I received this book at the very end of August and have been taking my time with it. I wanted to enjoy the story and not speed read it to hit a yearly reading goal. That being said, I loved this book from start to finish.

What can I say about The Haunting of Alejandra?

It’s dark. It’s painful. It’s a generational curse. But it’s also about Alejandra’s personal struggles. I personally believe a lot of people will relate to Alejandra’s mental health in this book. It’s a really well written display of postpartum depression and loss of identity after having children. V.castro’s writing constantly reminds us that Alejandra loves her children, but laments about losing herself and her interests in the process of raising them. That, plus a useless husband who berates her for not being happy with the comfortable life that he’s “given” her only adds fire to the fuel. This is a horror book but it’s more than just a ghost story. It’s a woman struggle with taking care of herself.

Castro takes the tale of La Llorona and makes it her own in this story. Using the imagery of La Llorana, she’s created a horror that lingers with you after you’ve finished the book. She created a being that’s been pursuing Alejandra’s family for generations with a hunger that can’t be satisfied. The moments of horror are full of gore and suspense, especially with the final confrontation at the end. Usually, i find multiple POVs a little too much after awhile but because all of the POVs were connected to Alejandra in some way, it really showed how this creature has impacted the women through the years.

This was a beautiful book and I think V. Castro deserves all the praise she’s getting already for this. This book doesn’t come out until April 18, 2023 but I was very kindly given a digital ARC through Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. Thank you for the early access and all opinions are my own. V. Castro is one of my favorite authors and I loved this.

I finally finished!!!! This book idk if I’m just a slow reader or whattttt but when my kindle said 1 hour left in the chapter I was turned off. BUUTTTTT I did it!!! and I’m so glad I did. The chapters have a lot to them but the story is worth it. This book was sooo interesting and had me hooked even just from it’s beautiful cover. It was interesting seeing the Mexican legend of La Llorona come to life. The author describes everything makes you feel the same way Alejandra feels. You get the POV of Alejandra in present day and also the past. This “horror” book forsure keeps you on edge and is worth the read during spooky season. This book I believe comes out April 18th 2023 and you will want to add this to your TBR. I promise.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Net Galley for the ability to read the ARC of this book for my honest review. I look forward to recommending this to friends.

a stunning literary horror - more character/psychological focused as opposed to supernatural or gory scares, really well written with some great quotes

**Rounded up to 3.85**
I enjoyed reading a book inspired by Mexican folklore. Mexican history and folklore is an area I would love to see more books of. It's rich, complex, and unfortunately not mainstream knowledge.

I am hoping the book received final edits before publication so that this author deserved the success they deserve. The beginning portion of getting to know Alejandra's mental state was too long and meandering. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish, but unfortunately it could leave to readers DNF'ing the book since it doesn't pick up until 70% in. Two- three chapters is enough if they alternate POVs are kept in the final copy.

Overall, this book was rather enjoyable.. work revisions it has the potential to be fantastic.

First of all, this cover is absolutely fantastic! I love horror based off of folklore and I was very excited that this was about a Mexican American main character with a generational curse. La Llorona is one of the creepiest urban legends in Mexico, and something I deeply connect to as a Mexican reader. My family has had experiences with La Llorona so I dived into this one with high expectations (we’re a superstitious bunch and Mexico is haunted as hell, ok). Castro put a great spin on a familiar tale. Plus there were so many rich, important themes about motherhood, generational trauma, and depression. However, I just couldn’t connect with the writing style. The dialogue between characters felt stilted and the inner monologues didn’t read any better either. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the exchanges between characters. The last 20% a bit disappointing, but all plot points were at least resolved. I wish this had been scarier, too. The timeline shifts were interesting but I think revealing the past timelines closer to the beginning would have been more impactful. There were several typos that I’m sure will be corrected before release day, so I’m not factoring that into my rating. Overall, strong effort with lots of potential but it ended up being a miss for me. I’ve read some great reviews though from readers that enjoyed it so still worth giving a shot if you enjoy supernatural horror.

A book with my name on the cover? Yes, please! Let me tell you how excited I was that I was approved to read the Advanced Readers Copy! Also, how stunning is this cover?? This story was creepy, and I think it did a good job in building the world of Alejandra and her ancestors. Alejandra is depressed and feeling lost in her marriage and as a mom of 3. She starts hearing things and seeing a crying woman in a white dress. This woman is La Llorona, a very well known Mexican folklore entity. She is said to have drowned her children and goes around crying out for them. (When I was in second grade some kids from school told me she would take children to replace her own. I was CREEPED OUT.) Alejandra decides to reach out for help to a therapist who is also a curandera. With her therapist’s help she starts to uncover a generational curse that has haunted her lineage for centuries. She must be strong, and believe in herself, in order to break this curse and save herself and her children.

Thank you NetGalley, Del Rey, and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

My review will be posted on my Instagram account (@booksandbackstreet) closer to the publication date.

Here in the Haunting of Alejandra some of what Castro does so well really shines through. To start with, the horror: ancient, eldritch, and never what you expect; a gorgeous reconstruction of folklore and history; and while tied to death, violence, and the gore of blood, binds it to the life and blood ruled by women. This book absolutely shines in what is clearly becoming a strength for Castro and that is - hear me out - women's horror. By that, I absolutely do not mean that this is horror for women. No. I mean that it takes the blood, gore, and violence of the supernatural, matches it to the violence and brutality of history and everyday life, reminds you to think fully about all the things that blood can mean, think about where there is death and life and all the ways it can be mediated, and how we endure brutality whether natural or supernatural. It centers, in many ways, a woman's body and all the ways that a woman's body is tied to the world and time itself, as the forge that centers horror and can turn the tide either way. I've read a growing pile of horror, and Castro is visceral in a way few others match.

In addition to an incredible eye and nuance for horror and what that can mean, Castro excels at diving into history and absolutely knows where to get you in the turnabout. (view spoiler). Not only was this excavation of la Llorona pleasing in all the ways, the flashbacks in time were some of the best segments of the book, hands down. When it comes to horror, history, folklore, or story, Castro knows what they are doing.

Here's where I was a little disappointed: I've previously read Goddess of Filth, which was fantastic, but a relatively short novella. I was excited for a full length novel where there was more time for the story, more room for the writing. Instead, sometimes it felt as though the writing was there purely to serve the plot - at times, the dialogue felt stilted or sections of a chapter would feel as though it was there to take us, as effectively as possible, from one point in the story to the next. Despite Alejandra being our title character, she was the one that often felt most forced, where her ancestors often felt as though they were coming through the page. Her storyline, while the thrust of the novel, fell flat. Her growth and insights didn't always feel believable. I was hoping that was earlier in the novel as an effect of her dissociation, but it remained the same throughout. I think this may be the incredibly rare situation where, if this book had another 100 pages while adding no new plot lines, major events, or significant scenes, it would be all the better for it. (Usually I'd argue the opposite).

Overall, there are parts here that you'll love and I have no doubt stay with you - as a storyteller, Castro has power. However, the other half suffers from some mechanistic exposition and dialogue that at times stick out like a sore thumb. Still recommend, and absolutely 100% still stand by V. Castro as one to watch.

This book includes dark themes. Check all content warnings.

What if the pain and suffering of your people never went away? What if it were inherited like other priceless heirlooms? What if it waited until you were most vulnerable, lonely, and sad to manifest itself? Except it came to you as La Llorona and whispered in your ear?

Alejandra finds out that some curses are real and supernatural enough to need the help of not just any doctor or therapist, but requires the help of a curandera, a healer that uses traditional Latin American, non-Western medicine.

Simultaneous to Alejandra's story we learn of the strength of her Mexican ancestors: how they battled the conquistadors, fought for their own independence, and how the legend of La Llorona was born of a woman's desperation and deep love for her children.

Will Alejandra be strong enough to stop the curse, save her children from future torment, and end La Llorona? There's only one way to find out!

Content warning: self harm, suicidal ideation, abortion, spousal abuse

I have loved everything this author has put out there so far. This was probably my favorite, as of yet. Folk lore of a creepy myth. A great story. Good for Halloween.

This book is everything I'd expect from V. Castro: heartbreaking, by turns wildly depressing and exhilarating, and ferocious. It starts dark/bleak and keeps it up, but there are somewhat lighter moments to be found along the way. I was super excited to hear that Castro was doing a novel-length take on La Llorona, and this book did not disappoint.

Ah, Motherhood. It's a joy most days, but there are those days when you wonder if you've done anything right, will the exhaustion end and will you ever not worry about your children? What happens when those fears turn into something real? As in a curse.

THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA is a sort of retelling of La Llorona. We find Alejandra in the midst of what appears to be post-partum depression.

Alejandra is dealing with a lot. She's in a loveless marriage with three kids trying to find her self worth while forming a new relationship with her birth mother who gave her up for adoption when she was a baby. Enter the horror portion of the story.

Alejandra realizes the creature/ghost/La Llorona folklore is real. And she's got to find a way to stop it before it harms her and her children.

With the help of her therapist, her mother and her ancestors who died before her because of the creature, she fights to end the curse once and for all.

I really enjoyed the Mexican folklore aspect. I was quite emotional as Alejandra fought from the depths of despair from motherhood and her marriage to realizing she had to get rid of the creature in order to have a life, a happy life, with her children.

The story was a bit more historical fiction than I normally enjoy with timelines flipping through centuries. However, it all added up to the present time which made sense.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for an e-copy of THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA to review.

I rate THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA four out of five stars.

The Haunting of Alejandra is the perfect blend of Mexican folklore and modern-day fears of motherhood. It is haunting, sad, and scary all at the same time. I really liked the main character Alejandra, I could really feel her emotions through V. Castro's writing. I also like the dual timeline.

I was nervous to start this book as I didn't have any idea of what to expect. I make it a point to read books with subject matter from different cultures as much as I can, but I was nervous that I had bit off more than I could chew with this one. What I found, however, was much more than I could have ever expected.

This book starts with Alejandra in the thick of post-partum depression. I seriously read the first 10-15% of the book through tears because I could relate so much to Alejandra's experience. I suffered from post-partum depression after my first child and it felt like the deepest, darkest pit and I'd never be able to get out of it. I'm grateful to have had an amazing support system that helped me get out of it. I really felt for Alejandra as she didn't have that support at home. I think this aspect of the book was done extremely well, and I appreciated that the author used therapy and talked so much about Alejandra not just healing for her children, but also healing for herself because she was just as important.

This book was SO creepy. It is the perfect spooky season read and if you're looking for horror, this one definitely takes the cake. It was so spooky that I almost wasn't sure I'd be able to finish it. I would say the story is medium paced, but I needed to know how it ended so I couldn't put it down. I didn't have any problems with the timelines and thought that they overall story timeline was done well.

Overall, this creeped me out so so so much, but it had a great underlying message and I would highly recommend it!

Review will be posted on my instagram (@readingwithtrey) at the end of March 2023.

First the book cover is beautiful and the story manages to successfully combine horror, Mexican folklore of La Llorona with womens fiction.

Alejandra is a wife and mother to 3 young children who has become disillusioned with her current life and has thoughts of suicide. She has begun to see visions of a haunting woman who means to take her life and daughters in the future. She is lucky to find a therapist who also uses curanderia in her practice and together they explore the nature of these hauntings. As they discover Alejandra's (and now her children"s) dreams and visions are a result of a generational curse, Alejandra reaches out to her birth mother to support her in ending the curse with her. The Mexican folklore tale of La Llorona is explored in this story but this is also a story of a woman finding herself while trying to save herself and her children. It was perfect read for Halloween season and Hispanic Heritage Month!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Ballentine for this ARC read in e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Anyone living in Los Angeles is familiar with the lore of La Llorona, mostly because people claim that oftentimes at night, they can hear her crying. So of course when this novel popped up on my radar I knew that I simply HAD to read it. Castro’s novel is part Mexican lore and part generational curse and WOW anyone who’s a woman can relate to Alejandra’s plight as she tries to keep a happy exterior as marital pressures and her own dissatisfaction come to a head when La Llorona begins to haunt her. The novel explores the trials and tribulations that span across generations and how each woman has been affected by their encounter with La Llorona. The novel was both creepy and difficult read as women can easily see how often in marriages they’re expected to be mothers and wives first and foremost and to leave all sense of self behind. Alejandra finds herself at a crossroads when the haunting begins – she’s so unhappy with her life that death seems the only way out. I enjoyed learning more about the lore and Mexican history – that’s so rich, diverse, and oftentimes devastating. La Llorona was very terrifying in her descriptions that pale to any Hollywood version of her ever made. This book was riveting, terrifying, and utterly timely. I recommend it if you love your horror with a feminist edge.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Haunting of Alejandra was marketed as a horror novel, but the horror just doesn't take a stand in the story. Too much of the story works as a literary and historical fiction, and the horror takes a backseat for most of the novel. I expected La Llorona to do more in Alejandra's story than she did, and I was thoroughly disappointed. I didn't expect having so many perspectives for this story, and it got in the way of what the story wanted to achieve.

As for the characters, I think that the eldest daughter was two different characters and the author didn't know which personality would work best, so she used both. I also think that Alejandra's husband was so cruel that he became unrealistic. It didn't make sense that Alejandra's post-partum depression was so bad that this man wouldn't bother to notice the real toll it took on his wife. Their relationship wasn't believable to me.

Overall, this novel set out to tell a story without sticking to its premise...which was a different story than what was written.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for giving me the chance to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

When the book begins, the MC is in a very dark place, thinking suicide her only recourse to stop the depression and anxiety she constantly feels. As a stay at home mother, she is floundering, lacking a clear identity or purpose. Her emotional state is heart wrenching, Despite that, she never developed into a fully realized character.

I was somewhat familiar with the creepy tale of of La Llorona. It was interesting to learn more about her and about Mexican culture.

However the pacing was inconsistent and the writing unnecessarily repetitive and couldn't sustain my interest.

Generational Trauma, Body Horror, Colonization, Sexism, Racism, death, depression

I want to thank Netgalley and Random House for allowing me to read this book.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a beautifully crafted novel that centerizes femininity in the horror genre. It was a breath of fresh air to see femininity being represented through a lense other than the male gaze. The story gives a voice and authority to the women of the story. The haunting and ghost elements have a double meaning metaphorically and litearally. Metaphorically the ghost is generational trauma. Literally the ghost takes on the form of La Llorona. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend reading it.

A young woman, Alejandra, struggles with darkness and trying to find her identity while coping with the burdens of being a wife and mother. Visited by a ghostly vision in white, La Llorona, in her darkest hours she begins to question her sanity. After visiting a therapist, she begins exploring her matriarchal family history and realizes the women who came before her were also haunted by the specter. She will have to pull from her foremother’s strength and courage if she wants to save herself

The Haunting of Alejandra is a tale of identity and despair which follows one woman's haunting by La Llorona, a vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. This was the perfect addition to my fall reading list and I don't see many tales about La Llorona so I was pretty excited to start this one. I wanted to love this novella so much but I had such a hard time with it. This novella is beautifully written but Alejandra's struggles with "darkness" were a little too overwhelming for me. I felt like this authors writing style was very similar to that of Mariana Enriquez so if you enjoy her writing style then you will probably like this author just as much. Although this wasn't a good fit for me I think many readers will really enjoy this haunting tale of Mexican folklore and history.

I don't give out many 1 stars, in fact I think this is only the second time I've done so. I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.

THE CONCEPT
This is marketed as a retelling of La Llorona, which is a folktale I have always been familiar with.

THE PLOT
Alejandra is a mother of three and is experiencing severe depression. Her marriage is a crumbling thing; she feels zero support from her husband and has no friends since their move to a new city. Alejandra hears a voice in her head that feeds into her suicidal thoughts. This voice tells her she is a terrible mother and that there is only one way out. Alejandra also begins to see a strange figure lurking in dark corners. She starts to think that this being isn't a hallucination, but a very real entity that wants to harm her and her children. With the help of a curandera, Alejandra learns more of her ancestry and the possibility of a generational curse that has been affecting the women in her family for centuries.

WHY IT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME
La Llorona is a story I grew up hearing (belonging to the folklore of many Latin American countries), so despite my genuine intrigue, I can't say this book met any of my expectations.

To put it simply: I didn't enjoy the writing and plot execution. I found the writing to be scattered, like it didn't know what it wanted to be. The metaphors and similes made cringe and felt extremely forced. The dialogue was always so overly convenient and made the characters feel one dimensional.
The plot was somehow incredibly basic and convoluted at the same time. I can appreciate Alejandra's character arc, truly I can, but it wasn't enough to make me enjoy this. I wanted a horror retelling of La Llorona, but it missed the mark for me. I get creeped out pretty easily, but the boredom was so great that I didn't find anything overly chilling, and the way La Llorona is integrated felt very unimportant. I can also appreciate the exploration of Mexican culture (e.g. Día de los Muertos), but even those elements fell short in the grand scheme of things. They felt thrown into the story at random times when convenient.

I would never wanna put anyone off to reading something that genuinely intrigues them, so I hope my experience isn't the case for the majority of those that read this.

TW: suicide, blood, gore, murder, abuse

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.