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archaicrobin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you can do that though, this novel tells and eerie tale of a woman stuck in her depression hating her life, her children, her husband, and herself, all while being haunted by an entity she assumes is La Llorona. Alejandra at first is insufferable because she is so miserable but once she starts seeing a therapist and valuing herself, she begins to find the power within her self to not only change her life but defeat the curse of La Llorona for good.
While Castro’s writing style isn’t my favorite I always love her strong female characters, her ability to create terrifying imagery, and the strong cultural elements she weaves into her story. If you’re looking for a well crafted supernatural tale about strong women, generational trauma, and identity this one is worth trying!
Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Blood, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexism, Grief, and Toxic relationship
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Sexism, Torture, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Blood, Gore, Child death, Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
Moderate: War, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Miscarriage, Cursing, Infidelity, Biphobia, Mental illness, Abandonment, Genocide, Religious bigotry, and Racism
Minor: Gun violence, Drug use, and Infertility
vexatiousbird's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Sexual content
allyem_reads's review
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Blood, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide attempt, and Gore
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Death of parent, Body horror, Dementia, Infidelity, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
leila_reads_too_much's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Blood, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Dementia, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Rape, Body horror, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
sophi_b's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicide, Grief, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Infidelity, Abortion, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Blood, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Body horror
ecn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Grief, Colonisation, Child death, Sexual violence, Body horror, Infidelity, Gore, and Genocide
tigger89's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well, she absolutely loved it. She agreed with me that it wasn't traditionally scary(except for one scene near the end involving a toilet, be warned), but that wasn't what she was reading it for. Apparently, this novel is the best depiction she's ever read of what it feels like to sacrifice your career, your social life, your preferences, everything that makes you you, in order to be a wife and mother. So what was a miss for me(unmarried, childfree) resonated extremely powerfully with her.
Something I did like was the emphasis on Alejandra's maternal ancestors, tracing the history of the haunting back through time. I thought that was very well-executed, and I was able to hold each of the women distinct in my mind. Apart from the fact that the book held my hand all the way through it, I enjoyed uncovering the mystery of La Llorona. I also appreciated that Alejandra was bisexual, not for any plot-related reason, just because she could be so why not? Always love that. There was also a very positive depiction of therapy-slash-spiritual-healing, and I appreciated reading a book where the protagonist realized early on that things were Not Okay and sought help, rather than stubbornly sticking it out on their own as their mental health collapses.
Ultimately, I think I'm going to split the difference between my mom's opinion and my own, giving this four stars overall.
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Child death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity
gem114's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I had a hard time sympathizing with Alejandra regarding her situation, despite the fact that I know the author meant for me to feel for her. I also don’t think she’s a healthy representation of mental health struggles, as she goes from rock bottom to an empowered woman ready to battle literal demons after only a month or so of therapy. I found myself more drawn to minor characters, like Melanie, Flor, and Francine. I enjoyed the lore of La Llorona and little details about Mexican culture.
I think I probably would have liked this book better if it had been edited down about 100 pages. The organization would have needed to be tighter, fewer loose ends regarding the ancestor characters, less repetitive descriptions of the creature, etc.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Child death, Suicide, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Infidelity, Gore, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, War, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Colonisation, and Car accident
megandherbook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Alejandra is a wife and a mother and is seriously struggling. She feels as though she has no identity other than those two things and she isn't even good at them. As her depression gets deeper she starts to see a ghostly figure of a woman in white - La Llorona. After deciding to get therapy this entity starts wreaking havoc on not only her but her children. This leads Alejandra to connect more with her birth mother who gave her up at birth and to learn more about her family history. She wants to learn more about this woman in white and how she can get rid of her for good.
This book is the epitome of how much heart horror can have. To start, Alejandra is such a beautiful, flawed character. I am not married and have no children but as someone who has depression I felt her agony. I have many friends who have felt the way she felt about their own partners and children and I know that Alejandra's struggle will resonate with so many. Yet the strength and love she has for her children will have you cheering for her the whole way through the book.
I also loved the exploration of her family history and heritage. Alejandra is a woman that was adopted and raised by people that had no ties to her heritage which made her feel even more lost in her identity. Getting to go with her has she learned and connected with her family and the strength it gave her had me crying. It was truly beautiful seeing her and the women of her family line experience the very real emotions that come with being human but specifically Mexican American women.
Finally, La Llorona is terrifying. I know enough about this legend and this take on it was so unique. The way that the moments of horror were paced seriously left me on edge. This book is told through multiple POV's and multiple timelines that made the story unfold in a way that made it hard to put the book down. I highly recommend this book!
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Blood, Colonisation, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Religious bigotry, War, and Rape