Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for providing me with an e-arc of this work. I have been a huge fan of V. Castro's work since I read Goddess of Filth. I appreciate how the author continues to expose the horrors of what it is to be a woman through the genre. The Haunting of Alejandra is a testimony to healing the divine feminine through the healing of one's trauma, on a generational and individual level. Stories like this are essential to sharing the feminine experience. Bouncing off the legend of La Llorona, Castro takes us on a journey of freedom from a greedy demon and healing that spans generations.

My biggest problem with the story is that I wish it were set up in a slightly different manner. We constantly change POVs and get constant stimulation with every character in third-person omniscient. I genuinely could care less about Alejandra's husband's opinions. Still, I highly recommend this work and found it incredible.

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 9 | Atmosphere: 8 | Writing: 8 | Plot: 7 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 6 | Enjoyment: 8
Total: 7.71 / 4 Stars

The Haunting of Alejandra took me by genuine surprise. I was concerned that this story would feel too contemporary-pretending-to-be-horror, but that wasn't what we got. Instead, we got a terrifying but beautifully written story portraying generational trauma's depths. As Alejandra is haunted, she learns her familial history, specifically the history of motherhood. This story unfolds in ways I wouldn't have expected, showing tales through different historical lenses. And the horror is horrifying, the descriptors of the creature haunting her were jarring and scary- which was exactly what I wanted from it. This was well done, and well written.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I read the premise of this book and knew immediately that I had to request it! I love La Llorona and the folklore that surrounds the stories, it has always fascinated me. I feel like the author did such a fantastic job at showing the readers about multigenerational trauma and how it can be passed down and showing how one person in a family can stop the trauma and from continuing to be passed down. The thing that took me away from the storyline was all the multiple POV and continuing to go back in time. I understood how it was meant to add to the storyline, but I feel like it added a lot of unnecessary characters and ended up confusing me more than if those parts had just not been added. I feel like these parts just made the book a little choppy at times and just took me away from the storyline. Overall, I feel like it was still a decent book and would recommend it to readers!

The concept of this book is super cool. The weaving of multiple POVs across different generations of women in the same ancestry to present the same generational trauma was such a great concept. The use of an old folklore like La Llorona to showcase that trauma further was also cool as all hell. The author did such a great job at making me claustrophobic when describing Alejandra’s life. Unfortunately, the concept wasn’t enough for me to completely love this book. The writing style just wasn’t for me. It felt choppy and the dialogue unnatural. It was a lot of telling us what was going on or what someone was thinking instead of showing us. I couldnt really feel engaged to the characters. For such a short book I felt like it dragged on. Shame, because I felt like they had such a great concept and backdrop and would have loved to have loved this.

This was my first time reading a horror book. and as someone that isn’t a big fan of the genre as a whole this was a great story!
I felt like the character of Alrjandra was approachable in the fact that she is someone that we all know and exists in this world or someone we fear becoming in our relationships. Dealing with losing themselves in marriage
V castro really brings together Mexican folklore and the breaking of generational curses in a gripping tale of women banding together drawing the power of their ancestors to help rid their bloodline of this creature that has haunted them for centuries.
This book is an exceptional pick up! Especially during the spooky season.
It would also make for a fun limited episode show or short film.

Read this book towards the end of 2022 and I'm almost certain it'll be one of my favorite 2023 reads.

I grew up hearing stories about La Llorona, so I loved Castro's take on this Mexican folklore. I also really appreciated the themes of generational curses/traumas, motherhood, curanderismo, belonging, and empowerment.

This would make an excellent book club pick, and I'd also love to see it adapted to a mini-series.

I REALLY liked the premise for this book, but the writing style just didn't hold my attention and I could feel this one driving me towards a reading slump. Read the last 2/3 of the book fairly quickly just so I could get done with it.

"the creature you saw is no vision or hallucinations. i believe your generational trauma is manifesting as a creature."
i enjoyed this a lot more than i originally thought, going into this rather blind. this is not the type of supernatural horror most would expect but rather horrific of real life occurrences at a slower rate. my favorite part about this book was the perspective shifts from our main characters ancestors that showed how generational can affect the bloodline. my personal fav was flor's chapter. although this book was a different kind of scary, the imagery of the la llorona was very unsettling, though my least favorite part of the entire story was the repetition of the creature's white dress which is such a small complaint in the grand scheme of this great book.
thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for a honest review.

THE HAUNTING OF ALEJANDRA by V. Castro (Goddess of Filth, Queen of the Cicadas, Out of Aztlan)

Release Date: April 18th, 2023
General Genre: Adult Horror, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic
Subgenre/Themes: Motherhood, Suicidal Ideation, Generational trauma, folklore, ghosts, La Llorona, colonization, personal agency, female empowerment
Writing Style: Multiple POV, Multiple timelines

What You Need to Know: Alejandra is struggling to thrive. She is weighed down and overwhelmed. She is not finding fulfillment in her role as a mother or a wife. Seeking help for her mental health crisis, Alejandra visits a therapist who helps her unravel a generational curse and the revelation that she can battle this demon once and for all.

My Reading Experience: I show up to V. Castro's books to experience her unique brand of horror that highlights the female experience, Mexican culture (traditions, superstitions, and folklore), a sensuality typically lacking in the genre, and fierce, vengeful goddesses/demons.

The Haunting of Alejandra promises in the synopsis a story involving the colonial era mythological demon-ghost, La Llorona, so expectations were high going into this one.
The book has a strong opening as readers become acquainted with the protagonist, Alejandra, and her very personal struggles. Castro leans into a style of communicating the domestic drama through the lens of Alejandra's thought-life instead of situational exposition which is effective for generating empathy for Alejandra but didn't get me invested in the story. I was longing to get outside her head long enough to put a fuller picture together of the family dynamic.
In other words, the long chapters of Alejandra's mental dialog felt repetitive and claustrophobic at times. Conversations between characters felt thin because I didn't feel like other characters were as developed as Alejandra. The husband is just a stand-in, poised to say or do reactionary things to set Alejandra into a tailspin; too much telling--not enough showing.

However, once Castro introduces other timelines and POVs, the plot breaks free from the static energy and is more compelling.
However, it does need to be said that jumping back and forth in time with a new woman's story pulls the reader out of the existing narrative and requires focus in order to settle in again which is jarring and does generate reader-fatigue. I felt it throughout the middle of this book.
My favorite sections of this story were Castro's detailed descriptions of La Llorona-- "The Weeping Woman".
She is vividly and viscerally haunting the pages of this book. The last 30% or so was my favorite part of the book, Castro shines when she's climbing toward the climax of suspense.
I have to mention that longtime fans who have enjoyed other books from this author will appreciate some integration. I saw a few Easter eggs and they made me smile.
As a longtime fan, I think it needs to be said that sometimes, the strong female leads sound the same. It's not a bad thing, I love Castro's fictional women, it's just an observation. I longed for Alejandra to stand out in some way, a unique, physical description, a flaw, a different way of speaking, something to set her apart from other Castro women, but it's ok that she stands among them as another resilient, beautiful, Latina. I will always and forever show up for everything and anything Castro has to offer horror lovers. V. Castro's passion and imagination have me hooked.

Final Recommendation: This book appeals to readers who enjoy female-centered horror, cultural folklore, realistic portrayal of common struggles in motherhood and marriage, positive representation of therapy and curanderas, themes of smashing the patriarchy and colonizers, fluid sexuality, and strong, powerful women.

Comps: The Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo, Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro, The Good House by Tananarive Due, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

As a woman investigates her past, she finds herself haunted by La Llarona. I wish this had been spookier from the start. I find it hard to get into instead of it pulling me in.

"I want the souls of children , their innocence. And I want you. All your terror and pain that grows day by day. Every ill word you speak about yourself . All your hate, the despair. I want to devour you as you decay inside.”

Alejandra is a Mexican woman adopted and raised by a mostly white family. She is unhappy in her marriage and miserable taking care of her children. She starts being haunted by a vision of a crying woman in white - La Llorona. Alejandra discovers that the women in her family are cursed to be haunted by La Llorona, who is said to have murdered her children, and is after Alejandra to lead her to the same fate.

This story was great. We explore multiple women in Alejandra's family and learn more about her culture and heritage. It's a great twist on generational trauma.

Thank you netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very heavy with trigger warnings. There are explicit mentions of self-harm, suicide, and depression. Please be mindful of these themes going into the book. The most basic plot of The Haunting of Alejandra is exactly what the title says. A Chicana mother is haunted by La Llorona, a haunting figure of Mexican folklore who is drawn to women in distress. However, this book alternates chapters between Alejandra’s story and other women throughout Mexican history. There are wonderful conversations about generational trauma and female grief. The reader follows these women through time and experiences their pain firsthand. La Llorona is a symbolic representation of this female grief, so using that folk tale as the medium to discuss generational pain is an effective one. There are also enlightening discussions about Mexican culture and their relationship to death, specifically Día de los Muertos, La Catrina, and of course, La Llorona. The Haunting of Alejandra also explores generational relationships between women. We see the relationship Alejandra has with her birth mother, having been adopted at an early age. The protagonist also struggles with connecting with her own daughters. It is a wonderful expression of female relationships and communication between generations. There just tends to be an over-saturation of description and internal characterization as well. The reader understands that Alejandra is not in a good state of mind and struggling with depression – we don’t need to be reminded of it every other sentence. The book definitely improved as it went on – it was a bit difficult for me to get into at the beginning. It was a good read but I don't think id re read it.

V. Castro has given us a very different twist on the La Llarona folklore, a generational haunting covering the lives and loves of a number of women from different backgrounds and in different situations, but tied together by family, or by magic and folklore. The bulk of the novel is spent in the minds of the various women, their rich backstories, their dreams and disappointments. It's not a book filled with action. The horrors are packed tightly into intense pockets between the stories narratives, but they are like dark flashes that stick with you long after the story has ended.

This book was dark and full of anguish. The struggle to be happy and fulfilled is real and reaches epic proportions that made me pretty uncomfortable. The dynamic Alejandra reaches out from the pits of despair for help and it comes from unexpected places. The haunting portion of the book is no scarier than the existential crises suffered throughout. This book is deep, and a bit slow, but has a powerful message. Definitely won’t be for everyone, but I found it an interesting and well-written story. Thank you to Del Ray Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

From the very beginning, I knew Matthew was going to be a problem. In the sense that I already hate him and how he he treats Alejandra. I felt bad for her as she's trying to figure out who she is and her family's history while also taking care of 3 kids who treat her like a maid. But as she started to find things about her biological mother and her heritage, the coincidences were freaking. Such as when she met her biological mother and Alejandra's youngest child had the same name as her great great grandmother. The POV's were from a few different people and at different points in time. It was done effortlessly, I was never confused or thrown off. The creepiness in this one was intense. The way V. Castro described the demonic entity and what it said and did, made me feel like I was there experiencing everything that was going on. I couldn't put it down, unless I absolutely had to. Thank you to @netgally and @vcastro for allowing me to read an advanced copy. Read this one if you have the chance!

The Haunting of Alejandra... oh man I loved this book. As a stay at home mom, I related to the main character SO much, from moving from TX to PA and struggling with it (even though I’m from PA), depression and anxiety, feeling the need to be the "perfect" mom who does the most, down to the thumb sucking 18 month old who never leaves me be 🤣 But unlike Alejandra, my husband isn't a POS - thank God.

Oh and I guess I'm also not being haunted by a demon. So there's that too...

I have always been fascinated by the legend of La Llorona and I loved the tie in to La Llorona with this story as well as the ending which gave us a new view of the woman known as La Llorona. I enjoyed the multiple timelines that gave us background on the women in Alejandra's family, and I loved the bad ass woman she became. This was high on my TBR and I'm so thankful to the author, V. Castro and Del Rey for my review copy. The Haunting of Alejandra will be published April 18th, make sure to get your copy!

I loved the premise of this book - the mix of folklore and modern day, and the way that folklore is used to show the impact of generational trauma, even decades later. I liked that we heard not only from Alejandra, a woman who is feeling lost and disconnected from her family, but also her ancestors. But the dialogue often fell incredibly flat for me, and really took me out of the story - the characters' ways of talking didn't feel realistic to me at all.

I was so excited to pick this book up and I have have really enjoyed this authors previous books.

I understand and appreciate what this author was trying to do - giving us a mother dealing with the stress of caring for her children and her home while being haunted by this demon. This had some interesting discussions on depression.

The writing, though, was really tough for me to get through. It was difficult getting immersed with these characters. The dialogue didn't feel genuine and the long sections of exposition pulled me out of the story.

I do think this author has amazing ideas and themes. This one just didn't quite work for me! I still think it was an interesting time and will continue to pick up this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Alejandra, our protagonist, seems to have the perfect life - a full time stay-at-home mom to three children, she and her family have moved to Philadelphia to support her husband's job change. Alejandra knows she should be happy, but she isn't; we get to see her daily struggles juggling her responsibilities as a wife and mother against the sacrifices she's made for her own desires and dreams. Things take a sudden turn for the worse, however, when she begins seeing visions of La Llorona, a woman from folklore passed down her family who murdered her own children and continues to haunt the women in their bloodline.

V. Castro's novel touches on a number of important and relevant topics that women, especially in a racial minority, continue to face to day: racism and sexism, even within your own family; developing and maintaining ones own identity; multigenerational trauma; the importance of therapy and mental health; and preserving ones own ethnicity and culture. Even though I'm not a mother, I truly empathized with Alejandra's situation and difficulties, and having to forfeit her own career in order to allow her husband to build out his. I also appreciated how Alejandra's therapist Melanie became a key character later in the novel, and was able to help her both in the short and long term.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this arc

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro is a horror thriller. Alejandra is in a deep depression. She has three young children and an awful husband. She starts seeing figures and ends up goes to see a therapist. Her therapist, Melanie, is also Mexican American and identifies that Alejandra is being terrorized by a creature from Mexican folklore, perhaps La Llorona. They breakdown Alejandra’s past and find out that many women in her history their own tragedies.
This book was not for me. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and it dragged on too long. Please read other reviews because this is just my opinion. Many thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.