Villanova author Diana Rodriguez Wallach has recently published her latest young adult book, Hatchet Girls, and the bloody romance is set in the hometown of Lizzie Borden, writes Kim Douglas for the Main Line Today.

The thriller explores Latinx culture and the vulnerability of people of color who are entrenched in a wealthy white culture. The story revolves around a high stakes love triangle taking place in Falls River, Massachusetts, the hometown of Lizzie Borden.

The new book features a little more gore than her first YA thriller, Small Town Monsters. It also puts more of a focus on romance.

“I tried my hand at a love triangle in this one,” said Rodriguez Wallach. “I wanted to use a Puerto Rican cast of characters. My character was picked as a scapegoat because he was easier to set up. They chose him for a reason—his vulnerability.”

The book also contains several well-developed scenes that revolve around Latinx family life.

“I definitely tried to include a family element,” said the author. “We rarely get to experience that in the media. I wanted to show how united they are—and to contrast it with the wealthy white family that looked so perfect on the outside.”

Read more about the new YA thriller set in the hometown of Lizzie Borden in the Main Line Today.

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