My first read from V. Castro! A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona, but this is not entirely a horror story, its a contemporary woman’s fiction about motherhood, legacy and self-love! All the things I love to read + horror. Great concept and story, but too many characters in the past timeline that really didn’t play much in the current timeline.

Reasons you should read this book—
1. Unique imagination of the myth
2. Relatable and realistic story
3. For the love of self-discovery and overcoming
4. societal pressure.
5. Altering povs & timelines
6. atmospheric setting.

Thank you Delrey via Netgalley for the ebook!

This book had such a good idea. I loved the demon and the twist on what it was. Also, I liked the different POVs and time periods, with all the different strong women. I did get a little bored at times, and the main POV was my least favorite and seemed to drag on. But overall, the writing was wonderful and it had a really, really strong idea.

As usual, V Castro writes a story that hits close to home. Her characters are always relatable, authentic and realistically flawed. In particular, Alejandra embodies one of the many possible outcomes of life decisions, especially for many of us that feel like we have limited choices. I greatly empathized with her sadness, feelings of regret, and dissatisfaction with the state of her life. But also, the struggle with conflicting feelings of love and gratitude for her children.
She expertly blends the real-world horrors women face every day with the supernatural forces creating a story that rings true and grips the reader. I was drawn in by the larger story of Alejandra's family history and seeing how each woman decisions affect the generations after. Also, how the different woman dealt with the societal pressures and the curse preying on them and their daughters. I appreciated the incorporation of Mexican folklore and unique imaginings of their origin.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and am looking foward to reading more of V. Castro's work.

I enjoy media related to the myth of La Llorona, so I was looking forward to this one! I am a big fan of V. Castro's other works (especially Goddess Filth) so I was glad to have a chance to read this one. I love how Castro weaves in history and the ancestors of the characters, and I think it was so eloquently done in this one. A great read overall.

i have tried reading this one multiple times (around 5 attempts) and i cannot get through it. the writing isn't my style at all and i do not like the characters enough to motivate me to get over the writing style - it's bland and awkward. the dialogue especially is lacking and you can tell it's forced. the book does feature different POVs, but they all have the same exact narrative voice.

I tried picking this title up twice and wasn't able to get into it. The writing was incredible, but personally there wasn't enough story to go along with the dread. This author is truly wonderful, and I will absolutely give another one of their titles a try, this one just wasn't for me unfortunately.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for providing me with an e-arc of this work. I have been a huge fan of V. Castro's work since I read Goddess of Filth. I appreciate how the author continues to expose the horrors of what it is to be a woman through the genre. The Haunting of Alejandra is a testimony to healing the divine feminine through the healing of one's trauma, on a generational and individual level. Stories like this are essential to sharing the feminine experience. Bouncing off the legend of La Llorona, Castro takes us on a journey of freedom from a greedy demon and healing that spans generations.

My biggest problem with the story is that I wish it were set up in a slightly different manner. We constantly change POVs and get constant stimulation with every character in third-person omniscient. I genuinely could care less about Alejandra's husband's opinions. Still, I highly recommend this work and found it incredible.

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 9 | Atmosphere: 8 | Writing: 8 | Plot: 7 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 6 | Enjoyment: 8
Total: 7.71 / 4 Stars

The Haunting of Alejandra took me by genuine surprise. I was concerned that this story would feel too contemporary-pretending-to-be-horror, but that wasn't what we got. Instead, we got a terrifying but beautifully written story portraying generational trauma's depths. As Alejandra is haunted, she learns her familial history, specifically the history of motherhood. This story unfolds in ways I wouldn't have expected, showing tales through different historical lenses. And the horror is horrifying, the descriptors of the creature haunting her were jarring and scary- which was exactly what I wanted from it. This was well done, and well written.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I read the premise of this book and knew immediately that I had to request it! I love La Llorona and the folklore that surrounds the stories, it has always fascinated me. I feel like the author did such a fantastic job at showing the readers about multigenerational trauma and how it can be passed down and showing how one person in a family can stop the trauma and from continuing to be passed down. The thing that took me away from the storyline was all the multiple POV and continuing to go back in time. I understood how it was meant to add to the storyline, but I feel like it added a lot of unnecessary characters and ended up confusing me more than if those parts had just not been added. I feel like these parts just made the book a little choppy at times and just took me away from the storyline. Overall, I feel like it was still a decent book and would recommend it to readers!

The concept of this book is super cool. The weaving of multiple POVs across different generations of women in the same ancestry to present the same generational trauma was such a great concept. The use of an old folklore like La Llorona to showcase that trauma further was also cool as all hell. The author did such a great job at making me claustrophobic when describing Alejandra’s life. Unfortunately, the concept wasn’t enough for me to completely love this book. The writing style just wasn’t for me. It felt choppy and the dialogue unnatural. It was a lot of telling us what was going on or what someone was thinking instead of showing us. I couldnt really feel engaged to the characters. For such a short book I felt like it dragged on. Shame, because I felt like they had such a great concept and backdrop and would have loved to have loved this.

This was my first time reading a horror book. and as someone that isn’t a big fan of the genre as a whole this was a great story!
I felt like the character of Alrjandra was approachable in the fact that she is someone that we all know and exists in this world or someone we fear becoming in our relationships. Dealing with losing themselves in marriage
V castro really brings together Mexican folklore and the breaking of generational curses in a gripping tale of women banding together drawing the power of their ancestors to help rid their bloodline of this creature that has haunted them for centuries.
This book is an exceptional pick up! Especially during the spooky season.
It would also make for a fun limited episode show or short film.

Read this book towards the end of 2022 and I'm almost certain it'll be one of my favorite 2023 reads.

I grew up hearing stories about La Llorona, so I loved Castro's take on this Mexican folklore. I also really appreciated the themes of generational curses/traumas, motherhood, curanderismo, belonging, and empowerment.

This would make an excellent book club pick, and I'd also love to see it adapted to a mini-series.

I REALLY liked the premise for this book, but the writing style just didn't hold my attention and I could feel this one driving me towards a reading slump. Read the last 2/3 of the book fairly quickly just so I could get done with it.

"the creature you saw is no vision or hallucinations. i believe your generational trauma is manifesting as a creature."
i enjoyed this a lot more than i originally thought, going into this rather blind. this is not the type of supernatural horror most would expect but rather horrific of real life occurrences at a slower rate. my favorite part about this book was the perspective shifts from our main characters ancestors that showed how generational can affect the bloodline. my personal fav was flor's chapter. although this book was a different kind of scary, the imagery of the la llorona was very unsettling, though my least favorite part of the entire story was the repetition of the creature's white dress which is such a small complaint in the grand scheme of this great book.
thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for a honest review.

THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA by V. Castro (Goddess of Filth, Queen of the Cicadas, Out of Aztlan)

Release Date: April 18th, 2023
General Genre: Adult Horror, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic
Subgenre/Themes: Motherhood, Suicidal Ideation, Generational trauma, folklore, ghosts, La Llorona, colonization, personal agency, female empowerment
Writing Style: Multiple POV, Multiple timelines

What You Need to Know: Alejandra is struggling to thrive. She is weighed down and overwhelmed. She is not finding fulfillment in her role as a mother or a wife. Seeking help for her mental health crisis, Alejandra visits a therapist who helps her unravel a generational curse and the revelation that she can battle this demon once and for all.

My Reading Experience: I show up to V. Castro's books to experience her unique brand of horror that highlights the female experience, Mexican culture (traditions, superstitions, and folklore), a sensuality typically lacking in the genre, and fierce, vengeful goddesses/demons.

The Haunting of Alejandra promises in the synopsis a story involving the colonial era mythological demon-ghost, La Llorona, so expectations were high going into this one.
The book has a strong opening as readers become acquainted with the protagonist, Alejandra, and her very personal struggles. Castro leans into a style of communicating the domestic drama through the lens of Alejandra's thought-life instead of situational exposition which is effective for generating empathy for Alejandra but didn't get me invested in the story. I was longing to get outside her head long enough to put a fuller picture together of the family dynamic.
In other words, the long chapters of Alejandra's mental dialog felt repetitive and claustrophobic at times. Conversations between characters felt thin because I didn't feel like other characters were as developed as Alejandra. The husband is just a stand-in, poised to say or do reactionary things to set Alejandra into a tailspin; too much telling--not enough showing.

However, once Castro introduces other timelines and POVs, the plot breaks free from the static energy and is more compelling.
However, it does need to be said that jumping back and forth in time with a new woman's story pulls the reader out of the existing narrative and requires focus in order to settle in again which is jarring and does generate reader-fatigue. I felt it throughout the middle of this book.
My favorite sections of this story were Castro's detailed descriptions of La Llorona-- "The Weeping Woman".
She is vividly and viscerally haunting the pages of this book. The last 30% or so was my favorite part of the book, Castro shines when she's climbing toward the climax of suspense.
I have to mention that longtime fans who have enjoyed other books from this author will appreciate some integration. I saw a few Easter eggs and they made me smile.
As a longtime fan, I think it needs to be said that sometimes, the strong female leads sound the same. It's not a bad thing, I love Castro's fictional women, it's just an observation. I longed for Alejandra to stand out in some way, a unique, physical description, a flaw, a different way of speaking, something to set her apart from other Castro women, but it's ok that she stands among them as another resilient, beautiful, Latina. I will always and forever show up for everything and anything Castro has to offer horror lovers. V. Castro's passion and imagination have me hooked.

Final Recommendation: This book appeals to readers who enjoy female-centered horror, cultural folklore, realistic portrayal of common struggles in motherhood and marriage, positive representation of therapy and curanderas, themes of smashing the patriarchy and colonizers, fluid sexuality, and strong, powerful women.

Comps: The Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo, Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro, The Good House by Tananarive Due, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

As a woman investigates her past, she finds herself haunted by La Llarona. I wish this had been spookier from the start. I find it hard to get into instead of it pulling me in.

"I want the souls of children , their innocence. And I want you. All your terror and pain that grows day by day. Every ill word you speak about yourself . All your hate, the despair. I want to devour you as you decay inside.”

Alejandra is a Mexican woman adopted and raised by a mostly white family. She is unhappy in her marriage and miserable taking care of her children. She starts being haunted by a vision of a crying woman in white - La Llorona. Alejandra discovers that the women in her family are cursed to be haunted by La Llorona, who is said to have murdered her children, and is after Alejandra to lead her to the same fate.

This story was great. We explore multiple women in Alejandra's family and learn more about her culture and heritage. It's a great twist on generational trauma.

Thank you netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very heavy with trigger warnings. There are explicit mentions of self-harm, suicide, and depression. Please be mindful of these themes going into the book. The most basic plot of The Haunting of Alejandra is exactly what the title says. A Chicana mother is haunted by La Llorona, a haunting figure of Mexican folklore who is drawn to women in distress. However, this book alternates chapters between Alejandra’s story and other women throughout Mexican history. There are wonderful conversations about generational trauma and female grief. The reader follows these women through time and experiences their pain firsthand. La Llorona is a symbolic representation of this female grief, so using that folk tale as the medium to discuss generational pain is an effective one. There are also enlightening discussions about Mexican culture and their relationship to death, specifically Día de los Muertos, La Catrina, and of course, La Llorona. The Haunting of Alejandra also explores generational relationships between women. We see the relationship Alejandra has with her birth mother, having been adopted at an early age. The protagonist also struggles with connecting with her own daughters. It is a wonderful expression of female relationships and communication between generations. There just tends to be an over-saturation of description and internal characterization as well. The reader understands that Alejandra is not in a good state of mind and struggling with depression – we don’t need to be reminded of it every other sentence. The book definitely improved as it went on – it was a bit difficult for me to get into at the beginning. It was a good read but I don't think id re read it.

V. Castro has given us a very different twist on the La Llarona folklore, a generational haunting covering the lives and loves of a number of women from different backgrounds and in different situations, but tied together by family, or by magic and folklore. The bulk of the novel is spent in the minds of the various women, their rich backstories, their dreams and disappointments. It's not a book filled with action. The horrors are packed tightly into intense pockets between the stories narratives, but they are like dark flashes that stick with you long after the story has ended.

This book was dark and full of anguish. The struggle to be happy and fulfilled is real and reaches epic proportions that made me pretty uncomfortable. The dynamic Alejandra reaches out from the pits of despair for help and it comes from unexpected places. The haunting portion of the book is no scarier than the existential crises suffered throughout. This book is deep, and a bit slow, but has a powerful message. Definitely won’t be for everyone, but I found it an interesting and well-written story. Thank you to Del Ray Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.