Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

As an avid horror fan, I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. Carmen Sanchez is a single mother of two girls. She brings them with her on a summer trip to Mexico, where she is leading the renovation of an ancient church into a hotel. Strange occurrences quickly start popping up, though... there's an old woman who seems to randomly appear throughout the area, locked doors are found open, objects appear out of nowhere, and a stranger warns her that her youngest daughter is in danger. At the same time, ancient artifacts are uncovered from a secret room in the church. It all has to be a coincidence, right? Or is there something supernatural making an appearance? I loved the idea of a possession story set in Mexico following a non-Christian religion.

I'm a little on the fence about this book after finishing it, though. It does have some interesting ideas and plot elements, but there are a number of drawbacks that make it difficult to fully enjoy the story.

The biggest strength of Pinata is the rich cultural heritage it discusses. I learned so much about Mesoamerica and the Nahua people. Gout weaves in so many intricate historical details, and it is captivating to read through. Mexican history is not something I am very familiar with, but I would love to learn more after reading this. I would also be interested to hear what Indigenous readers think of the story and its take on the tzitzimimeh.

Additionally, I really liked the descriptive language of the author's writing. I felt transported into Mexico with Carmen and enjoyed getting to experience her journey alongside her. Gout paints a clear image of so many vivid scenes throughout the story-- some of them are quite gruesome, but even the uneasy atmosphere and the quiet moments are easy to picture. This novel would make a great film.

I enjoyed some of the themes, as well. Important topics are discussed, such as colonialism, generational trauma, sexism, and more. I appreciated how there were strong women present in every part of the story (Carmen, her mother, and Yoltzi were my favorites!). While many of the themes were discussed well and in depth, a couple of them did seem to be glossed over. I thought Carmen's struggles with misogyny and being taken seriously as a woman in a male-dominated career were realistic, but they were discussed a little shallowly. At times, the sections focusing on her career felt, to me, very apparent that they were written by a man. The points were valid, but they weren't anything I hadn't read elsewhere. I thought they either should have been discussed in greater detail or taken out of the book, so the stronger themes had more time to shine.

The biggest issue I had with Pinata was the pacing. I initially tried to read this at the end of 2022, but I got stuck around the 18% mark. From looking through other reviews, this seems to be a common spot where readers are lost. The first quarter of the novel is so, so slow. There is too much time focused on tiny, irrelevant details of the characters' lives and their thoughts that were already mentioned only pages prior. The writing was wordy and would often over-explain simple plot points. It almost seemed like an editor needed to go back over the final draft a couple of times to take out the unnecessary details. After about the 30% mark, the pacing picks up some and then proceeds at an uneven rate until the end, which is a whirlwind compared the the rest of the book.

As far as the horror goes, it was decent, but nothing new. I found some of the spooky parts to be genuinely creepy, but the plot itself was quite predictable. It follows a standard possession story. There are some twists on the foundational elements-- like the spirits and the character types involved-- but the main basic plot elements you'd expect are all there. I also found the imagery to be repeated too much. I grew tired of butterflies and seashell skirts. That might be more of a personal preference, though. I sometimes have a hard time enjoying repeated imagery in horror books, because the same word or image loses its weight after awhile.

The characters in the story are okay. Like I said, I appreciated strong women being at the forefront of the action. Some of the other characters are too one-dimensional, though. Both daughters are typical middle school and teenage tropes without anything to make them stand out. The priest and Quauhtli are fine, but they never truly develop enough for you to get attached to them.

This is by no means a bad book. It has some enjoyable parts, but the amount readers will enjoy it will probably depend on what they are seeking when they pick it up. If you're a fan of Mesoamerica (or want to learn more about it), you might want to give this a try. If you love supernatural horror books, and you want a new setting, you might also enjoy this. However, if you're looking for strong characters or a unique plot, you might feel dissatisfied.

3 out of 5 stars.

I've never learned so much while being so creeped out! Piñata is a terrifying and utterly engrossing horror story, that also imparts so much information about the Nahua people of pre-Hispanic Mexico.

Right from the prologue, I knew that this was a horror story like no other. Set in pre-Hispnanic Mexico, the prologue was incredibly sad. The reader is thrust into a heinous scene of colonialism. It will always be hurtful to see a rich culture devasted by hateful outside influences that still have repercussions today. Speaking of repercussions...Gout takes that concept and runs with it. In Piñata, we see how colonial devastation and corruption can last generations, and the past and present will always be intertwined. What happens when ancestors return to take their due, by any means necessary? Carnage and chaos, that's what. Piñata is one of the more interesting and layered possession stories I've encountered. While you can see the horror being inflicted in the name of revenge, you also have to grapple with the fact that revenge is so very long overdue for Indigenous peoples. Do the ends justify the means when taking back what's yours, and just how far is too far?

After loving this I'll definitely be checking out Gout's other work!
Content warning for a scene at the end of chapter 30 involving the fatal shooting of an unarmed person of color by a police officer.

Leopoldo Gout's book Pinata was a story of demon possession. The book starts with graphic descriptions of the colonization of the Nahua people. How colonizers dishonored Nahua traditions by suppressing the children. I felt that all this was going to cause a curse on all the people throughout the book. The following chapters are about Carmen Sanchez a female architect and single mother who struggles at work and home to prove herself capable of the job. Carmen is sent to work in Mexico and supervise renovations of an accident abbey becoming a hotel. Her daughter Izel isn’t too excited about missing theater camp to be in Mexico and her younger daughter Luna is ecstatic to visit and learn more about her culture. Luna is very trusting of others and follows a little girl during a birthday party. Luna slowly begins to change. There are unexplained and scary things happening to the family. They are visited by an older lady everywhere they go and skeletons are appearing. An accident happens at the Abby and Carmen has to return home to New York. Everything bad and mysterious follows them home.
I enjoyed how this book. Learning more about colonization and its effects on the indigenous people and culture. I was googling a lot of the history because I wanted to know more. I wanted to see pictures of what these demons looked like. I recommend this spooky book. Check trigger warnings. There is a good amount of history but I had no problem with it.

I had such a blast reading this! Following the Sanchez family we watch as a work trip to Mexico turns this family upside down. Luna, the youngest member of the family, is slowly possessed by the angry spirits of her ancestors. Using Luna as a gateway to enter the world of the Living, the vengeful spirits of indigenous Mexicans return for revenge for the erasure and destruction of their culture, traditions, language, and land.

I love the lore, history, and native language this story incorporated to build the tension and horror that is unleashed upon the world. The imagery is gruesome and this is the first time I've read a book that could turn butterflies and pinatas scary. Absolutely loved this story!

As a horror book, Pinata has all you need to feel the chills rising up your spine. I enjoyed this story, and if anything I was only slightly bothered by the way women were portrayed at times. Remembering the book was written by a man is a must. It's gory, filled with vengeance and has realistic hallucinations. I would recommend everyone give it a try.

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

Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters travel to Mexico to supervise the renovation of an old historic abbey to be made into a modern and beautiful tourist hotel. The job site is more difficult than Carmen realized with her all men crew who haven't the respect or trust in a woman boss as their leader so every day is a constant battle. There are so many traditions, superstitions and legends in Mexico which make for fascinating history lessons and Carmen's younger daughter Luna can't absorb the stories fast enough. Luna is like a sponge soaking in every tidbit of information she can find on the internet but her abundant, innocent energy is making her a target for unseen supernatural forces that want to break through from the underworld and she happens to be the perfect human specimen they have been waiting for.

When Carmen and the girls must return back to New York earlier than planned Carmen also realizes something is wrong with Luna but she thinks the girls just need to be back home where they feel safe and secure because there were several disturbing events that were occurring around them in Mexico. Little does Carmen know that when they fly home on the plane they are not alone. Something has also traveled with them and it has already attached itself to Luna who has no clue what is happening and after they arrive home all three of their lives will never be the same again as they will be surrounded by an evil and vengeful darkness causing death and destruction everywhere they turn for help.

This was an ambitious and terror filled horror book that also included the beauty of historic Mesoamerica and the ancient Aztec gods that were worshipped during that time and their legends and superstitions which were passed down through the generations. I truly enjoyed the book taking place in Mexico which made the stories come to life with the vivid cultural background and being able to imagine the gorgeous and atmospheric scenery of the small towns and the people who still lived quaint and tradition filled lives filled with respect for their ancestors.

The story gets very scary at the fifty percent mark and just doesn't let up with so many unspeakable horrors taking place. There were many enjoyable and likeable characters and I also loved the daughters but I was conflicted with Carmen in many aspects during the story. Sometimes she overreacted too quickly and impulsively and other times she seemed to let things linger out of control and didn't react appropriately in several situations and I was troubled by that, although her unrelenting love for her daughters was always undeniable. This was quite a different story of possession, demons and other monstrosities that were well executed and very frightening to imagine and visualize. I definitely recommend this spooky book to all horror readers!

I want to thank the the author "Leopoldo Gout", the publisher "Tor Publishing Group" and Net alley for the opportunity to read this terrific horror novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 HORRIFIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout is a pure horror rollercoaster, full of great Mexican and Nahua history. Carmen and her two daughters travel to Mexico so Carmen can help restore an old church. She faces many cultural challenges working with the locals. Yoltzi, cousin of a worker on the church, spots Carmen’s daughter Luna, and immediately knows a dark spirit is attempting to attach itself. Could it be Tzitzimitl, the Aztec deity, yearning to exact vengeance for the bloodshed and wars upon the land? A hidden room at the church is discovered, as well as an old clay pot Luna is drawn to. This book reminded me of Poltergeist and little Carole Anne. Superb example of a possession story with true cultural value-I learned so much here. I love it when fiction interweaves nonfiction in this way. I hope that anyone who is a fan of the horror genre in general will take the time to read this one, as it was very unique and a great story overall!

This book is absolutely going to be one of my Top 10 favorites for 2023, and all time favorite horror novels. Piñata is sickly steeped in ancient Aztec culture and ancestry of the Nahua people, while also doing an amazing job of addressing the current social issues in Modern Mexico. As someone who absolutely loves Latin American history, culture, literature and language, this was an incredible story. I wish we saw more books with Latin American representation, especially highlighting the indigenous cultures.

Dnf @ 49%
There is such a thing as too slow of a burn. This book is dragging so much that it’s putting me in a reading slump.

Although Leopoldo Gout has a few books behind him, I first came across him way back in 2008 when he co-authored one of the excellent YA science fiction series Daniel X: Alien Hunter with James Patterson. Five other novels have since followed, including thrillers, horror and YA fantasy, before his latest release Piñata.

Advance praise has connected Gout to some very big genre names, including Paul Tremblay, V Castro and Stephen Graham Jones with “A Head Full of Ghosts meets Mexican Gothic in Piñata, a terrifying possession tale….” being one of the memorable quotes. These are honest and accurate comparisons and if you are a fan of these three authors there is a strong chance you will enjoy this book also.

I thought Piñata was a very solid read, but it failed to blow me away as I felt I had travelled across this type of territory many times previously. Ultimately it concerned a cursed or haunted piñata, with some social commentary thrown in about colonisation and the struggles of women in Mexico. Some of the non-supernatural sequences, and particularly the disintegration of the family unit with the mum struggling to succeed at work, were more powerful than those with the possessed girl, which is territory ploughed thousands of times since William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist.

The story kicks off with single-parent Carmen Sanchez returning to her Mexican homeland after many years away to supervise the restoration of an ancient abbey which is being converted into a hotel. Carmen might be Mexican, but she is still seen as a foreigner and struggles to manage the male dominated construction crew who are not used to taking orders from a woman. A decent sized section of the novel focusses on this part of the story with every clash increasing Carmen’s anxieties, which is amplified by the fact that in her time away from Mexico she has forgotten how dangerous her homeland truly is. A multitude of missing posters and never-ending newspaper stories of murders, torture, rape and kidnappings only ramp-up her anxieties and was a threatening backdrop adding a threatening level of atmosphere to proceedings.

At no point in Piñata is Carmen not stressed and whilst not much supernatural happens in the first half of the novel with the plot edging into a family kitchen-sink drama. Her surly sixteen-year-old daughter Izel wishes she was back in New York, whilst her bubbly eleven-year-old Luna is much more open to embracing local culture. Carmen’s permanent state of anxiety tested my patience, forever getting stressed when she lost sight of her daughters on multiple occasions and did not let them wander outside unaccompanied, which particularly riled the teenager.

Whilst Carmen continues to clash with her site foreman an accident at the worksite unearths a stash of ancient artifacts in a hidden room, including a very old piñata which had some connection to religion before the arrival of the Spanish colonists. What followed was fairly predictable with the object beginning to change the normally bubbly and open Luna into a much darker character. These family moments were very nicely handled, even if it took Carmen an age to accept there was something wrong with her younger daughter. Even though the elder daughter Izel was self-obsessed and not particularly likable she was very believable and a perfectly pitched teen who came into her own when she realised things were going south with her normally happily go lucky younger sibling.

Other local characters are thrown into the mix who are aware of the pre-Spanish culture and superstitions, including a clunky and unnecessary storyline involving a coyote journey into America. For the main characters the second half of the plot makes a smooth jump back to New York and some of the school scenes involving Luna, her classes, teachers and bullies were amongst the strongest in the book as they nicely clash the supernatural with every-day events.

Piñata was an entertaining possession novel which even though did not do anything especiallu new was a diverting read which made good use of a threatening Mexican location, taking characters out of their comfort zone and provides uncomfortable moments when lovely Luna turns into something significantly darker.

Gout has delivered a creepy and entertaining story. An exploration of religion and colonialism all while being entertaining and providing content for nightmares! Looking forward to more of this author’s work.

I love that this is a non Christian possession story! it's more rare to read them and I love a different view of the phenomenon of possession. Gout's writing is fantastic and just pulls me so deep in the story every time I sit down to read. This was such a phenomenal read

First off, I would like to thank the author, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I was very excited to see this book on NetGalley because I had just enjoyed reading a previous book by this author, Ghost Radio, earlier this year. I loved the premise of Ghost Radio, but felt that it was not as scary as I was expecting. Pinata is plenty scary. This was a 5 star read for me.

Single mom Carmen Sanchez returns to her native Mexico to oversee a renovation project for her New York architectural firm. The renovation is of an ancient abbey into a “destination” hotel in Tulancingo, Mexico. It is an important step up career-wise for Carmen. The job should last the summer so she brings her two daughters Izel,16, and Luna,11. She hopes that her daughters can learn about their Mexican culture and roots. Izel really only wants to be in New York at theater camp with her friends, but Luna is very open to everything about Mexico. Maybe a little too open. Once there, pretty much everything spins slowly out of control. The final straw is an accident at the worksite and Carmen is called back to the New York office. Something else returns to New York with them!

This was a very well done, slow-burn horror story. I cared about Carmen and her family. I cared about their allies and friends. I loved that I learned some Mexican history and mythology. I also think I would pass out cold if I see black butterflies in the near future…

🪅 BOOK REVIEW: Piñata by Leopoldo Gout 🪅

From the publisher: “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…”

🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅

This book was absolutely perfect, and if it doesn’t become a possession classic, then there’s something wrong with the reading public. The prologue alone was one of the most satisfying things I’ve read in some time.
I have a particular love for stories about moms and daughters, especially when there’s a major external complication. And boy, is there a complication here! Gout’s dialogue is so good and genuine that it’s sometimes easy to forget this is more than a family drama—until an absolutely nauseating image jumps off the page at you. Piñata has some of the most stomach-churning and spine-chilling imagery that I’ve read in a while, but it’s also gorgeously cinematic and moving.

For fans of SGJ, Paul Tremblay, cursed objects, ancient religions, and The Exorcist.

🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅/5

Thank you @netgalley and @tornightfire for the eARC

#bookreview #leopoldogout #leopoldogoutpiñata #arcreader #tornightfire

I really liked this novel by Leopoldo Gout. It's my second book read by him. I liked Pinata much better than the Ghost Radio.

I thought the pacing was great! From the first chapter I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to know more about the Aztec history. I thought it was really well researched! I also loved the character of Carmen. I thought she was a well written woman. I loved her relationship with her daughters Luna and Izel.

The book had some pretty scary moments but I did wish it was a bit more scarier.

I always love discovering new authors in horror and I am so excited that Leopoldo Gout is now on the scene!

My favorite thing about reading this book was learning more about Mexico's rich history and culture. Fiction novels are wonderful teachers when the author allows them to be and I am thankful that Gout took the time to educate us!

I also greatly appreciated the character development in this novel. I felt connected to the main characters and deeply invested in their journeys because I could relate to them in a lot of ways.

Leopoldo Gout's Piñata wraps indigenous Mexican culture, ancient Nahua history, erasure, xenophobia, colonialism, and current discussions on sexism and misogyny all into a possession revenge story. Many of the topics that Gout touches on and discusses in this horror novel are timely and timeless. He has a skill at creating environments that engulf you as you read. Sadly, these aspects were drowned out by the slow pacing for the first 70% of the book as well as the repetitiveness from some of our characters. I always knew when a bit of information was "important" because it was usually given by the same character two to three times. Most of the action didn't take place until the last 25-30% of the book. It felt like going from a crawl to being shot out of a cannon. The change in pacing through me off a lot and at some points felt like another book entirely. One thing that surprised me the most however, in the best way, was how well Gout wrote our mother character, Carmen. She was amazingly believable as a single mother both in the way she was presented but also in the way she worried about her daughters and if she was doing enough/the right things by them. Much of her inner dialogue I have had with myself as a single mom and it was amazing that she was written so vividly by a male author. Kudos.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the exciting opportunity to read this before release.

A single mother struggles with connecting to her native country while trying to encourage her daughters to stay connected to their ancestry. A work trip to Mexico seems the perfect opportunity to do this, however perhaps they are about to be “too” connected. The ancestors are not resting easily, and they are about to find out just how dark their anger can grow.

A fantastic own voice’s narrative, I left this novel equally creeped out and feeling like I had much to learn of other cultures.

I really, really wanted to like this book. You’ve got the horrors of colonialism, sexism, misogyny, a single mom who’s a working professional and raising two girls on her own, racism, xenophobia, the current situation in Mexico with the cartels and widespread disappearances of females of all ages, the duplicitousness of coyotes when it comes to ensuring immigrants cross the border to the US safely, and the deliberate erasure of the true histories of where we all come from, even though your average child knows history is full of war and sacrifice.

I didn’t like it. It had some of the most uneven pacing I’ve ever seen in a horror novel. Once you start to build the dread you can’t just take a break from building the dread. The dread needs to keep building. That line needs to be tight, with only a little slack so the reader doesn’t get overloaded while reading. This book has dread build and stop. Suspense build and stop. This book should have made me feel like something was crawling slowly up my spine from the inciting incident. Instead, it would start to climb and then stop completely for pages and pages before it would start again, but in a different way and at a different speed. If I’m reading horror, I want to be scared, not annoyed.

There was also something about Gout’s writing that struck me as uncomfortable to read. I think there’s a formality to it that makes the book feel stuffy, or like a shirt collar that has been ironed with too much starch. It made me feel like I couldn’t take the book seriously because someone needed to let him know it was okay to relax and let the words flow instead of ensuring they were in absolutely perfect form at all times. The dialogue was done very well, but the narrative didn’t match up, and it created a disconnect that just made me groan.

I also think the book is a touch longer than it could have been due to filler material. Some scenes were unnecessary and some sections were longer than I thought were needed.

But the history research done for this book is impressive, and it’s definitely an interesting read. I seem to be rather in the minority in regards to my opinions about this book so maybe pick it up and give it a try. It may be your yum.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All ideas, thoughts, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. Owing to personal policy, all reviews 3 stars and under will not appear on any social media or bookseller websites. Thank you.

I enjoyed this story. It has a lot of horror and suspense, and I believe if you like these element you are going to enjoy reading this story. I will be looking forward to more of this author’s writings.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review