I really wanted to love this book more than I did. The audiobook was done well but the story just fell flat. I liked the idea of an entity taking on the identity of the myth that people created surrounding La Llarona. I absolutely loved the scene depicting the creature in the water of the pool. Perhaps if I was a mother I could have enjoyed this more - or maybe it would scare me more. But since I don’t have children I don’t have the same struggles as many of the characters in this book and cannot relate to that. More ghosts - less motherhood trauma.

I loved this debut novel from V. Castro. It was a bit slower paced as our main character figures out that she's being haunted by a demon and getting rid of the demon.

The descriptions were gorgeous and haunting.

Wow wow wow! I absolutely love V. Castro and her writing so much and The Haunting of Alejandra did not disappoint. This book was a dark and atmospheric retelling of the Mexican legend of La Llorona.

Read this if you like:
- gore & body horror
- retellings
- multigenerational curses
- strong AF women
- Mexican folk lore

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DelReyBooks for a digital copy of The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

On the surface, Alejandra seems to have it all...a husband, children, financial stability...everything you could possibly want. Yet, she's unfulfilled and getting lost in the darkness taking over her life. She no longer loves the dream life that everyone thinks she has. Alejandra has dark thoughts and doesn't know what to do about them. Then, she starts seeing a dark figure during her lowest points, and it keeps getting worse. The figure starts preying on her children, and Alejandra knows that she has to do something before tragedy strikes. In the heart of her depression, Alejandra starts seeing a therapist who helps to guide her in the right direction, but it is up to Alejandra to put a stop to the figure.

To help with her therapy, Alejandra starts to connect to her ancestors, all of whom had their own trials and darkness. Interspersed throughout the novel were the stories of each of these ancestors, and how this being came into their lives. Many strong women in Alejandra's lineage had been plagued by this shadow figure, and she is determined to be the last one, before it can get it's claws into her own children.

All in all, this was an interesting look into Mexican culture and folklore surrounding La Llorona.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to review.
I tried really hard to finish this book but I just couldn't get into it. I absolutely hated Alejandra's character and I couldn't get past that.

It pains me to rate any book by V Castro lower than 3 stars, but it was such a chore to finish this book.

First let me start by saying V Castro is a goddess of Latina Horror featuring generational and cultural struggles particularly for women of Latin American descent. Her horror is more than just some scary entity, it’s also real life horror and I praise her for singing it loud!

What didn’t work for me…..

- The pacing I found to be extremely slow, part of that I attribute to the type of stories V Castro writes, part of it I felt was due to how many character POVs were introduced.

- I felt extremely underwhelmed with this story, mainly because I couldn’t find much (if anything) to relate to with the characters. I’m not a mother, I’m not of Latin American descent or mixed race, I’m not married, and I’m not upset with how my life has turned out. The only thing I could relate to with Alejandra is being given up to an adoptive family at birth by our biological mothers.

I truly think this story will resonate for many, especially if you fit those tropes that V Castro writes so incredibly well. I hope I’m in the minority of readers who didn’t care for this book, but we truly can’t love them all.

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro was...not what I expected. First, let me say that the cover of this book is what initially grabbed my attention. I think it is beautiful and would look amazing on any shelf. After that, the synopsis sounded amazing and was right up my horror loving alley. The character development was a little "meh" for me meaning that there was some room for depth but I didn't dislike the character outright. There were times where the story felt disjointed for me, but I still enjoyed reading it.

This was an interesting book. I did like it but it was different from my typical reads as I don’t really do a lot of horror and it involved kids and that is typically a big no for me as I have two little ones at home. The look into the generational trauma was amazing and truly taught me so much about generational trauma and how different cultures also respond to mental illness. I would recommend this book but it is definitely for adults and has too mature of content for middle schoolers.

I really enjoyed this and connected with Alejandra as a mom trying to find my own way. There was some good haunting imagery as well.

Rating: 4.06 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Cover: 3/5
-Story: 4/5
-Writing: 4/5
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mythology, Retelling
-Historical Fiction: 3.5/5
-Fantasy: 4/5
-Horror: 1.5/5
-Mythology: 5/5
-Retelling: 3.5/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

Wow okay... where to even begin? When I first started into the book I will admit the MC was annoying as hell then the story wasn't really connecting but the more I read the more I realized the message of it all. How generational curses can kill a family until someone stops it. This retelling took a Mexican mythology and used it to master a really good message.

THOUGH I do have one problem with all of that. It seemed randomly put. We get the very start of the curse only for it to not start till 94 years later? That is the major issue I have with it all.

Alejandra is at her wits end. Frustrated with her life, she finds herself being haunted by something she just can't place. But as the days go by, she realizes that she is not only being haunted, but she is being haunted by an ancient spirit that is preying on her bloodline's generational trauma. With the help of her therapist and her birth mother, Alejandra finds the strength in herself to take on the spirit and save her family.

I really liked this book! I generally don't like scary things but I think it wasn't too scary. It is not subtle about its feminist undertones (which I liked) and there are so many metaphors and explorations of what it means to be a woman in the modern world. Alejandra's return to herself was poignant and inspiring as we watch her find her strength and shed all of the weight of society's expectations in favor of her own. The husband was so well written - I guarantee you we all know someone like him. As infuriating as he was, watching Alejandra reclaim control had me cheering.

The book is pretty gory, but if you are prepared, I think it makes it easier. It's all in service to the plot, but may be tough for some readers. Trigger warnings abound, including: sexual assault (off-page), violence, miscarriage, suicide, etc.

This book will haunt long after you put it down . A fabulous retelling of the legend of La Llorna this has it all creeps , scares and believe it or not relatable. The main character is a SAHM to her three children. Realistically portrayed as tired and struggling . As she delves into her family history she finds out her ancestors have dealt with similar demons . This is a great horror novel

Raise your hand if you've been victimized by the thought of LaLlorona kidnapping you in the middle of the night. Seriously, aside from quicksand and Yellowstone national park exploding, La Llorona was a big fear of mine growing up as a Mexican kid. I blame Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and the fact that I lived a few minutes away from a river.

This book has everything you would want in a domestic woman litfic: a husband you want to punch in the face, adorable, but needy children, underappreciation, a so many “girl, divorce him already” moments

Now add the horrors of La Llorona (if you’ve never heard of her, I highly recommend a quick google) and generational trauma, and we have the perfect silent horror cocktail!

This book is a slow burn for sure, and I recommend going into it with the knowledge that it’s more about breaking familial curses than it is a horror story about La Llorona herself.

This book might just change your perspective on the Sra. Llorona and paint her in a completely different light!

Please check TW before reading this! There is a ton suicidal ideation in this.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital copy. A special thanks to V. Castro, my SATX queen! All opinions are my own.

I DNF'd half way through.

I had no idea it would be multiple POV's, which I have nothing against but sometimes you were just thrusted into someone elses POV and then back to Alejandra's that it just changed the pace a lot.

It felt like too long of a read and I had to force myself to keep reading it at time because all she did was complain and complain and complain. I understand depression, as someone who has it, but Alejandra was so unlikable that I wasn't invested in her having to overcome this.

This just wasn't what I was expecting from a story that said that it used La Llorena as it's point when its more of a generational curse/breaking cycles type of story. A type of story I absolutely would love.

It just wasn't for me.

This book was a beautifully haunting look into generational trauma, motherhood, and the historical struggles of women, especially WOC. I found this very enjoyable.

Since I was little I have always heard stories of the Llorona, the Mexican folklore of the woman who walks around crying for her dead children. So when I read the description of this book, I knew I had to read this book. This book provides a gothic ambience while you read it, immersing you in the situation the main character is going through. The author gives the story of the Llorona a unique twist, and adds layers to her story by shining a light on generational trauma, specifically that of women. The main character must embark on a journey to find herself, who she is outside of a mother, daughter and wife and learn why there is this dark looming over her. If you love strong women, retellings and a spooky reads, this is the book for you!

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK!?!?!?! The Haunting of Alejandra simply blew me away and there is no way that I will be able to do it justice. Haunting and beautifully written, this is a powerful and infuriating story that I won't soon forget.

This book deals heavily with depression and suicidal ideation so please be sure you are in the right headspace before picking it up.

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

My heart absolutely aches for Alejandra, who had slowly given up pieces of herself to her husband and the life that he wanted for their family. Their interactions are microaggressions against her pain and he treats her like a servant. I love that we watch her unpack these feelings and work with a therapist. I appreciate the trauma and healing tools that are discussed.

"The tension between them remained in the air like a smoldering vapor. In that vapor floated the dust of all the unloving and inharmonious things they have ever said."

Fast paced and effortlessly crafted, the narrative captured me from the first page to the very last. The Haunting of Alejandra is a book about learning to love oneself and heal both personal and generational trauma. It's more than a ghost story and Alejandra is haunted by more than La Llorona. It's also about the horrors of the patriarchy and is an honest look at the thankless reality of motherhood. This book made me cry and while I am not a mother myself, I feel seen and will treasure this book.

Representation: adoption rep, bisexual main character, Mexican American rep, trans rep
Content Warnings: ableism, bloody injury and gore depiction, depression, generational trauma, menstruation, miscarriage, parental abandonment, racism, religious oppression, sexual assault mention, suicidal ideation

eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was the first book I have ever read by V. Castro but it definitely won't be the last. I loved it so much. As a Hispanic woman, who grew up hearing about the legend of La Llorona I was super excited and interested in this book as soon as I heard about it. I read this book in one sitting and now I am constantly recommending it to customers and friends. I loved how it analyzed generational trauma which is something that happens in every culture but definitely in the Latine/Hispanic cultures. Just an overall beautiful and clever story.

Oh, how I loved this book! Yes there is a haunting. But it's about so, so much more than that. Culture, bloodlines, family, friends, love, loss, pain, strength...so many facets! It's also about the love of a mother and the lengths they will go to in order to keep her children safe. As a mother myself, although I've never dealt with a haunting, I completely understand how Alejandra was feeling about her life, husband, and children. Getting to watch her essentially come back to life, figure out who she is and what she wants, and taking charge of herself and her life was amazing. I cannot recommend this book enough!

"The Haunting of Alejandra" by V. Castro is a thrilling and haunting novel that kept me captivated from start to finish. With its atmospheric setting, rich cultural backdrop, and compelling characters, this book effortlessly blends supernatural elements with the intricacies of human relationships.

The author's writing style is vivid and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the eerie atmosphere surrounding Alejandra, the main protagonist. Castro's attention to detail is commendable, as she expertly weaves together the supernatural and everyday aspects of Alejandra's life, creating a believable and immersive world.

The characters in "The Haunting of Alejandra" are well-developed and relatable. Alejandra's journey is particularly fascinating as she navigates her connection to the spirit world, confronting her own fears and uncovering family secrets along the way. The supporting cast is equally compelling, adding depth and complexity to the narrative.

What sets this book apart is its exploration of Mexican folklore and traditions. The incorporation of Day of the Dead rituals and other cultural elements enriches the story and adds an extra layer of authenticity. Castro's knowledge and respect for these traditions shine through, making the reading experience all the more engrossing.

The pacing of the story is well-balanced, with suspenseful moments and quieter introspective scenes that allow readers to fully immerse themselves in Alejandra's world. The author maintains a sense of tension throughout, building up to a satisfying climax that delivers on the promises set up earlier in the book.

If I were to offer any critique, it would be that the resolution felt slightly rushed compared to the deliberate pacing of the rest of the story. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

"The Haunting of Alejandra" is a must-read for fans of supernatural thrillers, particularly those interested in diverse and culturally rich narratives. V. Castro has crafted a chilling tale that explores the power of family bonds, the complexities of the human psyche, and the enduring presence of the supernatural. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking an engaging and immersive reading experience.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.