Alejandra is a wife and mother of three who is suffering from depression and falling further into the all consuming darkness surrounding her. She starts to have visions of a ragged woman in a white dress weeping, and it leaves her with an unsettling feeling of despair. With little support at home and her birth mother now living further away, she begins to see a therapist and explores her family history.

It is then that she discovers the depth of the generational trauma that has affected the women in her family. They too saw the weeping woman known as La Llorona, a Mexican folk demon who was once believed to be a vengeful and murderous mother. Alejandra is struggling against the pull of La Llorona, but she also channels the strength of her ancestors to fight back and attempt to break the curse that has plagued her family for generations.

This was a dark book with a slow burn, and you really need to be in the right headspace to read it. At times I could relate to Alejandra, especially when she was at her breaking point and started losing her sense of self. We’ve all had moments where we fall into a pit of despair and the darkness continues to pull us under, but we need to find a way to utilize the tools we’ve been offered, whether through therapy or wisdom passed down from family and friends, to break free and thrive. I really admire the author for handling topics like depression and suicidal ideation with respect and consideration for the characters and readers. Though the subject matter was a bit grim, I still really enjoyed the story overall and the folklore behind it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Alejandra is struggling in her motherhood, in her marriage and life. She's spiraling, drastically and the darkness is threatening to take over her life. In one of her lowest points she sees an apparition of a woman in a white dress and believes it's La Llorona. Alejandra reaches out for help to a therapist to start getting in touch with her heritage and she learns of a Mexican generational curse that was placed on her family line. With the help of her ancestors she must overcome this demon and change her future and her kids future, for the better.

There was something about this book that I just couldn't connect with for some reason. I didn't enjoy any of the characters and I can't put my finger on it, but there was something in the writing that didn't hit for me. Although! Castro's descriptions were AMAZING! She knew how to get you into the creepy mood and there was a moment where I didn't want to read this at night because I got too spooked out, so that was a Win! If you are a horror fan, this is worth read but I'm hoping Castro's next novel hooks me a bit better.

This was a really great read from an emerging latinx author. Will definitely read their future work and would recommend for fans of Silvia Moreno Garcia, Ava Reid, and Erin Craig.

It wasn't until after i accepted this book, I began to wonder what did I get myself into, especially since it was being marketed as a horror, and I am no where near a fan of the genre. Although it had a couple of scenes that turned my stomach a little, It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, which totally shocked me. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It also had a very important theme that is rarely talked about that needs to be talked about more. This book was phenomenal, and I will stay in my mind for a good while.

The Haunting of Alejandra has an interesting concept that fell a bit flat because of sterile writing and an at-times confusing and nonsensical plot.

The good bits. I found the generational stories about women throughout history that were plagued by La Llorona to be super interesting. The story of La Llorona herself was interesting. The base bones of the novel were good - a novel about the ghost of La Llorona? With a feminist twist, steeped in Mexican culture? Sign me up.

The iffy/bad bits. The Haunting of Alejandra is about and somehow is not about La Llorona. Without spoilers, the big bad guy in the novel is not actually La Llorona but something else. I found this bit to be a little confusing and not what I was expecting in a disappointing way. I could look past this, however, if it were not for the lackluster and sterile writing. I felt like I was reading an essay about La Llorona and Alejandra instead of a horror novel. It made it very hard to be attached to the characters. The ending of the novel was also a bit wonky and confusing. Again, without spoiling anything, not much was explained and the characters somehow just knew what to do in order to solve the big problem.

That being said, I did enjoy The Haunting of Alejandra for what it taught me about La Llorona. I also always appreciate novels that take a good, hard look at motherhood. If these things also appeal to you, then give The Haunting of Alejandra a try. Maybe the bits that bothered me will not be as glaringly obvious to you. 2.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Horror/thriller books are not something that I normally gravitate to and I am so glad that I did. This book was emotionally charged from the very beginning. Lots of triggers present so be sure to check the warning before diving into this one.

Exploring generational trauma, motherhood, depression, anxiety and so many other themes. It was heartbreaking to see this character in a place wear she was drowning and no one was trying to save her. I loved the exploration of the Mexican folklore something that I have not heard much about before.

This is a surprisingly must read for me if you are in the mood for something different to dive into. Interested in reading more by this author!

Alejandra is defined as wife, mother, and adoptive daughter, but she’s losing herself to a darkness and generational curse that threatens to consume her. She goes on a journey to end the haunting of La Llorna and to reclaim herself as her own.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, and I ended up doing it on audio thanks to Libro.fm. The narration is excellent. The pacing kept me involved, and I loved the generations of women, learning about their struggles their strength in a world set against them. The magical, mystical, and paranormal elements, of course, were a huge bonus. Definitely recommend.

In The Haunting of Alejandra, the female MC embarks on a journey to reclaim her strength, identity, heritage and purpose, after she finds herself being haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona.

Mexican-American rep through different generations. Themes of family, found family, the difficulties and pressures faced by women, trauma and multigenerational curses.

This story is atmospheric, eerie and haunting. V. Castro especially did an amazing job of conveying the psychological torment and heaviness the MC was experiencing, bringing to light the demons that many women face. She did not shy away from delving into dark and difficult emotions. Raw, unfiltered and relatable.

The ending definitely delivered, packed full of all the horror elements I was hoping for. Dark, disturbing, powerful and ultimately hopeful!!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Balkantine, Del Rey and V. Castro for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I really enjoyed this, but it was maybe a bit too intense for me at the moment. It had everything on paper that appeals to me: spooky, horror, la llorona. I just wasn't expecting the absolutely brutal description of depression and maybe was not in the best mental state of my own when I read it.

V. Castro has combined magic, horror, psychology, and the social issues women have dealt with throughout history to illustrate a compelling struggle for sanity and survival in “The Haunting of Alejandra.”

Alejandra is on the verge of losing it. The voice in her head speaks incessantly, feeding the message that she is worthless, that she is a poison to her children, that she is uselessly dragging the agony of her life out. She suspects this voice may be linked to La Llorona, the mythical ghost of Mexican folklore who drowned her own children. Pulsing just as strong is her suspicion she harbors a mental illness destined to suck her down the abyss.

“Death was easier than living. Difficult woman. Sick woman. Dead woman.”

Her marriage is a trap. Her husband, Matthew, is charging full speed ahead with his own career and is blind to her despair. In his mind they had mapped out what life was to be like and she needs to stay content, to keep to her side of their agreement. Alejandra even references lines from the Kate Bush song “Running Up That Hill.”

“And if I only could
I'd make a deal with God
And I'd get him to swap our places…”

There is a dream, a vision she keeps revisiting. In it a hidden body of water holds helplessly desperate women floating on their backs, unable to voice their message. Surrounding the water are rows of even more women generating a powerful energy Alejandra senses but cannot tap into.

Alejandra agrees with Matthew that she will seek mental help– but she adds a twist. She finds Melanie Ortiz, a therapist who is also a curandera, or native spiritual healer. The journey from here involves walking the line dividing psychology and magic. Is there a mental toughness which can defeat pure evil– a demon who has fed on the suffering of generations of women in this family?

This is a gripping story. It is initially painful to witness Alejandra’s mental state, but this is the setup to see if she can pull herself together to battle the assault on her and her family.

Thank you to the Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheHauntingofAlejandra #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and to Del Ray for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Though I've always been an avid horror fan, I've been trying to read more horror that incorporates non-American folklore lately. So, I was very intrigued when I saw this book-- which is based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona, but told through the lens of a family's generational trauma. Alejandra is struggling with severe depression; she's feeling trapped as she stays at home day after day taking care of her three children while her neglectful husband works and frequently travels. She has started seeing a ghostly creature, who tells her terrible things. Eventually, Alejandra seeks professional help and discovers a curse has been following the women in her bloodline for generations. I was so excited to read a scary story focusing on both a paranormal entity and the systematic oppression of women-- it sounded like the perfect way to weave traditional horror with real life issues.

Unfortunately, reading this novel was much more of a chore than I expected. If this were not a NetGalley book, I likely would have put it down within the first 20%. I cannot emphasize enough how grim I found this story to be. Please search for trigger warnings before picking it up! The book starts with Alejandra struggling with the worst depression of her life. Right off the bat, we are given paragraphs and paragraphs detailing how much Alejandra hates her life, detests her husband, and resents her children. While I'm not a mental health professional, I think this is likely an accurate portrayal of depression (and particularly depression that mothers encounter). However, it is written in a nearly endless stream of Alejandra's negative thoughts; it gets exhausting quickly. The novel also includes chapters set in the past following Alejandra's ancestors as they face violence, assault, colonization, misogyny, and more. I am normally relatively unbothered by reading dark subject matter, but I legitimately found myself in a bad mood after each reading session of this book.

This novel could have been better if it began earlier in Alejandra's mental health struggles. Reading about Alejandra's descent into depression would have been easier to get through (rather than having to read through 100+ pages of her severe depression before seeing any improvement). It also would have maybe increased the scariness if we got to see the demon slowly start to haunt Alejandra (rather than immediately seeing the demon outright appear, which is what happens in the first chapter of the book).

Aside from the difficult subject matter, this novel is also hard to get through because of the writing. It is clunky and has too much exposition. The dialogue is especially rough, because the characters constantly speak in long, formal paragraphs. I can't imagine anyone in the modern world talking like this. Castro does have some good thoughts and ideas-- I found some beautiful sentences every once in a while that truly conveyed the themes well. However, those sentences were buried beneath far too much repetition. Everything was over-explained (often many times), and there was too much telling (rather than showing). When I did have the will to push through all of the characters' despair, I often still struggled to get through the cumbersome writing.

The Haunting of Alejandra isn't all bad, though. There are some really great ideas discussed. Castro does a phenomenal job of showing all of the ways women (and, in particular, women from Mexico) have suffered and have been forced to meet societal expectations throughout the centuries. It made me stop and consider what all of the women in my own family might have endured. It was also interesting to read about how similar trauma can be repeated through generations; maybe we're not as alone in our struggles as we think. This novel seems like it would spark engaging conversation in a book club.

I liked the novel's discussion about the importance of family. My favorite part was the middle, when we got to see Alejandra interact in a more positive way with her children and reconnect with her biological mother. I also enjoyed some of the flashbacks to their ancestors. Some of them were more interesting than others, though. I would argue that it would have been better to only include a few of the ancestor chapters (maybe one every third of the book). After awhile, they felt as if they dragged down the main plot.

I can't rate this novel any higher than 2 stars, because there were too many other aspects that I found unenjoyable. I'll briefly mention a few of those things here. For example, the characters are too one-dimensional. Alejandra's husband and children are not developed enough. Her therapist also seems extremely unrealistic. Another issue is that the horror is not actually very scary. The gore is certainly detailed, but the demon is explained in so much detail early on that it removes most of the spookiness. Additionally, everything just feels so flat... everyone speaks the same way, the tone is similar throughout most of the novel, and even the flashbacks read similarly to the present plot line. I could keep going, but essentially, this book just read like an early draft. If it had a lot more editing, it would have been better. Alternatively, maybe publishing it as a novella instead (and cutting all of the repetition) would have improved upon most of the issues.

I'm sure there is an audience that will love this novel, but I worry that most horror fans will be disappointed by this book (since it is a slow read without much actual horror), and literary fiction fans might find the large amount of gore unappealing. I would recommend The Haunting of Alejandra to readers who are interested in an in-depth exploration of the horrors of motherhood, colonization, and the generational trauma women experience. I think it could be a fun Halloween read for folks who are interested in women's fiction and/or Mexican myths, but who don't like to be too scared. Like I said, please just check trigger warnings before reading this one!

2 out of 5 stars.

Alejandra, an adopted Mexican American who was brought up in a strict Catholic household. After marrying, birthing and raising three (3) kids, and finally finding her birth mother, a darkness threatens to consume Alejandra. A ghostly vision appears in the form of a crying women in a ragged white gown similar to the Mexican folk demon myth, La Llorona.

Alejandra begins seeing a therapist who also specializes in Mexican healing rituals. Together, they learn about the darkness that haunts Alejandra and all the women in her familial tree before her. Alejandra, however, has also inherited strength and courage to overcome this situation once and for all.

The Haunting of Alejandra not only focuses on Mexican folklore and the idea of evil but also shows us what postpartum depression can look like, how to stand up against a once upon a time lover who is now an emotional abuser, how important it is for traditions to be upheld and expanded upon, the choices people make and why they do so.

I enjoyed the back and forth between Alejandra's timeline and those of her foremothers. What made this one extra special was the author's take on the La Llorona folklore highlighting how these become the way they are told versus what actually happened.

Some of my favorite quotes include:

▪︎ Live your life the best you can. Don't forget me. Don't forget your importance.

▪︎ You don’t need to make sense. That is part of the process. If everything made sense and was in perfect order, you wouldn’t need my help.

▪︎ Many times the truth in our lives remain veiled until the time is right and the blindfold is taken off for us, or we have no choice but to rip it off kicking and screaming to free ourselves.

▪︎ Life was meant to be lived so death could be a little easier when it came for you.

▪︎ Don’t ever think you can change people. Take them as they come or don’t take them at all.

▪︎ Don't doubt your voice. It's there for a reason.

▪︎ Blood dies and dries but the invisible particles of family are forever.

This is a book about generational trauma and a women's struggle to define and maintain her identity during motherhood.

As the main character struggles to find herself among a failing marriage and the demands of motherhood, a sinister figure begins to haunt her. Through flashbacks we find that this specter of darkness haunts all the women in her lineage tracing back hundreds of years. Each story of a woman touches on themes of identity, trauma, mental health, finding your power, and self-determination. You find yourself rooting for each to find peace and happiness, but the trauma only serves to pass onto the next generation.

As much as this book touches on topics that are underrepresented in horror and literature, I found myself not enjoying the reading experience. There was little reprieve from the solitude, self-loathing, and depression and the haunting imagery became background noise. As the main character learns to find her strength, it's still an upward battle to the end when the book was finally over.

The gorgeous cover sold me. This was my second book by this author and I'm loving them. This story was hard at the start, full of self doubt and intrusive thoughts. My heart broke for this mother. As the story continued, I liked the way the story gave us more perspectives and let us learn each story. I loved the connections of previous generations. I love the strength that grew in the story and the ability to love yourself shone through. It was a great horror story with the perfect amount of gore, demons and rage.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book

Atmospheric with loads of creeps. I really liked the theme of multigenerational, familial trauma and connecting it with the lore of La Llorona, which we all know is creepy as hell!! Unfortunately, I found large chunks of the story to be a bit dry and found myself skimming through those a bit.

I liked this story but strongly disliked the way it was told. The function of the troubles of motherhood alongside the legend of la Larrona is beautiful conceptually but the writing lacks description which made it a bit of a lethargic read, and prevented the characters from ever coming to life.

What an incredible story! I requested an ARC from Netgalley because it sounded interesting, but it far exceeded my expectations. The story of Alejandra spans centuries and generations. The origins seem to go all the way back to 1522 when the Spaniards conquered the Mexican indians, killed most of them and subjucated the rest. Although Alejandra is the main character, we also learn about Cathy, her mother who gave her up for adoption, Cathy’s mother Frances, who disappeared when she was a child, and Flor, a matriarch in the family’s past.

This is the story of generational trauma and the scars that it inflicts on people still living today. We learn the story of La Llorona, a woman who killed her children for a man, and when he rejected for doing so, she wandered the world searching for her children. She searches to this day. Therefore, when Alejandra first sees the apparition, she thinks it is La Llorona. But it is something far worse.

Alejandra is unhappy with her marriage to Matthew (“Lately his presence felt like a plastic bag over her head.”) and feels stressed by her three young children, so she seeks counseling with Melanie. Melanie helps her to work through her feelings and accept her self-worth. Luckily, Melanie is also a curandera, a spiritual medicine woman. Alex chooses her because she wants to know more about her Mexican roots, but it turns out to be very lucky that she chose Melanie because it’s unlikely anyone else could have helped with this evil entity that has been torturing generations of Alex’s family.

The descriptions of the bloodthirsty being that feeds off of the misery of the women in Alex’s family are disturbing and disgusting. It reminded me of the descriptions of the spirits, the three sisters, in Weave World by Clive Barker. Those are images that have stuck in my mind despite reading the book over 30 years ago, and I think this will too. This being is eternal and it would seem there is zero chance of destroying or escaping it, but after going through a ton of spiritual and personal growth, Alex is convinced she knows how to eradicate it so it will no longer torture the women who come after her.

Although there were many wonderful analogies and metaphors, this is the one that I loved most. Alex is struggling to take care of her children with virtually no help nor expressions of gratitude or appreciation. “...residing in the same space in her heart as her despair was her love for her children. That love was a sweet blossom she held on tightly to until the thorns on its stem made her bleed. These wounds were the stigmata of motherhood, precious and painful.”

I don’t want to include any spoilers, but I so want to stress just how powerful and evocative the descriptions were in this book. At key points in the book, I felt like I could have been there observing what was happening. I could feel the pain and fear of the characters, as well as the love. This book should get more than five stars.

I was initially attracted to this book because it was pitched by the author as a La Llorona retelling from her side of the story and what would drive her to kill her own children.

In my opinion, The Haunting of Alejandra read more like women's fiction with supernatural and darker overtones than horror. It wasn't particularly scary, and the supernatural elements felt more like a plot device than a source of genuine horror. The book relied more on psychological tension than jump scares.

I appreciated how V. Castro seamlessly blended Mexican folklore with topics of generational curses and postpartum depression. The resulting novel was an impressive display of how traditional stories can be used to explore modern themes.

Although it was a bit of a slow burn at first, I found The Haunting of Alejandra to be an eerie, compelling, and heart-wrenching story. It's a powerful exploration of family, identity, and sorrow. I highly recommend it to people who enjoy slower paced literary, supernatural, and psychological fiction!

Alejandra is a married woman with three small children who is struggling to find fulfillment in her life. She is becoming engulfed in her own particular gloom and misery. However, one evening when she is at her lowest, she witnesses a horrifying woman in a white gown weeping, telling her to accept her emotions. She begins to consult a therapist and investigate her family history, discovering that her misery and tragedy may be tied to something far worse than she had previously suspected.

This was a fantastic book idea, tracking multigenerational tragedy and difficulties through the lens of La Llorona lore. The author incorporated numerous fascinating cultural details as well as Alejandra's personal past and some Mexican folklore/history. This was the book's strongest point.

Unfortunately, I had difficulty engaging with this piece. The author's writing style was bland - he used repetitious sentence structure, which became a major issue due to the vast portions of exposition in this book.

We were given a lot of information about Alejandra and why she was feeling the way she was, but she never felt alive. There was no emotional connection or anything that made her feel like she was more than just some pages in a book, which was disappointing. The other characters were similar in that, although having chapters from their point of view, they all felt lifeless and disconnected.

In this story we follow Alejandra who has lost herself in marriage and motherhood. I enjoyed the horror premise of this story while incorporating mental health/self care and generational traumas.

I loved learning about the past women in Alejandra’s past. The last woman’s story was a surprise that I didn’t expect but I’m glad we got.

I’m looking forward to reading more of V. Castro’s work as I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for ARC in exchange for my honest review.