Thank you, NetGalley, V. Castro, and publishers for gifting me a copy of The Haunting of Alejandra in return for my honest opinion.

3/5

I loved the concept of this book and when the writer wasn’t trying to be poetic with her writing it was a wonderful book.

Alejandra is in a loveless marriage with three children. One day she is in the shower when the darkness almost overtakes her. COme to find out she isn't the only one in her family that has struggled with this issue. Through therapy she explores her family history and the dark truth that has taken it over. As she finds out her history and the truth will she be strong enough to fight the darkness?

Through multigenerational perspectives and La Llorona folklore, V. Castro dives into Mexican history/folklore and weaves a wonderful story. This was the part of the story that I really enjoyed and the major reason why I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.

But, from now on when I think of a book that is trying to do too much, this one will come to mind. Within the first chapter, we had these quotes-
"only her pain was real, because it was sitting on her shoulder"
"Each birth had left an open wound where each of those peices of flesh had been hacked off"
"Beyond the beaded veil of water on glass"
"Tear streamed down her eyes, yet herface remained stoic."
"She hoped they would remain in the other room because her patience had evaporated like water left to simmer at the bottom of the pot. It wouldn't be long before something inside of her burned."
This were just some of the quotes I found in the first 8 pages! Unless I'm reading a poetry book this was just too many figures of speech for me.

V. Castro is amazing. Queen of horror tbh. Queen of Cicadas was my introduction this had some of the body horror and all the imagery but the character of Alejandra feels so close to me. Her depression and journey of finding healing was so refreshing. The twist on the tale of la llorona was very good. I loved all the chapters told from other family members and seeing how their generational curse took its toll on them. Love love love this book. Preorder secured, I can't wait for what V does next.

I enjoyed her other works - I did not enjoy this at all. It was a struggle to get through so many pages about how much she hated her life and wished she were dead. I get it that this is a very real scenario, it's just too depressing for me.

Haunting and powerful. A mixture of Mexican folklore with a bit of fantasy and of course horror.
At times depressing, so be warned.
A very exhausting read, making you want more once it's over.

V. Castro is one of the most fearless writers working in horror today. Each of her stories is full of grit and determination, coupled with a drive to share her mind with the world. Castro writes from a Mestiza perspective, incorporating culture, history, legend and personal experience to craft her works. The Haunting of Alejandra is her latest book and easily one of the finest.

Many know the tale of La Llorona, the weeping woman. The legends say she drowned her children in grief when her beloved was unfaithful to her, before ending her own life in despair. Her wayward specter stalks unwary children to replace those she lost. Castro reinterprets the myth through a tale of postpartum depression, grief, and tangled family history.

Alejandra is a woman with a seemingly idyllic life: a handsome and successful husband and multiple children, everything that society says she should want. But Alejandra is plagued by multiple specters and begins to harbor dark thoughts that push her to the unthinkable.

Adopted at a young age, Alejandra is noticeably distant from her culture and through the novel begins to reconnect with it, along with her family heritage. She is the moral core of the story and a terrific main character. Castro is not afraid to allow Alejandra to be flawed, highlighting her resentment and frustration, but making it clear how much she cares for her children. Alejandra is not a weak person and the greatest joy of the novel is not merely her growing stronger, but learning how strong she really is.

The apparition of La Llorona is a sinister entity, but Castro refuses to adhere to common stereotypes. No mere scorned woman, this is a demon that has stalked Alejandra’s family line for generations, beginning long ago during the brutal ravages of the Conquistadors. The theme of stolen heritage rings through generations from the moment a woman named Atli gave herself to the Spanish to save her family and made a dark bargain to save her own daughter, as well as take her revenge. Alejandra discovers the mother she never knew while pushing to save herself, her family, and ultimately her own identity.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a personal book, of scars passed through generations and how trauma lingers – but also how trauma can be fought and ultimately contained.

And how even a flood of tears doesn’t make you weak.

As someone who has been fully obsessed with the La Llorona legend since I was in elementary school, so I was obviously amped as hell that V. Castro was going to do her own take on it. I love Castro's horror voice that brings genuine scares to proudly Latine themes and stories, and THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA is her best one yet. For one, she is so good at writing the scares and horror imagery and pacing into her stories. The suspense builds, the La Llorona/demonic force that is tormenting mother of three Alejandra is scary as hell, and I was very invested in what was going to happen to her (And also her children'; after all, the La Llorona myth isn't exactly known for being a happy tale for the children involved). But on top of that Castro also nails, and I mean NAILS, the very real horror themes of generational trauma and the pressures of motherhood. While it's mostly through Alejandra's perspective and experiences, we do get devoted chapters to the other women in her familial line who are also being haunted by this entity, and how things ended for them in usually very tragic ways, and how the family curse passes down much like real life generational trauma does. And the motherhood angle is very, very spot on and stressful to read, given that Alejandra has three children that are overwhelming her, an unfulfilled personal life since she stopped working once she became a mother at her husband's behest, and with little to no support as her husband is basically worthless and they pulled up stakes and moved away from her home state to a place that she has no connection to. The metaphor lends itself wonderfully to motherhood, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis.

I loved THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA. It's V. Castro's best work so far and just hits it out of the park.

A powerful Mexican folklore filled with despair and dread. This book was enthralling, I could not put it down. Filled with powerful women, a sort of midlife coming of age novel filled with dread, nightmares, demonic entities and La Lorna, what more could you want! I especially loved the deep cultural ties mixed with horror!

Content Warning: Abandonment, Generational Trauma, Generational Curse, Loss of Self, Suicidal Ideation, Attempted/Successful Suicide, Self-Harm, Thoughts of Harming Children, Depression, Regret and Guild in regard to Motherhood, Overcoming Trauma, Unsupportive Spouse reader will want to throat punch, La Llorona, Mexican Folklore, Bloody Attacks, Rituals, Feelings of being Tokenized, and Jump Scares.

Alright now that I've listed all the content warnings I identified, let's get this review started. First and foremost let me say that this needs to be given all of the awards, a movie with an Oscar level cast, and a spot in the all the top must read, life changing reader lists because this was a masterpiece.

I was emotionally charged from beginning to end. If you are a mother who has hide from your children in the closet, felt like you weren't enough, cried in the shower, felt regret or grief over your lost hopes and dreams, this book is going to touch your soul. If you have ever been in a relationship where you gave up control, you felt like you were walking on eggshells, you felt less than equal, you are going to be big mad every time our girl interacts with her husband.

This story was heavily influenced, inspired, by the Mexican Folklore of La Llorona. I don't want to call it a retelling however there is definitely a spin to the legendary tale and how it has affected entire generations of woman, latching on to bloodlines and tormenting mothers for centuries.

You DO NOT have to be familiar with Mexican culture of folklore to enjoy this book. Everything you need to know is explained. As an Afro Latina from a family with generations of woman who have experienced trauma and heartache it definitely hit different for me.

I highly highly recommend this book. If Latinx Books, Horror Books, Thriller Books, aren't your norm, I promise you this is the ONE to break you out of your routine. You will NOT be disappointed.

I love folktale and folklore reimaginings, especially those about wronged women that lend themselves to feminist reinterpretation. The Haunting of Alejandra offers a twist on the story of La Llorona, following the story of a woman who finds herself haunted by both the weight of motherhood and a monster resembling La Llorona which feeds off the sorrow, fear, and eventually, flesh of the women in Alejandra's bloodline.

This story did not unfold the way I expected, with some ancient being assuming the form of the mythic figure to haunt the women of a particular bloodline due to a deal made in the time of the conquistadores. Even so, I appreciated the story's exploration of generational trauma intertwined with colonial violence, matrilineal strength/feminine folk magic, the complexity of motherhood, and the power of connecting with one's ancestors and lineage. I almost would have preferred if the haunting was merely the ghost of Alejandra's ancestor (who in the end is revealed to be the actual La Llorona), but the interaction between the ancestor and the creature does raise interesting ideas about the mythmaking and how stories spread.

“Sometimes you have to know when to let go and what to let go of.”
There is a certain level of frustration that comes with being a stay-at-home parent. You get no time off, everything is done with a purpose and you are supposed to be grateful to “not have a job”. It doesn’t help when your spouse is not helpful and unsupportive. Add to that something that feeds off your misery, whispering in your ear to increase your guilt and make you hate yourself and your life all the more.
This started off great, really getting across the pain and emotion that Alejandra felt. However it felt like it got repetitive and was longer than necessary. I lost interest and empathy.

First and foremost I adore books with appropriate chapter lengths. This book's chapters range from 5-10 pages long *Chefs Kiss* I loved this book for many reasons but the one that sticks out in my mind is the authors ability to make all the characters relatable in their own ways. The mystery of this book is great ( no spoilers) I loved the ending it fit perfectly like a well used puzzle piece. The most interesting aspect was the authors exploration of generational trauma, and how each generation is affected by it.

The Haunting of Alejandra unfortunately could not hold my attention. I absolutely loved The Goddess of Filth by V Castro so I was excited to received an arc of her newest novel! I loved the imagery and build in Goddess of Filth and I think she packed such a punch in that novella.

The Haunting of Alejandra, however, was way too slow to build tension and while I understand what she was attempting and working toward, I unfortunately just don’t think it was for me.

I chose to stop reading this book at 53% because it was still just talking about women with suicidal ideations who hated their children and their lives. I understand this is the theme and point, but there was nothing building the horror aspect and it really was reading more like a memoir than a horror novel.

I’m choosing not to review this on my page because I really do think that some might enjoy it, so I don’t want to deter others from giving it a go, but it was not a book for me sadly.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Haunting of Alejandra is the story of a multigenerational curse, a likeness of the mythical La Llorona that haunts a bloodline.Though the story centers around the titular character Alejandra in the present day, the book often flashes back to the perspectives of women who have faced off against this curse in their past, Alejandra's ancestors. This book lends itself to V. Castro's familiar formula, combining themes of feminism with elements of Mexican culture and folklore to create a harrowing psychological horror.

My only complaint with this book is that some descriptions became repetitive. As Castro flashes back to each woman's experiences with the curse, the descriptions of the creature are repeated nearly word for word each time.

Overall I enjoyed this book. This was a very unique twist on the folklore of La Llorona, a story I'm sure many readers are familiar with. I love when authors take something established and make it their own. This book does deal with some pretty heavy themes, so make sure you're in the right headspace before you pick this one up!

CWs for: depression, suicidal ideation, suicide, pregnancy loss, death

Crossposted to Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5447306722

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the copy of this e-arc for my honest review.

Wow, this story packs a punch. The author draws you in from the first chapter. I immediately connected to the main character and loved the generational history of her family, as well as the horror. The chapters were nicely broken down to read more about history of Alejandra's family and the folklore surrounding this entity. I loved getting to know about Mexican folklore. Just be aware of the trigger warnings of mental health and suicide.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous, loved the strong female characters and I will be sure to check out V. Castro back-list of books. 5 Stars

This is my first book by V. Castro, so I requested it based entirely on the gorgeous cover, and the mention of La Llorona. I absolutely love folklore, and the many iterations of the lore of La Llorona is one of my favorites.

The Haunting of Alejandra is on the surface a retelling of a Mexican folk legend, but is SO MUCH MORE than that. I loved the opening of the book, I had actually convinced myself that La Llorona was going to end up being a metaphor for postnatal depression, as we watch Alejandra really going through it. But I was thankfully wrong. We are taken on a journey through her ancestors' struggles, through their own POV chapters - the Alejandra chapters were my favorite, some of the others kind of weighted the story down for me.

This book is a gory but beautifully written multi-generational story about the strength, courage, and perseverance that women carry to overcome the trauma (and literal demons) they endure. I'm so glad I was able to get this in just under the wire of it still being Women's History Month.

I absolutely recommended this book. V. Castro is clearly a talented author, and The Haunting of Alejandra is just so beautifully written, even when the subject matter is ugly. Her take on the tale of La Llorona was new and interesting. She's got a voice with something to say, and I'm glad I got to hear it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: suicide

Beautifully done. There’s generational trauma, but as a foundation for this creepy ghost story, giving it so much heart. Alejandra was struggling with depression as a SAHM, and finding her way to a better place through therapy and connecting with her roots was deeper than I was expecting this story to be. The supernatural was creepy and amazing, its juxtaposition with the mundane making it even more horrifying. I look forward to more from this unique author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

This book is uber creepy, atmospheric, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I noticed a bit of genre blending and i just felt that the story just flowed so beautifully. The retelling of the La Llorona told through generational trauma & battling our own demons, figuratively & quite literally.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I wanted to love this because I’m always looking for more female-centered horror by women. There was just something off about the dialog for me. It felt awkward, too long, and unrealistic. The exposition, of which there was quite a bit, was strange as well.

V. Castro had cemented a reputation as a rising maestro of horror before this book, and THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA only strengthens it. A reimagination and expansion of the La Llorona folk tale, the novel frames.it through the prism of a woman, Alejandra, who comes to know her anger and sadness (particularly at her wet blanket of a husband) is not some mere suburban ennui but the latest manifestation of a centuries-old curse.

Not too many people have written scenes of violence and gore that are as (literally) visceral as what Castro sometimes shows us. But what stands out above all is the core of deep love within Alejandra (and her many ancestors, ranging from 1522 to the hippie 60s). This is an outstanding novel from one of the genre's latest and greatest.

The Haunting of Alejandra
By V. Castro
Publisher Del Rey
Publish date April 18, 2023

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Gothic

What you need to know:
Alejandra is a wife, mother of three children, has no idea who she really is, and is haunted. She is increasingly overwhelmed and tormented by thoughts of worthlessness and suicidal ideations. With a lack of a real support system, she reaches out to a therapist in hopes of healing only to discover her despair runs as deep as bloodlines.

My reading experience:
I connected immediately with Alejandra, easily feeling her pain and loneliness. I empathized with her situation and felt relieved when she reached out for counseling. The book introduces her ancestors and different times lines in completely different sections, which gave me a full understanding of the generational history. I did feel like I had to refocus to the main story line again after each of these sections, which wasn’t difficult, just tiring at times. The Mexican folklore in this story was interesting to me, but I feel like I needed more information. There was plenty of eerie situations and disturbing imagery, and I loved to strong female centered storyline.

I enjoyed this book. I did find it a bit of a slower read than I’m used to. Make sure to read all the way to the end!