By Ishan K.
The Diezmo is a realistic fiction narrative by Rick Bass that follows Sam Houston, who impulsively decides to join the Texas Militia searching for glory, through the doomed Mier Expedition of 1842.
Sam Houston is just a young man living in Texas, which is at this time only slightly American but more or less it's own country. One day, Captain Fisher and Green ride through his town asking for men to join. Sam and his friend Richard Shepard instantly sign up in search of glory and honor. It seems to go well in the beginning with them winning a couple of skirmishes. However, they soon realize their mistake and want nothing but to go home. Shepherd loses his arm and from there begins to grow distant, staying away from Sam. They are then captured in raid on the Mexican town of Mier, escape, and then are captured again by the Mexican forces. The men that were on the expedition were punished through the Diezmo. One man in ten is chosen to die and the rest are sent to the worst prison in Mexico. There almost all hopes of getting back home or escaping are shot and the men think of one last attempt to escape.
Rick Bass has an amazing writing style and is able to immerse you very well in the time period and really put you in the shoes of the men. He also uses a very graphic style of writing and is especially gruesome in his descriptions of injuries. Especially gangrene. I would recommend this book to highschool readers who want a really good novel and have a stomach for the gruesome content.
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