I won’t lie, I decided to read this book because of the gorgeous cover (cover art by João Ruas and cover design by Esther S. Kim). I did not find myself so much lost in this book as pulled along with the characters, thinking no way can these horrific things be true, they must just be a product of active imagination and a tired mind. The story starts off with such brutality that one believes this will be about the cruelty of humanity. Then it slows to the work and family life of Carmen, an American architect overseeing a project in Mexico. But human cruelty is still abundant but now in the background as Carmen tries to protect her 2 daughters from seeing the missing person fliers plastered everywhere. Once again I was preparing myself for a story based on human cruelty and slowed my reading pace as I prepared myself mentally for things based in reality (something I personally have trouble reading). Then enters these two beautiful souls of Nahua people changing the tone of the story of one with kindness and superstition. Slowly reality and the supernatural started to blur and I had to question if the characters are going crazy or is all of this actually happening. At that point, I could hardly put the book down as I needed to know what was going on and what fate was in store for these characters I had begun to care for. This imagery was well-written and gave me the creeps. It was full of supernatural and psychological horror that leaves one questioning reality. The last quarter of the book went so fast and was packed with so much horror. I gasped, shivered, shed a couple of tears, and threw my book as it built up to the conclusion. The ending was perfect for such a brutal, violent, and psychological horror story. It wrapped everything up so well and even gave some hope for humanity while the flames of hatred burned strong in the background. I am now begging all my horror-loving friends to read this. I need a support group to parse through the trauma I had from reading this.

Some side effects after reading this were:
For weeks flinching at the sight of butterflies
Losing hours going down an internet rabbit hole to learn all I could about the Nahua people.

*I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Cover alone is 4 stars. So creepy! The family dynamics and difficult topics covered made this horror stand out from the rest. Really
Loved, can’t wait for more.

The cover for Piñata is amazing. The prologue and synopsis drew me in. The writing and characters however, I just couldn’t get into. This is supposed to be a horror book but its main focus is the main characters relationship with her two daughters, while the “horror” takes a backseat. The dialogue and characters fell very flat for me also. All of this combined made for a very underwhelming read.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for this arc.

I would like to start this review saying that the cover art is phenomenal and that this book is super creepy, a kind of possession story, it has a lot to do with the Mexican Aztec culture and it blew me away.

The story revolves around Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters, Izel, the oldest, and Luna, the youngest. Carmen goes to Mexico to oversee the transformation of an old cathedral into a hotel, and finds a misogynist workplace as the architect responsible for the renovation.

There is an accident at the excavation site and some pre-Hispanic artifacts that were hidden in one of the walls are exposed. The accident costs Carmen her position. Luna, Carmen’s youngest daughter, is a very curious girl with a huge imagination, and attracted by these relics decides to steal a piñata and take it back with herself to the United States. Luna starts changing, and she and her family will then face the consequences of her act.

I loved the family dynamics in this story and how the author made these characters flawed and round making the reader care about each one of them. Another aspect that I really liked about this book is the culture background Gout provides in his book. When you finished it you are certain you learned something that you did not know before. And the story is terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

The novel also discusses colonialism, colorism, and violence rise in Mexico. Beautifully written, Piñata is a fantastic slow-burn horror fiction book with Indigenous Mexican lore, gory plot, that I highly recommend. I will definitely buy me a physical copy of this book.

My rating: 💀💀💀💀,5/5

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

Piñata was one my most anticipated novels of 2023, and I am so very sad that it ended up not working for me.

From a craft standpoint, the novel felt clunky and oddly paced. The book is halfway through by the time we get the family leaving Mexico to go back to New York, so there's a lot of front loading before we get to the actual plot. Now, I wouldn't mind this, because I love slow character novels. However, that requires me to care about the characters, and Carmen, Luna, and Izel all felt like stock characters to me--like they were characters in a Blockbuster horror movie rather than thought out, complex, complicated characters.

I could have gotten past that to enjoy the novel, but my biggest issue was in the representation of Nahua cultures and customs. I am not Nahua, so I would love to see what Indigenous folks in Mexico think of the representation here, but it very much gave me the same uncomfortable feeling that I've had reading novels released by non-Indigenous folks in the US that feature Native characters. It felt like the entire book was catered to the white gaze and used stereotypical tropes that we see in horror movies, like "the mystical, wise Indian." The book has conversations around the violence of colonization and the wiping away of tradition, but also relegates Nahua people to that of the dead and the gone with forgotten customs and forgotten people and...I don't think that's the case?

This might be a spoiler, but I think it's important to know for Indigenous readers who are sensitive to this type of portrayal. What we end up getting is this violent, vengeful Indigenous god (oftentimes referred to as a demon, which is annoying because that doesn't seem to be what she is, but rather what colonizers referred to her as) versus the aforementioned mystical Indian who wants to protect this seemingly not Indigenous family. It's giving Indian Burial Ground.

I also thought that the characterization of the Tzitzimitl , based off of the very limited access to resources about the god that I have, was unfair and only portrayed one aspect of them. They're also goddesses of fertility and midwifery, and it's such a disservice to the story to not include them in all their complexities.

In the end, I just felt uncomfortable reading a vast majority of this novel, as an Indigenous reader. It reminded me so much of all the bad tropes I've waded through in the horror genre regarding Indigenous and Native peoples. It's so important to have the conversations about colonization and its brutality and its aftermath, but to then sort of reinforce that colonial thinking is so odd to me.

Again, I'd love to hear what Indigenous folks from Mexico think about the novel.

Thank you TOR publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Piñata, being a possession story really came through for me. I find exorcism stories to be cliche and done in pretty much the same way, but the cultural connections and representation made this 10 times better and different from everything I have read. The imagery was disturbing and haunting and I really felt dread while reading. Being a mother myself, I really felt for Carmen and really empathized with her and what she was going through.

I felt at least half of the book was set up and was a slow burn, but I was hooked from the prologue. I felt the family dynamics were of typical stories, bratty teenager and perfect child-until one is possessed, but that did not affect my reading experience.

Overall, I gave this 4 stars and look forward to more of his work!

DNF. I could not get into this book.

I do appreciate the author’s vast knowledge on Mexican Culture and lore. I really wanted to like this one. The setting, and ideas around the story are great and I can see where the author was going with this but I disliked the writing. The author does a lot of “telling” which makes the story a bit boring. I had high hopes after reading the prologue but it was the most exciting part of the book. I understand this is an ARC but the book needs editing. Maybe I will pick it up in the future.

It's refreshing to see and read horror based on other cultures and their beliefs. This story addresses colonialism and its effects on the indigenous peoples for generations, but it wasn't done in a heavy handed way. Rather, this theme was naturally presented through the flow of the story.

Really good read.

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for this ARC!
This was an amazing slow burn possession story. The authors writing style is cinematic, the small details made the story easy to visualize and made it that much more terrifying! I especially loved how he captured difficult relationships between mother and daughters. I also appreciate the mentions of the very real horrors of femicide in Mexico, as well as colonization. Beautifully written. Very scary!

You’re kind of led to believe that the pacing is going to be different. I had expected to maybe see a small portion of the family in Mexico and get into the meat of the story with something having followed them home. I wasn’t expecting a slow build, get to know the family kind of situation. I’m not necessarily complaining, but I can see how and why others would have some negatives to say about it. I also can’t claim that this is an exciting or surprising story. It felt very formulaic, though it was written really well. I enjoyed myself despite feeling like I was reading each individual step that one ‘has’ to make when telling a horror story. I do appreciate the lovely writing and the slow creeping horror that’s in this. It involved another culture that I’m not familiar with, so that was intriguing as well. Definitely a solid book, just not one that I personally think is going to blow anyone’s mind in terms of the plot.

Carmen and her two daughters travel to Mexico and bring back an angry spirit. The spirit was once a powerful old woman, slaughtered by a priest. The old woman’s heart was bound in a piñata and holds the sorrow, blood and thirst for revenge of the Nuhua people, massacred by invading conquistadors.

This novel mingles Mexican history of bloody native religion warring with conquering Catholicism while exposing modern problems of misogyny, murder and coyotes and cartels. Gout weaves a historical foundation of ancient anger and grudges as the angry spirit gains power and gains the attention of a young woman who can see the spirit and understands her.

An interesting and entertaining read with real moments of horror. A little clumsy with inconsistent pacing, Piñata tells a terrifying tale in fits and starts.

Such an interesting take on possession! Loved the cultural aspects, vivid scenery, and complex characters! Slow to start, then it takes off never stopping until the end. Loved this story so much!

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! It was a horrifically chilling story, that checks all the right boxes. We meet Carmen and her daughter's on what was supposed to be the perfect work trip/summer vacation. Leopoldo Gout finds a way to take a fun kids' party game, add in ancient traditions, and turns it into a terrifying nightmare.

I love a book that is able to terrify the reader and fill them with dread as they are engulfed in a haunting tale and Gout's Piñata did just that, with ease.

The history behind the evil was very interesting.

The horror elements were surprising. Who would have thought that butterflies could be scary?

The characters were a little too flat and cliche. (Sweet younger daughter, too smart for her age. Older daughter with too much time on her hands, complaining about missing her friends and attached to her phone, 24/7. Long-suffering mother that is slowly developing a drinking problem. Bitter, racist employees, helpful friends that were a little too saccharine for enjoyment.)

All in all, a decent story, but I found myself skimming just to finish it.

This was pretty good! The horror elements are really good - very scary and gory, and so so vivid most of the time. The thing that really stopped me from liking this book more was the characters. I don't mind a character that infuriates you but I've never disliked a character as much as I did Carmen. I just found her so insufferable and every time something happened I just wanted to shake her!!! Overall, pretty solid but just not my fave!

Special thanks to Tor Publishing Group/ Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Wow this book was so great, it honestly was up there with Paul Tremblays Head of Ghosts which I loved, but I think Pinata even surpassed that.

Carmen of Mexican descent and ancestry is an architect in NYC but is called to Mexico to oversee the work on a cathedral in Mexico. She brings both her daughters, but Carmen feels strange and out of place at her worksite. Her youngest daughter Luna is full of excitement and wonder, while the older daughter Izzy is bored and always on her phone.

When an accident happens at the job site, Carmen is sent home to NYC., but you guys must know already if you read the blurb, something creepy, ancient follows them back. And all hell breaks loose!

I loved it! Great story. I am recovering from back surgery and reading this book took away from my pain, I almost read it in one day, but wanted to savor it. 5 stars!

Piñata was just what I was looking for in a book. I wanted something unique, culturally significant and terrifying. It checked all those boxes for me.

A possession story of sorts, but not the typical Exorcist, projectile vomiting pea soup kind. Carmen takes her two daughters along on a work trip to Mexico. She wants them to see where she came from and to grasp their sprawling heritage. Luna (the youngest daughter) comes across a “piñata” but not the colorful kind filled with candy. This Piñata becomes an obsession that morphs into possession.

I love learning about different cultures and the information regarding the Nahua and their belief system was fascinating.

This was a terrifying book. A mother in peril trying to protect her daughters from something not-of-this-world is scary and something you don’t want to think too deeply about. This book opened that door and shoved you in face first.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Tor/ Pan Macmillan for giving the chance to read this incredible novel early! I am not always the biggest fan of horror—except when it includes visceral themes of colonialism, exploitation, retribution, and revenge. This book follows a single mother and architect who is leading the renovation of an old Abbey in Mexico, and she’s brought her young daughters with her from New York to experience their culture and heritage for the summer. Very quickly, however, a feeling of unease starts to grow as the signs of the country’s colonial legacy begins to show its poisonous impact on modern day—women are going missing, people are being taken advantage of, and people struggle to maintain their indigenous roots in a society that has suppressed it for generations. Although the story follows a true eldritch horror that stalks and possesses the excitable, open youngest daughter with the intention of seeking revenge for the genocide of its people, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that the horrors faced today are a direct product of the horrors inflicted on the past. As Yoltzi identifies the horrors as tzitzimimeh—Aztec goddesses of the stars and death borne from the ghosts of warrior women and those who have died in childbirth, existing at the intersection between life and death—it was more heartbreaking than anything to realize along with her that these goddesses became twisted by revenge, but only truly sought to protect their descendants. While not all good horror must connect to real life, historical, or social injustices, it does lend another visceral, nauseating facet to the story because we well know the real world consequences of brutal history. Also, in line with the themes of colonialism and retribution, I appreciated that the song Yoltzi sings is never translated from Nahuatl. It is made clear that this song is not for us to know. This book gripped me from the opening chapters and I stayed up late into the night to be able to finish it, all the while jumping at the sound of crickets outside my window. This was an excellent addition to the genre and I cannot wait to see what the author does next.

I really dug this take on a possession story. The Prologue immediately sets the pace of the story and what to expect-- a brutal, bloody kind of horror with a sharp social commentary on the effects of colonialism on the indigenous peoples of Mexico by the hands of Spain and the Catholic church. I found myself constantly researching Aztec mythology and the disturbing history of the genocide that occurred. This is a inteeeense possession story via ancient forces that is filled with nightmarish horrors. A seriously interesting page-turner!