The story of a woman haunted by the spirit of La Llorna, it is also a story of self-discovery and owning your power. Alejandra is a SAHM who seems deeply depressed and has no connection with her past. We come to learn that her bloodline is cursed and the “La Llorna” is actually an old demon that craves her soulful and the souls of her female ancestors. Alejandra will have to do the hard work in order to defeat this monster and break the curse.

*Special thanks to NetGalley & Del Rey for this e-arc.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing a review copy.

I discovered V. Castro last year when I read The Queen of the Cicadas. I quickly devoured everything she has written previously, and loved them all. As much as I loved Queen, The Haunting of Alejandra has overtaken its number one spot.

Oh, this book. Without getting too personal, I recently left a relationship that in many ways resembled the relationship between Alejandra and her husband. While it's a book about a haunting, it's also about the myriad of domestic barbs and abuse that occur in Alejandra's day to day life. Seeing Alejandra begin to take her power back was so encouraging.

This book is unafraid to talk about the sometimes ugly parts of motherhood. Loving your child more than anything else in the world, but still wanting to die. Having someone touching you constantly, but still feeling agonizingly lonely. Feeling constantly overwhelmed and underappreciated. I didn't know how much I could relate to Alejandra, didn't know how badly I needed this book. It helped heal a part of me I didn't realize was so badly twisted. 5 stars.

Indigenous authors are having a moment, one that I hope remains with us, and the writing of V. Castro is a large part of that resurgence. The Haunting of Alejandra will only increase her platform in the genre.

This book is dark, I mean, REALLY dark. The were a couple of scenes that made me squeamish. But as shocking as some of the material is, it feels so very real. Nothing is gratuitous. The word that keeps coming to mind is compelling.

Alejandra was compelled by the curse to despise her very life. And she was compelled by her ancestors to use the knowledge that they passed to her to take a stand.

And I was compelled to look at the trauma that generational curses within families creates and see both the hope and the hopelessness of resisting.

A wonderfully dark book that I highly recommend.

Wow, what a book. Based on the Folklore of La Llorona, this was so well done, even though what Alejandra goes through with her children and her thoughts were so INTENSE at times, I loved the back and forth between the centuries, and how Alejandra’s own ancestors and what they experienced circled right back to her now. This book was so heartfelt I had to holdback tears. The demons that started to haunt the characters throughout their lives and into the future was gruesome as hell, all and all this book was full of culture, trying to find your identity in the world and relying on your ancestors for that support and love.

A haunting story featuring the legend of La Llorona. This is a spirit that haunts women who are sad and suffering. Particularly those with children. La Llorona appears dripping wet and decayed to try and devour Alejandra and her emotions.

This was really good. I loved the characters. I think I liked the depictions of La Llorona the best, though. The real fear in this story were the inner demons of the main character, Alejandra, and how that attracted this spirit who wanted to take all the pain away.... however, in a very bad way.

Out April 18, 2023!

i really enjoyed this book. I found myself wanting to read more trying to guess what was going to happen next. I loved the mutiple POVs i loved the use of lore put into the story.

Alejandra doesn't know who she is anymore. She is one thing to many different people. but who is she really...She begins to see something that no one else can see, a ghostly image. As she begins to explore things with a therapist, she finds many family secrets that she never knew about. Will this exploration help her find hersel?

Thank you, NetGalley, V. Castro, and publishers for gifting me a copy of The Haunting of Alejandra in return for my honest opinion.

3/5

I loved the concept of this book and when the writer wasn’t trying to be poetic with her writing it was a wonderful book.

Alejandra is in a loveless marriage with three children. One day she is in the shower when the darkness almost overtakes her. COme to find out she isn't the only one in her family that has struggled with this issue. Through therapy she explores her family history and the dark truth that has taken it over. As she finds out her history and the truth will she be strong enough to fight the darkness?

Through multigenerational perspectives and La Llorona folklore, V. Castro dives into Mexican history/folklore and weaves a wonderful story. This was the part of the story that I really enjoyed and the major reason why I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.

But, from now on when I think of a book that is trying to do too much, this one will come to mind. Within the first chapter, we had these quotes-
"only her pain was real, because it was sitting on her shoulder"
"Each birth had left an open wound where each of those peices of flesh had been hacked off"
"Beyond the beaded veil of water on glass"
"Tear streamed down her eyes, yet herface remained stoic."
"She hoped they would remain in the other room because her patience had evaporated like water left to simmer at the bottom of the pot. It wouldn't be long before something inside of her burned."
This were just some of the quotes I found in the first 8 pages! Unless I'm reading a poetry book this was just too many figures of speech for me.

V. Castro is amazing. Queen of horror tbh. Queen of Cicadas was my introduction this had some of the body horror and all the imagery but the character of Alejandra feels so close to me. Her depression and journey of finding healing was so refreshing. The twist on the tale of la llorona was very good. I loved all the chapters told from other family members and seeing how their generational curse took its toll on them. Love love love this book. Preorder secured, I can't wait for what V does next.

I enjoyed her other works - I did not enjoy this at all. It was a struggle to get through so many pages about how much she hated her life and wished she were dead. I get it that this is a very real scenario, it's just too depressing for me.

Haunting and powerful. A mixture of Mexican folklore with a bit of fantasy and of course horror.
At times depressing, so be warned.
A very exhausting read, making you want more once it's over.

V. Castro is one of the most fearless writers working in horror today. Each of her stories is full of grit and determination, coupled with a drive to share her mind with the world. Castro writes from a Mestiza perspective, incorporating culture, history, legend and personal experience to craft her works. The Haunting of Alejandra is her latest book and easily one of the finest.

Many know the tale of La Llorona, the weeping woman. The legends say she drowned her children in grief when her beloved was unfaithful to her, before ending her own life in despair. Her wayward specter stalks unwary children to replace those she lost. Castro reinterprets the myth through a tale of postpartum depression, grief, and tangled family history.

Alejandra is a woman with a seemingly idyllic life: a handsome and successful husband and multiple children, everything that society says she should want. But Alejandra is plagued by multiple specters and begins to harbor dark thoughts that push her to the unthinkable.

Adopted at a young age, Alejandra is noticeably distant from her culture and through the novel begins to reconnect with it, along with her family heritage. She is the moral core of the story and a terrific main character. Castro is not afraid to allow Alejandra to be flawed, highlighting her resentment and frustration, but making it clear how much she cares for her children. Alejandra is not a weak person and the greatest joy of the novel is not merely her growing stronger, but learning how strong she really is.

The apparition of La Llorona is a sinister entity, but Castro refuses to adhere to common stereotypes. No mere scorned woman, this is a demon that has stalked Alejandra’s family line for generations, beginning long ago during the brutal ravages of the Conquistadors. The theme of stolen heritage rings through generations from the moment a woman named Atli gave herself to the Spanish to save her family and made a dark bargain to save her own daughter, as well as take her revenge. Alejandra discovers the mother she never knew while pushing to save herself, her family, and ultimately her own identity.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a personal book, of scars passed through generations and how trauma lingers – but also how trauma can be fought and ultimately contained.

And how even a flood of tears doesn’t make you weak.

As someone who has been fully obsessed with the La Llorona legend since I was in elementary school, so I was obviously amped as hell that V. Castro was going to do her own take on it. I love Castro's horror voice that brings genuine scares to proudly Latine themes and stories, and THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA is her best one yet. For one, she is so good at writing the scares and horror imagery and pacing into her stories. The suspense builds, the La Llorona/demonic force that is tormenting mother of three Alejandra is scary as hell, and I was very invested in what was going to happen to her (And also her children'; after all, the La Llorona myth isn't exactly known for being a happy tale for the children involved). But on top of that Castro also nails, and I mean NAILS, the very real horror themes of generational trauma and the pressures of motherhood. While it's mostly through Alejandra's perspective and experiences, we do get devoted chapters to the other women in her familial line who are also being haunted by this entity, and how things ended for them in usually very tragic ways, and how the family curse passes down much like real life generational trauma does. And the motherhood angle is very, very spot on and stressful to read, given that Alejandra has three children that are overwhelming her, an unfulfilled personal life since she stopped working once she became a mother at her husband's behest, and with little to no support as her husband is basically worthless and they pulled up stakes and moved away from her home state to a place that she has no connection to. The metaphor lends itself wonderfully to motherhood, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis.

I loved THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA. It's V. Castro's best work so far and just hits it out of the park.

A powerful Mexican folklore filled with despair and dread. This book was enthralling, I could not put it down. Filled with powerful women, a sort of midlife coming of age novel filled with dread, nightmares, demonic entities and La Lorna, what more could you want! I especially loved the deep cultural ties mixed with horror!

Content Warning: Abandonment, Generational Trauma, Generational Curse, Loss of Self, Suicidal Ideation, Attempted/Successful Suicide, Self-Harm, Thoughts of Harming Children, Depression, Regret and Guild in regard to Motherhood, Overcoming Trauma, Unsupportive Spouse reader will want to throat punch, La Llorona, Mexican Folklore, Bloody Attacks, Rituals, Feelings of being Tokenized, and Jump Scares.

Alright now that I've listed all the content warnings I identified, let's get this review started. First and foremost let me say that this needs to be given all of the awards, a movie with an Oscar level cast, and a spot in the all the top must read, life changing reader lists because this was a masterpiece.

I was emotionally charged from beginning to end. If you are a mother who has hide from your children in the closet, felt like you weren't enough, cried in the shower, felt regret or grief over your lost hopes and dreams, this book is going to touch your soul. If you have ever been in a relationship where you gave up control, you felt like you were walking on eggshells, you felt less than equal, you are going to be big mad every time our girl interacts with her husband.

This story was heavily influenced, inspired, by the Mexican Folklore of La Llorona. I don't want to call it a retelling however there is definitely a spin to the legendary tale and how it has affected entire generations of woman, latching on to bloodlines and tormenting mothers for centuries.

You DO NOT have to be familiar with Mexican culture of folklore to enjoy this book. Everything you need to know is explained. As an Afro Latina from a family with generations of woman who have experienced trauma and heartache it definitely hit different for me.

I highly highly recommend this book. If Latinx Books, Horror Books, Thriller Books, aren't your norm, I promise you this is the ONE to break you out of your routine. You will NOT be disappointed.

I love folktale and folklore reimaginings, especially those about wronged women that lend themselves to feminist reinterpretation. The Haunting of Alejandra offers a twist on the story of La Llorona, following the story of a woman who finds herself haunted by both the weight of motherhood and a monster resembling La Llorona which feeds off the sorrow, fear, and eventually, flesh of the women in Alejandra's bloodline.

This story did not unfold the way I expected, with some ancient being assuming the form of the mythic figure to haunt the women of a particular bloodline due to a deal made in the time of the conquistadores. Even so, I appreciated the story's exploration of generational trauma intertwined with colonial violence, matrilineal strength/feminine folk magic, the complexity of motherhood, and the power of connecting with one's ancestors and lineage. I almost would have preferred if the haunting was merely the ghost of Alejandra's ancestor (who in the end is revealed to be the actual La Llorona), but the interaction between the ancestor and the creature does raise interesting ideas about the mythmaking and how stories spread.

“Sometimes you have to know when to let go and what to let go of.”
There is a certain level of frustration that comes with being a stay-at-home parent. You get no time off, everything is done with a purpose and you are supposed to be grateful to “not have a job”. It doesn’t help when your spouse is not helpful and unsupportive. Add to that something that feeds off your misery, whispering in your ear to increase your guilt and make you hate yourself and your life all the more.
This started off great, really getting across the pain and emotion that Alejandra felt. However it felt like it got repetitive and was longer than necessary. I lost interest and empathy.

First and foremost I adore books with appropriate chapter lengths. This book's chapters range from 5-10 pages long *Chefs Kiss* I loved this book for many reasons but the one that sticks out in my mind is the authors ability to make all the characters relatable in their own ways. The mystery of this book is great ( no spoilers) I loved the ending it fit perfectly like a well used puzzle piece. The most interesting aspect was the authors exploration of generational trauma, and how each generation is affected by it.

The Haunting of Alejandra unfortunately could not hold my attention. I absolutely loved The Goddess of Filth by V Castro so I was excited to received an arc of her newest novel! I loved the imagery and build in Goddess of Filth and I think she packed such a punch in that novella.

The Haunting of Alejandra, however, was way too slow to build tension and while I understand what she was attempting and working toward, I unfortunately just don’t think it was for me.

I chose to stop reading this book at 53% because it was still just talking about women with suicidal ideations who hated their children and their lives. I understand this is the theme and point, but there was nothing building the horror aspect and it really was reading more like a memoir than a horror novel.

I’m choosing not to review this on my page because I really do think that some might enjoy it, so I don’t want to deter others from giving it a go, but it was not a book for me sadly.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Haunting of Alejandra is the story of a multigenerational curse, a likeness of the mythical La Llorona that haunts a bloodline.Though the story centers around the titular character Alejandra in the present day, the book often flashes back to the perspectives of women who have faced off against this curse in their past, Alejandra's ancestors. This book lends itself to V. Castro's familiar formula, combining themes of feminism with elements of Mexican culture and folklore to create a harrowing psychological horror.

My only complaint with this book is that some descriptions became repetitive. As Castro flashes back to each woman's experiences with the curse, the descriptions of the creature are repeated nearly word for word each time.

Overall I enjoyed this book. This was a very unique twist on the folklore of La Llorona, a story I'm sure many readers are familiar with. I love when authors take something established and make it their own. This book does deal with some pretty heavy themes, so make sure you're in the right headspace before you pick this one up!

CWs for: depression, suicidal ideation, suicide, pregnancy loss, death

Crossposted to Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5447306722