#V. Castro

[thebookocean]

the haunting of alejandra.......

man what a book. this is the second of my five stars for this year that centers heavily on motherhood, which is kind of a funny thing considering the strength of my own choice to never have children. and because i don't have children i know there's a lot in the haunting of alejandra that i can't directly relate to, but the way it's written made me feel like i understood at least a little bit. i feel like it somehow bridged a little bit of the gap between me and the people around me whose experiences i've never been able to connect to in any way.

i feel like if i'd been any younger reading this book it wouldn't have hit as hard? having people my age around me talking, even obliquely, about how difficult motherhood has been on them was definitely a factor in me loving the haunting of alejandra so much. the way it deals with womanhood and motherhood and the way those two connect felt very raw and emotional, and the approach to generational trauma was incredible.

the supernatural horror aspect almost felt like it took a backseat for me? even though it was satisfying, this book definitely uses the horror to explore its themes and not the other way around.

idk man, it was honestly incredible and one of my favorites of this year so far. sometimes i felt like the dialogue wasn't the most realistic thing in the world (who speaks like that) but it didn't even bother me as a literary device because that's what it is and it worked really well.

#the haunting of alejandra #v. castro #review #bookblr #horror #i guess i'll do thoughts like these here? i hesitate to call it a Review because it's just thoughts but that's what i made this blog for! #idk man this was a fantastic book

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Haunting of Alejandra | Author: V. Castro | Publisher: Del Rey (2023)

#books #The Haunting of Alejandra #V. Castro

[hasmoneanbulbasaur]

I would like to inform people that there is a vampire book coming out next year by V. Castro entitled Immortal Pleasures. It is about the Mexican historical figure La Malinche as a vampire.

From the publisher:

An ancient Aztec vampire roams the modern world in search of vengeance and love in this seductive dark fantasy from the author of The Haunting of Alejandra.

Hundreds of years ago, she was known as La Malinche: a Nahua woman who translated for the conquistador Cortés. In the centuries since, her name has gone down in infamy as a traitor. But no one ever found out what happened to La Malinche after Cortés destroyed her people.

In the ashes of the empire, she was reborn as Malinalli, an immortal vampire. And she has become an avenger of conquered peoples, traveling the world to reclaim their stolen artifacts and return them to their homelands.

But she has also been in search of something more, for this ancient vampire still has deeply human longings for pleasure and for love.

When she arrives in Dublin in search of a pair of Aztec skulls—artifacts intimately connected to her own dark history—she finds something else: two men who satisfy her cravings in very different ways.

For the first time she meets a mortal man—a horror novelist—who is not repelled by her strange condition but attracted by it. But there is also another man, an immortal like herself, who shares the darkness in her heart.

Now Malinalli is on the most perilous adventure of all: a journey into her own desires.

#books #horror #horror books #vampires #vampire books #v. castro #la malinche #immortal pleasures #gothic

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Out of Aztlan

By V. Castro.

#Out of Aztlan #V. Castro #books #book covers

[badgalbre]

Slow relaxing Saturday☀️ 🧡

#relaxingday #saturday #cafecito #cup of coffee #books and reading #books #my doggo #doglover #v. castro #the haunting of alejandra

[creepykuroneko]

Went to the San Antonio Book Festival this weekend!

I finally got to meet my two favorite authors in the world! 😸😭

Steven Graham Jones, Native American author, all of his protagonists are indigenous, he is a horror writer, his most famous works today are the Only Good Indians, My Heart is a Chainsaw, and his newest book Don't Fear The Reaper. I cried while reading the only good indians.

V. Castro, Tejana, unapologetically writes about Mexican folklore, horror, brown protagonist, Aztec goddesses, and the fact that white women are not the friends of brown women. The Queen of the Cicadas has been my absolute favorite book to date, her newest book that just came out this month is the Haunting of Alejandra and it taps into the urban legend of La Llorona.

Was able to get 2 of Jones books and 4 of Castro's books signed 😻 (I didn't want to post my name on the internet so I edited the photos)

Memorial Ride: Thanks for hanging with Coop!

The Only Good Indians: yes, you are a final girl! (we were talking about horror movie tropes and I told him I would be a final girl).

Goddess of Filth: keep shining!

Out of Aztlan: thank you! Appreciate all the support.

Queen of the Cicadas: Thank you & Best wishes!

Hairspray and Switchblades: Enjoy the Jaguars ! Thank you! ❤

So happy I got to meet these two amazing beautiful people. Was able to attend their panels and ask some questions. Had some laughs and delt was some heavy emotional topics. Still would love to have a afternoon to just hang out with each writer individually to really talk with them about their experiences and opinions on many issues. Honestly though I'm just happy I was able to see them in person.

#Stephen Graham Jones #v. castro #books #booklr #ndn #chicanx #poc authors #horror

[brightbeautifulthings]

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

"'But it's just a story. Unfortunately, the story of La Llorona is not told in her own words. If it was true, we still do not know the truth of what really happened to her.'"

Year Read: 2022

Rating: 2/5

About: Alejandra feels trapped in her marriage and as the mother of three demanding children. When she starts to see visions of a weeping woman in a white dress, she fears for her sanity. As she begins to attend regular sessions with a therapist who is also a curandera, she realizes that what she's seeing may be very real, and that she may have inherited an evil that has preyed on the women of her bloodline for centuries. In order to save her family, Alejandra will have to heal herself and draw on the strength of generations. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Random House/Del Rey. Trigger warnings: parent/child/spouse death, suicide attempt (on-page), suicidal ideation, drowning, miscarriage, gore, guns, violence, period horror, abandonment, mental illness/depression, neglect, racism, sexism.

Thoughts: I liked the overall story and message in this book, but I didn't vibe with the writing style or the main character. Part of the problem with starting the story when Alejandra first starts seeing La Llorona is that she's already so deep in depression. It's our immediate impression of her, with no sense of how she got there or who she is beyond that. It's her dominating characteristic, and she can't see past her own misery and self-pity enough to help herself. The writing style is also very dramatic and flowery, and it's hammered in so many times that Alejandra's life is a hopeless abyss (or something). It's difficult to find a bright spot in a character like this. I cared, but I never felt what she was feeling, and I think I would have empathized more if the Absolute Crushing Darkness had been reined in a little.

It's also not really a La Llorona story, if we're being honest, at least not in the traditional folktale way. Castro trades in the myth for something more sinister and ancient, but I didn't feel all the backstory on the creature was necessary. It gets less frightening the more we see of it, and the descriptions grow repetitive. Slobbery monster clothed in something else's skin, got it. It's never as frightening as the very real circumstances Alejandra and her ancestors face in widespread cultural racism and sexism, and I'd say the true monster of the novel is the generational horror of women being expected to be mothers and nothing else, even at the expense of their own well-being. While the past looks into her ancestors' lives slow down the pace some, I think it's necessary for the kind of story that's being told. Alejandra draws strength from the women of her past, and her arc in healing herself is ultimately very well-developed. If it sounds like your kind of story, it probably is.

#book review #v. castro #the haunting of alejandra #horror fiction #horror #random house #del rey #ballantine #2/5 #rating: 2/5 #2023 #netgalley

[oracleofmadness]

A haunting story featuring the legend of La Llorona. This is a spirit that haunts women who are sad and suffering. Particularly those with children. La Llorona appears dripping wet and decayed to try and devour Alejandra and her emotions.

This was really good. I loved the characters. I think I liked the depictions of La Llorona the best, though. The real fear in this story were the inner demons of the main character, Alejandra, and how that attracted this spirit who wanted to take all the pain away.... however, in a very bad way.

Out April 18, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

Content Warnings for body horror, suicidal ideation, depression, sexual assault....

And, the husband in this book is a really crappy dude.

#book #bookish #books #bookworm #book review #currently reading #read #bookblogger #reading #horror stories #horror novels #horror story #horror #la llorona #the haunting of Alejandra #v. castro #netgalley review #netgalley

[lastfinalgirls]

Every book I read in 2022

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro

★★★★★ / 5

#litedit #horroredit #goddess of filth #v. castro #book moodboard #booklr #bookstagram #bookish #booktok #aesthetic #2022 books* #*bookshelf

[inabooknook]

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

The premise of this book was so interesting. Alejandra, the main character is stuck with a generational curse, the curse of La Llorona who has followed her since the birth of her daughter. The story was so well done, and very informative and interesting. I learned a lot of things about curanderas, La Llorona herself, and Mexican-American culture that I would not have known about before. The story follows Alejandra as she starts experiencing more and more serious run ins with the curse, and goes about trying to handle the situation without causing worse things to occur. As I said, the story was nothing like anything I have read before, which honestly was a breath of fresh air since I was able to find out about things outside my usual realm of understanding. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes supernatural things, but also enjoys mysteries.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#la llorona #reading #books #horror #curanderas #thriller #mystery #magical realism #book review #the haunting of alejandra #v. castro #book

[buniyaad]

the weak dialogue and overt therapyspeak made many parts of the book legitimately cringeworthy, but the worldbuilding was phenomenal. the entity's creation myth reminded me of half buffy the vampire slayer and half lovecraft. i could picture the villainous cunt in my head. i hope castro's future books reign in therapyspeak and really polish the dialogue bc her plots read like that old school spooky cool.

#the haunting of alejandra #v. castro #real talk #book hoe

[thebookocean]

The Haunting of Alejandra, V. Castro

#this book is 100% a winner—one of the best i've read this year #the haunting of alejandra #v. castro #quotes

[wolfythoughts]

Book Review: The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

Alejandra, deep in the throes of postpartum depression, starts to see the specter of the Mexican folk demon La Llorona. Summary:Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her. Nor can…

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#bisexual #book #book review #chicana #horror #intergenerational trauma #la llorona #LGBTQIA+ #postpartum depression #Review #speculative #the haunting of alejandra #trans #v. castro

[graphicpolicy]

Titan reveals four new Alien books coming this Fall including a direct sequel to Alien 3

Titan reveals four new Alien books coming this Fall including a direct sequel to Alien 3 #alien #aliens #books

ALIENS: VASQUEZ by V.Castro24th October 2023Trade Paperback A groundbreaking Latinx Aliens novel by a rising star Latina author, featuring the fan-favorite character PFC Jenette Vasquez from the hit movie ALIENS and the family she is forced to leave behind The story of the breakout Aliens hero Jenette Vasquez, written by rising Latinx author V Castro. Even before the doomed mission to LV-426,…

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#alex white #alien #aliens #aliens: bishop #aliens: vasquez #an aliens search and find book: find the xenomorph #kevin crossley #t.r. napper #the complete alien collection: symphony of death #tim waggoner #titan books #v. castro

[tigger8900]

The Haunting of Alejandra, by V. Castro

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recently relocated across the country to further her husband's career, Alejandra is struggling to take care of her three children — four, if you count her husband — let alone herself. What's more, something dark is stalking Alejandra: the demon called La Llorona, a malevolent being that had once watched Alejandra's mother, and her mother before, and so on for generations. Alejandra will have to learn about herself as well as all the women of her family who came before, lest she be consumed by the darkness.

I picked this book up for the feminist horror, to watch a woman embrace her ancestors and fight a monster, but for me personally this fell somewhat flat. The monster wasn't particularly scary or unnerving to me, the action sequences felt lifeless, and I was irked by the fact that the book kept stopping to explain things rather than trusting the reader to have picked up on metaphors on their own. There were some things that Castro did really well, but with all the parts that were meh it felt like a merely okay read to me. But then I gave it to my mom to read, because I thought she might like some of the themes around women and the curandera while not being bothered by what I didn't like.

Well, she absolutely loved it. She agreed with me that it wasn't traditionally scary(except for one scene near the end involving a toilet, be warned), but that wasn't what she was reading it for. Apparently, this novel is the best depiction she's ever read of what it feels like to sacrifice your career, your social life, your preferences, everything that makes you you, in order to be a wife and mother. So what was a miss for me(unmarried, childfree) resonated extremely powerfully with her.

Something I did like was the emphasis on Alejandra's maternal ancestors, tracing the history of the haunting back through time. I thought that was very well-executed, and I was able to hold each of the women distinct in my mind. Apart from the fact that the book held my hand all the way through it, I enjoyed uncovering the mystery of La Llorona. I also appreciated that Alejandra was bisexual, not for any plot-related reason, just because she could be so why not? Always love that. There was also a very positive depiction of therapy-slash-spiritual-healing, and I appreciated reading a book where the protagonist realized early on that things were Not Okay and sought help, rather than stubbornly sticking it out on their own as their mental health collapses.

Ultimately, I think I'm going to split the difference between my mom's opinion and my own, giving this four stars overall.

#books #book review #the haunting of alejandra #v. castro #horror #probably a good mother's day(or father's day if that makes more sense for your family situation) read for the right parent-child pair #you know if the usual stuff is too mushy for you #there will definitely be Conversations

[judgingbooksbycovers]

The Haunting of Alejandra: A Novel

By V. Castro.

#The Haunting of Alejandra #V. Castro #books #book covers