The Haunting of Alejandra: A Novel

Description
A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona in this "utterly terrifying and wholly immersive . . . story about generational trauma, colonization, systemic oppression, and the horror at the heart of motherhood" (Library Journal, starred review).

"Castro is one of the most exciting genre authors on the scene right now, and this might be her most powerful book yet."--Paste

A POPSUGAR AND CRIMEREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

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 they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.

When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family's history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.

Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.

But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers--and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.
Show more

BUY THE BOOK

288 pages

Average rating: 6.92

40 RATINGS

|

4 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Hartfullofbooks
Mar 21, 2024
7/10 stars
Castro’s writing is very blunt and it’s always hard for me to get into at first which affects my overall enjoyment of her books, but it’s very much a personal taste. If you’re looking for flowery, descriptive prose or a complex horror novel I wouldn’t recommend this one, as it’s very point blank and you have to accept a lot and just move on. If you can do that though, this novel tells and eerie tale of a woman stuck in her depression hating her ...read more
Anonymous
Jan 05, 2024
6/10 stars
Creation/alien version of La Llorona? While that aspect of the story I didn't care for too much, I absolutely loved the journey the main character, Alejandra, took toward healing generational traumas. It's wild how history repeats itself within our families (I was able to trace back the same canon events in my own family 4 generations back).
ChristieKelly
Oct 04, 2023
9/10 stars
As a mother and wife, I felt like Alejandra was me and I have never related to a character in a book more. I read this book up like I was starving and this was my only sustenance. Was not a fan of the "creature" in the books origin story...I don't think it was really necessary to even have it in the book. This book made me think of my own demons that haunt me, the ones I've created that could my own La Llorna. This book is almost perfect.
Hola.Amy
May 13, 2023
8/10 stars
Spooky story about generational curses and resilience. A page-turning, good read!

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.