This book was fantastic, but so so SO much darker than I was planning on. I knew it was horror, but this particular brand of horror is a motherhood horror and it is very heavy on suicide. I feel like it wrapped up really well but I was scared for a bit there. Love love LOVED the Mexican folklore aspect, I think La Llorona is straight creepy and the ideal villain of a horror book.

Thank you @hearourvoicestours and @delreybooks for the gifted review copy. ⁠
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This one is for my girlies that love a good horror book that incorporates urban legends and folklore. The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro is the story of a woman who feels trapped by motherhood and trying to get through life without a support system. Adopted at birth, through DNA testing she discovers more about her Mexican American ancestry and her family. But lurking on the periphery of her depression and isolation is the legendary La Llorona, a demon from Mexican folklore.

The Struggles Of Motherhood
Not necessarily a trigger warning, but I would caution that if you have suffered from postpartum depression you might want to consider if you are ready for a read like this. It will definitely hit close to home for some. But some women may feel comfort in identifying with Alejandra’s struggles to know they aren’t the only one who has felt trapped by motherhood and/or felt that they have lost some of their identity in the role. Just something to be aware of before reading.


Alejandra’s narrative really characterizes the darker side of motherhood that many women experience whether they admit to it or not. For some mothers it can be moments here and there and for others it can be longer. The fact that she has no support system contributes to her feelings of being overwhelmed. She is a stay-at-home-Mom who never gets a break. All of the material things are there for her, so her husband doesn’t understand why she is unhappy. But she has no emotional support.

Her husband, Matthew, really could’ve stayed gone on a permanent work trip for all the help he was. Although, the man did not lie about who he was when they met. All the red flags were being thrown in Alejandra’s face, she just wasn’t ready to see them.

Generational Curses
Alejandra seems caught in the middle with the isolation of motherhood and in between the horror of a generational curse and the warm light of healing through reclaiming identity. Having to make a decision between succumbing to the curse or gathering the energy to fight it and embrace the healing that awaits.

I appreciated the story The Haunting of Alejandra told. I also liked that as the book goes on the perspectives of women and her female ancestors in her family are added. That was a great move to pivot to a new perspective to help balance out the heaviness of Alejandra’s narrative.

The generational curse passed down from mother to daughter reminded me of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and the curse in Brianna’s family. Both curses are born out of the desperation of a female ancestor trying to escape sexual oppression and assault by white & European men. The cost of escaping one horrific fate only to have your bloodline tied to another generational one is the definition of horror in my opinion.

Mexican Folklore
If you aren’t familiar with the story of La Llorona, you should definitely look it up. (Because I’m not going to describe it. I’m still shook!) My friend tried to tell me the story but I was so scared midway through I just stopped her and ran away with my hands over my ears lol.

So why, you ask, did I read this book that centers La Llorona? I’m a reckless reader sometimes. Even though I’m a scaredy cat, sometimes I just can’t resist testing my limits. Let me just tell you, this book is correctly categorized as horror, folks. So glad that I read it and did not listen to the audiobook so that I could speed read over the descriptions of the creature in the book when it appeared. That chick was SCARY! And since I mentioned the audiobook for The Haunting of Alejandra, I did listen to a part of it. I got to a really intense part, but had to go somewhere so I switched to audiobook so I could keep going. The narrator is solid.

I highlighted this book on my Booktube channel. You can access the video here: https://youtu.be/XY9DJfR6dmA

The Haunting of Alejandra is a fast paced and horror driven Mexican historic based tale. I loved it. It's a quick read and beautifully graphic in its telling. There is nada in this world like a strong Woman! who can save the world; in this case save the family, ancestors of them. Thank you to Random House printing and NetGalley for the egalley, but most importantly thank you to V. Castro for the writing of this "powerful Women" story.

**3.5 stars**

I have read and greatly enjoyed most of Ms Castro’s books so I was thrilled when I got a copy of The Haunting of Alejandra from the publisher via NetGalley. I love how she uses old myths, Mexican culture, and Aztec gods and creates creepy stories. In this one Alejandra is a mother of 3 dealing with a super dark depression rooted in motherhood that is actually….something much worse and unexpected.

I will say I am not a mother but can imagine lots of mothers probably have some of the dark thoughts Alejandra does at certain times of their lives. As in her other works, all of the characters are fully fleshed out in my mind.

This was an intense read for sure, The entity is truly scary. I imagine if you are a mother that has dealt with post-partum depression some parts could be hard to read.

**Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review**

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
🖐 Takeaways

Alejandra’s husband gets a new job, so she moves across the country with him and their children. The move by itself would be life altering, but it happens during a time of mental turmoil for Alejandra. At times despondent, she struggles to carve space for herself while managing her family and home. When she’s at her most vulnerable, she begins to experience unsettling and violent apparitions that bring to mind lore from her Mexican heritage.

1️⃣ The story is immediately dark. Alejandra’s depression and ideations are the focus of the beginning of the book. The quick dive into her situation very effectively sets the tone for the novel.

2️⃣ While mental health and generational trauma anchor this story, Castro also explores issues around identity after adoption and the impacts of religious ideology on the way we perceive various circumstances. This may seem ambitious, but everything connects seamlessly.

3️⃣ I was surprised by how straightforward the haunting was from its first instance. Although the spirits may linger in the shadows, Castro brings their origins and lineage into the light immediately. I enjoyed reading through the lineage of the hauntings, but I also felt it diminished any scare factor for me.

4️⃣ I’m not a big fan of characters actively plotting and fighting against the supernatural. This is a factor in this one. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but I wasn’t quite as engaged once a plot to destroy the being was formed. That being said, Alejandra taking control in her life was clearly necessary. I just felt that the depth from the first half didn’t carry consistently through the second.

5️⃣ This may be a bit spooky for non-horror readers—a vivid haunting does occur—but I also can see readers who enjoy reading about women’s generational trauma and experiences liking this story.

Would you be open to moving across the country for your partner’s career? OR Is there any folklore that’s been passed down in your family?

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This book is loaded with creepy phenomenon and the characters attempt to deal with the fallout. This is a fascinating supernatural creature that only appears to women and delivers its evil message to several generations. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy with a dose of evil.

The Haunting of Alejandra it’s a contemporary and little spooky story about a woman struggling with her marriage, feeling that their children are a burden and at the same time feeling guilty about it, using the legend of La Llorona as a metaphor, a Mexican legend with multiple versions but basically she is a woman who drowned her children and regrets it, her soul cannot rest and she is still wandering in Mexico City and calling her children.

Alejandra has nightmares, she dreams that something happens to her children, that someone is watching and attacking her, she believes it is her imagination because she is not happy in her marriage, but suddenly her children also begin to see things, and Alejandra decides to seek help. she meets Melania, a therapist who is also a healer, together they will find a generational trauma in Alejandra's family tree, the women in her family have fought against machismo, have lived through wars, and have been victims of their time and patriarchal culture.

I liked how the author mixed problems such as a bad marriage, motherhood, and depression with folklore, especially with one reading like La Llorona. It has different POVs, to understand the generational trauma, Alejandra's families have small chapters, relatives from her mother to distant relatives from the 1600s. The story takes place mainly in the USA, but there are a couple of chapters in Mexico, I would have liked the chapters on the Colony they would have been longer.

Read if you want:
A Little of paranormal and Mexican folklore
A Realistic story about marriage, motherhood, and women's struggles
If you enjoy Mexican Gothic books style
Descriptive prose

an empowering twist on la llorona, this book is about alejandra, a modern day mexican american mother who is being haunted.

there is a sharp contrast between alejandra's intensely deep mother love for her children and the suffocation she feels. it's heavy, like she is performing her mothering and housewifery duties from underwater or from under a dark cloud.

it takes her some time to realize that something is deeply wrong, beyond typical depression. she is being pursued by a creature who follows her bloodline because the women in her family are brimming with rage and sorrow, which it feeds upon. it's that good old intergenerational trauma!

but once alejandra realizes something is very wrong, she works toward taking care of it. she finds a dual curandera/therapist to provide guidance. she builds an altar to her family and prays for help from her ancestors, strong women who visit her in her dreams. she also contacts her birth mother, who acts as a supportive friend. i love this part early in the book, when she is making powerful strides toward getting better and learning to value herself.

however, the pacing is not great, and the writing is strangely dry for an otherwise compelling story.

in the beginning i really enjoyed the alternating viewpoints, which keep it fresh. alejandra's chapters are interwoven with chapters about her ancestors, which provide context on the curse that has followed the women in their family for generations. we see all different versions of their suffering, not only alejandra's stale unhappiness.

but as the book progresses, we jump around too much. at around 80%, when we should be approaching a climax, we're still following alejandra's great great grandmother, who joins the mexican american war and has a love affair with real historical figure emiliano zapato?? what?? i was totally thrown off by the inclusion of a real person from this moment in history. this chapter also briefly includes a trans character who serves in the military, which is cool representation, but it comes out of nowhere and feels random.

this uneven momentum, combined with horribly unrealistic paragraphs-long expository dialogues between alejandra and her curandera, really took me out of the story. this curandera is a savior figure who is always available and always says the perfect thing, and i just don't believe it. i love the idea of her helpful character, as well as of alejandra's supportive birth mother, but the writing just doesn't bring them to life.

the horror is good - there are some genuinely scary moments, and very disturbing demonic imagery. it's particularly terrifying when the creature goes after alejandra's children. and the ending is wonderfully empowering, as alejandra performs her own ritual to take on the demon, and guided by ancestors, does what she has to do.

castro's ideas are 10/10, it's the execution that's not ideal. but it's still a powerful book, and worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Firstly, I love the cover! This and Goddess of Filth are probably two of my favorite book covers ever! This is in a sense a retelling of the La Llorona story but with a bigger twist and more modern complexities. This story follows Alejandra as she struggles with her day-to-day life as a stay-at-home mom of three kids. She’s given up her career, she no longer loves her husband (maybe never loved him at all), and constantly battles with thoughts of suicide which are always accompanied by apparitions of La Llorona and her disparaging whispers. This was a fantastic read and I’m so glad I got to read another work of Castro. This is a gruesome and dark horror novel that explores generational trauma as it is passed from woman to woman and the incredible lengths one woman must take to break the cycle; to learn to love herself, accept her children, and to embrace her heritage. Indigenous people, POCs, and minorities always suffer from the curses of men but women especially are always the ones to suffer. Castro depicts this through different time periods where centuries may separate these women and their societies but their suffering is universal. We explore the POVs and minds of several women within Alejandra’s family as they experience this curse and getting to know them and their reasonings is so heartbreaking. But while they may have suffered they will always be there to be called upon to help and propel hope. I loved this and being able to explore all of these strong women and Castro’s love for her heritage and culture is plentiful and gives no quarter to the patriarchy and colonialism’s erasure of POC identities. The body horror is pretty gnarly too and Castro’s La Llorona is probably one of the most unique depictions I’ve ever read. For as dark as this novel is, there is still an abundance of hope to fight against our demons and to learn to love ourselves and to be patient. Go get yourself a copy now!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alejandra is doing her best but she's struggling. She can't seem to do anything right as a mother and a wife, even though she's erased herself and her wants and needs to fulfill theirs. She feels all of her energies sucked in and hears voices but she thinks it's all in her head. Until it isn't.
I really like the way we see the events unfolding in the eyes of Alexandra and the development each character had overall, but especially her. You can see her find her voice as a Mexican woman that didn't have a voice, didn't have her roots, and didn't have free will almost. Apart from Mathew, who is a despicable man but you really get to know and like her family and other characters. And you get invested in her journey to find herself, her heritage, her lost family and to better herself.
Without spoiling the story too much, this is much more than a story about a haunted woman and a lot more about the effects of generational trauma and the dangers of letting yourself and your mental health forgotten until it's far too late.
V.'s writing is engaging and enticing and it has a way of connecting the dots right at the very end.
Thank you so much to Hear Our Story, V. Castro, Del Rey, and Penguin Random House for giving me access to this book! My review is unbiased.

he Haunting of Alejandra is a horror novel that follows the story of a woman named Alejandra who is haunted by intrusive thoughts and the apparition of a crying woman. She discovers that generations of women in her family have been haunted by La Llorona, the same apparition she has seen. The novel delves into multigenerational trauma, mental health struggles, and the complexities of womanhood and motherhood, while incorporating Mexican history, folklore, and culture seamlessly into the story.

I appreciate the weaving of multiple different timelines and points of view to tell the story. There were some horror moments that were truly scary but the book itself felt a little disjointed at times. The book started out a bit slow and honestly kind of felt that way throughout, which is a shame because the concept and story were there.

Overall an entertaining read, I just wish it would have been a bit more exciting.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an EARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Mexican folk horror and this didn’t disappoint! Only regret is not waiting to read in the fall. The creep was perfectly done here - I never felt full out scared of disgusted (horror relies on grossing us out too often IMO) but had a constant creeping feeling … amazing!

This book was absolutely my cup of tea, exploring grief and generational trauma through stories of Mexican-American folklore. I also absolutely love the cover.

The Haunting of Alejandra tells the story of an overburdened mother as she begins to experience hallucinations of La Llorena, the woman in white who drowned herself and tried to kill her kids as well. It's a story about generational trauma and one woman's journey to get rid of her demons (literally), but it just wasn't for me.

I found Alejandra to be fairly bland - she had a hard life, and I really felt for her, but I just kept wishing for more. I wished for more for a lot of this book: I really enjoyed the structure of the story and I thought it was told in a really compelling way, with the narrative switching between different generations of women within Alejandra's family, but I cared a lot more about their stories than I did about Alejandra's, if I'm being honest.

What definitely didn't work, in my personal opinion, was the stilted dialogue and the fact that there is just so much of it. I found myself wanting to skip through all of the talking, but it seemed like all there was would be talking, until suddenly the monster was right there and I had missed all of the lead-up to it because I found the talking so boring. Perhaps this is unfair, since I do truly believe we need more books that involve people going to therapy, but the therapy was so boring to me, and Melanie the therapist was way too chill about everything. It was hard to get into the stakes of this book (and it should have been really high stakes!) when I found the dialogue so laborious to get through.

Overall, I thought this book had a lot of potential, and I really liked pieces of it - particularly the flashbacks to other women in Alejandra's family - but it fell flat for me. It definitely provides a nuanced look at topics such as motherhood, generational trauma, the patriarchy, etc, so it's worth reading just for that! This one just wasn't for me.

The Haunting of Alejandra was a nuanced look at generational trauma through the lens of the Chicano culture. Rooted in one of the best known stories of Mexican-American folklore, The Haunting of Alejandra tells the story of a woman who feels that she has lost herself in her marriage and her day-to-day tasks. Castro does a fantastic job utilizing Alejandra’s character as a means of exploring generational trauma, as well as an individual’s connections to their ancestry. A little emotional, a little grotesque, and a whole lot of pride in la raza Chiacano, the story of Alejandra will stay with me for quite a while.

This book is seriously gripping and heart-wrenching. It explores grief and how it can impact generations, making it impossible to ignore. But don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom - there are plenty of gore and darkness to satisfy any reader who loves a story that shines a light on how women, especially those with Alejandra's ancestry, have been treated throughout history.

In short, if you're ready to delve into a mesmerizing read that will have you rooting for Alejandra and the women before her, then this book is for you!

By the time I finished this book, I was enjoying it. But I struggled with the first 2/3 of it. Alejandra was insufferable, understandably, and I was glad to see her go through therapy. However the dialogue was so contrived at points. I think this book has an audience out there but I’ve already done my decades of therapy and don’t need to read it on the page. The horror aspect was excellent. La Llorona is a fantastic inspiration for a story and I loved that through line.

Thank you Random House Ballantine for the review copy on NetGalley; this is an amazingly powerful, effective, and challenging in a good way novel. From the spot on artwork on the cover to the strong character voices and throughout the suspenseful development of the la Llorna narrative. There is importance in sharing culturally nuanced stories and I particularly love a book that weaves identity and race and ethnicity into the horror genre, I find it empowering to read stories that place under represented voices at the center of stories and not just as secondary characters or victims.

Chilling, beautifully written horror story. I can’t even articulate how much I loved this. OBSESSED. I love the incorporation of la llorona and motherhood. I was a very refreshing new way being told.