I had never heard of La Llorna until I got married. My husband who is Hispanic of course knew all about La Llorna and I absolutely fell in love with the Mexican ghost story. If you aren’t Hispanic you will likely be unfamiliar with the legend but you might be more familiar with the song La Llorna from the movie Coco! I am a big fan of horror and ghost stories and the folklore story really intrigued me so when this book came up for review, I had little hesitation before I screamed YES.

The horror or paranormal genre might not be for everyone and that’s ok. I know that I love a good ghost story and for me personally, I would rather read it in the fall when it’s the ‘spooky’ time of year, but I am usually up for a good ghost story any time truth be told! I read The Hacienda last year and absolutely loved it, after reading that book, the legend go La Llorna was the first thing on my mind. La Llorna isn’t a well known tale but it sure is creepy and I thought it would make for a great mainstream-ish story if executed properly.

Author V Castro has written other horror stories seeped in Mexican history and culture. If there was anyone who could make this story come alive, it’s Castro. I haven’t read any other books by her but I have seen Queen of the Cicadas around the blog-o-sphere and know that she has an established fan base. Needless to say I was thrilled to be asked to review this one and check out Castro’s storytelling style for myself!

Summary

A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona as she unravels the dark secrets of her family history in this ravishing and provocative horror novel.

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. (summary from Goodreads)

Review

When I first started this book, my first thought was—it feels short. The book comes in at just under 300 pages (270 ish) and for me, I feel like most novels tend to run around 320-350 pages and that feels a bit more adequate for character and plot development. However I know in the horror genre some of the books tend to run around 250-300 pages so this fits within that genre as far as length goes. Though I will say even if this book is short on pages, it really didn’t feel that way. This story has substance and things for readers to unpack and themes that many female readers will connect with. It read quickly but it didn’t feel short if that makes sense. The middle did seem to loose a little bit of steam but generally it was paced well and I enjoyed my time with this book.

The other thing that was a bit puzzling was, I thought this book was going to be about the actual La Llorona but it was actually about Alejandra so it was a little disorientating for me at first. But then I started reading Alejandra and got hooked into her story. I thought the main protagonist, Alejandra, was a very relatable main character especially for mothers. She is a full time stay at home mom who by all outward appearances should have the perfect life. Except she does’t. She has given up her own career in favor of her husband’s and she is struggling with a number of things. In our culture of social media I think many new mothers get sucked into believing people have the perfect lives and women can do it all—–but we don’t know the full story which is what makes Alejandra so compelling as the heroine. I could identify with her struggles in so many ways! We as women and mothers carry so much of the family emotional burden and it’s hard. I loved that this theme can carry over through cultures and ages of women because being a mother is hard!

This book was a little more light on the horror that I expected but still good. It had a lot to recommend itself when it came to the main character and it was creepy and haunting but I just expected more horror in a way but in looking back I still think it worked out ok for the book. I think die hard horror fans might want more horror but if horror isn’t really your genre but maybe you like ghost stories then I think you will find a lot to enjoy in this one. I am eager to read more by this author, I really loved the blending of culture into this novel and it felt different and exciting. It’s out now so take a look and see if this book is something you might enjoy!

Book Info and Rating

Format 272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 18, 2023 by Del Rey

ISBN 9780593499696 (ISBN10: 0593499697)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Del Rey, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: horror, paranormal

Quick synopsis: Alejandra is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona as she unravels the dark secrets of her family’s history.

Honesty, I knew nothing of this folklore and found myself falling down a Google rabbit hole while reading. A simplified version of the legend is that La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) is a ghost of a mother who drowns her children so her husband can experience the pain he inflicted upon her. She immediately regrets the drowning and kills herself. Now, she’s often seen in white roaming near water, mourning her children.

Although the topics are dark, I enjoy exploring motherhood, marriage, mental health, and generational trauma. While the folklore envelopes horror, Alejandra’s true horror happens with her eyes wide open as she tries to survive the grind of motherhood, a neglectful husband, and a lack of understanding of why her mother left her so many years ago.

Through therapy, Alejandra discovers that La Llorona has haunted the women in her family for generations. The story’s timeline reverses, so the reader also discovers these generational stories. I love the narration by Raquel Beattie, but with the generational stories, I often re-read passages in the e-book to fully understands the depths and interconnectedness of these stories.

Highly recommend this to readers who enjoy:
✨Exploration of motherhood and mental illness
✨Mexican Folklore: unique spin on the La Llorona Legend
✨Horror: vivid descriptions of the supernatural that sometimes border on gruesome.

A gripping and haunting tale of family secrets, folklore, and horror! This book is well-written! I really enjoyed the writing. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

This is a really unique and interesting read, I loved it take on horror using more psychological aspects than simply scary or gore, but psychological makes sense when our MC is losing her identity, has lost her home and profession, is dealing with mental health and therapy, it’s almost hypnotic to read and I couldn’t put it down at all. Brilliantly atmospheric

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Del Ray for giving me the opportunity to read this incredibly moving novel early! I am only just now getting on board with horror novels, and I have Latinx/e horror novels like this one to thank for it.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a hauntingly beautiful and moving depiction of generational trauma, grief, depression, feminine rage, and justice. I loved how the story skipped between multiple narrators, including the woman that started it all. I loved how the story of Llorona was altered and changed so that it rang with divine and feminine rage that cascaded and rippled through the generations. The horrors of colonization are often overlooked by many, but their memories and scars are never far away. Many women carry these scars--and scars given to them from brutality of men and the idea of domination--and that is what makes this book fantastic. It is the story of Llorona, but it can resonate with every person who has ever been damaged by the patriarchy and all that came with it.

Haunting, gut-wrenching, and devastating in all the best ways, this book is one that should not be missed.

I’m in love with V. Castro’s new book! It’s a fantastic, dark yet hopeful story of grief, anger, and generational trauma, told through the history of a family cursed by a monstrous creature from beyond our world, who feeds on the pain and suffering of the families it stalks through the generations. I love when the monster/haunting/etc aspect of a novel parallels the human conflict, and Castro gives her readers that in droves with The Haunting of Alejandra.

“The Haunting of Alejandra” was a bit of a tough read for me in some aspects, specifically any part of the book from the titular character’s perspective for the first half of the book. Alejandra is so miserable, and sometimes that kind of storytelling has a hard time striking he balance between gaining reader sympathy versus dragging the reader down with the character. I got reeled in by the backstory though; the lore behind the horror was masterfully crafted and the dynamic of everything playing out was an intense and good read. The ending felt earned and also made up for some of the earlier issues as well.

THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA appealed to me on many levels. It is a nuanced and horrific tale mixing Mexican folklore, possessions on various levels, and the exploration the generational trauma of Alejandra’s family history. At first glance, Alejandra is not a likable character. Tortured by her life choices and pondering suicide, and worse, she is also considering taking her children with her. She is hurting and filled with self-loathing, so it was a little hard to stick by her side early on, but Castro has told many great stories, so I stuck with it. Once Alejandra started with Melanie, her therapist and curandera, the story became much more interesting. On another note, as an adoptee and adopter, I found this aspect of her journey highly relatable. My main complaint is that toward the end of the story, some of the ancestor stories acted like cardboard cutouts making the end feel a little rushed. A 3.5-star rating for one of V. Castro’s stories is a 4 for most other authors.

I feel like I've read a number of sci-fi/horror colonialist stories lately, but this is the first one I've read that gives the concept of generational trauma a kind of sci-fi origin. I thought it was utterly unique. At first I was having trouble absorbing the events of this tale—I initially found the prose, which meanders, and changes perspective kind of at whim between the characters within a given scene, confusing. But something clicked for me and I found the style was very effective at giving the story a pretty fittingly dreamlike, out-of-body quality.

Book Review:
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
4 stars
Release Date: April 18, 2023 (today!)
I’ve been dying to find a modern retelling of La Llorona, and Alejandra created it beautifully! The description of this being(character) is sooo creepy! Creepier than I could have ever imagined!
I would recommend this book to so many people. I truly enjoyed it
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy for review, and happy release Date to The Haunting of Alejandra!

Outwardly, Alejandra's life seems perfect. She has three beautiful, healthy children, a successful husband, a well-appointed home, and all the creature comforts of wealth. But she lost herself somewhere along the way while playing the roles of wife and mother, and inwardly, she is haunted by dark, intrusive thoughts. At her lowest, when she sees an apparition of a crying woman in a tattered white gown, she knows she must seek help. As Alejandra visits a therapist and begins exploring her family history, she realizes she isn't as alone as she feels. Because generations of women in her family have been haunted by the crying woman, La Llorona -- and she must call upon them if she is going to overcome the darkness trying to drag her down.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a gripping exploration of multigenerational trauma, mental health struggles, and the complexities of womanhood and motherhood, viewed through a horror lens. V. Castro incorporates Mexican history, folklore, and culture seamlessly into the story as she examines Alejandra's family history, chronicling the lives of several of her female ancestors going back to the time of Mexican colonization. It was fascinating to learn about these other women with their own struggles that mirror Alejandra's circumstances in unique ways. This is a well-composed, intentional novel, and Castro's writing is full of visceral, disturbing imagery, with the descriptions of La Llorona being particularly grisly.

This wasn't an entirely successful read for me, though. It felt a bit unpolished, with writing that did more showing than telling, stilted dialogue, and a lack of nuance in many of the characters. Alejandra herself is well-developed and sympathetic, but several of the supporting characters feel one-dimensional. Alejandra's husband Matthew, in particular, has no depth, and because their relationship isn't explored in a meaningful way, he feels like nothing more than a catalyst for Alejandra's mental breakdown.

Nevertheless, The Haunting of Alejandra is compelling and inventive with its themes of female empowerment, the bonds of family, and the battling of demons -- of both the literal and figurative variety. Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity.

Book Review!
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
4 stars!
Release Date: April 18, 2023
I’ve been yearning for a modern retelling of La Llorona, and Alejandra delivered! The eerie spectral figure follows her in her darkest moments, tormenting her with her own pain. And the description of this being is sooo creepy.
Alejandra covers many topics including generational trauma, rekindling your self worth, a mother’s love and pain, embracing your heritage, ancestral healing… so many topics that are important to me and that I enjoyed seeing depicted here.
I would absolutely recommend this read! If there was anything I would critique about it, it’s that this book is simply not long enough. I wanted more time to steep in the creepiness of the story, and more time to sit with the characters in their fear and struggle to understand what was happening to them.
This was a beautiful and eerie story.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy for review, and happy release Date to The Haunting of Alejandra!

The Haunting of Alejandra
By V. Castro


Alejandra is a stay at home mom who bit by bit has lost more and more of who she is. We meet her at her breaking point. While her child pounds on the bathroom door, and her husband is shouting for dinner, she reaches a crisis where she contemplates whether it’s worth going on. It is at this low point, she sees the image of a woman in white. Alejandra is troubled by her dark thoughts and reoccurring apparitions. She enlists the help of a therapist who is also a traditional Mexican healer. She embarks on a journey to uncover the roots of her haunting and discovers that for generations, the women in her bloodline have been visitied by the same mysterious woman in white - La Llorona. It is up to Alejandra to break the family curse once and for all.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a creepy and atmospheric gothic retelling of the La Llorona Mexican folk tale. It is a cuento Mexican children grow up hearing from parents who use this cautionary tale to keep their naughty children in line. Or is it a taunt to keep naughty mamas in line? Here V Castro, reimagines and expands this piece of folklore to explore generational trauma, motherhood, connection, postpartum depression and healing.

During a time when many traditional myths are being re-voiced from a feminist perspective, it was a welcomed change to see a Mexican folk tale receive a fresh interpretation. One can read V Castro’s work strictly for its dark entertainment but it is so much more, it is subversive. I would recommend this book to fans of Silva Moreno-Garcia, Gabino Igelesias and Grady Hendrix.


TW: mental illness, suicide, attempted infanticide, traumatic pregnancy, stillbirth, forced marriage, rape, violence, gore, parental abandonment.


Many thanks to @NetGalley, @DelReyBooks for the opportunity to read this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a chilling and gripping literary horror novel that delves into the depths of motherhood, family legacy, and self-discovery. This haunting tale is packed with dark secrets that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

The author masterfully weaves a tale that is both ravishing and provocative, drawing readers into a world of terror and suspense. The characters are richly developed, and the plot is expertly crafted, keeping readers guessing until the very end.

V. Castro's THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA combines modern suburban reality with ancestral magic. When unhappy Alejandra moves to the suburbs, she loses home, identity, and profession and is thrust into a world of competitive parenting, absent husbands, and stratospheric expectations for who she is supposed to be and how she is supposed to live, The appearance of a ghostly figure throughout her life sends her to a therapist where she starts the long unraveling of a family legacy that drives her to summon her courage, intuition, and intelligence to save her own life. The story is hypnotic, one of those that keeps me up way too late under its spell. I received a copy of this novel and these are my own, unbiased thoughts. .

I have hella mixed feelings on this one. The best way I can describe my feelings about this book is that the "horror" is not traditional horror and focuses more on mental stability rather than the sightings of La Llorona. It is a symbolic magical realism story about depression, if anything. Because of that, the story didn't turn out how I thought it would and wasn't what I expected.

My full review is on my blog, The Litt Librarian, but I must warn you that it is riddled with spoilers. But I'm down for a debate if anyone wants to talk about it.

Haunted by the Mexican folk demon, La Llorana, this visceral novel is about intergenerational trauma, colonization, systemic oppression, and the horrors at the heart of motherhood.

The theme of supernatural tied to colonization has been a recent trope that I have seen by postcolonial authors who are trying to make sense of eons and eons of intergenerational trauma that has been passed down as a result of decolonization. We meet Alejandra, a wife and mother of three children, who has been adopted into a religiously cult-ish family and witnesses a woman in white - a creature - who begins to haunt them, and the women in her family. This haunting leads her to search for a therapist in the form of Melanie who encourages Alejandra to reconnect with her roots, which leads her to learn about her birth mother, Cathy. Through her birth mother, she learns of her great grand mother who was in an unhappy marriage to a man named David, and due to guilt of infidelity, she ends up committing suicide following the footsteps of La Ilorana.

Without giving away the ending, the novel is visceral, thought provoking, and heartbreaking. It is a story about motherhood, and how as Matthew, her husband who often feels entitled to rescuing her and controlling her, also says, “mothers needs mothers”. It is something that made me recognize how my own decisions regarding motherhood as been shaped by the fact that my own mom has not been present in my life. Castro’s brilliance, however, ultimately lies in this novel by not only envisioning intergenerational trauma as a monster consuming the women in her family. While Art Speigalman used the graphic narrative to demonstrate intergenerational trauma in Maus, Castro deploys the supernatural to understand how this trauma envelops generations.


Thank you @penguinrandomhouse, Ballantine, and @vlatinalondon for the gifted e-arc of the novel.

This was my first book from this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was surprised to find the story felt more like a literary fiction/drama than I was expecting for a horror book and ultimately lost interest in the story about 1/3rd of the way through. I'm still interested in reading more from V. Castro because I've heard great things about their writing, so I plan on trying out more books from them in the future. Unfortuantely, The Haunting of Alejandra was a miss for me.

Alejandra’s life is suffocating. Her husband, Matthew, is unavailable, and her three children are overwhelming. Dealing with mental health issues, Alejandra feels the curse (in the form of La Llorona) that has haunted the women in her family for generations. Now she has to confront the curse before she loses more than her sanity.

This was a page turner! I really enjoyed V. Castro’s writing: it just flowed so wonderfully. The chapters are told in third person from multiple points of views, and with a nonlinear timeline. I really love the themes of mental health and the struggles of being a woman intertwined with the story of La Llorona, and wrapped in a real haunting. My only trouble with this book was the unrealistic path to reaching a solution. There were ideas that came out of nowhere, but provided the perfect explanation. That being said, it did NOT take away from the story or the writing. I also liked that the book explores different ways of being a mother.

This book made me cry, mad, and have nightmares. It did its job as a horror novel.

Pick up today!

Trigger warning: suicide ideation/attempt, racism, sexism, mental illness, intrusive thoughts, sexual assault, colonization, intimate partner violence

Prepare for the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Del Rey Books for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️ 4 / 5

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

I want to thank Random House-Ballantine, Del Rey and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The opening scene did an amazing job at keeping you guessing about what was going on in Alejandra’s life. I won’t deny that at the beginning this was a tough book to get into because it brings to the forefront so many difficult topics like mental health, postpartum depression and the less positive aspects of motherhood. As we encountered other points of view and as Alejandra embarked on a journey to self healing, I started to love all these strong women around her.

One of the coolest aspects of this story, as it developed, is how the story of La Llorona is woven into the narrative. The way this story delved into Mexican American history and identity is so refreshing and was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Particularly with Flor’s chapter.

As for my reservations, while this was a short book the beginning was hard to get into because it was so much negativity and slow to build. Some of the monologues felt a bit out of place. The pacing, especially in the beginning, could’ve been better and the order in which some of the other female POVs are presented could’ve been reorganized so that the reveal was more impactful.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Creepy/Spooky vibe
- Non-Linear timeline
- Multiple female POVs
- The power of healing
- LGBTQ+ rep
- Mexican American History and folklore