I was so excited to be able to get a copy of this book before release day. I had seen a lot of hype and I think it didn't fully lived up to the expectations but it was a great read. I love the indigenous representation for the Hispanic community. I don't see it often and less in English. I loved the characters specially Luna, she has my heart. Im team ignore any spooky activity and I loved to see where that gets you here. It is a slower start and then the end packs a punch. I think It does a good job and getting you to care and then scaring you to your core. you might want to look at trigger warmings. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone with patience and a not fragile stomach.

Carmen Sanchez accepts a job overseeing the renovation of an old church near her hometown in Mexico. She sees this as the perfect opportunity to have her two daughters, Izel and Luna visit their home country and experience the culture. Soon after her arrival, Carmen begins to feel the hardships of being a woman running a construction site in the midst of men who don't trust her. The city is also more dangerous than she thought and Carmen feels bad for leaving Izel and Luna on their own all day. After an accident on the construction site that nearly injures Luna and opens up a part of the church with lost relics, Carmen and the girls head back to New York. However, while in Mexico, Carmen was warned of an evil that has attached to Luna and it seems that it might have followed her back to New York.

From the prologue, I was drawn into Pinata with the revenge of the Nahuas god and a culture that may not be as lost and forgotten as many believe. The story is very character driven and Carmen's character is very well done. I enjoyed her complexity and multiple viewpoints; she is a single mother, a Mexican woman, an immigrant and works in a male dominated field. Carmen was very aware of her position and the very real dangers that could be in front of her. The paranormal danger snuck in and built gradually throughout the story in a way that I wasn't quite sure if it was threatening or just a resurgence of what once was. Through the glimpses into the past, I did like learning about the Nahua culture, food and practices. There was horror built into the very real decimation of the culture by the Conquistadors as well as the story of the spirit that attached itself to Carmen's daughter. A gruesome and satisfying ending rounds out an intriguing novel of ancient retribution.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

An absolute incredible gripping and haunting story. Gout draws you in INSTANTLY as he lays out the dark and forgotten history of piñatas and their relationship with the colonization of Mexico and how it all ends up affecting the lives of a small cast of characters in the present day, Carmen, Luna, Izel, Yoltzi, Quauhtli, and Father Verón.

This book, much like V. Castro’s Goddess of Filth, is possession horror at its FINEST layered with a beautiful and rich indigenous history lesson that will make your heart weep.

Educational, heartfelt, and horrifying. I was holding my breath until the very end.

I loved this book! It took me some time to get into it, BUT it was very fast-paced, and addictive. You find historical trauma, battle between good and evil, revenge against systemic violence.. It was great, with a strong atmosphere of dread. Highly recommend.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Piñata by Leopoldo Gout. I was drawn to the gorgeous cover, and pleased to find a historical, Mexican, possession novel that was out of the ordinary.
I enjoy history in my horror novels and this one taught me about the indigenous Nahua people of Mexico, which I had known very little about before. The plot follows Carmen, a Mexican-American woman returning to Mexico to renovate an old church that has a history of erasing and condemning the indigenous Nahua people. When an artifact is unleashed, a spirit goes after one of Carmen's daughters. All the characters must work together to save her.
I didn't find the book very scary for me, but I still enjoyed the scary scenes. It also felt a bit too long and drawn out in places, so it took me a little longer to finish. It's not perfect, but definitely a good read for those who like history and horror.

There's a lot I really enjoyed about this horror novel. The horror elements are in conversation with Mexico's history of colonization and oppression of its indigenous people in a way that feels fresh and necessary. There are also a number of great folklore elements to this story. All that being said, the pacing of this novel was a little off, and I think it would've served the story well to have a longer epilogue. Anyways, I recommend it!

Beautiful artwork and a terrifying and unique story that left me on the edge of my seat. I read this is one sitting - I couldn’t put it down. You have to be able to go with the flow for it and accept the crazy ride that it is. I thought it was great!

I ended up DNFing this book because of the pacing. It has a really great concept and I think I’m going to try it again when the weather is cooler and I may be more receptive to a slower, dread horror kings of vibe. 3 stars until I decide if I actually like it, but is def has potential!

This started off a little rocky for me but it really picked up around the 40% mark. I don't think I've ever read anything like this. I recently read Ghost Radio and Pinata just secured Gout's place as a favorite of mine.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!! I've been champing at the bit to read this but unfortunately it's not for me. The cover art is gorgeous and the Mexican folklore is really entrancing and unique in a horror story. But my goodness it is a slog to get through I'm sad to say. I'm at the 66% mark but I think I'm going to throw in the towel on this one.

There were some great horror elements in this book. I enjoyed the atmosphere at times as well. My biggest issue is the pacing, it was a really slow burn in my opinion. As a result I put it down several times to read something else before picking it back up. I'm glad that I finished the book because it is well written, it just didn't grab my attention like I had hoped.
The cover on this book is amazing! I plan to buy a copy just to display it on my bookshelves.

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

Carmen's daughters accompany her to Mexico while she's assists in the reconstruction of an old church. During the process, an artifact is discovered within the depths of the church, which now seeks revenge on the living, those of which no longer remember the cultural history of the Nahua (aztec) people who came before them.

A consuming possession novel based on deep Mexican heritage and strong historical injustices contributed to by catholicism and Spanish Conquistadors.

This sinister story, releases a feeling of dread and heartache for those impacted by such strange godlike forces outside of their control. The imagery the author uses, from clacking seashells, hanging skin, obsidian blackness and the terror the characters feel in the presence of such a scornful spirit was everything as parts of this story genuinely creeped under my skin.

An author to watch out for as I know I'll be flocking to the store to grab the next novel he writes whatever it may be!

Oh, how I loved this book! There was so much to unpack! Folklore, a haunting, La Llorona, but also family, friendships, love, hate, and so many things. I loved the creepiness, but also how hard Carmen fights for her family no matter what it takes from her. This is one of the best books I've read this year!

The cover of the book was what caught my attention. As I started to read it it got more suspenseful and exciting. I enjoyed it.

I DNFed at about 50%. It was a bit slow, and even getting through that much was difficult. I'm absolutely certain that some people will love this book, but it simply was not for me.

This is SLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW to the grit, if you will. I don't enjoy slow burn as I want to immediately lit on fire from the start. I found it an intriguing introduction and was interested in the story but I felt like we weren't getting to the point and I found myself struggling to push through. I found that for me the reveal was not worth the excruciatingly slow build but was over all a good story, Leopoldo is on my radar this one may not have been my cup of tea but that doesn't mean It won't be yours or the next one won't be.

I’ve been really mood reading the past 2 months and it’s led me to some good reads like this one. This is a horror story about ancient Mayan curses being released that can bring about the next apocalypse. This story is about Carmen and her two daughters Luna and Izel. Carmen gets a summer job in Mexico remodeling an old church and converting it to a hotel. So you get like a fixer upper story element which I tend to enjoy a lot in books and even video games. Carmen brings her daughters along and they discover an old relic that Luna ends up keeping and accidentally unleashes something sinister. I listened to the audio narration of this and I think that was the way to do it. The narrator had great pacing and added a lot of emotion to the storytelling which helped, it is a very slow burn story. It also helped to actually hear the names and places and objects pronounced as they are supposed to. Did I love this book, was it perfect? No but I found it really satisfying after I finished. There are some horrifying and descriptive scenes but I think this novel rises above just gore and thrills by bringing a story filled with history.
Full review on YouTube

This book was just ok for me. I loved the horror elements but found myself bored with what remained in between.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

This one falls closer to a 3.5, but rounded up.

Carmen is an architect and single mother of 2 girls (tween/teenage). She is beyond excited to be headed back home to Mexico to oversee the important project of renovating a cathedral. She can't wait to show her girls, Izel and Luna, her home country and make memories with them there.

Things do not go quite as planned. Carmen is treated like an outsider and with disrespect on the job, both for being a woman and for being Mexican-American. All of her orders are being challenged and second guessed. She also gets a warning from one of the locals that her daughter may be in danger. She takes this as a threat on her family. When her youngest daughter, Luna, finds an ancient artifact on the construction site, she starts acting aggressively out of character. The family quickly return home to New York....but it seems their problems have followed them.

While reading this, I completely forgot that this was written by a male author. He did an excellent job and writing this from a woman's point of view....especially regarding her issues on the jobsite. He also did a wonderful job expressing what it is like to be Mexican-American....where you don't quite feel like you fit in, in either country. I loved how we explored some Nahua culture and lore, giving a new twist on a possession story.

I wished we could have gotten a little more time with Luna, especially once the family moved back to New York. It seems the story shifted to other character's POV at this point, which took me a bit out of the main story. Overall, a fun horror read!

I recommend listening to the audiobook if possible. The narrator does a great job, and you can hear the correct pronunciation and accents - which I loved!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC copy.

"People pay for what they do and still more for what they've allowed themselves to become and they pay for it very simply by the lives they live." - James Baldwin

"Truth crushed to earth shall rise again." - Willaim Cullen Bryant

Mexican-American architect Carmen Sanchez has been given the opportunity of a lifetime: she's been charged with renovating an old Mexican church in Tulancingo during the summer. Seeing an opportunity to give her girls a chance to be immersed in their native culture and to "unplug" for the Summer, Carmen jumps on it. However, the old church is hiding a sinister secret: hundreds of years ago, vicious and horrific crimes were committed against the Nahua Indigenous people, complete with attempted genocide and forced assimilation. Those who fought back were abused and often murdered, their blood staining the very floors of the church. Knowing their guilt in slaughtering Indigenous peoples, the Church decided to seal up many walls of the church and allowed it to fall into ruin...at least until the renovation.

Once a hidden room is unlocked and a horrifying pinata is revealed to the world, things take a sharp twist from the norm. Carmen begins experiencing uncanny and often terrifying experiences of strange people and creatures terrorizing her and her youngest daughter, Luna rapidly goes from a sunny, cheerful girl, to withdrawn and sullen, often lashing out when questioned about her goings on. With the help of Yoltzi and Quauhtli, will Carmen be able to investigate these mysterious goings-on or will the cursed pinata destroy them all?

***************

So, this book is a pretty heavy book. It deals with the horrors of colonization, the pressures of being an immigrant (documented and undocumented), as well as being a woman in a typically male-dominated field. I didn't expect for a horror book to hit me so viscerally, but as a person of color, I felt this narrative. Despite many attempts to whitewash history and hide what happened, I don't believe that those who were simply slaughtered for being Indigenous or for sport by colonists do not rest as easily as some people would like to believe and this story is emblematic of that. This book deals so much with the horrors of the past, that, if ignored or left to fester, will eventually return to choke the life out of the rest of us. While it may not happen in a supernatural way as it does to Carmen and ultimately some members of The Church, I do believe that they will.

This book is a very good, but often hard, read. There were times when I found myself a little bored with some of the backstory of Carmen or some of her angst, but they were redeemed by Yoltzi, Quauhtli, and even Luna. Gout's world-building was so immersive that I often felt like I was in Tulancingo, and if the afternoon shadows were tuned just right, I found myself looking over my shoulder or checking if things were truly there. I've found that some of the best horror stories come from history and this book is no different. I highly recommend this to everyone who loves horror, but be forewarned: the trigger warnings are there for a reason and if you're not fond of a bit of gore or general weirdness, steer clear.

I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4.