I’m going to be entirely honest here and say on one hand, this book is sort of a disaster: it repeats, there are multiple places where the chronology is borked, the characters have very little depth in terms of being PEOPLE vs archetypes, and I think it would be just fine at novella length BUT all of that said, I read it in two days, I loved the set up, the take on generational curses, and Alejandra’s journey of self acceptance and growth. I know that books often go through several rounds of additional revisions after ARCs are sent out so I’d be curious to look at a final edition and see what gets sorted and smoothed.

I was VERY excited to be approved for this ARC, but unfortunately this book has not lived up to my expectations and I had to DNF at 35%.

The writing is extremely stiff, awkward, and bland- there is no voice in this book. No personality to our characters! We experience multiple POVs in this book- Alejandra's and her ancestors. However- they all feel the same. Like cardboard cutouts of one another with absolutely no way to differentiate between them save for their names.

The relationship between Alejandra and her husband felt like you could play a game of bingo with all the misogynistic drivel he spouted. I know we are supposed to hate him, but like he was really saying the most stereotypical things at all times.

Overall, this book frustrated the hell out of me and put me in a bad mood.

The concept of this book is extremely interesting—a generational trauma begins far down the main character’s lineage and continues until she finds the strength both within herself and her ancestors to fight it.

However, while an interesting plot, the dialogue was unnatural and unbelievable for many parts of the story and often distracted from the story line. I found myself at times rolling my eyes or shaking my head at the characters for their impromptu monologues that felt out of place in the story.

Overall, the story is a compelling read but could definitely benefit from some more editing.

This was a lot to read, both subject matter and trying to get through it because I will be honest, I was not very entertained. I did not find anything scary and thought a lot of stuff was being thrown at you for shock value.

TW: Cheating, gaslighting, toxic parent relationship, language, death of children, depression, cutting

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 272
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. I love the concept of the book
2. Scary tones

What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts feel dry
2. Boring

Overall Thoughts:
“Alejandra, it’s dinnertime. Are you coming down to cook? The kids are hungry.”
It was in this moment I knew I hated her husband.


Once you hear La Llorona. wondered if she was going to drown her kids (guess I'll never know)

How many hours I clocked on my Peloton to give me this figure I couldn’t even enjoy because I chose the wrong partners time and time again, because I gave away my body like cheap Halloween candy.
What a great line!

I get that this book is about how sad and miserable Alejandra is but she just complains and complains so much that it makes reading this book feel like a chore. I'm exhausted from hearing how nothing makes her happy. Page after page it's her saying her husband sucks, her kids drive her insane, and this isn't the life she wanted. How am I supposed to enjoy reading this book?

Final Thoughts:
In the end I dnfed this book at the 50% mark. I just couldn't keep reading. It's too dry and too boring. It's a short book (under 300 pages) but I felt as though it was a struggle to get through and even care about the characters. So much doesn't happen that it just feels as though you're just pushing through the story hoping SOMETHING happens. I've read 136 pages of Alejandra complain about her life, kids, and family. I agree her husband sucks but doesn't mean that's all I want to read about.

I've enjoyed other stuff from this author but this one missed for me.

Recommend For:
• Women who hate their lives
• Horror stories
• Short books

This book will haunt my dreams!

It's rare to read something so beautiful and also terrifying and V. Castro has nailed that in The Haunting of Alejandra perfectly!

Alejandra recently realized she's unhappily married and the voices and unease she's felt since childhood seem to have gotten worse since she's had her own children. It doesn't help that her husband moved them away from her friends and is never home to help her. Luckily she finds a wonderful therapist to help her out and reconnect with her Mexican roots a bit...and someone finally believes her about the creepy visions she's having.

I really enjoyed Alejandra 's perspective; I could feel the intensity of her emotions and it was a treat to read about her rising up and coming into herself! The past perspectives kept the story from getting dry and the creature 's POV was frightening! I don't know why, but I kept picturing La Llorna mixed with a wet Gremlin as the creature and it thoroughly creeped me out!

This cover is STUNNING, definitely one of the best I've seen in awhile. Thank you so much for the early copy, I really enjoyed this!

I liked the first half much more than the second half. V. Casto is an interesting author. The prose was pretty and well-paced, but unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the family history of the characters. Some parts of the story were confusing and muddled. I liked the present tense, but once the story shifts back into the past tense, I became frustrated and overwhelmed. I love reading horror novels, but this one lacked some punch. It's a good book, just not a favorite.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

DNF at 35 percent.

I agree with other reviewers that this is incorrectly marketed as a horror novel.

Was very excited to read about la llorona as it was a tale I heard a lot about growing up.

Unfortunately the plot and characters just fell flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I was hopeful that this book would be awesome based on the premise of it. I had heard of La Llorona before but never the whole story and was curious how it would be told in this story and/or integrated into Alejandra’s life. I was disappointed because the book was really stale. Whenever the characters talked to each other it seemed so formal and not likely to happen in reality. The therapist that is also a curandera? Kind of weird in my opinion. The book over did it when talking from the creature’s point of view. It was cheesy at some points.

Wow, this is an achingly haunting work of art. Try as I might, I cannot escape the beauty of what I just experienced. This isn’t just a book to read; it isn’t meant to be opened and closed on a whim. It’s a book to be respected; it’s one to dip your toes into, trepidatiously testing its waters, and then ever-so-slowly and respectfully, inch by inch, as its mysteries consume you, begin to immerse yourself fully into its magic until you’re drowning in its influence. It longs to possess every nook and cranny of your heart, your mind, and your very soul, and it plays for keeps.

Who is Alejandra? Yes, that is the question. She is many things to many people, but who is she on her own? As she seeks purpose, she is haunted by La Larona, the Mexican folk demon. By delving into the pasts of the women in her family, can Alejandra banish the demon and recapture her own sense of significance?

This is a story that is tragic: it’s dark; it’s moving. At times, it hurts. The despair propels Alejandra to search for answers, and the possibility of hope compels readers to keep her company on her journey. We are with her. We feel what she feels, and we fear what she fears. The atmosphere suffocates while it hypnotizes. We might want to flee from these pages, but we cannot. We are trapped by the sheer beauty that encompasses the agony of it all.

Is it creepy? Yes. Is it unsettling, threatening, and distressing? Yes, yes, yes. Are those the reasons I’m asking you to read it? No. I’m asking you to read it because it’s powerful. You’re being given the gift of watching Alejandra strive for meaning, for an identity, for freedom. You’re invited to listen to a talented author whisper a story that you will not soon forget. Accept this invitation.

Enjoy!

Mexican folklore mixed with horror. I didn't truly appreciate this story until the very end. This book was a mixture of overcoming generational curses and discovering a true love for self. I will say that some may appreciate a trigger warning for all of the suicide discussion. This may be sensitive for others.

In the beginning, I mostly felt an extreme amount of sorrow for Alejandra because it was clear that in many ways she was really suffering. However, as the tales of her and the other women were woven into the book, I felt an overwhelming understanding and compassion for the struggles that these women faced.

Towards the end, the folklore and imagery really took center stage for me. I'm so glad that I continued to read this story because it truly is a beautiful story.

I am so grateful to have received early access to this horror read from V. Castro, Random House/Ballantine, and NetGalley before it hits shelves on April 18, 2023. The Haunting of Alejandra tells the tale of a generational curse that has stricken women from the same bloodline, where the demonic spirit of La Llorona lusts after their families' death and destruction, especially the souls of their children.

Alejandra has had a rough life, as have her mother and female ancestors before her; the cycle continues to spin onward. As she learns to mother her three children and her man-child husband through their lives, she harbors a sense of resentment toward all four of them, wishing for an escape, envisioning a woman in white who comes to her in hallucinations and dreams. This malevolent seeks to alter their daily life and frighten them into a darkened corner. After reconnecting with her birth mother and seeking help from a therapist, Alejandra equips herself with the family history and wisdom to fight off this ages-old curse and stop it in its tracks for good.

This terrifying read combines Mexican folklore, generational flashbacks, and a haunting environment that will have you sleeping with a nightlight on.

While I enjoy historical fiction/thrillers, I was not impressed by this book. I liked the perspective of the ancestors, but didn't enjoy the perspective of Alejandra.

I thought this was an interesting retelling of La Llarona with some genuinely scary passages. The author addresses postpartum depression and the effects on families while creating a solid horror story.

This had an incredible start and a very satisfying ending, I have never highlighted another book more. My only problem with it was I wanted more of Alejandra. I felt like the alternating POVs with the women in Alejandras blood line started to feel a pretty repetitive. I loved the first few chapters and related so much to Alejandra, but up until the 60% mark it seemed to drag a bit. Once I hit the 60% mark, I was flying through it and loved the ending.

To be honest as I began to read this I was unsure of it and if I was even going finish it much less like it. However, the more I read the more engrossed I became. It's honestly a very creepy and all around beautiful read. I don't even know where to begin. Initially I thought it was a simple ghost story, but it is so much more! It's a powerful read that deals with depression and multigenerational family issues.

This is the third book I’ve read by V. Castro and I have to say she just keeps getting better. This story is both painful and beautiful , touching on generational curses, generational trauma, the beauty and horror of motherhood, and the pain of being a woman. It resonated deeply with me as I think it will for anyone who has lived as a woman. I can’t wait to read more of her work and am so thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was a good story about folklore and a curse that follows a family for generations. I was not terribly familiar with the Mexican culture until I started working at a bilingual school. Not only did I make some great friends, I learned so much about their beliefs. And, they take their stories very seriously.

La Llorona is a creepy story to begin with, but this author describes the 'demon' in such amazing detail. When Alejandra describes her despair and how she felt after the birth of each of her children and the lack of feeling from her husband you could really feel it. I didn't care for her husband and felt he dismissed her easily.

The book really took a turn for me when she met her therapist, who I absolutely loved. This was an interesting tale about how far you will go to save yourself and your family.

First of all V. Castro is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. As a Mexican woman who grew up in the states I like Alejandra feel a disconnect from my own culture, traditions, and mythology. Reading V. Castro's books has been like a beacon in the dark for me, an introduction to myths and legends that I should have grown up knowing.
I went into The Haunting of Alejandra exhilarated, I grew up hearing the stories of La Llorona (and I swear I even saw her in Guanajuato, but that is another story!) I was very much looking forward to a spooky story about this being. And this book was that, but it also wasn't.
What it was was a beautiful story about mothers and daughters, and the generational curses and trauma that we have to overcome. Do I wish that it had been scarier and more "typical" horror yes, but that is because I love to be scared. There were some genuinely creepy and scary parts but when I was done with the book all I wanted to do was light a candle for my ancestors and call my mom. It was moving in ways that I did not expect and I continue to look forward to anything that V. Castro writes.
NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine were kind enough to provide me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.