The book is set in Mexico City and infuses many elements of
Mexican culture. The school bully is called El Feo, which can mean the ugly
one; other students don’t know his real name. Teachers are addressed as Señor
or Señora, and the principal is called Directora Campos. Itzel is obsessed with
Mexican mythical monsters, and she keeps a binder full of her research. This
time, the creature is El Cucuy, feasting on the fears and life force of
misbehaving children.
In the previous book, Diego, Jandro, and Itzel, the Three
Amigos, battled a creature in the spirit world, and it’s no longer a threat. Or
so they think. This book includes a school bully, but surprisingly, he’s the
first student to fall into a deep coma. His two cronies are next, followed by
students who act out in class. Poor behavior becomes the common thread, but it
gets confusing when other students are victimized. The Amigos’ good,
well-behaved friend drops in the classroom, but his violation is forgetting to
put his name on his assignment! His incident lets readers know that any
character can become the next casualty. The plot shifts to the dream world
where the amigos must find a way to defeat El Cucuy. Compelling relationships
arise when the amigos are reunited with El Feo. He’s managed to survive the
monster, but can he be trusted?
What didn’t work as well:
Some phrases and incantations are in Spanish without context to show
what they mean. Also, readers may wonder why the adults described in the
opening pages don’t appear later in the story until the new conflict is
resolved.
The final verdict:
This book is part of the Doll Island series, but it can be enjoyed
on its own. I recommend it to young readers who enjoy ghosts and spooky
stories.
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