I really don't think this author is for me, unfortunately. maybe I'll still give Goddess of Filth a try. We'll find out

Castro’s story is both intense and thought-provoking, exploring the depths of personal and familial trauma. This novel is a compelling and haunting exploration of a woman’s fight for sanity and survival.

While I loved The Queen of the Cicadas, this one was a little harder to follow. There is definitely space for the creeping horror of being a stay at home parent but unfortunately the terror wasn't clear enough for me to get invested in this story or the character.

I like V. Castro. I enjoyed Queen of the Cicadas and Goddess of Filth. And that is why I found it so surprising to find the writing here choppy and weird. I almost DNF'D it.
It did greatly improve for me when we met Dr. Ortega. This is directly from my notes:
It kills me to give a female horror writer anything under a 4 star rating but this was problematic. Stiff, stilted language, repetition, too many things ripped me from the story. And the ending. She does something at the end a woman who wants custody of her children would never, ever do.

I found V. Castro's inventiveness to tie the legend of La Llorona, being used by a very real immortal, evil creature, as a metaphor for generational trauma a very clever literary device. Her imagery of the monster was eerie and left my skin crawling every time we encountered it (this book does peter on body-horror but NOT the worst version of it by far. Good for beginners curious to dip their toes into more gory reading). However, my major complaints with this book were flat and repetitive dialogue, stagnant characters, and a rushed plot. I ended up skimming through many portions of the book by the end, especially the moments shared between Alejandra and her therapist. The dialogue tended to feel jumbled and unnatural, simply there as exposition for the plot when the author wasn't quite sure how to SHOW the audience where she wanted to go next with the plotline. I would still recommend this book to readers who I know like diverse authors and characters, especially those interested in fantasy/horror based on Mexican folklore.

I wasn't expecting to be so emotional reading a horror, but this book did a really good job of depicting the female condition.

V. Castro's writing style is so gripping - sultry, emotional, visceral. This story about motherhood and its attendant demons, inspired by the legend of La Llorona, hit different now that I am a mother myself. The anxiety of being responsible for another person can certainly be horrific and this story captures that intense love so well. Highly recommend to horror fans, especially if you already read and enjoyed anything else by V. Castro, The Need by Helen Phillips, or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for an early copy in exchange for my honest review!!

The Haunting of Alejandra was not exactly what I was expecting but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Even though I liked the main timeline, I kept looking forward to the chapters set in the past; I loved learning more about this family.

The horror in it was mild, though it did have some tension that I enjoyed.

The characters, like in Goddess of Filth, are what kept me reading. I normally don’t enjoy reading about kids, but in this case I was rooting for them and Alejandra.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. This book involves La Llorona and a generational curse. I enjoyed reading the stories of each woman involved in the story and learning more about the tale of La Llorona. It was a quick read.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a book that delves into generational trauma through the myth of La Llorana, and how one's family's path, one's own mental illnesses, and one's culture is deeply connected. Alejandra begins on this journey when her own mental illnesses again become harder to deal with, and she starts seeing the shape of a woman. So begins her journey to learn more about her culture and deal with the generational trauma that has plagued her her whole life. Intertwined with this timeline is the life of other women throughout Alejandra's family tree and their own dealings with generational trauma.

Unfortunately, there was a lot about this book that didn't do it for me. I felt like the past timelines were the strongest part of the book, and I would have rather focused on those women. Alejandra was boring and weak-willed, and not a main character that I found I wanted to spend time with. Additionally, there was a lot about the solving of this entity that plagued her that didn't make sense, and Alejandra bought in with little convincing. Ultimately, this book could have used a lot of tightening to make a more cohesive storyline.

While this book didn't do it for me, the writing was beautiful and I do think V. Castro has talent. I would be interested in reading another book by her, and I think the culture weaved into this book is one of the strongest elements.

V. Castro's "The Haunting of Alejandra" is a haunting and powerful exploration of generational trauma, family secrets, and the insidious nature of legends. With rich prose and profound insights, Castro weaves together Alejandra's unraveling grip on reality with the dark legacy of the infamous La Llorona - the vengeful "Weeping Woman" of Mexican folklore.
As Alejandra descends into a haunting she cannot comprehend, Castro deftly intertwines her present-day struggles with the poignant histories of the women who came before her. The novel becomes a searing indictment of the oppression and suffering imposed upon women across generations, and how the sins of the past cast long shadows.
However, this is not just a tale of darkness, but one of resilience. Castro renders Alejandra's journey for self-discovery and freedom from La Llorona's curse with remarkable empathy. The true horror lies not in the supernatural, but in the all-too-human tragedies and injustices inflicted upon women throughout history.
Deftly blending magical realism with searing social commentary, "The Haunting of Alejandra" announces V. Castro as a potent new voice in Latinx literature. Both a page-turning metaphysical thriller and a profoundly moving family saga, this novel will linger like the myth of La Llorona itself - at once enthralling and deeply unsettling.

I really enjoyed this one from the very first page! It was engaging and consistently interested me! I'm really looking forward to future books by the author, and I can't wait to reread this one once I pick up a print copy!

This wasn't as much a haunting as much as it was a woman coming into her own power, even if it took the haunting to make it possible. A fascinating character development story!

Had me on the edge of my seat. This is definitely not a book that you want to read just before bed, but it's worth giving a read if you enjoy the 'horror' genre.

Unfortunately, I found it difficult to engage with this work. The author’s writing style was bland – there was a use of repetitive sentence structure, which became a huge problem due to the massive chunks of exposition this book is made up of. Even the dialogue was often large monologues that over explains things in a way that felt absurd. The dialogue was stilted and somewhat formal, making it feel forced and unrealistic. There were also large sections of introspection by different characters, which while adding to their depth, didn’t do so in a smooth or meaningful way, making it feel like a chore to read. Related to this, the author told more than showed, adding to the disconnect. All of this took away from any amount of fright I might have felt at the monster and made it where there were only a few parts that were slightly suspenseful.

*La Llorona lore
*Mexican culture/folklore
*Mental health struggles/ generation trauma
*Slow burn

I enjoyed this story, especially being of Mexican heritage and seeing a long told folktale retold in this way.

Oh how stinking depressing. I can't with this book. I hate to do it but DNF. I'm just not in the right mindset for something so sad.

I recently read this book and I hope to be better about reading books on netgalley closer to when they come out and reviewing them as i read them. This author was at the Tucson festival of books recently and I read this book in preparation for the event. I enjoyed this book but It wasn't one of my favorites.

5 Stars: I loved it

Genre: Horror

You may like this book if you like:
Ghost stories
Hereditary (movie)
Mother (movie)
Silent Hill (first movie)

Summary: The spirit of La Llorona has her sights set on Alejandra and she won’t stop until she drags Alejandra into the same darkness all the women that came before her were dragged into.

Thoughts: This story explores the horror of intergenerational curses, toxic cycles, and the trauma that’s passed on from parent to child if those who come before can’t heal. Breaking the cycle may not mean having to battle an ancient demon but this story illustrates how monumental a task that can be.

Alejandra was a fully fleshed out character and perfectly crafted for this story. I felt Alejandra’s despair and I shared many of her worries about motherhood. The fear of failing as a parent, passing on unhealthy coping mechanisms to my (future) children, not knowing enough about my heritage to pass on to my children.

While I feel like this story was done well symbolically, the monster was also genuinely scary. The description of it was very creepy, definitely something you might see at the edge of your vision in the middle of the night. I didn’t know much about La Llorona (except from that shitty La Llorona movie that came out a few years back), but it was cool to learn a little more about her.

*spoiler*
I loved that the breaking of the curse is finding community, learning about your heritage, and taking action for your own story. Horror stories don’t often offer a solution for the topics it touches on but I appreciated the conclusions this story came to.

While I appreciate this book a lot, it did lag at points. I’m willing to overlook that because I enjoyed it but other readers may not.

TW: Suicide, body horror, mental illness, SA, Death

“I want to be a healed woman. A strong woman for whatever comes next.”

I really enjoyed this story, even the view points from a very long time ago. I was worried they would be difficult to read but they weren't. As someone who doesn't want kids, I really felt for Alejandra. The ending was excellent even if a little vulgar.