. It's all over the place, but it worked for me. I had such a fun time reading it! Perfect Halloween feels and we do get some surprisingly scary scenes. If you like a chaotic YA horror, then you will love this!
June 30, 2024
Malicia by Steven dos Santos was a fantastically gruesome, atmospheric nightmare. It was scary, gory, and suspenseful. Dos Santos used vivid imagery and perfectly timed paranormal revelations to keep the reader on their toes.
I was immediately engaged by the creepy retelling of the massacre that occurred on the isolated island off the coast of the Dominican Republic, that housed only Malicia, a unique horror theme park. The first scene set the stage and delivered me into Malicia's clutches.
It was clear from the beginning that each of our teen team of four heading to the island had their secret agenda.
The story was told from the alternating perspectives of the four friends and gave bits of insight to help propel the plot. I also enjoyed the Spanish thrown in and some information about Dominican culture.
Through the dark twists and turns, we learned more about our friends; their secrets, love for one another, will to protect and survive, and ultimately sacrifices were made. This book was very well written!
I am giving 4.75 because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the author's choice of ending but it was still too good, so I rounded up. I highly recommend this fine YA queer horror novel.
#queer #grotesque #creepy #gore #paranormal #theDominicanRepublic #foundfamily #horror #dark #gruesome #hauntedthemepark #YA
I also love the cover!
I received a free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
I was immediately engaged by the creepy retelling of the massacre that occurred on the isolated island off the coast of the Dominican Republic, that housed only Malicia, a unique horror theme park. The first scene set the stage and delivered me into Malicia's clutches.
It was clear from the beginning that each of our teen team of four heading to the island had their secret agenda.
The story was told from the alternating perspectives of the four friends and gave bits of insight to help propel the plot. I also enjoyed the Spanish thrown in and some information about Dominican culture.
Through the dark twists and turns, we learned more about our friends; their secrets, love for one another, will to protect and survive, and ultimately sacrifices were made. This book was very well written!
I am giving 4.75 because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the author's choice of ending but it was still too good, so I rounded up. I highly recommend this fine YA queer horror novel.
#queer #grotesque #creepy #gore #paranormal #theDominicanRepublic #foundfamily #horror #dark #gruesome #hauntedthemepark #YA
I also love the cover!
I received a free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
June 7, 2024
Even after reading this book, do I morbidly want to visit Malicia? Yup, sure do.
Does that speak volumes about my lack of self-preservation? I think so.
Malicia sounds like a fantastic horror-filled fun time... Except for the death and killing and ghosts and demons and stuff. But, the rest is aces. Do people say aces anymore?
Anyway, I enjoyed this ride (pun intended). The descriptions were tops. Everything was easy to visualize. The characters, though some were unlikable, came to life and I found the multiple perspectives interesting.
Give this one a chance.
Does that speak volumes about my lack of self-preservation? I think so.
Malicia sounds like a fantastic horror-filled fun time... Except for the death and killing and ghosts and demons and stuff. But, the rest is aces. Do people say aces anymore?
Anyway, I enjoyed this ride (pun intended). The descriptions were tops. Everything was easy to visualize. The characters, though some were unlikable, came to life and I found the multiple perspectives interesting.
Give this one a chance.
dnf
June 25, 2024DNF at 50%.
This book is just not holding my attention.
This book is just not holding my attention.
April 14, 2024
This is a tight well written novel that has plenty of scares. It takes place at an old horror themed amusement park of sorts and what better setting?
The story is written in first person perspective but we see things from several characters points of view. The author did a great job with this as we shift perspectives and it's easy to determine the different narrators.
Each character has secrets that the others aren't aware of. Terrifying secrets that will have an impact on the group as the story progresses.
The legends and lore of the Dominican Republic are featured here and I always love hearing these things from various cultures. While some might sound familiar, they vary enough to make them feel fresh.
This book gets bloody also! Demons, creatures, possessions...all those things make this a brutally intense read.
The only issue I had was with the epub file on Netgalley. There were many sections that appeared to be written over with text from previous chapters making those sections unreadable. It took me out of the experience and that's frustrating because it's NOT the author's fault and it slightly marred the reading experience.
But hopefully that issue will be remedied before the release date. And you'll be in for one horrifying ride. I highly recommend this book otherwise.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
The story is written in first person perspective but we see things from several characters points of view. The author did a great job with this as we shift perspectives and it's easy to determine the different narrators.
Each character has secrets that the others aren't aware of. Terrifying secrets that will have an impact on the group as the story progresses.
The legends and lore of the Dominican Republic are featured here and I always love hearing these things from various cultures. While some might sound familiar, they vary enough to make them feel fresh.
This book gets bloody also! Demons, creatures, possessions...all those things make this a brutally intense read.
The only issue I had was with the epub file on Netgalley. There were many sections that appeared to be written over with text from previous chapters making those sections unreadable. It took me out of the experience and that's frustrating because it's NOT the author's fault and it slightly marred the reading experience.
But hopefully that issue will be remedied before the release date. And you'll be in for one horrifying ride. I highly recommend this book otherwise.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
August 4, 2024
*sighs*
October 5, 2024
This was a book with a super interesting premise and very dark horror for YA. My biggest complaint was the POVs in the story. It is told from the 1st person POV of each of the 4 characters. However, their voices were not distinct enough to fully separate one from the other. In addition they spend the large majority of the book together so you are switching POVs within the same scene just to get some internal thinking. I would have loved this book with a 3rd person omniscient narrator or just sticking with the POV of our “villain” character throughout for the secret background. The other characters have very little to add as most of the secrets are held by one character so their POVs didn’t reveal much for me.
The body horror, gore and imagery was really good. It is a slight emotional/romantic subplot but it isn’t the main focus of the story and didn’t take away from the dark parts of the book.
DISCLOSURE: I received a gifted ARC and eARC from the publisher. No review was required and all opinions are my own.
The body horror, gore and imagery was really good. It is a slight emotional/romantic subplot but it isn’t the main focus of the story and didn’t take away from the dark parts of the book.
DISCLOSURE: I received a gifted ARC and eARC from the publisher. No review was required and all opinions are my own.
June 29, 2024
DNF'd at page 166. The writing is juvenile. This book had a strong promise but it's frankly just boring. I really tried to push through but yeah this book isn't it
October 8, 2025
It’s not a bad book, but there are a few elements of the writing style that threw me off.
Firstly, I did like the integration of spanish words/phrases, but sometimes it felt a bit goofy and unnatural.
“He held up dos fingers.”
“We have a problema.”
There’s also a lot of similes, metaphors, and just strange word choices used which isn’t bad but they’re kinda humorous and often used in inappropriate horror moments that make it hard to take stuff like possessions seriously. I feel like this book just lacks a grim, mature tone that properly fits the dark, disturbing storyline.
For example, “paranormal hijinks” really pulls me out of a dark, emotional moment discussing the events of a massacre directed by a powerful demon. An adult story + a preteen writing style =/= YA.
A few sentences overall were just kinda weird/partially unnecessary to me as well.
“She [who is possessed,] spoke in a raspy voice unlike herself…her unpossessed-self, anyways.”
I also feel like the characters themselves weren’t the most interesting.
I didn’t really understand why the characters and Izzy herself made it seem like she was such a “sensationalize a tragic event” sort of journalist that had a huge character arc by deleting all her videos, but she never mentions any major projects of doing so in the past and her intentions from the beginning was to record her friends rather than sensationalize the tragedy. All she did was record everything which is firstly what they had been planning to do from the beginning and secondly, completely reasonable. Especially when one of the characters complain later on that no one would believe them. Hmm i wonder what would convince them?
Plus there aren’t as many twists as I’d expect. It seems like u kinda understand a majority of what happened from the beginning of the novel.
I know I’m being kind of nit-picky, though. It’s a really neat plot idea and it has a lot of great gore/body horror imagery, and a great, spooky atmosphere. There’s also a few really good emotional moments that I found to be quite touching. And the romance is kinda cute. I just feel like the execution/narration was off.
Firstly, I did like the integration of spanish words/phrases, but sometimes it felt a bit goofy and unnatural.
“He held up dos fingers.”
“We have a problema.”
There’s also a lot of similes, metaphors, and just strange word choices used which isn’t bad but they’re kinda humorous and often used in inappropriate horror moments that make it hard to take stuff like possessions seriously. I feel like this book just lacks a grim, mature tone that properly fits the dark, disturbing storyline.
For example, “paranormal hijinks” really pulls me out of a dark, emotional moment discussing the events of a massacre directed by a powerful demon. An adult story + a preteen writing style =/= YA.
A few sentences overall were just kinda weird/partially unnecessary to me as well.
“She [who is possessed,] spoke in a raspy voice unlike herself…her unpossessed-self, anyways.”
I also feel like the characters themselves weren’t the most interesting.
I didn’t really understand why the characters and Izzy herself made it seem like she was such a “sensationalize a tragic event” sort of journalist that had a huge character arc by deleting all her videos, but she never mentions any major projects of doing so in the past and her intentions from the beginning was to record her friends rather than sensationalize the tragedy. All she did was record everything which is firstly what they had been planning to do from the beginning and secondly, completely reasonable. Especially when one of the characters complain later on that no one would believe them. Hmm i wonder what would convince them?
Plus there aren’t as many twists as I’d expect. It seems like u kinda understand a majority of what happened from the beginning of the novel.
I know I’m being kind of nit-picky, though. It’s a really neat plot idea and it has a lot of great gore/body horror imagery, and a great, spooky atmosphere. There’s also a few really good emotional moments that I found to be quite touching. And the romance is kinda cute. I just feel like the execution/narration was off.
February 17, 2025
This book was okay. It is definitely slow at first and then starts picking up at around page 41. I like how there's multiple povs. The book follows Raymundo, Isabella, Sofia, and Joaquin. They travel to Malicia, an abandoned theme park, to film a documentary about the history of the place and the horror that happened there. Ray's mother and brother were killed there when he was younger. So it's basically a documentary about his trauma of the place. They end up finding dead bodies and try to get off the island. But a guy named Carlos blows up the dock that their boat stationed at. When they survived the explosion, they went back to the dead bodies to find a cell phone to call for help and to report the murders. When they go back to the bodies, all the cell phones they find are broken. Since Carlos is injured, Isabella starts thinking someone else is on the island with them, or one of them is the killer. Then Ray and Joaquin start getting defensive. Ray is acting suspicious. He did say he lied about something but won't tell his friends. Also, Joaquin is acting suspicious, too.
Now I don't want to give away too much. Even though I rated it 3 stars, it was an okay read.
Now I don't want to give away too much. Even though I rated it 3 stars, it was an okay read.
May 6, 2024
Thank you to Manda Group for an ARC of Malicia in exchange for an honest review.
Ray wants to search the terrifying Malicia, an abandoned theme park off the coast of Dominican Republic with his friends Sofia, Joaquin and Isabella. His mother and brother tragically died in the Malicia massacre years before, and he wants to find answers. His friends all have their own reasons for attending, and perhaps some are related to the massacre itself? A storm this the island and the four teens soon find themselves fighting for their lives.
If you like B-horror films than this is a must read for you! It is graded as young adult, but still gave a lot creepier and gore than I was expecting. I often found myself asking the characters, “why would you do that”, which fits perfectly with this campy, terrifying genre.
I loved the map at the front, depicting the island and the various creepy areas. It helped me keep track of trajectory but also live in anticipation for the areas to still be investigated! Each area had it’s own horrors that felt completely separate from the other areas on the island, think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style.
The characters were alright. They weren’t the most believable, and I found their actions didn’t always seem realistic or inline with what made sense for the characters to do. I liked seeing how the characters developed over the book, and the ending had some redeeming story lines and twists that heavily changed my opinions of character quality!
Malicia is available tomorrow, May 07, 2024, at bookstores near you!
Ray wants to search the terrifying Malicia, an abandoned theme park off the coast of Dominican Republic with his friends Sofia, Joaquin and Isabella. His mother and brother tragically died in the Malicia massacre years before, and he wants to find answers. His friends all have their own reasons for attending, and perhaps some are related to the massacre itself? A storm this the island and the four teens soon find themselves fighting for their lives.
If you like B-horror films than this is a must read for you! It is graded as young adult, but still gave a lot creepier and gore than I was expecting. I often found myself asking the characters, “why would you do that”, which fits perfectly with this campy, terrifying genre.
I loved the map at the front, depicting the island and the various creepy areas. It helped me keep track of trajectory but also live in anticipation for the areas to still be investigated! Each area had it’s own horrors that felt completely separate from the other areas on the island, think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style.
The characters were alright. They weren’t the most believable, and I found their actions didn’t always seem realistic or inline with what made sense for the characters to do. I liked seeing how the characters developed over the book, and the ending had some redeeming story lines and twists that heavily changed my opinions of character quality!
Malicia is available tomorrow, May 07, 2024, at bookstores near you!
August 9, 2024
Steven Dos Santos as an author will always have a special place in my heart. When I see his name on the cover of a book, I read it.
This book far exceeded my expectations. There were some things at the beginning I was skeptical about but I wanted to go in with an open mind and my mind has been very pleasantly surprised. We have a supernatural horror story on the surface but the heart of the book is friendship, love, and grief.
Where this book shines and outdid any expectations was the setting!! A horror version of Disneyland essentially? Bringing together classic horror folklore and monsters, famous movie killers, and real life killers into some of the spookiest settings was something else. I would pay my entire life savings to go to this park and if I ever win the lottery I would consider opening one. The descriptions of each place just kept my little
Horror loving heart shining with joy.
I think the enjoyment of this book for me stemmed so much from the setting but I just really loved the whole thing and I'm glad I read it.
This book far exceeded my expectations. There were some things at the beginning I was skeptical about but I wanted to go in with an open mind and my mind has been very pleasantly surprised. We have a supernatural horror story on the surface but the heart of the book is friendship, love, and grief.
Where this book shines and outdid any expectations was the setting!! A horror version of Disneyland essentially? Bringing together classic horror folklore and monsters, famous movie killers, and real life killers into some of the spookiest settings was something else. I would pay my entire life savings to go to this park and if I ever win the lottery I would consider opening one. The descriptions of each place just kept my little
Horror loving heart shining with joy.
I think the enjoyment of this book for me stemmed so much from the setting but I just really loved the whole thing and I'm glad I read it.
November 22, 2025
The cover/premise of this book is right up my alley. A horror themed amusement park? Where things go horribly wrong? Yes please. I had somewhat tempered my expectations as this is a YA book. And there are some aspects which read very YA. It's very repetitive (each character constantly hinting at their secrets), and there is a lot of expected suspension of disbelief (always seeming to find exactly what you need in an abandoned theme park that was shut down well over a decade beforehand). However, I was kind of shocked (not in a bad way) by some of the non-YA elements. This book had a fair amount of gore, and some very dark parts. I think younger me would have eaten this up, so I am rounding up my 3.5 star rating.
June 13, 2024
Horrifyingly thrilling & Hauntingly murderous! Malicia is one heck of a ride!🔪🎢💀
This was an absolute blast of a read! Malicia had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! From the blood curdling imagery to the heart pounding action, I couldn’t put it down! 📸 Picture this: 4 friends journey to an abandoned theme park that was the sight of a grizzly massacre - only to discover something even more horrific than its history lives within its walls! 🙀
🎢 Haunted Theme Park
🎃 Halloween Weekend
🔪 Mysterious massacre
👻 Paranormal Activity
📖 YA Horror
📹 Documentary
🌪️ Twists & turns
🩸 So much blood
💀 Possession
🙀 Screamtastic
🔮 Supernatural
Malicia by Steven dos Santos was a terrifyingly spooktacular read! Thank you so much to TBR & Beyond Tours & Page Street YA for the gifted copy! 📚
This was an absolute blast of a read! Malicia had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! From the blood curdling imagery to the heart pounding action, I couldn’t put it down! 📸 Picture this: 4 friends journey to an abandoned theme park that was the sight of a grizzly massacre - only to discover something even more horrific than its history lives within its walls! 🙀
🎢 Haunted Theme Park
🎃 Halloween Weekend
🔪 Mysterious massacre
👻 Paranormal Activity
📖 YA Horror
📹 Documentary
🌪️ Twists & turns
🩸 So much blood
💀 Possession
🙀 Screamtastic
🔮 Supernatural
Malicia by Steven dos Santos was a terrifyingly spooktacular read! Thank you so much to TBR & Beyond Tours & Page Street YA for the gifted copy! 📚
June 17, 2024
Highlights:
✨Setting: Dos Santos uses a lock room/isolated setting trope to create a creepy atmospheric vibe. The setting is an abandon amusement park on a island off the Domincan Republic coast with an impending hurricane. Oh, and the amusement park is haunted. His vivid descriptions add to the eeriness.
✨Four (first-person) POVs: l enjoy how each chapter shifts between the characters. The story reveals early on that each character agrees to come to Malicia for their own reasons. And their individual POV chapters unravel their secrets and reasons why, adding to the suspense. The audiobook includes four narrators, one for each POV. All the narrators are terrific!
✨Horror elements: demons, possession, body gore, ghosts, werewolves, and El Baca
Other quick highlights: Spanish woven into the story (terrific on audio), Dominican Folklore, Queer characters 3.75 ⭐️
✨Setting: Dos Santos uses a lock room/isolated setting trope to create a creepy atmospheric vibe. The setting is an abandon amusement park on a island off the Domincan Republic coast with an impending hurricane. Oh, and the amusement park is haunted. His vivid descriptions add to the eeriness.
✨Four (first-person) POVs: l enjoy how each chapter shifts between the characters. The story reveals early on that each character agrees to come to Malicia for their own reasons. And their individual POV chapters unravel their secrets and reasons why, adding to the suspense. The audiobook includes four narrators, one for each POV. All the narrators are terrific!
✨Horror elements: demons, possession, body gore, ghosts, werewolves, and El Baca
Other quick highlights: Spanish woven into the story (terrific on audio), Dominican Folklore, Queer characters 3.75 ⭐️
August 16, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was such a fun spooky tale! It was fast-paced, with lots of action keeping the story going. The setting of the park was very well described, and it sucked me in from the very beginning. Despite the obvious problems at the park, I found myself thinking it would be quite fun to go to a horror-themed amusement park.
Unfortunately, I found the characters a little one-dimensional, which made it a little harder to sympathize with them and their plights. I also wish the chapters from each of their POVs were labeled so I didn't have to spend the first page or so of each chapter determining who was talking.
Overall this was a fun, if not quite believable horror romp. I genuinely enjoyed this read despite some flaws, and would recommend for a quick scary YA read!
Publication date: 7 May 2024
This was such a fun spooky tale! It was fast-paced, with lots of action keeping the story going. The setting of the park was very well described, and it sucked me in from the very beginning. Despite the obvious problems at the park, I found myself thinking it would be quite fun to go to a horror-themed amusement park.
Unfortunately, I found the characters a little one-dimensional, which made it a little harder to sympathize with them and their plights. I also wish the chapters from each of their POVs were labeled so I didn't have to spend the first page or so of each chapter determining who was talking.
Overall this was a fun, if not quite believable horror romp. I genuinely enjoyed this read despite some flaws, and would recommend for a quick scary YA read!
Publication date: 7 May 2024
September 27, 2024
It took me almost a year to finish this arc, but I did it! The spooky vibes were definitely there and I was actually shocked over how gruesome and gory this was for a YA novel😂 It was definitely giving like ‘Scooby Doo Spooky Island’ mixed with a little bit of ‘It’ by Stephen King, but make them Latinx and I was not mad at that at all😭 I felt the ending was a little rushed because I was legit looking at the percentage go up and we had yet to reach the final showdown and then it took like two seconds🫠 I think I still have a lot of questions left after finishing this, but it was a fun read!
June 20, 2024
Mini blurb: Four friends, each one with their own agenda, visit an abandoned theme park thirteen years after the unsolved mass murder where one of them lost half his family - but a hurricane is just around the corner, and the supernatural horror that caused the massacre is more alive and hungry than ever...
***
Rated 3.5 really.
First off...DISCLAIMER:I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Page Street Publishing for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
I'm happy to report that, on the horror front, Malicia is a strong book. Coupling a raging hurricane with plenty of bloody scares in the form of monsters straight out of the Dominican folklore (but also providing twists on some more familiar horror tropes), and peppering the narrative with secrets and personal agendas, all on the backdrop of a dilapidated theme park, Dos Santos created a compulsive read whose visuals jump off the page (more often than not in the most gruesome manner 😅). Add to that a couple of twists that I didn't see coming (one of them particularly heartbreaking), and a well-orchestrated crescendo of terrors and action that lead up to a frantic finale. Character-wise, I found the book to be less compelling, and the protagonists' voices often tended to run together for me (though Sofia and Izzy have some moments of clarity about themselves that I appreciated). I also wish that the build-up to the revelation of Joaquin's secret had been subtler, and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief about the premise - the park has been abandoned after a tragedy that occurred on its grounds 13 years earlier, but it's only on the verge to be dismantled when our characters pay it a visit, and the local crew has kept it functional? all that time? plus Ray - the owner's son - who was only 4 when the tragedy occurred and hasn't set foot in the park ever since, knows how to operate the rides? Last but not least, while I found the the epilogue to be fitting, I'm not sure that I bought it (I mean, magic has its limits, after all), and I can't help but wonder what cover story was fed to the general public for the events on Malicia Island (especially since Izzy's camera is missing, and the deaths on the island should technically be pinned on whoever survived, since they clearly have nothing to do with the hurricane - but the issue is never raised). Regardless, I had lots of (bloody) fun while reading this story, and I can see horror fans drinking it up - especially those in the target audience.
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
***
Rated 3.5 really.
First off...DISCLAIMER:I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Page Street Publishing for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
I'm happy to report that, on the horror front, Malicia is a strong book. Coupling a raging hurricane with plenty of bloody scares in the form of monsters straight out of the Dominican folklore (but also providing twists on some more familiar horror tropes), and peppering the narrative with secrets and personal agendas, all on the backdrop of a dilapidated theme park, Dos Santos created a compulsive read whose visuals jump off the page (more often than not in the most gruesome manner 😅). Add to that a couple of twists that I didn't see coming (one of them particularly heartbreaking), and a well-orchestrated crescendo of terrors and action that lead up to a frantic finale. Character-wise, I found the book to be less compelling, and the protagonists' voices often tended to run together for me (though Sofia and Izzy have some moments of clarity about themselves that I appreciated). I also wish that the build-up to the revelation of Joaquin's secret had been subtler, and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief about the premise - the park has been abandoned after a tragedy that occurred on its grounds 13 years earlier, but it's only on the verge to be dismantled when our characters pay it a visit, and the local crew has kept it functional? all that time? plus Ray - the owner's son - who was only 4 when the tragedy occurred and hasn't set foot in the park ever since, knows how to operate the rides? Last but not least, while I found the the epilogue to be fitting, I'm not sure that I bought it (I mean, magic has its limits, after all), and I can't help but wonder what cover story was fed to the general public for the events on Malicia Island (especially since Izzy's camera is missing, and the deaths on the island should technically be pinned on whoever survived, since they clearly have nothing to do with the hurricane - but the issue is never raised). Regardless, I had lots of (bloody) fun while reading this story, and I can see horror fans drinking it up - especially those in the target audience.
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
April 1, 2025
mal rollo, this was horrifying. the setting was insane! an abandoned paranormal themed amusement park where a mass murder occurred on Halloween weekend during a hurricane? yea, nothing good happened. characters with hidden agendas, a serial killer, cryptids, a demon?? intense fr.
October 9, 2025
Interesting premise but there wasn’t a paragraph in this book that didn’t require tremendous levels of suspension of disbelief. Finished the entire book because I wanted to know how it ended… yet was still left wondering wtf just happened….
February 23, 2025
This was fine. A couple creepy parts but yeah🤷🏼♀️
September 2, 2024
Read: July 12th - July 22nd, 2024
Review: September 2nd, 2024
Rating: 4/5 Stars
The story is good. There is a lot going on, with multiple POV’s. I did make sure I read more slowly than my usual so I would not get confused or miss anything. However, I was able to visual the story very well. Some of the end I found a little hard to visualize. I ended up reading the last few chapters twice. You are getting a story within a story. An old murder story with a new haunted theme park story. It would be a great read for October as the atmosphere is perfect for Halloween. It was creepy, suspenseful, fun, and sad! I was not obsessed with the characters, but they were likeable, and I thought they were funny. They each had a lot of personality. I felt like I was exposed to something new as an English speaker with the Spanish elements within the story. The author did a good job making sure people who do not speak Spanish understand the meaning of the words being used. Overall, this is a solid read, and I enjoyed it!
Thank you so Steven dos Santos and Page Street Publishing Co. for my free advanced readers copy here on Goodreads!
Review: September 2nd, 2024
Rating: 4/5 Stars
The story is good. There is a lot going on, with multiple POV’s. I did make sure I read more slowly than my usual so I would not get confused or miss anything. However, I was able to visual the story very well. Some of the end I found a little hard to visualize. I ended up reading the last few chapters twice. You are getting a story within a story. An old murder story with a new haunted theme park story. It would be a great read for October as the atmosphere is perfect for Halloween. It was creepy, suspenseful, fun, and sad! I was not obsessed with the characters, but they were likeable, and I thought they were funny. They each had a lot of personality. I felt like I was exposed to something new as an English speaker with the Spanish elements within the story. The author did a good job making sure people who do not speak Spanish understand the meaning of the words being used. Overall, this is a solid read, and I enjoyed it!
Thank you so Steven dos Santos and Page Street Publishing Co. for my free advanced readers copy here on Goodreads!
May 25, 2024
4.5 Love the cover and their names as titles of each chapter. The font is very pretty.
Teens decide to go to an abandoned theme park where an unexplainable massacre occurred a few years back.
At first, I thought this was going to be one more for the genre, but this author pushed the tropes and the classics, adding new layers and giving a refreshing spin.
Things I can't resist: haunted themed park, group of characters (different personalities) trapped and trying to survive, the author adds more by giving them secret goals.
There is a reason why these teens are there. They think they are in control, but each one has a dark goal to accomplish. Another favorite element is the paranormal, where evil exists, materialized, and the novel doesn't have what I call a Scobidoo ending. Thank you, author, for that.
The novel is a bit longer than I wanted, but there is a lot happening, and all characters (the teens) have their own chapters and POVs. In the beginning, it's hard to keep track of who is who because they all narrate in the first person, but soon we understand well who is who and their individual "missions."
The author explores a lot of Latin folklore and horror lore, giving the Dominican version of famous creatures (example: werewolves), making it rich in legends, darkness with demons and horror from the culture. He adds a lot, so there are a lot of different creatures.
The teens have a very honest way of talking with curses and expressions, not in English.
Satisfying end for YA.
Thank you publisher for the arc.
Teens decide to go to an abandoned theme park where an unexplainable massacre occurred a few years back.
At first, I thought this was going to be one more for the genre, but this author pushed the tropes and the classics, adding new layers and giving a refreshing spin.
Things I can't resist: haunted themed park, group of characters (different personalities) trapped and trying to survive, the author adds more by giving them secret goals.
There is a reason why these teens are there. They think they are in control, but each one has a dark goal to accomplish. Another favorite element is the paranormal, where evil exists, materialized, and the novel doesn't have what I call a Scobidoo ending. Thank you, author, for that.
The novel is a bit longer than I wanted, but there is a lot happening, and all characters (the teens) have their own chapters and POVs. In the beginning, it's hard to keep track of who is who because they all narrate in the first person, but soon we understand well who is who and their individual "missions."
The author explores a lot of Latin folklore and horror lore, giving the Dominican version of famous creatures (example: werewolves), making it rich in legends, darkness with demons and horror from the culture. He adds a lot, so there are a lot of different creatures.
The teens have a very honest way of talking with curses and expressions, not in English.
Satisfying end for YA.
Thank you publisher for the arc.
June 14, 2024
Malicia by Steven dos Santos is thrilling, exciting, and horrific- and you're going to LOVE it!
Malicia follows four teens as they travel to an amusement park that has been long abandoned after a terrible tragedy years before. Each teen has a different reason for coming to this haunted and horrific site, but as motives are explored and devious actions taken, none of them will be the same by the end of the experience.
This was such a fantastic read. Steven dos Santos really crafted something dark and evil, but yet so full of culture and it just felt so realistic. I found myself transported in the midst of the action when this novel started and I found myself glued to the page as I tried to learn how it was going to all end. Each character was so unique. The characterization that Steven dos Santos was able to pull off from the start, was really something. I felt like I had a good grasp of each character, so as the story progressed, I had my assumptions challenged one by one and that was something that kept me reading.
Another aspect of this that I really enjoyed is that it was unapologetically queer. As someone who follows Steven dos Santos on TikTok I knew that his writing was LGBTQiA+ and when I got to experience it firsthand in Malicia, I loved it. The romance was expected, but then it evolved in a way that I never saw coming. I have a sneaking suspicion that some readers might not like it, but I really liked it!
Overall, check out this story. It is great! Perfect for fans of Kiersten White's Hide, and FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven!
Malicia follows four teens as they travel to an amusement park that has been long abandoned after a terrible tragedy years before. Each teen has a different reason for coming to this haunted and horrific site, but as motives are explored and devious actions taken, none of them will be the same by the end of the experience.
This was such a fantastic read. Steven dos Santos really crafted something dark and evil, but yet so full of culture and it just felt so realistic. I found myself transported in the midst of the action when this novel started and I found myself glued to the page as I tried to learn how it was going to all end. Each character was so unique. The characterization that Steven dos Santos was able to pull off from the start, was really something. I felt like I had a good grasp of each character, so as the story progressed, I had my assumptions challenged one by one and that was something that kept me reading.
Another aspect of this that I really enjoyed is that it was unapologetically queer. As someone who follows Steven dos Santos on TikTok I knew that his writing was LGBTQiA+ and when I got to experience it firsthand in Malicia, I loved it. The romance was expected, but then it evolved in a way that I never saw coming. I have a sneaking suspicion that some readers might not like it, but I really liked it!
Overall, check out this story. It is great! Perfect for fans of Kiersten White's Hide, and FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven!
July 31, 2024
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is an example of a book that has everything I love, but unfortunately just isn't executed in a way that I like. I'm over halfway through the book and feel like I have a good idea where it's going, but it is so slow getting there. This may have done better has a novella, or even a short story, but as it stands, the pacing is so sluggish.
While I like the characters well enough, it's never made clear from whose perspective we're reading from. I don't know if this is exclusive to the ARC and if the published editions will have chapter titles with names, but the first time the point of view changed I was genuinely confused. There isn't much nuance in how the characters are written, so they kind of amalgam together.
The threat is interesting enough, but the reveal for something so simple is much too long. Simple is not bad, simple is good, that's why I found the threat interesting, but when something is simple it doesn't need a lot of padding.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, but it isn't a bad read, just slow and not for me. I'm hoping that the published version fixes some of the issues I had, especially being able to distinguish between the characters from point of view to point of view.
This is an example of a book that has everything I love, but unfortunately just isn't executed in a way that I like. I'm over halfway through the book and feel like I have a good idea where it's going, but it is so slow getting there. This may have done better has a novella, or even a short story, but as it stands, the pacing is so sluggish.
While I like the characters well enough, it's never made clear from whose perspective we're reading from. I don't know if this is exclusive to the ARC and if the published editions will have chapter titles with names, but the first time the point of view changed I was genuinely confused. There isn't much nuance in how the characters are written, so they kind of amalgam together.
The threat is interesting enough, but the reveal for something so simple is much too long. Simple is not bad, simple is good, that's why I found the threat interesting, but when something is simple it doesn't need a lot of padding.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, but it isn't a bad read, just slow and not for me. I'm hoping that the published version fixes some of the issues I had, especially being able to distinguish between the characters from point of view to point of view.
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