This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes things are better left undiscovered, like the piñata in the church. Carmen learns this when, while restoring an old abbey in Mexico, she unearths something that should have stayed buried. After leaving Mexico with her daughters and going back to the states, something followed her which threatens all existence.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did, unfortunately it just didn’t deliver. It was creepy definitely, but I didn’t feel it like I wanted to. There seemed to be a lot of storytelling that didn’t enhance the story but made it a bit muddled.

I did enjoy the mother, Carmen and her struggles and frustrations regarding being a mother and a woman in the workplace. As well, some of the secondary characters were interesting, even if they weren’t entirely necessary to the plot.

Overall it was a creepy book with an interesting story.

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout is everything I could’ve asked for and so much more! Great storytelling and world building. I’ve become so enamored by the native culture and beliefs of the people that call Mexico home and this book does an amazing job of showing the conflict between The Sanchez’s and the Gods that are coming for their family. I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to everyone!

★ ★ ★ ★/5

From what I’ve seen so far, readers either love this or hate this.

This is a slow burn, that really takes its time in the first half going into the characters to provide background on the culture, context behind the parts the characters will play in the storyline and set the scene which I think was important to the the second half of the book to bring everything full circle.

I was immediately drawn in by the prologue, which perfectly sets the expectation for what’s to come.
Also just want to add that the cover is somehow even better and more spooky after finishing the story and under standing the references in the visual.

While this is a classic case of possession, the cultural and historic approach to how this comes about is unique and refreshing. The writing style read clear and vividly in my head, I was able to “watch” this play out in my head as a read through the pages which I think made this that much more enjoyable.

The only reason that this isn’t a five star read to me is the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. For all of the build up and all of the back story, the close out chapters fell slightly short. However, this entire book as a movie done right, WHEW, INSANE.

Definitely worth a read!


thank you Tor Nightfire for this ARC, courtesy of Net Galley . Publication date for “Piñata” is March 14, 2023.

Despite the intriguing synopsis and promising prologue, I couldn't get past the second chapter. Carmen and her daughters weren't interesting, and the way Carmen info dumps through dialogue was too much to get past when it happened two times within a couple pages. Due to the paragraphs of backstory in chapter one, I felt like their entire life stories were being summed up as early as possible just to get them out of the way. Because I ultimately stopped reading before anything happened, I can't offer much in the way of feedback. I merely didn't gel with the writing style.

A HUGE thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

Synopsis:

A Head Full of Ghosts meets Mexican Gothic in Piñata, a terrifying possession tale by author and artist Leopoldo Gout.

They were worshiped by our ancestors. 
Now they are forgotten. 
Soon, they’ll make us remember.

It was supposed to be the perfect summer.

Carmen Sanchez is back in Mexico, supervising the renovation of an ancient abbey. Her daughters Izel and Luna, too young to be left alone in New York, join her in what Carmen hopes is a chance for them to connect with their roots.

Then, an accident at the worksite unearths a stash of rare, centuries-old artifacts. The disaster costs Carmen her job, cutting the family trip short.

But something malevolent and unexplainable follows them home to New York, stalking the Sanchez family and heralding a coming catastrophe. And it may already be too late to escape what’s been awakened…

My review:

4/5 stars ⭐️

I completely agree that this book is Mexican Gothic meets A Head Full of Ghosts. Wowwww!!

I was hooked instantly with this one. The combination of horror, cultural elements, and contemporary elements made this story incredibly engaging. Not to mention that I had a number of visceral reactions to the descriptions in this story. Who wouldn’t when swarms of bugs are involved?!?!

I have also never read anything by this author, but I liked the writing a lot, as well. I think the overall execution was well done.

The one critique that I would have is the ending. I feel like the author did a great job at building up the suspense, explaining the backstory and setting us up for an epic ending. However, though the ending wrapped things up nicely, I just felt like it could have had that extra little bit to make the final confrontation a little moreeeee suspenseful. For a horror book, I think it was a little too predictable and I would have liked just that little bit more to push it over the edge.

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout is a possession story unlike any other. Single mom Carmen and her two daughters are on a work trio to Mexico where Carmen is overseeing the renovations of an old church. Full of rich descriptions of Mexican and Aztec lore, this horror novel has so many things working for it. Creepy history, creepy bugs, and creepy kids make this a book that you’ll want to read with the light on!

It’s been a long time since I had to stop reading a book at night because it started to creep me out! I loved all the history and lore and religion in this book. While the writing wasn’t overly descriptive, it was enough to make this world come alive. Also the themes of colonialism and social commentary set with Mexico as the background was very interesting to read about. As someone who really loves history, I loved all the details in this book.

This book is definitely a slow burn but once it takes off, it is so creepy. We switch between a few different perspectives so you get a really rounded out story. I think Carmen is such an interesting main character to follow because she has this inner battle she is dealing with over whether or not her decisions are best for her kids. I think as a mom, this was very relatable. Then you add a possession on top of it and it becomes, less relatable but not by much (parents of preteens can probably vouch that a possessed child and a preteen attitude are not very different).

I don’t want to go into too many details about the actual possession part of the story because it’s a book that’s best to go into pretty blind but if you like slow moving, atmospheric horror that feels very cinematic in scope, this would be a great book for you.

Fast read- build up just needed a bit more climatic- LOVED the concept and theme of the book- it was just missing those sparks for me

“They were worshiped by our ancestors.
Now they are forgotten.
Soon, they’ll make us remember.“

Talk about a raw story about colonialism, revenge from the Aztec gods and a well written thought provoking slow-burn with incredible characters horror novel with incredible mesoamerican representation.

I absolutely loved this one! I was sumerges in the story from the very first pages and I just couldn’t put it down. I just want to give a heads up to allow yourself to digest the prologue and then start the novel and give the story time to evolve, , I promise you it will be worth your while!



Thank you Netgalley and Tor night fire for an arc of this incredible novel.

I love stories that delve into different cultures, long forgotten history except for those who choose to preserve it. I think this went really well, except I would have liked more background information. I kept expecting the possession aspect to kick in and was surprised how long it took for that to go full force. While everything was executed well and the story kept me interested from the start, it felt like the ending was a bit rushed, or that we might have missed something when focusing on one of the other characters. I would definitely recommend this to readers as it's a beautiful cover and the story does seem fresh.

This is a solid horror that builds up the dread slowly. I loved the layers and exposition and the complex dynamics between Carmen as a Mexican American woman returning for work purposes to Mexico, and the ensuing layers between her and the locals, the Catholic church and indigenous folks, and past traumas of colonization still relevant in present day. There's a juxtaposition between modern day conflicts (border patrols, cartels, femicide) and generations-old conflicts (religious violence/indoctrination, colonization) and the book does an excellent job showing how old conflicts still remain intermingled with the present conflicts. Of course, all of this is explored while the constant dread and thrills of a horror is happening as well. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the ending and the fate of certain characters, but for the rest of the story I truly did enjoy it as a horror novel. For me, it never felt like a cheap or meaningless thrill, but rather a scary story that packs an existential punch.

Some content notes to be aware of: violence, murder, blood, gore, insect swarms, possession.

A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very good horror read. It held supernatural tension from the prologue to the last page and had a really culturally enriching subplot about the ancient Aztec civilization/mythology and also the colorism Carmen and her daughters experienced while in Mexico. Twas a 4 ☆ read for me, mostly because I found Carmen to be wildly unlikeable 🙃

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Tor Publishing for this eARC of Piñata by Leopoldo Gout!

Carmen is an architect who has been sent to restore a building in Tulancingo. She takes along her two daughters, intending to show them the beauty of Mexico and sparking a connection within them to their heritage. Instead, an ancient evil is awakened and Carmen must find the strength to battle if she wants to save her family.

This is a slow burn with a lot of background information and exposition. For readers who enjoy deep diving into characters' backstories, this style of writing will hit the spot! For those who prefer faster paced horror that keeps the plot focused on the action, Piñata will feel a bit slow at times. While the premise will surely capture readers' focus, the pacing will be a dividing factor for those who delve into this intense horror.

Carmen is an interesting protagonist. She has the best intentions when it comes to her daughters, but she is slow to convince that evil is lurking. Her teenage daughter Izel is the stereotypical detached teen girl who doesn't want to spend time with her family and lives on her phone, and Luna, the youngest, is the ray of light that absorbs Mexican culture and happily accepts her relocation to Tulancingo. The family dynamics are a bit predictable, but that doesn't make them any less engaging as the horror unravels and terror strikes.

Overall, readers interested in a Mexican horror slow burn will find this scary! Happy reading!

I want to thank #Netgalley for letting me read the eArc of #Pinata

This is an interesting book. A trip to Mexico to work on a project to preserve a cathedral while being turned into a high clear bottle brings Carmen back home to Mexico worth her two daughters. She feels out of place even here in the place of her birth. While woodworking on the Cathedral an accident with scaffolding knocks open a closed off room. Izel and Luna happen to be visiting and inside Luna finds an old Pinata from which something dark resides. Luna goes from being a highly intelligent inquisitive child so being very withdrawn and moody.
Black moths are being seen in swarms, and witthin them it seems as though a message is trying to be delivered.
Strange occurances start to happen at Carmens home. Accidents that Luna always seems to be near for and then some boys that pick on Luna find themselves both dead not long after getting into a fight with Luna and her expressing to her sister Izel that she hopes they will die. A teacher at Luna's school is teaching about things that have to do witth Luna's past Mexican history when Luna uncharacteristically gets verbally aggressive with the teacher. The teacher tries to speak with Luna but seems to get drawn into something horrfying in Luna's eyes and accidently leaves briuses on Luna's wrist.
As time goes on Lunna changes more and more becoming mean and visious and more dangerous things keep occuring. As all of this happens the pinata that Luna snuck home with her from Mexico seems to be growing and pulsing with life. Something inside the pinata wants out and is going to use Luna to achieve that goal

I really loved this book, it has been so wonderful reading so many differnt books written by POC with a POC as the main character as well.. I encourage you to pick up this book and give it a read!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This book starts out with a scene from the past, which is important to the story and the themes of the story. The culture that was lost to the past, the blend of cultures now, the way everything mixes together was well-written and came together nicely in the end. After the initial beginning the book is slow to get everything rolling with the supernatural however, there is so much going on with learning about Mexican culture and the Nahua culture that the book is still very interesting. This is not one of those books that has a great opening then slows down and is dull, no this book is still very interesting and engaging as the author sets up the story.

The character of Carmen annoyed me a little bit due to some of the choices or lack of choices she makes during the book and I wish we had more of Yoltzi, because I really loved her.

Overall,I really enjoyed the book.

TW: body horror, colonization, culture erasure, abuse by the church, mention of s.a, rape, and violence against women, displays of sexism, death of minors.

The logline is amazing: Hereditary meets Head Full of Ghosts. The cover is great. And the plot (I'll add the full summary in comments) is fresh and original with Mexican myths and legends giving the novel its backbone. Unfortunately, the story inside didn't quite measure up. 

While Gout's research and specificity when it came to the horror elements are strong -- even if the overall plot structure is fairly predictable -- the writing doesn't quite measure up. The prose is dry and straightforward, often leading it the air of a screenplay rather than a novel. The horror may be specific, but the characters are not. They often feel like wooden stand-ins, with the novel relying on stock archetypes for the characters with dialogue that lacks any sharpness or bite. 

The setting and viewpoint makes this a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the plot, but unfortunately this one didn't quite hit for me. Thanks so much to @netgalley and @tornightfire for the ARC.

I’m a sucker for a good demonic possession story, but this book takes the trope to a whole new level. What stands out the most to me as a first-time reader of Gout’s work is how much I appreciated the time and research that went into incorporating all of the historic elements that made this story unique. Having Mexican history, culture, and heritage at the forefront of this horror novel just made the experience even spookier - because most of it is truly based on reality.

With most possession stories, we tend to run with whatever spirit/demon is the villain of the story and assume their motives make sense. And a lot of the time, the crux of that motive is pure evil. But in this story, you do end up understanding the spirits’ motives. Given the reality of what happened to these ancient cultures and peoples, you can’t help but understand their desire for vengeance and their wrath.

I absolutely loved the characters. The Sanchez family felt genuine and it was easy to feel invested in Luna’s fate. I also loved that the story took place both in Mexico and in the US. Though the climax of the book is truly where most of the heart-pounding frights play out, the time the author gives us to get to know the characters towards the first half of the book really adds to the dread and suspense that builds and builds.’

If you love creepy possession stories, this is a book for you. You’ll get that and so much more.

I want to start this off by saying I was truly so HYPED when I got approved for this book. The synopsis sounded SO great, seeing this being compared to a lot of my 5 star reads. With all that being said.. Let’s get into it

I want to Thank NetGalley & Tor Nightfire /. Tor Publishing Group for this ARC copy.

Unfortunately this one just fell flat for me, I just don’t think it is my cup of tea. I had a very hard time getting into the book, it didn’t start picking up until about half way, A lot of mundane details about the family that were truly just irrelevant. I also feel like the commentary didn’t go with the story seamlessly it felt like I was reading an unfinished story.. & to me it was a very cookie cutter book. Went through all they very typical, expected, can see from a mile away story line, which is not a bad thing if it is adversities as so, but this was not.

This book was not for me. To me, the prologue was the best part. Overall I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters. Everything felt “told” to me in an over explaining kind of way. And even though this is a work of supernatural fiction- the most unbelievable parts were the simple every day stuff- for example … something happens at the daughter’s school with another student and when a teacher comes to break it up she asks the young girl if she wants her to send the other student to the principles office…. Isn’t that your job to determine as an adult and the professional? Also, when something disturbing happens in the family they all just seem to recover incredibly quick….. “like that was terrifying…oh well! “ Maybe it was the writing style but I had a hard time picking this book up to finish for the review.

This was so slow. I really liked the story, but I wish it was a bit faster paced. Slow-burn works for me sometimes, but in this case I just needed more, faster. I liked the characters and what they represented--this story had a lot of layers, and was wonderfully complex. I just also wish it was a little faster-paced, haha.

Wow this is a favorite of the year! It was a slow burn but I still highly recommend. Definitely got attached to the characters and the back story of them.