ROOTED, by Leopoldo Gout, is classified as a horror novel revolving around an Aztec (Nahua) god, Xipe Totec.  The storyline details what happens when the statue (idol) of this Aztec god crosses paths with several people in the book.  As I read the book, I found myself curious about what would happen next, but could not find passages or chapters that instilled terror (in me).  There is a bit of gore, but nothing super disturbing (using today’s standard of gore as a metric).  The prose was well developed, but I found myself ‘drifting’ as I read through certain areas of the story.  I had to yank myself back to what I was reading and, in some cases, go back to a particular passage or paragraph to make sure I was getting what the author was trying to relay to the reader. 

I liked that the story was based on the Aztec (Nahua) god, Xipe Totec.  The background of the main female character, Aurora, as well as her role in the story and how she came to be (back) in Mexico City, are carefully woven into the plot.  The descriptions of Mexico City and the surrounding area, what is happening there, and the superstitions of the people in the story's setting are presented in great detail.  Ociel is (intended to be) the main male character in the story.  The fact that Ociel and Aurora have history sets the stage for what I expected to be very important interactions in the book, especially since Ociel is a field archaeologist.  I was disappointed that Ociel’s character was not better developed and more pronounced in discovering the mystery behind the Xipe Totec idol and what was happening regarding Aurora.  Ociel seemed more like an infrequent sounding board for Aurora throughout the story. 

Most of the supporting characters seemed very one-dimensional, lacking a strong connection to the storyline.  Aurora’s grandmother and mother, and to some degree her father, had a bit more depth to their characters.  I at least expected some of the museum staff to have a more pivotal role, given that the Nahua idol was one of the artifacts repatriated to its country of origin.  I was pleasantly surprised by the parallel between ‘life and art’  regarding repatriation of ancient artifacts to their country of origin.

I really wanted to love this story, since I love mythology, books based on historical deities, and the horror genre.  However, I had a difficult time connecting with the story and the characters in ROOTED.  I rate ROOTED a 3 out of 5.