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A review by readyourbookshelf
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
ARC provided for review through NetGalley
Alejandra knows what she is: a Mexican American woman, adopted as an infant and grown into a mother who puts everyone before herself. Now if only she could figure out who she wants to be. Quietly weeping in the shower one evening, the voice inside her head reminds her how worthless she is. But when the shape moving in the mist causes her to second guess where that small voice originated, Alejandra starts down a path of investigation and self-discovery.
I really enjoyed this book. It was generational trauma all the way down. . . but in a good way? This book is a story of not only the trauma that makes its way down the family line, but also the strength. While Alejandra is the protagonist, we are given multiple POVs throughout history that give us a clearer picture of where it all came from: the fortitude and the pain. The connections between Alejandra and the women she chooses to take her journey with are wonderful.
There are a few places where the dialogue felt a little stilted and the moral of the story felt a little heavy handed, but it still did exactly what it set out to do, which is talk about how we find our place in the world and how it is always easier when we find a tribe, be it blood relations or found family. Each of the characters is interesting and rooting for Alejandra, which makes the things happening to her all the more horrific. This is a horror story about hope and that is one of my favorite things. I highly recommend checking it out.
Alejandra knows what she is: a Mexican American woman, adopted as an infant and grown into a mother who puts everyone before herself. Now if only she could figure out who she wants to be. Quietly weeping in the shower one evening, the voice inside her head reminds her how worthless she is. But when the shape moving in the mist causes her to second guess where that small voice originated, Alejandra starts down a path of investigation and self-discovery.
I really enjoyed this book. It was generational trauma all the way down. . . but in a good way? This book is a story of not only the trauma that makes its way down the family line, but also the strength. While Alejandra is the protagonist, we are given multiple POVs throughout history that give us a clearer picture of where it all came from: the fortitude and the pain. The connections between Alejandra and the women she chooses to take her journey with are wonderful.
There are a few places where the dialogue felt a little stilted and the moral of the story felt a little heavy handed, but it still did exactly what it set out to do, which is talk about how we find our place in the world and how it is always easier when we find a tribe, be it blood relations or found family. Each of the characters is interesting and rooting for Alejandra, which makes the things happening to her all the more horrific. This is a horror story about hope and that is one of my favorite things. I highly recommend checking it out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Colonisation, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Minor: War, Dementia, and Infidelity