Hatchet Girls

August 21, 2023
This bone-chilling speculative horror novel by Wallach, inspired by the 19th-century Lizzie Borden murders, drips with blood, gore, and engaging originality. Following an unexplained incident in her hometown, Puerto Rican high school junior Tessa Gomez, her 18-year-old half brother Vik, and their mother move to Fall River, Mass., famous for the Borden killings. Vik soon begins dating white-cued classmate Mariella, daughter of the town’s richest residents, who endures constant emotional abuse from her father. When Vik is found at the site of Mariella’s parents’ deaths covered in their blood, everyone is certain he’s the killer. But Tessa knows that Vik would never commit such an act and, aided by Mariella, vows to find the real culprit. The key to the mystery lies in the ominous local woods, where the girls must face monsters both human and demonic if they hope to survive the investigation. Present-day chapters—rendered in anticipatory-feeling prose and bursting with foreboding ambiance—follow Tessa as she seeks to absolve Vik of his crime, while alternating sections center Mariella at myriad points in time, including the night of the murders and the two months prior. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lane Heymont, Tobias Literary.

September 1, 2023
A new start for one family collides with the violent and repeating history of another. Moving to Fall River, Massachusetts, was supposed to offer a fresh start for Tessa Gomez's family after her father's death. Her brother, Vik, has settled in more quickly than she has; he's head over heels for new girlfriend Mariella Morse, who is white and the daughter of the town's wealthiest, most well-connected businessman. She's also a descendant of the infamous Lizzie Borden. When Tessa, whose family is Puerto Rican, wakes to news that Vik, found covered in blood, was arrested for the axe-murder of Mariella's parents, she knows in her heart that there is more to the story. Though unraveling the truth about the threads of violence that run through Fall River will be dangerous, neither human nor supernatural forces are prepared for the determination of a sister who believes in her brother's innocence. This creative spin on the tale of Lizzie Borden asks readers to consider issues of race, power, and control through the abusive and dysfunctional relationships surrounding Mariella's family, some of which more effectively masquerade as healthy than others. Told from both Tessa's and Mariella's third-person viewpoints and packed with action, the book's layered, emotionally well-rounded characters add depth to the horror elements. A fresh, fantastic twist on a crime with an enduring legacy. (Thriller. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 9, 2024
Grades 9-12 It's been more than a century since Lizzie Borden allegedly murdered her father and stepmother, but the town of Fall River, Massachusetts, has not forgotten--the Borden boarding house has even become a tourist destination. When siblings Tessa and Vik moved to Fall River with the remains of their family, it was to escape tragedy and rebuild themselves. Vik starts dating popular Mariella Morse, whose father owns most of the town, but Tessa only wants to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. Then Vik is found standing over the mutilated bodies of Mariella's parents, holding a hatchet--with no memory of what happened. Tessa doesn't believe her brother is guilty and she's determined to prove it, even as the media rips him apart, but Mariella's family is filled with more darkness than she can comprehend. What begins as a mystery with a hint of creep factor soon develops into a full-fledged supernatural thriller that more or less moves quickly enough to keep readers engaged. The Lizzie Borden story, always high-interest, should draw them in.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.