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gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.5
Thank you to Black Tide Book Tours / Henry Roi PR for a digital copy to participate in the Book Tour. All opinions remain my own.
Part We Have Always Lived in the Castle, part The Haunting of Alejandra, Weep, Woman, Weep tells the account of Mercy as she grows up with the ever taunting presence of La Llorona in the shadows.
Hoping for a better life, one where she can feel genuine happiness and pride, Mercy strives to break the multigenerational chain of trauma and curses and consistently tries to out run the depths of a watery grave.
This was a solid story. I've really enjoyed learning more about the weeping woman legend through my reading over the last year and I particularly enjoyed that in Weep, Woman, Weep, Mercy had this sort of pure terror mold into an old nemesis mentality with the legend. It was a different dynamic to what I've read before, concerning the legend, and it felt inspiring to see her really push to avoid becoming a carbon copy of those who's will just wasn't quite strong enough to escape La Llorna's baptism. A not on the baptisms - I thought this was an interesting and unique way of merging the fantasy with reality and it was frightening how hollow these girls would come back after that encounter... were they really alive, were they scared so much that they completely changed, was society pressures just too much to push back against? I a left wondering.
I wasn't overally fond on the lack of distinct chapters, but the writing style did allow to be read more diary like/stream of consciousness, so it wasn't too jarring for me - I just prefer a more sturdy break point when figuring out where to pause my reading.
As usual, I'm a closure Queen, so I'm not the best with open endings, but I think this ending was... not sweet.. considering the specific scene we left on, but ... hopeful? Yeah, I'll go with that!
Part We Have Always Lived in the Castle, part The Haunting of Alejandra, Weep, Woman, Weep tells the account of Mercy as she grows up with the ever taunting presence of La Llorona in the shadows.
Hoping for a better life, one where she can feel genuine happiness and pride, Mercy strives to break the multigenerational chain of trauma and curses and consistently tries to out run the depths of a watery grave.
This was a solid story. I've really enjoyed learning more about the weeping woman legend through my reading over the last year and I particularly enjoyed that in Weep, Woman, Weep, Mercy had this sort of pure terror mold into an old nemesis mentality with the legend. It was a different dynamic to what I've read before, concerning the legend, and it felt inspiring to see her really push to avoid becoming a carbon copy of those who's will just wasn't quite strong enough to escape La Llorna's baptism. A not on the baptisms - I thought this was an interesting and unique way of merging the fantasy with reality and it was frightening how hollow these girls would come back after that encounter... were they really alive, were they scared so much that they completely changed, was society pressures just too much to push back against? I a left wondering.
I wasn't overally fond on the lack of distinct chapters, but the writing style did allow to be read more diary like/stream of consciousness, so it wasn't too jarring for me - I just prefer a more sturdy break point when figuring out where to pause my reading.
As usual, I'm a closure Queen, so I'm not the best with open endings, but I think this ending was... not sweet.. considering the specific scene we left on, but ... hopeful? Yeah, I'll go with that!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infertility, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Confinement, and Cursing
zealandrc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
I liked the ending
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child abuse
yellowtulips11's review against another edition
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
4.0
Weep, Woman, Weep: A Gothic Fairytale about Ancestral Hauntings by Maria DeBlassie - Review by YellowTulips11
I was very intrigued by the premise of the story of a woman fighting and resisting the constant haunting of La Llorna. As a child, I too, grew up hearing the tales of the woman in white weeping for her lost children by the river. I couldn’t wait to see where this story would lead.
The story takes place in the town of Sueño, New Mexico. I was immediately drawn to the friendship and solidarity between the two characters, Mercy and Sherry. It made me think of my own childhood best friend and I related to the characters’ growth together. I wish the story delved a little deeper into the personal journeys of the girls as they faced the many challenges in their lives. I clearly understood the many emotions Mercy had throughout her life during her times of strife and grief and found myself rooting for her success as the story progressed. Sherry's story wasn't as detailed and I found myself wanting to know much more about her life and everything going on inside of her.
Due to the short length of the book, parts of the story felt rushed. I had a hard time following the story at certain points, as the storyline digressed multiple times in the same paragraph. Mercy bounced around a lot as she described things and events. It was then I realized the story is written as if you are having a conversation with Mercy and she is telling you the tale herself. Just as the stories of La Llorna are passed down verbally, generation after generation, Mercy was passing her story down in the same verbal context. I felt the connection to “Weep, Woman, Weep” just as I felt to my own ancestral stories from generations before me. It definitely left me wishing the story was longer with more details of the characters’ lives and a glimpse into the future and how it turned out.
I was very intrigued by the premise of the story of a woman fighting and resisting the constant haunting of La Llorna. As a child, I too, grew up hearing the tales of the woman in white weeping for her lost children by the river. I couldn’t wait to see where this story would lead.
The story takes place in the town of Sueño, New Mexico. I was immediately drawn to the friendship and solidarity between the two characters, Mercy and Sherry. It made me think of my own childhood best friend and I related to the characters’ growth together. I wish the story delved a little deeper into the personal journeys of the girls as they faced the many challenges in their lives. I clearly understood the many emotions Mercy had throughout her life during her times of strife and grief and found myself rooting for her success as the story progressed. Sherry's story wasn't as detailed and I found myself wanting to know much more about her life and everything going on inside of her.
Due to the short length of the book, parts of the story felt rushed. I had a hard time following the story at certain points, as the storyline digressed multiple times in the same paragraph. Mercy bounced around a lot as she described things and events. It was then I realized the story is written as if you are having a conversation with Mercy and she is telling you the tale herself. Just as the stories of La Llorna are passed down verbally, generation after generation, Mercy was passing her story down in the same verbal context. I felt the connection to “Weep, Woman, Weep” just as I felt to my own ancestral stories from generations before me. It definitely left me wishing the story was longer with more details of the characters’ lives and a glimpse into the future and how it turned out.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse and Death
liteartha's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
revolving around the legend of la llorona, weep, woman, weep is a subtle horror novella that reads in the vein of a gothic fairytale. its themes of ancestral trauma, feminism, and the deeply personal storytelling of our protagonist, mercy, are great strengths and leave quite the emotional impact.
there’s green witchery, intergenerational haunting, a soft hint of romance, and a protagonist bent on making her own way through life and dodging the curse that seeks to claim her too. all in all, the perfect october/november read!
thank you netgalley for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review
there’s green witchery, intergenerational haunting, a soft hint of romance, and a protagonist bent on making her own way through life and dodging the curse that seeks to claim her too. all in all, the perfect october/november read!
thank you netgalley for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Racism
bookedbymadeline's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Thank you to netgalley and books go social for the eARC of Weep Woman Weep by Maria DeBlassie!
I love haunted/ghost type stories so when I heard about Weep Woman Weep featuring La Llorona, I was so excited to read it! This was a quick read and had me pulled in right away. The characters were fantastic, especially seeing Mercy develop and grow over time. The writing was really well done with drawing me in and painting a vivid picture of the story!
The ending did feel a little bit rushed but it was a satisfying end to the story. I would’ve loved the book to be longer and see Mercy as a more dimensional character instead of the surface level we saw.
Overall a fantastic gothic/horror ghost story, which I very much enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Racism, Colonisation, and Animal death
Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, and Sexual assault
horizonous's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
◦ Death = Friend
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