I have greatly enjoyed V Castro’s work as she expresses latinidad in her stories so well. The Haunting of Alejandra is no exception. Motherhood is explored through the story of La llorona alongside trauma and generational trauma.

My biggest gripe is that I was really wanting more about la llorona in this story but it was a quick and spooky read

Appreciate NetGalley and RHPG for the arc

There was nothing inherently wrong with the writing or the plot of this book. But as a new-ish mom still struggling to find a balance between being a mom and wife and the person that I want to be, this was hitting a little too close to home. I was not in the right headspace to read this and had to put it down for now. I may pick it back up again when I am ready, and if I do, I will update my review with my actual thoughts because the premise still sounds great.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Del Rey, and V. Castro for the opportunity to review a copy of The Haunting of Alejandra.

"The Haunting of Alejandra" by V. Castro

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

"The Haunting of Alejandra" weaves together powerful Mexican folklore, women's fiction, fantasy, and horror, delivering a haunting tale of self-discovery and generational struggles. Alejandra's journey, intertwined with the vengeful spirit of La Llorona, explores themes of depression, lost identity, and the power of family history. While the incorporation of cultural details and folklore is compelling, the writing style falls short, with repetitive sentence structures and excessive exposition. The lack of emotional connection to the characters hinders the overall impact of the story. Nonetheless, it remains a gripping read with moments of suspense. Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for the early copy.

THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA hooked me from the first page. The writing is exquisite. I think this book can speak to everyone who reads it on different levels. Our main character is a woman and a mother of 3 (of which I am neither) who has this darkness lurking and is trapped in this oppressed and claustrophobic life. Her marriage seems... awful does not really begin to describe it. She is underappreciated and seemingly invisible. And to top it all off there is this creepy bloodied woman watching her and her children. This story is rich in family history, horror + folklore (La Llorona), and reclaiming one's own power and self. The emotions I felt while reading this were all over the place... but I was mostly devastated, heartbroken, and scared. I absolutely LOVE this book!

I was absolutely fascinated by the mix of Mexican folklore and the concept of evil and the very real views into was it's like to have post partum depression that we see throughout this book from the beginning. Readers were quickly immersed into the mind and life of Alejandra as she fought against the emotional abuse and gaslighting of her husband while also journeying to learn more about her past and culture and work toward mental and spiritual healing, and self discovery.

This was a fascinating read and I can honestly say I haven't read a book quite like it.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the e-ARC. Pub date was April 18.

I know this book has been out for a bit now, but it took me this long to get into it. While slow to start it is a slow burn and doesn’t disappoint.

While I did enjoy this, there are definitely some parts I enjoyed more than others. She is haunted by the Mexican folk demon of La Llorona as dark secrets of her family are revealed.

The horror level is just right on this one. The writing is good, but room for improvement.

There are quite a few TW: suicidal ideation, depression, and miscarriage to name a few

Hey bookbots! Who is ready for a review?!? Today I am reviewing THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA by @vlatinalondon . Thank you to the author, the publishers @delreybooks / @randomhouse and @netgalley for the e-ARC.

Y'all, this book is an absolutely perfect example of what I have been saying lately - horror is the genre for you if you are working out some feels! I find horror to be one of those genres people shy away from because fear is a hard emotion, but horror has so much more to offer than just fear...

This story is about generational trauma through multiple women in one family and how one woman finally has the wherewithal and space to challenge that trauma.

While at times scary and creepy, this book also includes fierce love of others and self, overcoming adversity, living your authentic life and coming into your own. It has heartache and tender moments as well as the spectre (literally in this book!) of your past haunting you.

This is one of the best books I have ever read regarding grief and it isn't a self-help book or a scholarly article. It is a horror love-letter to self, to family, and to heritage.

If you are interested in horror but not here for too much body horror or gore, this might be a good place for you to start. There is so much heart and soul in this book mixed in with folklore, terror and triumph.

💀ABSOLUTELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.💀

Castro is a stunning and welcome voice in horror and I will devour anything she writes! This one came out in April but check out her other titles too if you have a chance! An auto buy author for me! Who is yours?

💚SMASHBOT💚

#bibliophile #booknerd #horror #thehauntingofalejandra
#vcastro #netgalley #horrorreads
#netgalleyreviewer #booksta
#randomhouse #delrey #horrorbooks

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I couldn’t get into the story or writing. The characters fell flat to me, and I just became too bored.

I struggled originally with how to tackle this review as I had to DNF this book. I made it 1/3 of the way (33%) and I just wasn't meshing with the writing style and pacing. I was completely intrigued by the premise and the first couple of chapters were fantastic. I especially liked that we were getting different POVs that show the different generations of women in this familial line, showing the traumas and struggles of each, but I went into this book expecting a horror story and there just wasn't enough meat to keep me hanging on.

I think Castro's writing is beautiful. However, it can be a bit wordy and descriptive at times, which adds a ton of detail to the world and helps build atmosphere, but can also weigh down the story and create disinterest. I am heartbroken about this because I feel like this is the kind of story I would love. A multi-generational story showing the stigmatized struggles and exploitation of women and the curses they carry. Sign me up! But I just couldn't find enough to hang on to to keep me turning pages.

I will say that this is not a review of a completed book. I have many friends that absolutely adored this novel. That's what makes this ever more tragic. I encourage you all to give this book a read. I think, for many of you, you will find something to love here. I recommend for fans of slower, atmospheric horror reads that are about more than just cheap thrills and chills. This book has a story to tell and I know there is a large audience that needs to hear it.

Sometime after the birth of her third child, Alejandra's world comes comes crashing down revealing her unhappiness in a tidal wave of emotions. Her loss of identity as a whole person consumes her ever waking thoughts and now follows into dark dreams of many strange and very sad women who seem to beckon to her yet they're tied to death somehow and this frightens Alejandra yet she feels comforted as well. Alejandra loves her children although she doesn't seem to enjoy motherhood anymore so she just performs her duties like a robot, day after day. Her life as a wife feels so empty, unappreciated while needing help with caring for the children, the meals, the never-ending chores yet still expected to excitedly perform her wifely duties while she only wants to crawl into bed and maybe get a good nights rest without one of the little ones crying out for Mommy once, twice or more waking her to care for their needs while husband and daddy never hears a sound and gets to have uninterrupted sleep each night while the good wife handles anything and everything.

In the darkest corners of the room a creature lurks watching, waiting, listening and salivating over Alejandra's tears and sorrows. Unknown and invisible to her right now is how the creature feeds while it grows stronger to reveal it's insidious nature and monstrous physical appearance to Alejandra and then to her beautiful children because it wants their innocence and purity. It wants to consume their souls while it whispers lies of how peaceful death would be and all her pain would end forever because she is a horrid mother, wife and person. No one would miss her, her family would be better off without her causing them unhappiness.

Well, this sounds like classic, severe depression but in this strange case Alejandra will find out her bloodline had been cursed by a demon which for many centuries that had been taking the form of the legendary ghost of "La Llorona" who (as the story goes) murdered her own children and then took her own life for revenge at the supposed rejection from a man who did not want any children and her spirit. would be doomed to walk the earth for eternity hearing the cries and screams of her children and never being able to reunite with them.

Alejandra desperately needs help before she succumbs to the darkness and misery saturating her life in every way possible. If there is such a demon.haunting Alejandra can anyone help her in time since it is very, very vicious and soul-sucking hungry or is it possible that everything Alejandra now sees and believes are only products of a severe psychotic break that has brought about dangerous and suicidal delusions of a broken mind, heart and spirit. Either way, a psychosis or curse they can equally destroy Alejandra if she doesn't find someone to to help her fight these demons!

Trigger Warnings: Dark Depression, Suicidal Thoughts.



This was a well-written and thought out story of the darkness and danger of severe depression while also turning the depression into a horror story of a Latina woman's bloodline curse. The storyline was intriguing about some of the history Latina women surrounding curses etc. but for me it became too dark and depressing more about a woman's unhappiness with her life and life choices instead of a spooky, scary horror book. Granted there was some creepiness and a creature but it fell flat for me as a truly, frightening horror story. Too many women issues that were so morbid and miserable (imo). I know I may be in the minority but I had to plow through this one. Also, the story really wasn't about "La Llorona" which was a big letdown.

Remember this is just my opinion and most people will probably enjoy this book and probably find it scary. It just seemed this book was a disconnect for me. I do still recommend this story to others so they can form their own opinions!


I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 3 FRUSTRATING AND DEPRESSING 🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

5 stars! A beautifully written book that I wish I could read again for the first time. I purchased a personal hardback copy to keep and revisit. Loved the folklore woven throughout. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an advanced reader copy.

This book combines a horrible curse, realistic issues with motherhood, marriage and identity, folktales and more to created the story of Alejandra. For so many women, the feelings Alejandra has about her identity, and the depression she faces will be extremely relatable. Her wonderful therapist helps her discover more information about the women in her family, and they uncover a curse that has plagued many generations.

I enjoyed this story, and I liked learning more about La Llorona. And isn't the cover beautiful?

I loved the way this book started off; it immediately felt creepy and maintained that the entire way though. This was a fun read that kept me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the story. This would be a nice read for spooky season!

This book is a marvel of horror, folklore, feminist sentiment, verisimilitude and cultural critique. Castro walks a fine line between the past and the present; reality and perception; race and culture. It is a terrible ode to motherhood and cautionary tale of ignoring mental health. It is a perfect book to teach or read it slowly enough to digest the full breadth of its beauty.

It is also painfully tragic, and possibly triggering. As a mother who once had to deal with postpartum anxiety, the story is more catharsis than trigger for me, but it also cuts deeply. You may even be haunted by these women’s fear. It’s one most mothers share. You may even sympathize with the monster. I went through many emotions. I expect you will, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray, Random House for gifting me an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

First, my review is my own opinion and does not reflect on the story. As readers we all have different opinions so just because this story did not work for me does not mean it won’t work for you. I strongly encourage you to pick it up and try it for yourself.

Unfortunately, I was not engaged with this story. I believe it starts off strong, we meet Alejandra and she’s in the shower and she is obviously struggling with her mental health. She hears a soft voice telling her to end it. The reader knows that this is supposed to be La LLorona but also Alejandra’s inner voice.
The reader is then introduced to Alejandra’s husband who is such a lazy piece of garbage. He says all the wrong things and literally doesn’t attempt to support his wife but instead tell her she should be grateful for all the things she has making Alejandra spiral more into her depression.
The story has dual plot lines switching from the past to the present where we learn why Alejandra is plagued by the demonic voice.

I read to about the 20% mark and then just sat the story down. I was just not invested in the characters story. The writing although beautiful was a little much for me. I was over hearing about the characters menstrual cycle over and over and then to start to hear about the other female characters cycles that were on the verge of starting just became too much for me. I didn’t really want to hear anymore about blood dripping down legs etc. I may try this story again in the future but as of right now this just was not something I wanted to invest my time into further.

I found this book to be very pretty spooky yet enjoyable.

I found myself highlighting frequently on my kindle because I could relate so much to Alejandra and it took me flashbacks of how it was for me when I first became a mom. The struggles of juggling motherhood, marriage, and life. It was all too reminiscent as well as the vivid dreams that I had. I also loved hearing about La Llorna folklore even though it will haunt me in my sleep now lol.

I look forward to reading more from V. Castro!

3⭐️

<b>I watched my husband achieve his dreams while I sat at home wanting to die, forgetting any dreams of my own.</b>

Alejandra is a mother of three and wife to Michael, and she’s struggling with losing herself to those titles. Alejandra herself was adopted by a Christian family who tried to erase Alejandra’s heritage, and she tracked down her biological mother to learn more about her family and ultimately herself. In her depressive episodes, Alejandra begins seeing a woman in white who she believes to be La Llorna and eventually goes to see a therapist to help her, but soon she realizes that she may not be imagining the strange things she’s been seeing.

I enjoyed this book. It was different than anything I’ve read before, and reminds me a lot of the song “labour” by Paris Paloma. I really loved the idea of a generational curse plaguing the women in Alejandra’s family and I liked the lore that is woven into the story. The ending was also satisfying, and overall it was a good book! I like it more because of it’s uniqueness, but it didn’t give me the scare/creep factor that I crave from horror books.

<b>She allowed herself to cry one last time over the sink, a tribute to La Llorona, one of the many misunderstood women roaming the earth stuck between worlds, passing on curses they may or may not understand.</b>

I found this book to be very entertaining and I enjoyed the characters and plot. The story drew me in from the start and I am looking forward to reading more from this Author.

A creepy, fun book that riffs well on the familiar La Llarona folklore. Ultimately the time jumps left me feeling a bit disjointed from the characters, but as a whole I enjoyed my read and will definitely be picking up more Castro in the future.

Alejandra is a mother of three who is losing her grip on the world around her as she feels overwhelmed, unappreciated, and alone. Tell me there is a mother on this Earth who hasn't felt this and you KNOW you'd be lying. For Alejandra, these feelings were too much and as her world began to spiral, the generational curse that has followed the women in her family came at her in the worst way possible: Manifesting itself as a demon.

Through therapy with a professional who also happens to practice curanderismo, Alejandra attempts to navigate her emotions and gain the confidence needed to literally face her demon and become the mother she wants to be, as well as the one her children need and deserve.
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Castro interspersed Mexican lore based on La Llorona in a relatable manner throughout her writing and it made for an interesting & nostalgic read. While this novel is classified as horror, I feel like the demonic hauntings, while intense, were few and far between. However, the story transcended time with flashbacks of Alejandra's maternal ancestors and the horrific circumstances that led them to face their own demons of motherhood, and THIS made me appreciate the novel even more.