The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
Format: ebook ARC courtesy of Del Rey and NetGalley

Buckle up friends, this is gonna be a long one.

Are you a mother of at least one human child? Have you been sucked into clock app videos about generational female trauma and rage to the tune of “Labour” by Paris Paloma like I have? Do you have a semi-strong stomach and can you tolerate a few spookies? If the answer to those questions is a resounding YES, I have the book for you.

In The Haunting of Alejandra, veteran horror writer V. Castro weaves a haunting (get it) tale of a generational curse that has run its course. As the book opens, we are introduced to Alejandra, a woman at her breaking point. A stay at home mother of three, she is exhausted, physically and mentally. Her critical and controlling husband is more than happy to let his wife bear the brunt of the housework. After moving out of state, Alejandra is more isolated than ever when she begins seeing an apparition. The specter is the visage of La Llorona, a phantom of Mexican folklore who is said to be summoned by grief, and who waits in the shadows to lure women and children to their deaths. As the sightings grow more frequent and severe, Alejandra learns that she is only the most recent victim of La Llorona, who has been haunting the women in her bloodline for centuries. With the power of her ancestors behind her, Alejandra knows that she alone must break the curse and banish the evil spirit forever- but can she afford the price of her family’s deliverance?

Holy goodness, I REALLY liked this book. From page TWO, we are jumping right into the plot with some scaries. Zero pages of this book are wasted on introductions or fluff. The characters and their struggles sprang to life from the pages, especially Alejandra, who’s character development was *chef’s kiss*. But this is a story about so much more than one person- and while this is a work of fiction, the hardships faced by latina women today and for centuries past are very real. There are multiple POVs in this book; each chapter depicts the story of the character it is titled after, past and present. I personally enjoyed this structure, as it kept me interested and the plot moving fast. Speaking of plot, while the message behind the story is relatable to many, the actual events in the book were unique, and I enjoyed the role that the author and the character’s Mexican American culture played in the story. By the final chapters, as more is revealed about the curse and folktale’s origins, the emotional impact grows and grows. This book spoke to me on a spiritual level in part because it is just that good, but also because it is the right book at the right time for me, as a married woman and a mother, as a person curious about their family’s history. (Also, the cover is just so GORGEOUS and I love that there is a playlist to accompany the book on Spotify from the publisher- how cool is that?)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read it, but especially to women, to latinx readers, to mothers, to horror-lite readers, to people who are passionate about women’s rights and social justice. This is definitely in the realm of the horror genre, but was not the scariest, most horrifying book I’ve ever read- a perfect book for someone looking to get into the genre. If you’ve read and loved books like Mexican Gothic or The Hacienda, I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you so much to Del Rey for the ARC of this awesome book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

Let me say, firstly, that I'm so glad to read V. Castro's work. I love the way Castro incorporates Mexican and Mexican American folklore and traditions into the horror, and I find the plots of the stories to be pretty imaginative and unique.

<i>The Haunting of Alejandra</i> is no different. Castro deftly weaves in the traditional story of La Llorona into a narrative about a mother who feels unsatisfied with her life. The way Castro handles generational trauma and violence in the story is beautiful and speaks to the importance of community, love, and family. I don't have children, so I can't speak to the representation, but I thought the way Castro depicted depression and motherhood was so well done and emotional.

I thought Alejandra's relationship to her children was great, as well as her relationship with her mother. I wish there had been a bit more nuance to her relationship with her husband; while I'm well aware men like him exist, he felt a bit too mustache twirling and over the top with the way he spoke to her.

What didn't work for me, and what doesn't work for me in Castro's other work, is the writing, unfortunately. The dialogue between characters is so stilted and awkward; it doesn't feel or read like an authentic conversation. The writing can also be repetitive. A bit more fine tuning with the mechanics of how the story is told would help the writing match the imaginative and unique plot points that make Castro's work so special.

I would still recommend this to horror fans. The body horror in this is great and it gets quite gross, in all the best ways possible.

Alejandra is a woman haunted by her choices and position in life. Unfortunately it is something she has in common with many of the women in her family. She is in a dark place mentally and that is the perfect vulnerability for evil to creep in.

I love the cover art so much! It is bright and vibrant which you don’t often see in horror books. It perfectly reflects the themes in the book and the many layers of a persons life.

Instantly we can understand what Alejandra is going through. She has children pawing at her all day and a husband who doesn’t seem to appreciate all she does. Goes to show you that some people may have a life that seems perfect but be battling demons.

Alejandra discusses the pressure put on moms to “bounce back” and be grateful for what they have. And when you still feel unhappy, you are made to feel selfish and wrong which only makes you feel worse.

Cathy is Alejandra’s biological mother. We know from conversations that Cathy’s mom was distant and under a cloud of darkness. Cathy gave up Alejandra so that she could pursue her dreams of being a doctor. Goes back to how women are perceived by society. If they get an abortion they are evil and slutty. If they give up a baby they are seen as selfish or heartless. And if they have children but not a career (like Alejandra) there is judgement as not being ambitious.

The villain in this book may be La Llorona but more likely it is the societal and generational trauma put on women throughout history to fit a mold. Alejandra must find a way to fight for her family and herself.

I really enjoyed learning more about Alejandra’s culture and her getting back to her roots. If you enjoy Day of the Dead history I believe you’ll like The Haunting of Alejandra. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily.

The Haunting of Alejandra
by V. Castro

4.5/5

V. Castro does it again with this masterful retelling of La Llorona; we face breaking generational trauma and discovering self love in this gruesome story.

Watching Alejandra fall into indifference with her husband shows how feeling unseen in a marriage can be devastating to your psyche. Despite all her marital issues, she holds her children close.

As we follow the stories of Cathy (Alejandra’s mother) and a few other ancestors, we begin to see just how far this “curse” goes back.

I know these women; I love these women.

I love her relationship and camaraderie with her therapist. It truly shows how finding a therapist that works for you and how women can truly uplift each other.

I’m still processing this macabre story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey.

This should definitely come with a trigger warning for anyone who suffers with suicidal ideation especially in relation to motherhood. That said, qualifying for years on both counts made this book especially compelling for me. I am a fan of V. Castro already, and she doesn't disappoint with the mix of Mexican folklore and modern identity.

The things keeping it from a five:

1) The men are very one dimensional characters and kind of get a bad rap. The husband, Matthew, is just a foil representing societal expectations and nothing more. There could have been so much more, and we get a small peek at that when Alejandra speaks of her father's demons when she meets him.

2) Things are just a bit too simple / this needed a bit more time and attention. Part of this is the men, as stated above. Part is break in flow when the setting or time or other basic given shifts when it shouldn't. I think another review goes into much detail here, so I won't belabor. I am not a stickler on these things, but when it breaks the scene, then it's too far.

3) Um, what was that ending? Why? How? Huh??? My wtf reaction to the resolution undermines the whole thing. Also, still a bit confused here, and think this may be where other reviewers are talking about the demon being "just depression."

Overall, understand some women and how our crap morphs and transfers to the next generation despite anyone's best intentions. Motherhood and daughterhood are complicated. The demon is a very cool haunt if you just go with it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I had a difficult time putting this down. I really loved the combination of Mexican folklore and how it relates to the story of one family throughout the generations. It was creepy and sad. Alejandra’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. I would highly recommend.

I was unfortunately unable to finish this book. I love books with ghosts, so I thought the synopsis was intriguing. Especially since La Llorona is one of my favorite legends. I tried multiple times to sit down and read this novel, but the dark mood at the beginning was too much for me. Alejandra is so depressed and negative about her family. The suicidal ideation to start, and her hatred of motherhood were a bit too intense for me, and they should really be trigger warnings. I probably should have realized this from the synopsis, but I just found that I couldn't stomach it once I tried to read it. The writing wasn't anything special from the 50 pages or so I read, so it was a DNF for me. I don't know I'd try any other works from her either.

This book was heartbreaking, terrifying, soul wrenching, while also being empowering and utterly and completely beautiful. I loved every second of it, even as some moments (... Matthew) made me so angry. I loved Alejandra so, so much and was so invested in her journey of self-love and discovery. I was so worried how it would turn out but the ending was relatively solid.

This addressed some pretty heavy topics, especially ones that not a lot of people are comfortable addressing: not being a good mother, not wanting kids after you've had them. Oftentimes people will skirt around this issue, or have t be about other things so I have a deep appreciation for Castro hitting this head on and without softening her words (also, shamelessly using the word vagina. Thank you!).

The only critique I do have, which stunted my reading just a bit, was how dry the dialogue was and how the kids talked almost exactly the same as the adults. It was just a bit monotonous at times, when there were heavy bits of dialogue, but Castro's beautiful and vivid descriptors more than make up for it.

This book felt very special and wonderful and I am so pleased I was given the opportunity to read it.

this book is going to be on my mind for a while! v. castro's writing is so absorbing and puts you right into alejandra's shoes while reading, I honestly couldn't put it down. of all the retellings and stories that feature mexican folklore/la llorona, this is by far the best I've read. not only are the supernatural/horror aspects of this story top tier, the themes relating to multi-generational trauma (or "curses"), being a woman who feels trapped in her own life and motherhood, all stand out in their own way without being too bogged down by each other or ruining the plot (is it really a la llorona retelling if we don't see these themes though?) as a mexican-american woman, it was very validating to see these topics brought up in a story like this. while they aren't the cheeriest things we sometimes struggle with, just seeing a woman take control of these "curses" and protect herself along with her children, it feels very important and I hope everyone reads this book!

An intriguing multi-generational narrative with a supernatural and creepy flair. I really liked the progression of Alejandra as a character throughout this, and the framing of everything around the La Llorana myth was very intriguing.

There's a lot of potential for discussions here- this seems like a perfect book club book.

I really wanted to love this, but I think I just didn't quite "get" it for whatever reason. I still really enjoyed reading it, but it just didn't fully click for me, though it was written and structured in a way that I believe it will for many other readers. I do think I would have loved reading this as a part of a book club to discuss some of the nuances with others though.

I liked the idea of the story and the use of folklore but the execution wasn’t for me. I like a nice buildup and a mystery. The mystery of the ghostly vision is revealed very early so no buildup to the ending. The tension just wasn’t there.

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro is a story of grief, anger, and generational trauma that won’t remove its claws from the backs of the women in this bloodline.

Content Warnings:
Miscarriage, gaslighting, grief, death, suicidal thoughts, suicide, self-harm, and others.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
Alejandra is struggling. She has a privileged life when it comes to classic things like the family and the house, but that’s where the picture-perfect reflection ends. Within her mind, there’s a storm that won’t settle. Finally hitting a breaking point, Alejandra goes to therapy. But there, she learns that this wasn’t all just in her head. There is a real danger, and it has set its sights on her and her children.

Will Alejandra be able to sever the cord of this generational curse once and for all, or is her bloodline doomed to keep repeating the horrors of the past?

Set up in a way that jumps from the current mother struggling with the demon to each of her ancestors throughout the years since the curse began, we slowly learn why each mother seems destined to meet a horrible end after an unhappy life.

I will caution readers, the first half of this book was difficult to read as it is very raw and will leave readers feeling miserable if you’re one that puts yourselves in the character’s shoes. But eventually, the story starts to come out of the darkness as Alejandra becomes stronger and the focus shifts to determination and hope!

My Favorite Passages from The Haunting of Alejandra
For years she abandoned herself to be a willing sacrifice to please everyone around her, and now nothing existed within her anymore. Even her own hand was not a hand at all, but a blade she used to carve her heart for anyone who asked for it.

I’ve come to learn that thoughts often get in the way of intuition. You have to turn the dialogue down and listen to the music of your soul.

Words could eviscerate or they could be a miracle.

My Final Thoughts on The Haunting of Alejandra
This deeply distressing tale is an amazing example of real-world horror mixed with the paranormal.

Get ready with your tissues and a stress ball (or a stiff drink!) to prepare for the rage some of this will induce, and dive into this story. Just make sure you have calmed your inner demons by the time you hit the last page so you don’t bring the cursed one back to life!

This is my favorite book of 2023 so far.

Alejandra is a wife and a mother and is seriously struggling. She feels as though she has no identity other than those two things and she isn't even good at them. As her depression gets deeper she starts to see a ghostly figure of a woman in white - La Llorona. After deciding to get therapy this entity starts wreaking havoc on not only her but her children. This leads Alejandra to connect more with her birth mother who gave her up at birth and to learn more about her family history. She wants to learn more about this woman in white and how she can get rid of her for good.

This book is the epitome of how much heart horror can have. To start, Alejandra is such a beautiful, flawed character. I am not married and have no children but as someone who has depression I felt her agony. I have many friends who have felt the way she felt about their own partners and children and I know that Alejandra's struggle will resonate with so many. Yet the strength and love she has for her children will have you cheering for her the whole way through the book.

I also loved the exploration of her family history and heritage. Alejandra is a woman that was adopted and raised by people that had no ties to her heritage which made her feel even more lost in her identity. Getting to go with her has she learned and connected with her family and the strength it gave her had me crying. It was truly beautiful seeing her and the women of her family line experience the very real emotions that come with being human but specifically Mexican American women.

Finally, La Llorona is terrifying. I know enough about this legend and this take on it was so unique. The way that the moments of horror were paced seriously left me on edge. This book is told through multiple POV's and multiple timelines that made the story unfold in a way that made it hard to put the book down. I highly recommend this book!

"We must listen to the women who came before us. We change the future by unloading the sorrow of the past. We sever the cord of generational curses."

The Haunting of Alejandra is a beautiful and haunting tale of mothers and daughters battling a monster of a generational curse. A cautionary tale not just of La Llorona, but of the idea that if you do not choose to break that generational curse, your lineage is forced to endure the cyclical trauma. This novel blew me away. Castro created incredibly strong characters within Alejandra and each of the women that we encounter throughout the story.

The Haunting of Alejandra follows Alejandra herself, as she battles what she believes is depression, suicidal thoughts, and hallucinations of a woman in a white dress. That is until her children, especially her oldest daughter, begin to encounter the same "hallucination" as she, La Llorona. Alejandra knows that La Llorona is after her and her family. With the help of her therapist and biological mother, Alejandra uncovers the truth about this monster that has been haunting her lineage for generations. Alejandra has to call on the spirits of her ancestors to rid the world of this curse before it devours her family.

This is a must-read for everyone!

Thank you Del Ray Books for approving this ARC!
After seeing this on Goodreads, I KNEW I had to read it and glad I did!

Alejandra is an overwhelmed mom of 3, after having her kids back to back. She is overworked, overwhelmed, has no time for herself (after being consumed with kids and housework) and has lost her identity.
One day, while trying to escape "mom/wife life", she sees an unknown dark entity. This entity begins to haunt Alejandra and tells her things like she's no good and a horrible person.
Alejandra is the only one who can see this entity and seeks out the help of therapist. She finds Melanie, who is also Mexican-American like Alejandra and helps Alejandra rediscover who is she and find the strength to fight this entity.

All in all, this is definitely a book I recommend.
It has a horror/supernatural element that I don't normally gravitate towards but I am glad I read this one!
I loved how V Castro included backstories to the women in Alejandra's family, and the realism of Alejandra. Being a mom myself, I can definitely identify with being overwhelmed, being consumed by kids, losing yourself and having a voice tell you that you are no good.
At first I believed that the dark entity was undiagnosed postpartum but the ending was my favorite part!

This is a book that I would definitely recommend.

~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of ***************************The Haunting of Alejandra*************************** in exchange for an honest review. ~

Oh, wow, this doesn’t shy away from the heaviness this book is going to be covering as we open our meeting with Alejandra and see how much she’s struggling with everyday tasks. Her depression has become so debilitating that she has a hard time taking care of her children and her shitty husband who guilt trips her for struggling. She’s come to resent her relationship with him and is now beginning to have visions of a woman in white. I deeply want to give this woman a hug and encourage her to get help— which thank god, she does. The therapist she finds is also Mexican American and they connect over the stories of La Llorona and La Catrina, which gave some depth to both pieces of folklore I wasn’t aware of.

Prior to moving for her husband’s job, she’d been trying to reconnect with her birth mother and her culture that she wasn’t able to experience while growing up in the foster care system. I really love that she’s also trying to share the things she’s learned with her oldest daughter, Catrina, and am hopeful to see more of their relationship as Alejandra heals. The showcasing of generational trauma was exquisite. Each of the women in this family line’s perspectives felt similar and yet different enough to keep them distinct. We start with the first woman in the family line to interact with the demon. Her voice is just as somber and bitter but still stands apart from Alejandra’s. In all perspectives, though, La Llorona’s visits are so eerie and unsettling.

The plot itself is character focused as we watch Alejandra’s journey to learn more about her family line, and the troubles that have followed them, and work to heal from her own struggles so that she can save her children from suffering similar fates. I really adored the discussions around motherhood and identity in this story, the way these women took hold of their fates and made what they wanted up them. I felt just as empowered by their stories as Alejandra. The horror we see is in the visceral and gory descriptions of our character’s experiences and are amped up most when we see La Llorona, but I wanted more. There were a few moments that had me making disgusted faces, but nothing particularly memorable about the horror. I did, however, really like the final perspective and how it twisted the usual tale of La Llorona, showcasing her in a more sympathetic light.

My biggest complaint throughout this was the dialogue didn’t really seem authentic or flow naturally. Conversations feel long-winded or just unusual to how someone would speak. I also would have liked a bit more explanation of the demon in the end, it felt unresolved in the end and like a cop-out wrap-up.

A haunting, beautiful book that I think a lot of moms out there could or would greatly appreciate and relate to on some level. I think this is a great bookclub discussion book. There were moments when the dialogue felt weird and clunky, but the atmosphere, story, and general writing were phenomenal.

Happy Pub Day to The Haunting of Alejandra! This horror novel is super riveting and spooky and atmospheric. While it was all of those things, it was also deep, and not your average run of the mill thriller. It dealt with generational trauma in a way which I found interesting and so well done. Alejandra as a character was so complex and you really just felt for her. I think this is such an impactful one and I really hope people read it.

To be perfectly honest, I wanted to love this book more than I did. Alejandra, adoptee turned the young mother of three children, struggles with postpartum depression in a loveless marriage. But her burden is not only her own. The weight that follows her after childbirth is ancestral, embodied, and has traveled from mother to mother since the days of Cortes, feeding on the pain of the women in her line and driving each one to their death.

The book had such a wonderful premise! But more attention was paid to the social and historical issues at hand than to the development of Alejandra as a character, and because of this I left the overall experience feeling empty. The dialogue was over-explanatory, her husband's character was more of a caricature, and the creature that plagues her gets a hint of a backstory, only to be left behind. Rather than being immersed in a story that explored history, themes of intergenerational trauma and the lingering effects of a people subjugated, I frequently felt like I was receiving a history lesson in the general shape of a story. Perhaps for readers less aware of this history this is useful, but as a Mexican American young mother who grew up estranged from her heritage myself, I had hoped for a story I could feel deeply. This was not it.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. I am not usually a horror reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Alejandra is unhappy in her life. She loves her three children but is in an unhappy marriage that has just moved her cross country away from her home and the biological mother she was just getting to know. Soon she starts to see visions of a creature dressed in white, drawing parallels to the Mexican folk tale of La Llorona. Alejandra must quickly decipher the visions before they harm her or her children while learning about her past and those of her ancestors.

I found this to be a really intriguing way to delve into the folklore of La Llorona. As a Latinx but non-Mexican reader I found this an interesting way to learn about the legend and explore it in a contemporary setting. The different timeline in each chapter to explore different ancestors in Alejandra's bloodline was a really smart way to develop the story and give context to Alejandra's current situation. The ending does have some of those classic horror elements thrown in, so I wouldn't recommend if you are a little squeamish (and maybe wraps things up a little quickly and neatly for my taste) but I still found this incredibly readable.