Reviews with content warning for Suicide - The Haunting of Alejandra

This read is another highly rated read for me from V. Castro. I can understand why there are low ratings from folks who are expecting fast paced action packed horror. This is not that. This book is a character study of Alejandra and is a story about mental health, relationships, family history, and love (with a dash of creature feature/mythology). As we get into the story there are split perspectives which bring us deeper into the story and bring depth to Alejandra’s family tree. This is a slow burn horror with so much to say and I’m hopeful this book can find the people who will love it as much as I do.

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catwhisperer's review

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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

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amandaglowgetter's review

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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jessreadreceipts's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

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ericarobyn's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.0

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro is a story of grief, anger, and generational trauma that won’t remove its claws from the backs of the women in this bloodline.

Content Warnings below.

Alejandra is struggling. She has a privileged life when it comes to classic things like the family and the house, but that’s where the picture-perfect reflection ends. Within her mind, there’s a storm that won’t settle. Finally hitting a breaking point, Alejandra goes to therapy. But there, she learns that this wasn’t all just in her head. There is a real danger, and it has set its sights on her and her children.

Will Alejandra be able to sever the cord of this generational curse once and for all, or is her bloodline doomed to keep repeating the horrors of the past?

Set up in a way that jumps from the current mother struggling with the demon to each of her ancestors throughout the years since the curse began, we slowly learn why each mother seems destined to meet a horrible end after an unhappy life.

I will caution readers, the first half of this book was difficult to read as it is very raw and will leave readers feeling miserable if you’re one that puts yourselves in the character’s shoes. But eventually, the story starts to come out of the darkness as Alejandra becomes stronger and the focus shifts to determination and hope!

My Favorite Passages from The Haunting of Alejandra

For years she abandoned herself to be a willing sacrifice to please everyone around her, and now nothing existed within her anymore. Even her own hand was not a hand at all, but a blade she used to carve her heart for anyone who asked for it.

I’ve come to learn that thoughts often get in the way of intuition. You have to turn the dialogue down and listen to the music of your soul.

Words could eviscerate or they could be a miracle.

My Final Thoughts on The Haunting of Alejandra

This deeply distressing tale is an amazing example of real-world horror mixed with the paranormal.

Get ready with your tissues and a stress ball (or a stiff drink!) to prepare for the rage some of this will induce, and dive into this story. Just make sure you have calmed your inner demons by the time you hit the last page so you don’t bring the cursed one back to life!

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megandherbook's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense 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

5.0

This is my favorite book of 2023 so far.

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!

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