Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

45 reviews

jessy_caca's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Moderate: Colonisation and Suicide

Minor: Suicide attempt

za_'s review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

It’s hard to capture everything about this book. 

To me, this is a book about the darkness of post partum depression. The voices in your head that are lying to you. It’s also about the power of generational trauma. 

Alejandra is fighting to stay alive, but there is a “creature” telling her to die. She has three children. Married to a man, who isn’t supportive. 

Then her children start seeing the creature. 

She knows she has to fight the creature to protect herself and her children

Her ancestors have been fighting this creature for decades, mini losing their life and their children’s life to it
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Child death

syaluo's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Moderate: Rape

time4tori2read's review

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Gore, Blood, Mental illness, Body horror, and Grief

sophi_b's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

grey_jayne's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

V. Castro has quickly become one of my favorite writers and The Haunting of Alejandra is a masterclass in storytelling. By weaving ancestral voices in between Alejandra's narrative, Castro ups both the emotional and physical stakes to staggering heights. Some of the best creature writing ever too. I truly adore this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body horror and Misogyny

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, War, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

niliii's review

dark hopeful 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Sexual violence

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley but all thoughts are my own. 

This book took my heart, shattered it into pieces and then put it back together. It was both beautiful and harrowing. It was very difficult to read in many places but it was so worth it. The way that the author wove the horrors of the supernatural with the struggles of being a woman and a mother was fantastic. Honestly I'm still struggling to put into words the impact this book has had on me. 

My only issue is sometimes the writing was a little stilted. There was one (short) chapter that felt like it didn't want to be there at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Child death, and Colonisation

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

Generational trauma, healing, La Llorna, queer rep. This book is AMAZING and feels made for me. I was apprehensive at first since motherhood was a main theme but I am sooo glad I stuck with it

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Content Warnings

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