Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

31 reviews

iseefirede's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

3.25

If you want a quick read, I got through this in less than 24 hours. I was curious about the generational trauma and how it would be addressed. Reading Alejandra's ancestors' POVs was probably one of my favorite parts. 

I feel this book was too explicit in its themes. There was no subtlety to it. The therapist she sees is used to explain what we could've inferred was going on. There's not much, if any, character development. 

If you are looking for a quick horror read, this is for you. If you're looking to explore themes of generational trauma, you probably should look elsewhere.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, and Self harm

Moderate: Abandonment and Body shaming

Minor: War and Dementia

abbie_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC in exchange for a review!

If you’re looking for some creepy horror fiction to add as a late addition to your October TBR, consider The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro! I had a few stylistic issues with it, but in terms of creepiness and content, I can’t fault that - I had to hold off reading it for a night when my girlfriend wasn’t here as I couldn’t deal with the idea of seeing La Llorona at the end of my hallway when I went for a nighttime wee 😂😂

.

Alejandra finds herself struggling with her sense of self and purpose being a stay-at-home mother to her three children, with her husband expecting her to be the perfect Stepford wife. Her suicidal thoughts begin to get overwhelming, and she’s suddenly confronted by a figure in white encouraging her to end it all. I found the merging of motherhood, postpartum depression, Mexican folklore and actual hauntings to be super compelling - and super creepy! Castro’s writing shines the most when she’s delving into the nitty gritty of body horror, demonic apparitions and tension.

.

Unfortunately I did think her style falters elsewhere. The dialogue sometimes felt stilted and unnatural, and I often felt like I was being spoon-fed certain aspects of the plot. I don’t like it when things are over explained and the reader isn’t able to infer. I also get that Matthew, Alejandra’s husband, was intended to be a villain, but his sexism came off as cartoonish at times. There are definitely men out there who act like this, but I would have appreciated a little more nuance.

.

Concerns aside, I do still think this book stands strong as a piece of horror fiction that’ll have you running up your stairs as fast as you can on a night, while also tackling the pressures of motherhood and the idea of reconnecting to an identity previously denied to you!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Mental illness, Death, Violence, Child death, Body horror, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Colonisation, Death of parent, Abandonment, Self harm, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Rape

victoriarose12's review

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Gore

lanternsjourney's review

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Haunting of Alejandra is not just another retelling of La Llorona. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story about finding strength by listening to your inner voice. It's about intergenerational trauma that can only be healed with confrontation, learning, and acceptance. It's about how women have been suppressed by the patriarchy over the years and how they survived, or didn't survive, with all they endured. Encasing all of that is a spooky ghost story where we also meet a curandera, or a traditional Mexican healer. They only thing that could make this book better is a family tree in the front of it. I highly recommend giving this one a read!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Child death, Colonisation, Blood, Body horror, Abandonment, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

edevoe8891's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Child death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Colonisation, Miscarriage, and Medical trauma

inky_cap's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• 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

4.75

V Castro is a master at her craft, exposing the deep wounds of generational trauma and showing how they fester. How generations of pain can meld demons that feast on its descendants, the only hope of exorcising the evil is by confronting it.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Rape

briannareads1342's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Colonisation, Death, and Suicide attempt

katreadsmore's review

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Self harm, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

catwhisperer's review

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Pregnancy, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Body horror, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Violence