Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the copy of this e-arc for my honest review.

Wow, this story packs a punch. The author draws you in from the first chapter. I immediately connected to the main character and loved the generational history of her family, as well as the horror. The chapters were nicely broken down to read more about history of Alejandra's family and the folklore surrounding this entity. I loved getting to know about Mexican folklore. Just be aware of the trigger warnings of mental health and suicide.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous, loved the strong female characters and I will be sure to check out V. Castro back-list of books. 5 Stars

This is my first book by V. Castro, so I requested it based entirely on the gorgeous cover, and the mention of La Llorona. I absolutely love folklore, and the many iterations of the lore of La Llorona is one of my favorites.

The Haunting of Alejandra is on the surface a retelling of a Mexican folk legend, but is SO MUCH MORE than that. I loved the opening of the book, I had actually convinced myself that La Llorona was going to end up being a metaphor for postnatal depression, as we watch Alejandra really going through it. But I was thankfully wrong. We are taken on a journey through her ancestors' struggles, through their own POV chapters - the Alejandra chapters were my favorite, some of the others kind of weighted the story down for me.

This book is a gory but beautifully written multi-generational story about the strength, courage, and perseverance that women carry to overcome the trauma (and literal demons) they endure. I'm so glad I was able to get this in just under the wire of it still being Women's History Month.

I absolutely recommended this book. V. Castro is clearly a talented author, and The Haunting of Alejandra is just so beautifully written, even when the subject matter is ugly. Her take on the tale of La Llorona was new and interesting. She's got a voice with something to say, and I'm glad I got to hear it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: suicide

Beautifully done. There’s generational trauma, but as a foundation for this creepy ghost story, giving it so much heart. Alejandra was struggling with depression as a SAHM, and finding her way to a better place through therapy and connecting with her roots was deeper than I was expecting this story to be. The supernatural was creepy and amazing, its juxtaposition with the mundane making it even more horrifying. I look forward to more from this unique author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

This book is uber creepy, atmospheric, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I noticed a bit of genre blending and i just felt that the story just flowed so beautifully. The retelling of the La Llorona told through generational trauma & battling our own demons, figuratively & quite literally.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I wanted to love this because I’m always looking for more female-centered horror by women. There was just something off about the dialog for me. It felt awkward, too long, and unrealistic. The exposition, of which there was quite a bit, was strange as well.

V. Castro had cemented a reputation as a rising maestro of horror before this book, and THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA only strengthens it. A reimagination and expansion of the La Llorona folk tale, the novel frames.it through the prism of a woman, Alejandra, who comes to know her anger and sadness (particularly at her wet blanket of a husband) is not some mere suburban ennui but the latest manifestation of a centuries-old curse.

Not too many people have written scenes of violence and gore that are as (literally) visceral as what Castro sometimes shows us. But what stands out above all is the core of deep love within Alejandra (and her many ancestors, ranging from 1522 to the hippie 60s). This is an outstanding novel from one of the genre's latest and greatest.

The Haunting of Alejandra
By V. Castro
Publisher Del Rey
Publish date April 18, 2023

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Gothic

What you need to know:
Alejandra is a wife, mother of three children, has no idea who she really is, and is haunted. She is increasingly overwhelmed and tormented by thoughts of worthlessness and suicidal ideations. With a lack of a real support system, she reaches out to a therapist in hopes of healing only to discover her despair runs as deep as bloodlines.

My reading experience:
I connected immediately with Alejandra, easily feeling her pain and loneliness. I empathized with her situation and felt relieved when she reached out for counseling. The book introduces her ancestors and different times lines in completely different sections, which gave me a full understanding of the generational history. I did feel like I had to refocus to the main story line again after each of these sections, which wasn’t difficult, just tiring at times. The Mexican folklore in this story was interesting to me, but I feel like I needed more information. There was plenty of eerie situations and disturbing imagery, and I loved to strong female centered storyline.

I enjoyed this book. I did find it a bit of a slower read than I’m used to. Make sure to read all the way to the end!

This book was definitely not for me. It felt like the first chapter was set up weird and just full of information that could have been expanded on in more chapters. It overwhelmed me. I think readers who liked “The Hacienda” might like this.

Trigger warning: suicide

This book encapsulates so many powerful women, Mexican folklore, with fantasy/horror vibes. It takes place in multiple time periods, all reflecting on women who have seen La Llorona but primarily centers around Alejandra in the present day. Alejandra has recently moved from Texas to Philadelphia with her husband and three children. She is feeling very isolated and depressed and has began to see a figure who is telling her to kill herself. Alejandra seeks professional help from licensed therapist and calundera Melanie. Melanie helps Alejandra to feel connected to her culture and gain an understanding of why La Llorona may be seeking her out. Alejandra determines it is a generational curse and that she is the one who must put a stop to it all.

I really enjoyed the multiple points of view. I think that Flor was my favorite and would have loved to hear a little more from her! I think this book was just the right length to keep me interested. The description of La Llorona did become a bit repetitive at times. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something different in the horror/fantasy/ghost type genres!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved The Haunting of Alejandra!

First Impressions:
I adored the cover art. And I’d be tempted to by the book on that alone.

Strong female characters trying to break a generational trauma cycle that lasts hundreds of years. Lots of La Llorona lore. A creature/demon who whispers the worst into young mother’s ears. A curse that seems like it can never be broken.

This was a real emotion twister of a story. Especially for mother’s of young daughters. I typically love everything from this author and she’s an auto-buy for me. Alejandra was no exception.

A powerful piece of fiction that explores motherhood, identity, misogyny, and Mexican folklore. Alejandra's depression is both heartbreaking and powerfully real, as she tries to navigate being a good mother while dealing with an cruel, unsupportive husband, a troubled relationship with her young kids, and a life that does not reflect the person she wants to be. Part of the horror of this is the is the physical spirit haunting Alejandra, but also the frightening reality of her situation, and the thought that thousands of women are trapped in similar situations across the country. It is also heavily gory, and explores womanhood and the body as a manifestation of horror. As dark as this story is, I also appreciated the brighter moments, such as the beautiful relationship between Alejandra and her birth mother.

I’ve been trying to read more books by Hispanic and Latinx authors so, even though I didn’t enjoy Mexican Gothic as much as I’d hoped, when V. Castro’s upcoming The Haunting of Alejandra was suggested to me because I’d read Mexican Gothic, I decided to at least read the description. The description was intriguing enough that I decided to give The Haunting of Alejandra a chance and I did enjoy it considerably more than Mexican Gothic. The horror elements within The Haunting of Alejandra felt all the more sinister for feeding on such common, relatable, and timeless insecurities of living as a woman, wife, mother, daughter.

Alejandra struggles to get through her days as a stay-at-home mother of three. She is overwhelmed by the demands of caring for her children under the judgmental eyes of her new neighbors, the other mothers at school, and her unsympathetic husband. On several occasions, she only just overcomes the urge to kill herself, a voice in her head egging her on, a veiled and shrouded figure mocking her efforts and encouraging her to give up. As Alejandra’s visions of the veiled woman become more vivid and her children begin to see the woman too, Alejandra decides it is finally time to get help. Finding a therapist whose background makes it easier for Alejandra to also connect to her Mexican heritage (a heritage she is still learning about having been adopted at birth and only recently reconnecting with her birth mother), Alejandra makes a connection between what’s haunting her and the folkloric figure of La Llorona. But it soon becomes clear that it is far from a figment of Alejandra’s imagination tormenting her and her children. Confronting and overcoming her insecurities are only the first steps in the creature that feeds on and revels in her pain and suffering.

My favorite aspect of The Haunting of Alejandra was the way the novel was structured. Balancing Alejandra’s journey to rebuild her mental and emotional strength with the stories of other women in her bloodline who had to contend with the same creature kept the action moving along while also demonstrating the stakes of Alejandra’s struggle. In so many ways it shows how much women’s struggles to balance the demands of raising and caring for their families, of constantly being told that it is your job to sacrifice yourself for the good of others, with what we need as individuals to feel fulfilled has always been there. The incessant judgment, the gaslighting, the dehumanizing. They’ve always been a part of life and continuing on in the face of them is frustrating and infuriating and exhausting. Seeing the various ways different women confront that reality and fight back (even those who eventually succumb) reinforces that they are worth battling and that it’s possible to make it better for future generations.

In many ways, The Haunting of Alejandra is a difficult book to get through, especially in the early chapters when Alejandra’s suffering is so acute. Her relationship with her husband could be so infuriating, I needed to step away from the book for a while. But as she finds the support and encouragement she needs and she grows stronger, the pace of the narrative picks up and it became harder and harder to put down. Though I didn’t care much for the creature as an actual, physical entity, the metaphor behind it worked well enough that I didn’t care. The climactic confrontation was… I don’t know that I’d call it satisfying or thrilling, but it allowed for a satisfactory conclusion and epilogue at least. I enjoyed the novel enough that I might look into reading some of V. Castro’s other available work.

The Haunting of Alejandra will be available April 18, 2023.

This book was well written and engaging but also heavy on triggering mental health content and I felt glorified self harm as a solution in many ways which I didn’t appreciate. An engaging read but I would tell others to proceed with caution.

I fell in love with V. Castro’s writing when I read Goddess of Filth. I’ve been looking forward to reading this since I heard she was writing a book about La Llorona. It’s a story I grew up hearing during my childhood. I can remember kids trying to scare each other in school with the story of the woman who supposedly drowned her children. The stories varied but usually they included a kid imitating the cry of La Llorona, “hay mis hijos.” So, coming from someone who is Mexican and who grew up with this story, I can safely say this book did not disappoint.

I really love how V. Castro’s stories are part horror, part Mexican culture, and part strong female characters. This is especially well done in The Haunting of Alejandra.

Some of the things I enjoyed about this book were the characters, the story, and of course the horror.
The author has a way of making you connect with characters in a short amount of time. The introduction to the main character, Alejandra, was perfectly done. Even if you aren’t a mother, it’s easy to step into her shoes and feel for her. The husband made me angry which tells you that he was very well written. I’m not usually a big fan of switching POVs but I think it really works in this story. I liked getting to know more about Alejandra’s family and where everything started with La Llorona.
The story kept me intrigued all throughout the book. It was interesting to get to see different people at various points in history and how they all connected to Alejandra’s story. The horror in this isn’t what you’d expect. There aren’t any cheap thrills here. The horror is a metaphor for real life generational trauma that people, especially Mexican women, go through. Obviously, it’s not to say that other people don’t go through trauma. This book just focuses on a certain type of trauma but it does also mention that men go through “curses” too.

This book was excellent and I’ll be gushing about it to my family and friends. It’s definitely the type of story that needed to be told. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from V. Castro as she’s quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to V. Castro for writing this story. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine, Del Rey for providing a digital ARC for review.

Alejandra is the stay at home mother of three children. Her husband Matthew has a new job that gives him less time to help out. Not that he ever does anything anyway. Not that he's ever noticed how miserable Alejandra is. Not that he listens when she says she wants to die. But Alejandra isn't alone like she thinks. La Llorona is in the shadows, urging her on.

I went into this thinking it is horror. It definitely has elements but the story is about Alejandra, motherhood, and generational trauma. That is what La Llorona is all about I guess but I was just left confused about this creepy creature. I never quite understood how she went about her business or what/who it really is. There are too many viewpoints, including at times from the creature which didn't work for me. We are introduced it seems to everyone in Alejandra's family tree and their stories are all the same.

I enjoyed the beginning and thought it was a good set up for some haunting. Her relationship with Matthew was relatable but also over the top. Then the creature came out of the dark, sometimes literally, and the creepiness was lost. Alejandra begins talking with a therapist and it seems we read the entire therapy sessions. The haunting feeling goes away as the tone shifts. I think other people might like this a lot more than I did especially if you like milder horror with a focus on women's stories.

I was fortunate enough to get an advanced digital copy from @netgalley (thank you) VCastro is my soul-hermana because I immerse myself in anything she writes! This story was a modern, quasi-retelling of the Mexican legend of La Llorona, or The Weeping Woman, written in a modern setting (La Llorona is the ghost of a mother who killed her children and caused grave misfortune). This was a quasi-retelling and cross-sectional story depicting multigenerational trauma stemming from Alejandra’s grandmother. Alejandra is a stay-at-home mother living a mundane life and researching her background, especially since she was adopted. Because Alejandra feels trapped in what seems to be a monotonous and loveless marriage, she inadvertently allows La Llorona to creep into her life and torment her! The best part? Alejandra was not the only one cursed with this haunting; her mother and grandmother were victims of the same!

Mexican heritage, resiliency, lore, and the supernatural were abundant in this story, and I loved every page! VCastro can interchangeably and smoothly switch from the past to the present with a big heaping scoop of Mexican heritage, culture, and history! And that cover is just gorgeous!

Look out for the release of this book on April 18th!!

Thank you, NetGalley, and Random House publishing group Ballantine for
ARC The Haunting of Alejandra. I finished this fantastic story about a woman who is unhappy with her life. Alejandra struggles to fight the evil thoughts and voices and the Mexican folk demon La Llorona. Who haunted her; with the help of her therapist, Alejandra can break the cycle of depression.

Overall I like this book.

The book opened with Alexandra in the shower contemplating suicide and wanting it desperately. She’s interrupted by her whiny husband asking if she’s going to come cook dinner or not the kids are hungry. She recently reunited with her birth mother and has only negative feelings for her adoptive mother who took her and seven other children in and raised them as Christians. Want to start seeing a therapist she will not only know the DNA of her family tree but the history of devastating lives of the females before her. Although there is a redemption in this book I think it if you suffer from any type of depression don’t read this because I read books to escape and this book made me feel worse than I did before reading it. Her husband gas lights are and has he even taught the children to see her more like a servant then their mother in her times of despair our Johndra gets visited by our Llorona she is the mother of Mexican legend that killed her children to be with her lover and now Romes the earth looking for them and taking the children of other mothers. She has made mini deals with Alexandra‘s ancestors and wants to do the same with Alexandra but just like she’s inherited the females in her families pain she has also inherited their strength and will not give up her children quite so easy. There were a lot of things I found dark and depressing about this book and it’s most of it and as I said although there was a redemption it just wasn’t enough for me to get the book more than two stars. It takes a lot for me to get such a low star rating but this book was just too depressing. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This was such an interesting mix of a contemporary novel mixed with Mexican folklore, specifically the tale of La Llorona. IT follow mostly Alejandra, a modern day woman who is unhappily married and struggling with motherhood when she starts to feel like something isn't right. She's seeing things, and so are her children. She comes to learn more about her ancestors, and subsequent chapters are told through their eyes, as well, as we learn about a monster who goes after women in her bloodline. It was spooky and I had to know what was going to happen!

God this cover is so beautiful!! Sadly, I just couldn't get into the book. I think it's a great premise. I don't really know many Latine authors in the horror genre and especially not any that focus on Mexican lore, motherhood, and generational trauma. These were elements I really enjoyed. But I just couldn't get into the writing. It felt very stilted and unnatural, and at times a bit pretentious? I think that writing in a more literary way is important but I think the author tried too hard when I think the prose could have been simpler. This also made it hard to connect with Alejandra